77 Hitmen

Getting rid of both Kenny Williams and Rick Hahn was the important first step in the process. The organization had fallen flat on its face under their leadership, which was made worse by them being in conflict with each other. That was a total shitshow.

I hope you can wait 8-10 years because that's the window they're talking about if they indeed are going with the Amtrak yard.

I see nothing in this article or any other source that I've read that suggests the Sox intend to move him to 2B. What they said was to note his versatility to play 2B, SS, or 3B. That is NOT the same thing as saying they're pegging him as their future 2B. "He then emphasized Cholowsky's defensive versatility, noting his ability to play second base, shortstop or third base without any concerns."

WBEZHow Munetaka Murakami is teeing up business for White Sox...“As soon as we signed him we changed our thinking and moved our ticket sales targets up because we anticipated him bringing in more interest,” Sox chief revenue and marketing officer Brooks Boyer said

I'll at least say it's not out of the question that they'll extend him. First there's all the extra revenue that Boyer says they're bringing in thanks to him. Do they really want to give that up in another season and a half? Then there's also the Ishbia factor. With ownership transfer on the horizon and Ishbia already having a minority stake in the team, it's not out of the question that the Sox would be more willing to sign him to a long-term deal than I would have believed in the past.

For sure. It can certainly be reasonable for someone to include stuff like that in their portfolio. I just don't think people should invest such that being able to retire when they want vs. ending up working as a Walmart greeter into their 70s to make ends meet hinges on whether investing in something like crypto pays off. Also, if someone is just getting started in investing, I'd suggest starting off with index funds before jumping into the hottest new IPO or hottest new technology/sector. I'd also suggest that people become familiar with the difference between regular taxable brokerage accounts, tax-deferred retirement accounts (401ks, IRAs, etc.), and Roth retirement accounts. They each should have a place in people's investment and retirement strategy, especially since the latter 2 are typically unavailable (without incurring penalties) until you turn 59 1/2.

Look at all that has happened since a Sox fan became Pope: Sox win the MLB draft lottery, get their first 1.1 pick since Harold Baines in '77. Justin Ishbia is announced as the next Sox owner. He meets with the Pope and hints that a new stadium is eventually coming. Colson Montgomery hits 21 HRs in the 2nd half of last season after being called up (44 total over his first 162 games) Sox defy the odds and sign Murakami Sox enter the ASB in a 1st place tie thanks in part to Mune, Colson, and breakout seasons from Vargas, , Peters, and Meidroth. Antonacci and Braden Montgomery look like they're keepers, too. Most analysts believe the Sox had a highly successful MLB draft, and not just because of their 1.1 pick. That's just stuff I could think of off the top of my head and not a comprehensive list. An amazing turnaround over the last year.

Yep, especially for a beginning investor, putting money in "index" funds is the way to go instead of trying to outsmart the market. They call that passive investing. Actively-managed funds tend to have much higher underlying fees than simple index funds. To better diversify, one could mix in some money into other index funds beyond those tracking the S&P500 - small business index funds, international index funds. I'm not a huge fan of investing in something speculative and volatile such as crypto or SpaceX. To answer @Ducksnort 's question, it also might depend on the time horizon he's looking to invest in (10 years? 30 years?) and for what purpose (retirement? more money for a down payment or vacations?).

Since Roch is now our SS of the future, his screen presence is vital so that he can step in and make Ankin Law ads.

I seem to remember that it was seen as a huge embarrassment for the Sox at the time. It made them look very unprofessional - having a promotion that totally got out of hand with a bunch of hooligans on the field to the point that they had to forfeit the 2nd game of that DH. It was a huge story on the local TV news that night with a banner that said "RIOT AT SOX PARK".....and not in a "wow - wasn't that fun!" way. It was seen as a total debacle. Then IIRC, that really tore up the playing field and the playing conditions in subsequent games was pretty bad to the point that other teams were complaining about it. It really made the Sox organization look 2nd rate. It wasn't until years later that people looked back at it and had a good laugh at the event and it became part of Sox lore.

Perfecting his lawyer-speak to the press about how great the team was doing.

Speaking of TIF money: West Loop TIF funds to back infrastructure around Chicago...The shift raises fresh questions about taxpayers’ role in one of the most consequential local megadevelopments.Chicago officials plan to redirect $287 million of West Loop property tax revenue for infrastructure surrounding Chicago Fire FC’s new stadium at the 78, a shift poised to help jumpstart the South Loop megaproject and reduce risk for developer Related Midwest.

They're going to jump from High A straight to the majors? /s

Unless the new CBA is going to prohibit trades, I'm not going to worry about it.

That would be a heck of a way to inaugurate our new stadium in the South Loop. 😉

Great to hear that feedback. Some of the earlier posts in this thread made it feel a little disappointing and I don't know enough about the prospects to know if that was valid or people just being dark clouds.

Ishbia money. 🤣

Countdown is at ZERO! JR and TLR are ready to overrule the scouting staff!

Wow, being worse that Schriffen must be quite an accomplishment!

Who is on the A’s broadcast team who is so bad that they’re worse than us?

Don't forget one of the Jersey Boys.

Was he sent to Azkaban?

It's for all the Soxtalk members in Oahu.

Perhaps he would consider a retractable roof, but there are a few downsides: 1) It could easily add a half a billion $ to the cost of a stadium and that's without the maintenance costs that Falstaff mentions; 2) It would require more acreage than an open-air stadium and both the Amtrak site and the 78 are already tight on space; and 3) they'd have to be careful with the design so that the stadium doesn't end up looking like a warehouse like in Texas or Arizona. On the plus side, it would help draw more fans during those early season cold weather games and Ishbia could use the facility for events such as concerts even during the winter. An ABSOLUTE NO to a fixed roof dome. It's not needed in Midwest cities like Chicago where people want to see games outdoors after maybe the first 6 weeks or on rainy days. It would mean artificial turf and being indoors when it's a beautiful 75 degree day outside. Such a thing makes more sense in Vegas or Tampa where they'd have to have the roof closed for all but maybe the first month of the season anyway. I think Houston has only opened their roof a few times per season. Ishbia would be crazy to spend all that extra money for a fixed roof only for people to complain about not wanting to see a game in a sterile indoor environment during the summer.

Hard to believe that we're down to only 2 days to go.