South Side Hit Men

I think it is true the players by and large tuned Tony out since the Mercedes incident, but care about Tony on a personal level because he was with them everyday for nearly two seasons. Most likely also respected the fact that he worked hard at his age each and everyday, regardless of whether they agreed with his managerial approach. Would wager the players have far more respect for Tony than for Jerry or Hahn, with Jose and perhaps a few others being the exceptions to this assumption. Most of us have worked for managers we may have liked personally, but also knew they weren’t effective managers (and vice versa).

Yes, but so is the 2022 team, hence the attendance situation.

Mattered when the Sox also broadcast select games on independent stations through 2019. All local television broadcasts since 2019 occur on Jerry Reinsdorf majority (50%) owned NBCSC (Wirtz and NBC Universal own the two remaining 25% shares).

That lengthy answer covers radio, not CSN, and I already knew that Len’s radio time and DJ are considered employees of WMVP, same as when the Sox TV announcers were broadcast on WGN/WSNS/WFLD/The U (and the Cubs on WGN/WLS under Wrigley and Ricketts ownership, the Tribune also owned WGN). Teams had say/veto power, but the broadcast was owned by the television or radio station and the broadcasters were considered employees of the respective station. Bill Veeck also had "veto power" but allowed his TV/Radio announcers to call it as they saw it, which obviously Jerry Reinsdorf has never adopted. Len’s contract includes significant time on CSN, so he in part is also a direct employee of Reinsdorf owned CSN based on his dual contract, leaving DJ plus Connor McKnight and radio fill ins as the only persons with zero direct compensation by a Reinsdorf owned entity. All the others on CSN, plus Merkin (either directly or indirectly through Reinsdorf's ownership of mlb.com) and the two you mentioned WGN interviewed for their take on Tony (Hawk and Kittle) the other day, are all employees of a Jerry Reinsdorf entity. PS - Guys with side hustles, like Steve Stone’s WSCR appearances, appear independent of the White Sox. However, anything they say or tweet may be used against them during their next contract negotiation.

Sox have a good chance this weekend if Miguel shows the team this video Friday afternoon.

Yes, emphasis on "announced". Far more actual people last night than this afternoon, which looked to be in the 3,000-4,000 range watching on YouTube. The announced attendance today was 15,257, 7th lowest this year. Lower were five April and one May weekday game vs. the Angels in 51 F weather. 2019 Attendance 1,649,775 / 77 Dates = 21,426 per gate admittance (3 dates DHs without separate admissions, one game cancelled and not played). 2022 Attendance 1,641,402 / 67 games = 24,499 per gate admittance (This average will likely decrease the final month / 14 games, with two home weekends remaining on the schedule).

Hahn has been, and continues to be the primary problem because he is not a capable leader, cannot properly evaluate talent, and has few strengths which align with his role. Tony has exacerbated issues between his involvement in the Leury and Kelly signings, and eschewing logic, facts, proper defensive alignment and players qualified to field their positions in favor of platoon advantages (real or imagined) and his 77 year old gut. A quality qualified GM should be hired and allowed to hire their choice of manager and staff, and not have Tony or Hahn hanging around as an "advisor" like Marley's / Jerry's ghost.

Merkin is paid like the announcers and team ambassadors directly by the team, so is a paid to give good PR for his employer. I’m referring to the newspaper news outlets the White Sox allows clubhouse access (Sun Times, Athletic, Tribune, Daily Herald still around?), and also radio / television outlets beyond the Sox owned cable network.

Will he be asked any serious questions about the Sox abysmal August performance, the overall 2022 failures, why players learned of the Tony’s departure via Twitter instead of him or Jerry, and whether he thinks his performance and conduct makes him worthy of remaining with the organization beyond October 5, 2022? Or will it be the typical Hahn q & a where he opens whining about how tired and hangry he is, gives a few injury updates, followed by perhaps one or two softball questions before the press led by Bruce Levine and Shane Riordan kiss his pinky ring and then clear a path for his exit by tossing hundreds of roses to the ground and bowing as he leaves to throw remote controls and punch file cabinets in his office or North Shore home? Matt Nagy is the only Chicago sports figure I’ve seen the Chicago media go after in press conferences, outside of a couple Tony postgame questions. It’s long overdue for the Sox media hold Rick Hahn accountable.

Believe me when I say Rick Hahn and his hissy fits are the last thing on Earth I fear, and I’ll tell it to him in person when he comes out to see his shadow on February 2, 2023.

People keep saying “you can’t sell Eloy “low””. Well guess what, he will always be “low”, get a #4 or #5 pitcher, or someone who can actually play RF, 2B, LF or C, and I would be forever grateful. Kim Ng wanted him last offseason. She still has excess SP. Get something while you still can.

Eloy has played two more games in the outfield this decade (2020-2022 121 games) than Michael Jordan did in Birmingham in 1994 (119).

Go back to heaven, Eloy.

They need to pull Pollock after that and DFA his worthless ass.

Rather have a Leury standard than any 83 uniform.

Cueto is like "Child Please" after that strikeout looking.

Nice hustle by Grandal and play by Leury / Abreu there. Of course followed up by Pollock's ineptitude in the OF.

Andrew flips the bird to Hahn and Menechino!

Looks like a 2019 Tanking Team crowd in the stands today, a few thousand tops.

I opted for a WCIPA collaboration between Alesmith out of San Diego and Revision out of Reno, poured into a Harry Caray memorial pint glass.

The catcher in LF looks better fielding than anyone the Sox have. First game I'm watching this season, glad Len and DJ are on instead of the other two.

You can select the audio feed under settings to change to Len and DJ (or the Royals radio crew).

I want to see a parade of the entire White Sox Front Office and Clubhouse Staff leaving the building on October 6th, with Rick Hahn serving as the Grand Marshall.

Weird that Grandal catching a back to back Day after Night, especially coming off the IL. Meanwhile, more rest for Eloy, and Pollock inches closer to yet another million 2023 dollar incentive payment.

Some have blamed Tony for their dead men bench rosters, but he is in Arizona and Hahn is hiding somewhere making (or not making) these moves.