greg775

I like your post and optimism, wish I could be that way, but I can't see the Sox pitching being good enough to avoid 105-110 losses. Even the games the Sox play well, they'll blow 80 to 90 percent of those in the final 2-4 innings IMO. For me it's so different being a fan when I like none of the players unconditionally (Robert is pretty good, though) and I do not like the manager and am not a believer in the GM. I used to like some of the Sox.

Ugh. His stats from last year scream, "I am an unwatchable hitter. I make outs but occasionally hit a home run."

I think Pedro will be fired before the all-star break. The Sox will be something like 10-30 and that will be that. First scapegoat.

Merry Christmas everybody. .... Interesting post. I can't imagine anybody buying tickets to watch the 2024 Sox. Maybe on a perfect late May evening weather wise against a good team you go to secondary market and buy a couple tickets. But to buy them way in advance and gamble on weather for this team? Don't see many doing it. I can't imagine opening day drawing more than 25,000 but I guess I could be mistaken.

Wow, 90 losses isn't that bad with this roster. Not nuff for me to renew my mlb.com though. I'm turning into a fair weather fan. I'll pay close attention if our record tells me the Sox are a .500 team. If we go 2-10 to open the season, I, like most of the once great city of Chicago will be tuned out 100 percent.

Maybe the Sox realize they actually need to keep Cease to avoid one of the worst records in baseball history. You gotta admit that pitching staff is really bad even with Cease. Without him, cmon do the Sox wanna win in the 40s to low 50s?

Beckham seems like a nice guy but his voice ain't there yet. For me, it's kind of annoying. What did Brennaman do? I forget. If it's too bad don't put specifics. Is it forgivable?

I keep forgetting we have another team in Chicago. It seems unpatriotic of me, if that's the right word, to discuss with myself the possibility of jumping ship. The Cubs actually have a ceiling of 10 over .500 don't they? Until the Sox acquire some guys to cover innings 5 to 9 our ceiling is made of straw. Sox should be active this offseason instead i think they are reluctant to trade their "name" players (Timmy, Eloy, Cease, Moncada, Vaughn).

The Mets must have mildly competent scouts (compared to Sox) if they decided to acquire a no name from our woebegone team. Can you imagine scouring the Sox roster for players?

Makes sense to at least do something for the ticket buyers. Anybody who buys a season ticket for this team deserves free admission and a free hot dog and coke at a winter party.

What did Chappas do post baseball? Did he have a career in something? Too short to be a factor in baseball IMO.

Good job the fourth Allen was Lloyd. Touche on the owner brothers.

I reach a point as a fan I'd like and support a guy forever once their full body of work convinces me of their excellence. When they tail off at the end I'd still defend them fully. That would be Pauley, Fisk, Dye, Abreu, Ozzie, guys like that. Players that win me over. ... Trivia time: The Sox have had four players with the last name of Allen. Name these players. I only liked one of the four, which one did I like? Peace out. This trivia question reminds me. Remember Bill Almon, not Allen? He was not very good. The Sox also have had three players with the last name of Alomar and six named Anderson.

Seaver was a nice addition though.

One problem with the Sox now I'd think is people not caring. I used to really rip the guys I disliked on this board like Dunn. Frankly I'm numb now. I expect us to lose every series and certainly expect us to be out of the race the first week of May and fully expect to finish last in the division. I'd imagine nobody in the city is truly looking forward to following this team at all in 2024. I certainly feel no need to defend any one player anymore and pretty much despise the players equally. I sort of like Robert, still am OK with Eloy. It would be interesting to see how many teams hold a winter fanfest. Are the Sox the only one skipping it? If so that'd be a sign they don't care. They could at least have a fan fest and give away some stuff while trying to sell 100 or so season tickets. Hold it in Naperville or Lisle and test the interest in the suburbs for a potential move someday.

I used to get mad and blast several Sox players on here. I tend to forget negative things however so maybe some long time posters can remind me who i hated the most. If i think back, I truly disliked -- Dunn. I remember he hit under .100 for a long spell his first year with the Sox, didn't he? -- Erstad. -- George Bell. -- Melky. -- Kotsay -- Swisher -- Peavy I'm sure there were some others.

Tony is a Hall of Famer. He isn't a dummy. He should tell Jerry, "Look, you need to improve your pitching staff or you are going to win a maximum of 60 games with a good manager, 52 or so with Pedro. Conceivably the everyday lineup could be OK (for the Central) since Moncada and Timmy and Elvis and Vaughn on paper isn't too bad an infield group. We got no catcher though which is vital. And we got Beni and Robert who are OK. Robert excellent. But that pitching ... whoa.

is the Royals new starting rotation better than the Sox? We shoulda paid Clevinger. In theory it's a possible nice 1-2 punch in Cease-Clevinger and we have Kopech still if i'm not mistaken.

One guy we draft works out and we trade him. Arghhhh. So sad. Any way we could get him back in a deal for Moncada? They might go for Moncada over Burger unless Moncada is too much $$.

I think the Sox are mirroring the Royals completely. They go into most seasons knowing they'll lose 90-105 games and then they do. Sox are looking like that now as well. Meaning absolutely no hope. Although I do think the Sox everyday players 'potentially' are better than KC's. Pitching staff is an abomination however. Sox have no chance to do anything with those 4 inning imploders and horrific relievers.

Thanks LipMan. I remember now Blomberg was horsebleep with the Sox. I don't think Gamble did much in San Diego as I recall. I remember there were high hopes for Blomberg but he stunk. Those Veeck teams were interesting. Remember how bad a shortstop Bannister was? He'd throw the ball into the stands sometimes. But he could hit the ball, line drive smashes in the magical South Side Hit Men season. One time in that four-game series against the Royals in which the Sox won the first three but let Hal McRae intimidate them in Game Four (tipping his cap as he ran snail's pace around the bases) and ruin their season, the Sox I believe were down 4-0 in the first. By the bottom of the first they led 5-4 or 6-4. Hail to Bill Veeck for doing the best he could.

I don't think I'm gonna pay for mlb.com this year so that's a start for me.

I'm thinking of some other lefty hitter Veeck brought in, then. One of the few total busts. I thought it was Pasqua.

Not to be a broken record but I got mad thinking about our Sox today. Even under Veeck who had no $$ the Sox would acquire some guys that actually were worth paying to see and get excited about (Zisk, Gamble, Soderholm, Tom Seaver). Yes he failed a few times (Claudell Washington, Bobby Bonds, Pasqua) but he did something for the fans almost every year. Now with an owner who has some money, Jerry, the Sox are doing nothing. Going into spring training probably with one star, Robert. Adding nobody of note. This is really annoying and sad. We have to hope guys like Vaughn and Eloy and Timmy and Beni have career years so to speak to see any improvement at all. I mean the Sox should make at least 2 significant acquisitions this offseason to spike interest. I can't believe the Sox have a local TV deal. nobody's going to watch these guys play ball.

Is Max known as a good clubhouse guy? He has a neat name.