SoxNet: The Legacy of SportsVision

[Lip Man 1]

Back in 2002 I originally did an article on SportsVision and the history of that network.

 

With the stories in Fan Graphs and ESPN.com this past summer on White Sox viewership as well as the recent hiring of new Sox play by play TV announcer Jason Benetti I thought it was time to take a fresh look at the subject. In addition I was able to track down and have a talk with one of the original SportsVision announcers, Mike Leiderman to get his memories and opinions on the network.

 

I hope you'll enjoy reading the story and will learn a little bit about the history of that network, which was the first of its kind in the country.

 

Here is the link to it:

 

http://www.chicagonow.com/soxnet/2016/01/t...f-sportsvision/

 

Thanks as well to Dan Shapiro for his help with this.

 

Mark

[Thad Bosley]

Back in 2002 I originally did an article on SportsVision and the history of that network.

 

With the stories in Fan Graphs and ESPN.com this past summer on White Sox viewership as well as the recent hiring of new Sox play by play TV announcer Jason Benetti I thought it was time to take a fresh look at the subject. In addition I was able to track down and have a talk with one of the original SportsVision announcers, Mike Leiderman to get his memories and opinions on the network.

 

I hope you'll enjoy reading the story and will learn a little bit about the history of that network, which was the first of its kind in the country.

 

Here is the link to it:

 

http://www.chicagonow.com/soxnet/2016/01/t...f-sportsvision/

 

Thanks as well to Dan Shapiro for his help with this.

 

Mark

The flaw in the telling of the story about this franchise-crippling decision to leave WGN in favor of SportsVision was that it was somehow a "brilliant idea way ahead of its time." Brilliant in what context? Brilliant in terms of maximizing the fan's experience? No, the credit for that brilliant idea goes to the Cubs, who hired Harry Caray away from the Sox to go onto selling the Cubs and Wrigley Field experience for 16 years on WGN. The only brilliance that could have been remotely associated with the SportsVision scheme would have been had it rendered the kinds of profits Messrs. Einhorn and Reinsdorf were hoping for.

 

Meanwhile, what would have been truly brilliant is if Caray had been broadcasting White Sox games on WGN during the 1983 season. If Caray remains with the Sox for the remainder of his career, and if the Sox had stayed on WGN, we wouldn't be having the many discussions about attendance problems like we've had for so many years.

[Lip Man 1]

The flaw in the telling of the story about this franchise-crippling decision to leave WGN in favor of SportsVision was that it was somehow a "brilliant idea way ahead of its time." Brilliant in what context? Brilliant in terms of maximizing the fan's experience? No, the credit for that brilliant idea goes to the Cubs, who hired Harry Caray away from the Sox to go onto selling the Cubs and Wrigley Field experience for 16 years on WGN. The only brilliance that could have been remotely associated with the SportsVision scheme would have been had it rendered the kinds of profits Messrs. Einhorn and Reinsdorf were hoping for.

 

Meanwhile, what would have been truly brilliant is if Caray had been broadcasting White Sox games on WGN during the 1983 season. If Caray remains with the Sox for the remainder of his career, and if the Sox had stayed on WGN, we wouldn't be having the many discussions about attendance problems like we've had for so many years.

 

The Sox didn't leave WGN for it though. Basically they left WFLD for it.

 

It was "brilliant" in the concept idea as history would show, given the number of regional sports networks now in existence. As I said it was an idea ahead of its time and probably would have worked under different circumstances (which I outlined).

 

I'm not justifying what was done, it was a major mistake on the part of the organization but again, the idea in and of itself was brilliant.

 

As far as Harry, given the animosity between he and the owners (which didn't start out that way I have a 10th inning show from April 1981 where Harry openly praised ownership for spending money and for putting winning ahead of other things) there was no way he was staying with SportsVision or without it. The Sox in fact offered him more money for 1982 than the Cubs did, but the atmosphere was poisoned beyond repair.

 

Mark

 

[Thad Bosley]

The Sox didn't leave WGN for it though. Basically they left WFLD for it.

 

It was "brilliant" in the concept idea as history would show, given the number of regional sports networks now in existence. As I said it was an idea ahead of its time and probably would have worked under different circumstances (which I outlined).

 

I'm not justifying what was done, it was a major mistake on the part of the organization but again, the idea in and of itself was brilliant.

 

As far as Harry, given the animosity between he and the owners (which didn't start out that way I have a 10th inning show from April 1981 where Harry openly praised ownership for spending money and for putting winning ahead of other things) there was no way he was staying with SportsVision or without it. The Sox in fact offered him more money for 1982 than the Cubs did, but the atmosphere was poisoned beyond repair.

 

Mark

Einhorn scrapped WGN as the free TV option after the '81 season because he wasn't happy with the rights fees that Veeck had negotiated. Fine, but just go in and negotiate a better deal, Mr. TV Guru Einhorn, but keep the Sox on the damn superstation. Instead, he switches the Sox over to WFLD for the '82 season, but for even fewer free games than the 64 which were televised on WGN in '81. In fact, did you know that only a mere 32 games were broadcast on free TV, on WFLD, in 1983? Just 32, and that in a market where fewer than 20,000 homes had SportsVision. You compare that very minimal amount of exposure to what the Cubs had during their division winning season the following year with nearly every game televised on WGN reaching 22 million homes, and it's not even funny.

 

Meanwhile, Mark, I would direct you to that game which you've referenced a few times, that game in June of 1981 televised on WGN with the Sox at home at Comiskey Park against the Yankees. It was the last game before the strike that year, and Caray had Einhorn in the booth talking about the prospects of the strike. But in doing so, Einhorn also mentions that the Sox' ratings on WGN are the "highest they've ever been", and is a big reason the Sox were also seeing a huge increase in attendance. The park that night was packed, and it was electric when the seventh inning came along and Harry led the WHITE SOX fans at COMISKEY PARK on superstation WGN in the singing of "Take me out to the ball game". You know, that "tradition" which fans from across the country flock to Wrigley Field to this very day to participate in? WE HAD IT FIRST! And that game in June of '81, you can easily see how if Harry had stayed with the Sox, coupled with the national exposure on WGN, we could easily be talking about the Sox today as the national treasure instead of the Cubs. I'm pretty sure Milo Hamilton would not have propelled the Cubs to the level of popularity the way Caray did.

 

A completely missed opportunity by the "owners", and only because they couldn't get along with Caray. Bill Veeck was able to. The Tribune Co. execs were able to. But the "new owners", Jerry Reinsdorf and Edie Einhorn, new to baseball at the time, could not. And as a result, the rest as they say, is history. SportsVision.

Edited January 17, 2016 by Thad Bosley

[Dick Allen]

Each season during Sportvisions life, befor it moved to cable, the White Sox outdrew the Cubs. They even outdrew the Cubs the next season when the Cubs made the playoffs.

 

Being on WGN would have helped a lot because it would have brought in more viewers from around the country, and cable, which is pay per view, but one thing no one mentions was the Cubs playing all day games at home also helped them immensely. The Braves were on a superstation with Harry's son, and that didn't lead to sellout crowds, I think if they had played the number of night games the other teams played, people from other areas would have been tuned into other things.

Edited January 17, 2016 by Dick Allen

[Thad Bosley]

Each season during Sportvisions life, befor it moved to cable, the White Sox outdrew the Cubs. They even outdrew the Cubs the next season when the Cubs made the playoffs.

 

Being on WGN would have helped a lot because it would have brought in more viewers from around the country, and cable, which is pay per view, but one thing no one mentions was the Cubs playing all day games at home also helped them immensely. The Braves were on a superstation with Harry's son, and that didn't lead to sellout crowds, I think if they had played the number of night games the other teams played, people from other areas would have been tuned into other things.

Well, you bring up an interesting point mentioning Skip Caray, Harry's son, who did Braves games for many years on the "other" superstation, TBS. And it's interesting because it does go to show that just merely being on a superstation doesn't guarantee success at the box office or in ratings. It does matter who is behind the mic, and Skip Caray was the antithesis of his father when it came to broadcasting. He wasn't particularly exciting to listen to, and certainly didn't inspire people to come from all over the country to see Braves baseball in person in Atlanta.

 

Harry Caray, on the other hand, understood the power of the superstation, and aligned his superb salesmanship with the enormous exposure he was getting on WGN. It did take him a couple of years to endear himself to the Cubbie faithful. He wasn't very popular in the first year, in '82, because he was transitioning from being known as the long-time bombastic voice of the "enemy" White Sox to the voice of the Cubs. It took Cubs fans a little while to get used to his style after decades of listening to Jack Brickhouse. And in '82 he was paired with Milo Hamilton, which was a disaster on many levels. He was paired with Steve Stone in '83, and then by '84 he was well on his way to making the Cubs the national sensation that they remain today.

 

And so my point remains, that could have been the White Sox. The "What if" possibilities boggle the mind. We'll never know, of course, but what we do know is things would have turned out a lot better had Caray stayed with the Sox and had he broadcasted Sox baseball on WGN from 1982 until 1997. There really is no arguing that, in my opinion.

Edited January 18, 2016 by Thad Bosley

[Dick Allen]

Well, you bring up an interesting point mentioning Skip Caray, Harry's son, who did Braves games for many years on the "other" superstation, TBS. And it's interesting because it does go to show that just merely being on a superstation doesn't guarantee success at the box office or in ratings. It does matter who is behind the mic, and Skip Caray was the antithesis of his father when it came to broadcasting. He wasn't particularly exciting to listen to, and certainly didn't inspire people to come from all over the country to see Braves baseball in person in Atlanta.

 

Harry Caray, on the other hand, understood the power of the superstation, and aligned his superb salesmanship with the enormous exposure he was getting on WGN. It did take him a couple of years to endear himself to the Cubbie faithful. He wasn't very popular in the first year, in '82, because he was transitioning from being known as the long-time bombastic voice of the "enemy" White Sox to the voice of the Cubs. It took Cubs fans a little while to get used to his style after decades of listening to Jack Brickhouse. And in '82 he was paired with Milo Hamilton, which was a disaster on many levels. He was paired with Steve Stone in '83, and then by '84 he was well on his way to making the Cubs the national sensation that they remain today.

 

And so my point remains, that could have been the White Sox. The "What if" possibilities boggle the mind. We'll never know, of course, but what we do know is things would have turned out a lot better had Caray stayed with the Sox and had he broadcasted Sox baseball on WGN from 1982 until 1997. There really is no arguing that, in my opinion.

It really doesn't boggle the mind. Harry sang Take Me Out to the Ballgame for bad teams on the southside and there was no attendance jump.

[Thad Bosley]

It really doesn't boggle the mind. Harry sang Take Me Out to the Ballgame for bad teams on the southside and there was no attendance jump.

Harry Caray broadcasting White Sox baseball and singing Take Me Out to the Ballgame absolutely made a difference in Sox attendance. He actually had a bonus agreement in his early years tied right into the jump in attendance. And he made such a difference in improving attendance that the Sox had to scrap the bonus because it was getting too expensive. All of this with him initially broadcasting on a radio network anchored by some 5,000 watt station in LaGrange, and then later on TV with the lowly Channel 44. It's an absolute credit to Caray to make the impact he did with such poor exposure. But in his one and only year broadcasting the Sox on WGN, TV ratings were their highest ever, and attendance began to rise as a result. And so yes it does boggle the mind if you understand what Caray was capable of and then wonder how things would have turned out had he stayed with the Sox.

Edited January 18, 2016 by Thad Bosley

[Dick Allen]

Harry Caray broadcasting White Sox baseball and singing Take Me Out to the Ballgame absolutely made a difference in Sox attendance. He actually had a bonus agreement in his early years tied right into the jump in attendance. And he made such a difference in improving attendance that the Sox had to scrap the bonus because it was getting too expensive. All of this with him initially broadcasting on a radio network anchored by some 5,000 watt station in LaGrange, and then later on TV with the lowly Channel 44. It's an absolute credit to Caray to make the impact he did with such poor exposure. But in his one and only year broadcasting the Sox on WGN, TV ratings were their highest ever, and attendance began to rise as a result. And so yes it does boggle the mind if you understand what Caray was capable of and then wonder how things would have turned out had he stayed with the Sox.

So Dick Allen and the Southside Hitmen didn't matter, the White Sox drew 1.5 million one time when Harry was announcing. That is when they won 90 games, not the opportunity to sing take me out to the ballgame. In fact, the attendance per game the next 4 years after Harry left, was higher than it ever was when he was there, and higher than it was at Wrigley with Harry there during those seasons

Edited January 18, 2016 by Dick Allen

[Thad Bosley]

So Dick Allen and the Southside Hitmen didn't matter,

Uh, uh, uh, Dick Allen. No trolling here. I didn't say that, nor did I infer it. I'm specifically talking about Harry Caray's impact. But since you mentioned it, Harry did a sensational job of promoting both Richie Allen and that '77 team. You of all people here, under the moniker of "Dick Allen", ought to know that.

the White Sox drew 1.5 million one time when Harry was announcing.

Which was three times that when he first arrived on the scene in '71. 1970 attendance was less than 500,000. Caray's presence resulted in increases in attendance each year after which, maybe you don't realize his impact on those increases, Dick, but Sox management then did, because his bonus was tied to it.

 

That is when they won 90 games, not the opportunity to sing take me out to the ballgame.

Singing along with Harry was always a big part of the Sox fan experience at Comiskey Park, and a big part of the draw to go to Sox games in those days. To suggest otherwise shows a superficial understanding of what was going on back then.

 

In fact, the attendance per game the next 4 years after Harry left, was higher than it ever was when he was there, and higher than it was at Wrigley with Harry there during those seasons

And now back to my original point, the attendance would have been even higher in the years 1982 and on, had Caray been with the Sox and broadcasting the games on WGN, instead of Joe McConnell and Early Wynn broadcasting games on SportsVision. Truth.

Edited January 18, 2016 by Thad Bosley

[Donny Lucy's Avocado Farm]

One thing I always missed from WSI after I left and came here was Lip's history articles.

 

Thanks for posting it here, Mark.

[Lip Man 1]

One thing I always missed from WSI after I left and came here was Lip's history articles.

 

Thanks for posting it here, Mark.

 

Thank you for the kind words. I hope you enjoyed reading it.

 

Mark

[Chisoxfn]

So Dick Allen and the Southside Hitmen didn't matter, the White Sox drew 1.5 million one time when Harry was announcing. That is when they won 90 games, not the opportunity to sing take me out to the ballgame. In fact, the attendance per game the next 4 years after Harry left, was higher than it ever was when he was there, and higher than it was at Wrigley with Harry there during those seasons

The flipside of this argument is if the Sox keep Carray do the Cubs gain the exposure they got due to Harry? Maybe we don't look at this from the Sox angle but more of the Cubs angle. Was there another personality who could have kind of done the whole "loveable" loser concept and made the whole park experience and listening experience similar. Harry was tremendous for the game of baseball. I don't know that announcers actually help draw fans in any significant manner, but Harry might have been the exception and he definitely helped build the whole "Cubs" persona.