Andy the Clown

What a joke of an organization.

Holy shi#. Danks' performances and Dick Allen's taint share the same fragrance.

Indeed. To turn up the heat a bit, maybe nobody in Chicago gives a damn about the Sox except for low SES Southsiders, who have less discretionary income than most and who stay far the hell away from the park when they've got a dog on their hands (which is most of the time)?

? That makes absolutely no sense.

I'd agree with you if we had an organization that could properly identify talent.

Kudos to you, sir. 100% truth above. I relate to everything you said here, right down to the difficulty in asking your family to invest in a product that is poorly designed and that nobody likes (except maybe you).

If the attendance data you are referencing support your statement, then the Sox should move. Perhaps Chicago simply cannot support two teams?

Your posts in this thread have been wonderfully insightful, and have helped me to crystallize my own thoughts on this topic. I'd just like to add another item about the Reinsdorf-owned Sox: Not only has the franchise not won enough, it doesn't believe in the value of building a minor league system. That is an organizational philosophy straight from the top; JR doesn't believe in making premium investments in prospects who haven't "proven" anything yet. So, we take the cheapest route possible in building our system. It isn't a coincidence that the only sustained period of success during the Reinsdorf era came from the efforts of the Himes regime. Instead, we rely on dumpster diving -- looking for bargain free agents and hoping they pan out. Usually, they don't; with 2005 being the glaring exception. Part of the way fans develop a passion for their teams is by following their minor league prospects as they develop. It gives the fans a greater sense of identification with the players as they roll through the system, and the bond with them is strong once they reach the majors. Of course, we have had relatively few prospects worth following the past decade. Many of those who have developed have been traded away. In sum, we don't believe in building from within, and we won't pay top prices for premier free agents. What is left is the steaming pile of mediocrity that is the JR Sox. Like I said in an earlier post, I can no longer support this franchise with this owner. It's difficult to say this, as I've loved the Sox with all my heart since 76. But the bottom line is that this is entertainment. This is not life and death; it's baseball. And if following this team makes me miserable because I fundamentally disagree with several key principles upon which it is run, the onus is on me to change my behavior. I certainly do not expect JR to change. I live in Dallas, and my son loves the Rangers. For years I've tried to steer him towards the Sox, but he finds their games "horrifyingly boring". He always has. Even though the Rangers suck, he'd rather watch them lose 10-7 than watch the Sox win. I'm learning to embrace his thought process, and enjoy the game of baseball with his team rather than worry about the perpetual incompetence of my own.

I didn't then, and I certainly don't now with Semien playing like an all-star.

He needs to work on things. It's a lot easier to work on things when you are outside of the pressured environment of MLB. Doesn't matter if he's the best guy in the bullpen; this is about the future, and this year is over man. He'll be a lot more major league ready if he's able to throw his off-speed stuff over the plate. We both have opinions; that's fine. Pitchers have been developed both ways. What the Sox really shouldn't do is jerk him back and forth between roles...unless they are actively hoping for a major arm injury.

Have him on an innings limit in AAA - as a starter. He needs work on commanding his secondary pitches. That won't happen in a major league bullpen.

Only an organization as stupid as the Sox would toy with the idea of using him in the bullpen.

Sox should move to Montreal. They would be adored there -- even with our current management.

I'm done with this franchise until Reinsdorf dies. Busted organizational philosophy that starts at the tippity top, and is executed by long-time buffoon KW. The trade of Semien for "Shark" is the perfect illustration of everything that is wrong with the franchise (along with the endless run of dips*** managers): Zero interest in developing young talent internally, zero appreciation for those few prospects with real "baseball" skills, and a desperate, needy affinity to go "All In" and mortgage the future when everyone else in the world knows you don't have a prayer. The Sox should just move to Quebec already.

Hopefully he doesn't blow up any bombs in the parking lot.