Leaderboard

The Big Lie is Over Seven years ago, on December 6th, 2016, the White Sox traded the best pitcher who ever put a White Sox uniform on. This trade symbolized the end of an era of White Sox baseball. Rick Hahn stood up at the podium and began laying out his plans for the future of this organization. A team that had, as he put it, been in an endless loop of perpetual mediocrity had seen enough; it was time to push this organization into the 21st century! At that time, fans were all in. They understood that the operational baseline for which the organization had operated in the 1990’s and 2000’s would not produce the results this fanbase deserved. Not only were the White Sox going to invest in player development and prospects, but they were also going to analytically move the White Sox into the modern era of baseball. Rick Hahn was saying all the right things, and all of his trades after the Sale move were lauded as big wins for the White Sox. For the first time since the early 1990’s, the White Sox had a top 5 farm system. Additionally, they had acquired the number 1 prospect in baseball; at least, accordingly to publicly available prospect data (more on that later). “Pray for the league” fans said over and over. Fast forward a little over two years, it’s now February of 2019 and Kenny Williams has just put his shades down to hide his shock. The White Sox spent much of the 2+ year period between 2016 and 2018 talking about their unprecedented financial flexibility, and here was their chance to show the world this organization means business. Yet, as Sox fans we really should have known better. After the White Sox misread the market on Machado – misreading the market should be put on Rick Hahn’s tombstone – they came out to the fanbase and proclaimed not to worry, THE MONEY WILL BE SPENT! Afterall, they offered Manny the best package, he just didn’t want to prove it! If you want to play for this elite organization, you’ve gotta be willing to prove it! Like any person in an abusive relationship, Sox fans ignored all the signs of danger. When a red flag went up telling us nothing had truly changed about the organization (such as the Machado situation), we looked on the field and fell in love with the narrative of tools of Moncada, Robert, Eloy and Kopech. The propaganda machine was on overdrive, and the organization had pulled the wool over my eyes for the last time. Just like all competitive rebuilding teams with aspirations for a World Series title do, the White Sox brought in a manager who required a nap-time clause be written into his contract to accommodate the fact that Connie Mack was calling him old. LaRussa had no interest in developing players or learning the modern game. He’d been out of the game so long, the last time he was involved the White Sox were actually competitive. Yet again though, the Hahn bots were setting the narrative that this was all Jerry’s fault. It’s always Jerry’s fault. What’s the truth though? Rick Hahn is a lawyer who had an edge writing contracts and exploiting eager young players who feared failure and wanted to make sure their family was set for life. Hahn’s entire tenure and reputation still revolves around the idea that he got young players to sign team friendly deals; completely forgetting the fact that Hahn had to trade those deals just to try and compete again. Hahn wasn’t even capable of building around 3 players producing 15+ WAR for about 21 million a year, yet we thought he could tear an organization down and rebuild it from the ground up. What Hahn really did was buy Reinsdorf three years of spending zero dollars on the team. During their rebuild, they hoarded international money instead of spending it on top talent, they lacked any minor league unison in messaging and development between levels, and players who came here couldn’t help but notice the lack of technologically driven developmental tools. In fact, by the time the White Sox purchased and began utilizing things like Rapsodo machines at the major league level, other advanced organizations had already moved on to more advanced and effective tools of evaluation. The White Sox had spent five years building the body of a Ferrari and then placing it on an engine from a Civic, because for them presentation was and will always be more important than production. The big lie bought the organization a decade; a decade of savings for Jerry and “benefit of the doubt” for Hahn. While LaRussa certainly put a damper on the organization, he’s not the reason this team has become the worst team in baseball during the peak of their contention window. Rick Hahn was quoted earlier this season talking about how writers and the likes surround themselves with the worst fans – negative fans, as Rick called ‘em. The audacity of Rick and Kenny to call out this fanbase is truly unbelievable. The White Sox exist in the countries third largest TV market but they’re one of three teams in MLB history not to give out a 9 figure contract; joining the likes of the Kansas City Royals and the Oakland A’s. It can’t be ignored that the Sox payroll is certainly competitive, but if you buy 10,000 rings from the dollar store, they’re not going to turn into a singular $10,000 diamond. That said, Rick Hahn going to the outlet store and buys only the items that aren’t truly on sale. During the past few years, Rick Hahn has wasted hundreds of millions of dollars on complete trash, topping it off with Andrew Benetendi who truly symbolizes the Hahn tenure as a baseball evaluator better than any other signing. Rick fell in love with Benetendi 8 years ago, and he was kicking himself for missing out on him from the draft. Despite the fact that Benetendi has regressed horribly since his age 23 season, never again eclipsing 3 WAR in a season, Hahn like his predecessor always gets his guy. It’s as if Hahn never changes his mind on a player despite endless amounts of data refuting his initial evaluation. At the end of it all, the White Sox fan and leadership relationship has never been more severed; never more broken. The trust that Hahn had unwarrantedly been granted by the fanbase was pissed down the drain alongside every other narrative and story this organization has sold since Reinsdorf took over. This time though? It has been even more obnoxious, more absurd and more offensive. At this point, Hahn has insinuated the fans are unreasonable; “no one takes this harder than me” Rick reiterates over and over again. While I am sure there is some truth to that, is this any different than Politicians standing in front of the country and saying “if only someone in power could do something about these issues?” No, because Rick Hahn made his bed and then blamed all the fans for how messy it is; for how uncomfortable, and cold it feels. White Sox fans are loyal to a fault, and they deserve so much better than the three stooges who stand up in front of them once or twice a year and blame them for the negative attitude around the team and the organization. While people think the big lie is a lack of money spent, the lack of farm system development, or a lack of accountability… while those may all be true, that’s not the big lie. The big lie this organization has sold the fanbase is that they care as much as we do. Kenny is “in a bad place” right now he’ll tell you, and Rick has to watch games on a treadmill. The failure is killing them just like it’s killing us. If only they knew someone who could do something to stop this, they would! They promise! While I’ll never stop being a White Sox fan; it’s engrained in my DNA… it runs through my veins. I’ve never watched less than I am today. I’ve never bought fewer tickets than I have this year and last. I’ve begun to prioritize other things in my life, because frankly why should I prioritize something so heavily that has never prioritized me? Baseball has been in my blood since I was a little kid and my love for the game has evolved along with each step of my life. For the first time ever, as a White Sox fan, this team has hampered that love. If Rick Hahn and Kenny Williams truly are in a bad place, and truly feel the same as the fans, then they should step down from their positions and end the big lie. Until then, Sox fans will be left longing for the days of perpetual mediocrity that Hahn promised to get us out of. To be fair though, that was one promise Rick Hahn did keep but sadly it was because they’re now just perpetually bad.

Kinda hard to EVER feel bad for the guy who torpedoed his OWN shot at a WS run in 1994. Eff Jerry Reinsdorf.

We are ALL BERTO

Previous game threads I tried to bring in good luck charms. I think we've all just entered a mental hellscape at this point (shout out Berto). Anyway, Cease vs. McClanahan. Perhaps they right the ship and have the greatest turnaround ever. Likely not, but, perhaps. Anyway, memes instead of good luck charms:

Excellent analysis. And right now the organization is at a real crisis point. It isn't because "fair-weather" fans are pissed. It is because long-time and loyal fans are pissed. I don't think the FO understands this one bit. They feel too entitled.

Special promotion for tonight's game. https://www.theonion.com/white-sox-promotion-puts-first-9-fans-at-ballpark-in-st-1825752230

Listen to the caller BERTO at about 6 minute mark. Absolutely fantastic!!!! Not sure if he posts here but should.

In a very sick way I'm kind of rooting for them to lose out the rest of the month and have it dip into the Twins series. I want to see how long they'll just let losses pile up before making some sort of change, like what is their breaking point?

Burger is a joy to watch. Meanwhile, four grounders for Eloy

This injury assessment is false. It CAN be that severe but those are the exception and not the rule.

Sign Madison Bumgarner

I told myself I wasn’t going to play in the men’s league this year in my town but if you guys need a catcher, DM me.

I come here often for the comic relief...there are many posters here with a great sense of humor. But as this season drones on, it will be harder and harder to really care at all. Growing up close enough to the ballpark to hear the fireworks when they hit a home run, it is just in my blood so in many ways I am a captive audience. But I watch very little of the games these days because they are so boring....and they won't stop with that cursed Jingle ?

Beep beep motherfuckers

I would pay a small fortune to hear his commentary for this game, and what has transpired before.

You just financed their A teams' meal budget/per diem for a week.

I’m sure some fans will pay a hefty price just to be able to get out of there.

Kelly cant even lower his 10+ ERA

They are completely screwed. Maybe the worst shape the organization has been in that I can remember.

Hahn has said everything he possibly can on the issue of this team. At the point, unless he’s delivering a statement to announce his resignation/termination, I don’t want to hear another damn word out of his mouth.

I think the Kane County Cougars had better attendance tonight.

I’ll bet anyone that we can hold them under 20 runs in this game.

If this is Cease, they have no player that is worth watching.

That would be the kind of injury that would explain an awful lot of his 2022 performance.

Tampa is a bit of a dump imo but Sarasota is awesome. I did a week on the beach there a few years ago as part of a family trip. Really enjoyed it and we went in the shoulder season in October and the weather was perfect and crowds not a problem.

WBC of course was the cause most likely. Also, wonder if the Sox blew the original diagnosis right before the season started.

Tampa fans are fortunate Jerry never moved the Sox down there.

April 26, 2023 For Immediate Release: Senior Vice President of Stadium Operations Terry Savarise has instructed staff to deny Rob Colletti admittance into any future White Sox home games. Stadium staff will request fans wearing a Colletti or Berto Jersey to remove or cover up the offensive message or face ejection and possible arrest. Fans displaying signs referencing Berto or Colletti will face immediate ejection and revocation without compensation of any remaining White Sox tickets in their name. Go Sox!

4 game Sox sweep gets us to 7 under .500.

The best thing that can happen to this organization at this point for the real fans is if this team continues losing every game in an embarrassing fashion until they are national news for how incompetent they are the players will be fine, they got paid the FO idiots will be fine, they got paid the owner will be fine, he made billions off of us suckers its best for the fans that this team lose as many games in a row as possible. I’m hoping for at least 10 more losses winning is utterly counterproductive at this point

You get an A on your term paper. Good use of primary sources to back up your claims. I hope you will consider enrolling in White Sox Angst and Frustration 102 next semester.

The fact that "Wintrust Field at Comiskey Park" was right there (allegedly). On one hand: Quite possibly the greatest stadium name in sports, as far as sponsorships go. On the other hand: One of the worst names + THE worst logo for a stadium sports.

I'm heading over to line up now....meet me there and we can be the DP combo...you can have 2B or SS, I'm not picky.

It’s not game over is a lie. No team has ever started 7-18 and made the playoffs. They have always said you can’t win a title in April, but you can lose one. They lost one.

Moncada to probably miss breaking pitches

Sorry Pedro. Yes, the season is definitely over. You would know that if you followed this team closely for the last 2 seasons.

Great rant but Lee Elia’s epic rant about Cub fans in the early 80s is still #1.

Just read this on the official website and it is pretty much like what you said "Chicago hasn’t won a series yet this year, or even won back-to-back games; the club is 2-12 over its last 14 contests. It’s an undeniably sideways start for a team hoping to contend, but it’s not game over." If this is a 'sideways start' I would hate to see what they consider a downwards start!

But in all seriousness, the shot at Stoney is the cherry on top. Stoney's a great broadcaster, but whenever he becomes a pundit it's groan worthy.

I’ve never spoken six minutes uninterrupted in my entire life.

I would like to have a drink with Berto. I’d buy!

A much easier version to get to....

How depressing that the highlight of this season is a sports talk radio caller shredding this team/front office to bits.

Caller says it all

It’s truly a despicable organization