Chimpton

Relegation and promotion is an essential part of football, but owners are trying to do away with it because they don't want to lose their place at the top table. That was what motivated the European Super League idea. And you are right a hard core of fans will remain loyal no matter how bad the team gets. In fact it is almost seen as a badge of honour that you were there in the bad times when the good times hopefully return. Fans may moan and criticise their team and even boo sometimes, but that is only because they care so much. Those that don't care just switch off their support or move it to another team or sport.

I think part of the problem is that a sporting team isn't really a 'brand', I know I am looking at it from a British point of view but sporting teams aren't seen as a brand here. More and more owners are seeing it as a brand and supporters are merely 'customers' and all that matters is the money the 'brand' can generate. The idea that a team or 'franchise' can up sticks and move to another city is totally alien to us, but gradually owners who are only interested in money are trying to break that geographical identity, trying to play games around the world to generate more revenue, in Spain they have certain football games start late into the night to suit the Asian TV audience. But part of what makes football 'soccer' amazing to watch at times is the passion of the fans, and that is lost if the audience is just there to watch a 'product' like a show or a concert. What these owners don't realise is that by treating sports teams as a brand they will eventually destroy the fanbase that should be the lifeblood of any team. How can any 'franchise' moving to a new city keep its old fanbase or create a new loyal fanbase? If the team is successful people will watch but once they start to lose the audience will disappear, and once that starts to happen the owners will be looking for a new city to move to. Even now the younger generation often support a player not a team and their loyalty will move with that player, anything that expands this will be detrimental to sports teams in the long run. Maybe I am old fashioned or it is just a British cultural thing but a sports team is not the same as a brand and never will be. Anyway rant over!

That has been the problem for this team for many years even when Getz was Director of Player Development, especially when it comes to the development of position players.

I think when the team breaks the record for most losses in a season then the win-loss record 'does count'.

Especially when none of those players can actually hit above .245

That implies that this disaster was intentional rather than just bad recruitment, bad play , no leadership etc.

Exactly the difference between chartering an Airbus and a Boeing will be less than the wages offered to FAs in the dumpster that the Sox have been signing recently.

But part of the problem is that most of the players are at best AAAA level because the club is being run like a AAA club, the plane business is just one example of this. Players talk to other players, do you really think any big name free agents would want to join the current Mickey Mouse organisation even if they were prepared to pay them what other clubs do.

The big question is who gets those 8 seats?

It's not just that they let them all go but what did they get in return? Nothing that looks too great.

Is that what we are reduced to hoping for 'statistical regression'?

Are you sure?

Its not as if he can blame lack of player development in the minors, because he was supposed to be responsible for that!

So why before the season were we told the bullsh*t that he was being hired to avoid another lost season and to compete sooner? Also what does he predict for next season? Because most people see a similar 100 loss season for 2025.

Far from sacking Chris Getz, if he had any self respect he would resign. He has helped assemble what will be the worst squad in MLB history, virtually none of his trades or aquisitions seem to have worked out, and all this from a team that was not deliberately tanking apparently. It is not as if the current squad is bad with the prospect of a brighter future in the minors. At best the Sox can hope for a return to.500 ball by 2027. There is no prospect of Getz building a playoff capable squad in that time (even with the expanded WC) let alone one that could actually win a post season series.

The team would still have to actually score some runs, and that has been somewhat difficult for them this season!

Do they really think Moncada will help them avoid that?

The only difference being that America turned it round 4 years after Pearl Harbour and went on to win the war, somehow I don't see the White Sox turning it round and winning anything in the next 4 years.

I hope that was a typo, or is it a comment on what Getz thinks of himself?

Maybe if this was a movie script, but in the real world why would any decent manager want the taint of mananging a 100 loss team, because that is what the 2025 Sox will be.

The season that followed it!

I think it is more like this now

The sad thing is he is leading the team in batting average this season!

It says something when the Sox 'best hitter' amongst qualified hitters is Gavin Sheets with .240 average!