All Activity

The meetings start Monday in Vegas if I remember right.

Dazzled lol

Don't the GM meetings start tomorrow? Usually, the activity happens at the December meetings, but I think I read they expect this week to be where the action takes place.

Two notations today: November 8, 1920 - For a few days, the White Sox were members of the National League. True story! With many owners dissatisfied with the National Agreement (governing the game, the Majors, the minors, and all baseball commerce), 11 clubs hatched a plan to form a new National League — a single league including every team. Included in this “Allied Eleven” were the White Sox. With all 16 MLB teams gathering at the Congress Hotel in Chicago, the “Allied Eleven” met in one room and “Loyal Five” (to the American League, consisting of Cleveland, Detroit, the Philadelphia A’s, St. Louis Browns and Washington) another, with Senators owner Clark Griffith shuttling between the two rooms as messenger. When agreement couldn’t be struck to keep the AL-NL MLB dynamic going, the White Sox, Yankees and Red Sox all resigned from the AL and joined the National League. Cooler heads prevailed four days later, with the leagues remaining intact and the approval of Kenesaw “Mountain” Landis as baseball’s first commissioner was a key part of a redrawn National Agreement. The decisions and changes made at these 1920 meetings largely define the structure of baseball today, more than 100 years later. November 8, 2000 - On the basis of an unexpected Central Division championship, and 95-win season, Sox skipper Jerry Manuel was named the Manager of the Year by the Baseball Writers Association of America. He ran away with the award beating out Art Howe of Oakland, 134 points to 74. He got 25 first place votes out of a possible 28. He wasn’t able to work any magic in the playoffs though as the Sox pitching staff was in shambles due to injury and they were swept out in three straight by the Mariners.

Now I really am concerned, given some of what I've read in the past.

20. White SoxTop free agents: SP Erick Fedde, OF Randal Grichuk, RP Sean Newcomb Biggest needs: Rotation, bullpen, corner outfield How to build on one of the most incredible rebound seasons in baseball history? It probably starts with not thinking you’ve fully arrived, and realizing how much further there is to go. That seems to be exactly how they’re approaching this winter, and it’s with a roster that’s pretty easy to eyeball. The infield was excellent, and should continue to be, given how many of their young prospects play on the dirt. The outfield was OK, but there’s probably a case to be made to add a veteran corner option to not rely too heavily on Braden Montgomery and Sam Antonacci. And the pitching? Well, this is all of it. You saw the playoff push where they tried to make a staff out of essentially one starter (Sean Burke), and that’s simply not tenable over a full season. It already wasn’t, really; their rotation in August had an eye-popping 6.21 ERA, and September was only a little better. There’s a lot of optimism that this can keep going. It’s going to require some outside pitching help.

The whole fans thinking players are rushed is just pure speculation based on how players perform. Perform poorly you were rushed , perform good you weren't. Some may argue that their minor league performance didnt rate a call up which is pretty much the only time it has merit . Some players just peak against lesser pitching and can never hit MLB pitching. Be it temperament, approach or physical skills , some just can't hack it . Development is just a fancy way of looking for some way to minimize flaws and maximize skills , but being consistently good over a long period of time just isn't easy with all the adjustments players have to make, getting stronger, increasing bat speed, increasing velocity / spin rate, improving control and command , changing mechanics, changing approach, learning the pitchers or hitters and just your aptitude and knowledge of all phases of the game.

And it looks like if they build a soundproof barrier type of thing, that the biggest impact is considered legally mitigated.

Exactly. It looks like they could get working on clearing the Amtrak site as early as late spring 2028 or maybe fall '28/early '29 at the latest. I don't know what the timing is for BNSF getting a new Metra maintenance yard built (at 14th and Western) since all that's been reported so far is that Canal Edge is in advanced talks to buy that part of the property. But, there's no controversy regarding a possible relocation of the BNSF yard. Getting a new stadium built in time for the 2033 All Star Game certainly looks doable. It's also noteworthy that the FRA found insignificant impacts. That's not the same as zero impacts on local residents, but I don't see a legal basis for the city taking legal action to block this. As I (and others) said, Amtrak moving their maintenance yard is only the first hurdle to clear before a South Loop ballpark becomes reality, but it sure seems like the biggest one.

There’s still over 3 weeks until the lockout. Honestly the week leading up last time is when there were a ton of moves. Off-season just started.

I do believe that you believe that.

Again, this is what happened in the last Big One.

Also weird why any team would have interest in this nut job.

Everyone expected a ton of activity quickly and so far pretty much crickets. Is this the owners, wink wink no collusion, freezing the players? Maybe I am just cynical. Did see MLB ranked rosters and Sox came in at #20.

Hopefully this gets the ball rolling in starting the new stadium.

I definitely agree. FWIW, JC Latham (the guy who Elliott pulled the gun on) also got into an altercation with Simmons in practice and Simmons got kicked out of practice in August 2024. Not to condone with Elliott did cause it was not only idiotic but dangerous, Latham is known to have a bit of a history. I believe Simmons is friends with Elliott so if he is ok with it to Poles, then I don't think it'll be a huge issue.

So that puts us about about a year ahead of myguess, meaning we can get to it on the Yards in possibly 28 if you can open the new facility while the viaduct work could happen, but 29 if not. [Assessment, demo, remediation, etc]. 2032 to 2033 looks pretty solid for an opening date of a new park.

It’s pretty weird to go so hard to bat for a guy who was removed from the team for going to his car to get his gun to deal with another teammate

By not hiring you, at least the city saved on paying cops OT working the multiple parades.

I never troll. I always speak the truth.

Young is really good and would fit salary cap wise because the Saints kicked the can down the road for most of his contract and signing bonus. I believe he'd be owed something like a million the rest of the year. He's also pretty cheap next year. After spending 2 firsts and a 4th on Simmons, I'm not sure we have the trade capital to get Young. He'd at least require a 2nd rounder to get IMO.

Have they both been seen in the same room together?

Trolling again I see. 😆

The Crain's article has the 59-page FRA report embedded at the end of the article. Noteworthy items from the article: Public comment period ends on Dec. 7. Public hearings have not yet been scheduled. The FRA said noise impact from the new facility would be minimal, but identified four residential “clusters” where impact would be “moderate.” Those could be mitigated through the creation of a barrier along the western edge of the facility, though the report doesn’t require it as a condition for approval. The assessment called out potential traffic headaches during construction, mostly from structural repairs to 17 viaducts supporting the existing rail yard. Recommendations included limiting work when the White Sox are playing home games. The report singled out the viaduct improvements as a public safety benefit of the project, since many of the structures are about 120 years old. If the FRA ultimately clears the project, demolition to prepare the site for construction would begin in January, the report said. The facility would be completed in April 2028 and viaduct work would be finished in August 2028.