Thad Bosley

Rightly or wrongly, Samson’s revelation called into public view Reinsdorf’s commitment to winning, enough that Reinsdorf felt the need to publicly respond to the claim. You combine the unavoidable negative stigma of Samson’s statement with the lingering skepticism of the fan base from what looked like a questionable commitment to winning after the last offseason, and I think we should have an owner and front office at least a tad more inclined to make sure this offseason’s results are far more successful than last year’s.

Thank you, Mr. Samson, for letting loose on that podcast with that little exchange you had with Mr. Reinsdorf several years ago. Whatever the context was with what Reinsdorf purportedly said isn’t important. What is important for Sox fans is the timing of the revelation, right before this very important, upcoming offseason. The fact Reinsdorf felt compelled to put out a public statement in response to all of this should go a long way towards the owner and front office ensuring this offseason doesn’t end up as disappointing as the last one. Things just got more interesting!

Oh, you absolutely went on a “tirade”, if only because you’ve set the definition of a tirade as an opinion shared by someone that doesn’t match your point of view. Talk abour “growing up to do”...

On the contrary. This isn’t the “White Sox Employees Tribute to the Boss” website. It’s a message board (and a good one at that) for White Sox “fans” to comment and debate all things White Sox, which includes matters related to the owner. If you want to go on a tirade about how it matters how he treats his employees, which has nothing to do with the average White Sox fan experience, then it is you who needs to go talk to somebody else.

Pffftttt...”character of the team’s owner”. Oh, Reinsdorf is a character, alright. He showed wondrous character in threatening to move our Sox to Florida unless the state of Illinois agreed to his blackmailing. billionaire-making demands. He’s one helluva stand-up guy for the average White Sox fan.

And a fan who doesn’t work for the man cares about this...why?

Optimism about what lies ahead, and skepticism and negativity about how this front office will see this thing through, are all legitimate emotions at this point in time.

Then you are completely unfamiliar with, or choose to totally ignore, the FO’s long-running record of futility. Why is it so difficult for you to reconcile fan sentiment where it stands today with all of the incompetence demonstrated the past two decades by this FO, the same FO who would have been relieved of their duties a long time ago by anyone of the other 29 clubs. The negativity you see today is a cumulative effect of all of the losing witnessed by our fan base as a result of this front office. The only thing to make that negativity dissipate is to FINALLY start winning again. It’s not enough in the least bit to be content just because the team is in the stage in the rebuild where the FO said it would be right now. That’s just a stage in a rebuild - it’s NOT winning White Sox baseball. Not yet, anyway. Plenty to be optimistic about, no doubt, but still plenty to be skeptical and even negative about; again, anchoring to the FO’s record. It’s up to the FO to change the fan base’s perception of them.

Reinsdorf would certainly be a perfect go-to guy for advice on how to build a 4th place team, after what we’ve witnessed during this past dreadful decade.

Just not happening whilst R-Dorf is still running things. We are getting Kenny & Hahnny the rest of the way while he’s still in charge!

Trading assets that have taken three years to acquire and develop through this rebuild business for a premium player who is very likely to enter free agency would only make the 2021 season resemble the 2019 season. In other words, it would likely return the team to rebuilding mode. Any takers on that scenario?

I agree - as of now, it wouldn’t be retired. But I was referring to Abreu if, in fact, he plays however many seasons he has left in a White Sox uniform. Because if he does remain a White Sox for the remainder of his career, and barring injury, he’ll end up #3 all time in home runs for the White Sox, #5 in RBIs, #5 in doubles, and top ten in hits and runs scored. Reinsdorf retired Baines’ number in 1989 for much less than that.

Not to mention, but you build future trade value with Zach if he becomes passable at first base.

How many games at DH for Jose in this scenario? Seems like we'd be running him out to first base 150+ times.

I suspect the Sox will decide on keeping their young, cost-controlled, batting champion shortstop for a little while.

Amen to that!

I believe so. He has the requisite minimum 502 at-bats now to qualify.

That’s our problem - we have the same “mechanic” today in Reinsdorf that we had back in 1985 and 1998. And the results show he’s still operating under the same methods he did back then and throughout his near 40 years at the helm.

You do you is all I can recommend at this point. For many of the rest of us, however, Reinsdorf’s body of work, his record as owner, all the way back from when he started in the 80s, clear through last offseason’s embarrassing debacle, informs our view of him here in the present. Why wouldn’t it? Has anything changed with the guy over time?

Wrong. The guy responsible for naming Hawk GM back in the 80s, and who exercised terrible judgment in doing so, is still the guy responsible for making those same types of critical judgment calls today - Jerry Reinsdorf. Citing the 40 year record of the man while he’s still the guy in charge couldn’t be more relevant when forming opinions about what’s possibly coming our way in these next few years.

The fan base frustration isn’t just in reaction to the hideous baseball we’ve had to witness the past three years during the rebuild. It’s also in reaction to the heinous baseball played in the four years prior to the rebuild, driving the need for the rebuild in the first place. The fans are also in negative/skeptical mode since the team continues to extend its playoff drought, a whopping 11 years now since there has been postseason play at 35th and Shields. And lastly, there have been all of four playoff games and just one measly playoff win for the White Sox in the 14 years now since the ‘05 World Series. Just four playoff games over the last 14 years when there’s been a second wild card chance in play, and the team hasn’t even been close to winning that spot! So many apologies to you that the chorus you hear arising from our fan base isn’t “Sunshine, lollipops, and rainbows everywhere!”. We’re tired of the losing and simply want to enjoy some winning baseball for a change.

Ah, “playoff appearances”. Now that takes me back some!

Terrific post!

If you don't want a response to me about an idiotic comment about Jose Abreu, then don't post the idiotic comment about Jose Abreu. It's that simple!

Is it your personal challenge at this point to make your next comment about Jose Abreu actually dumber than the one that preceded it?