77 Hitmen

The 10th team in MLB history to do so and the first since the Yankees and Mets during the final year at their old stadiums in 2008. https://www.espn.com/mlb/story/_/id/46337726/dodgers-become-10th-mlb-team-draw-4-million-fans-season

Good news, everyone!

There is a massive 100-acre, $4B entertainment district being built within walking distance of Angel Stadium. https://www.anaheim.net/5157/Honda-Center-OC-Vibe This is being built by the owners of the Ducks and will surround the Honda Center. Angels owner Arte Moreno has nothing to do with this project and his previous efforts to develop the parking lots at Angel Stadium failed due to corruption. There are three people standing in the way of Moreno being the worst owner in MLB: John Fisher, Bob Nutting (Pirates), and Jerry Reinsdorf. And yes, the Royals are planning to move to a new stadium. With Missouri and Kansas bidding against each other and the team saying they'll provide $1B in private funding, I think this is very likely to happen. Wherever they land, it'll either be downtown or have significant development surrounding it.

This. The era of MLB owners like JR making a killing on low (or no) rent and parking lot fees is over. Since you mention Boomer era, all Boomers will be senior citizens when the current stadium lease is up. The oldest Gen Xers (as much as I hate to acknowledge this) are turning 60 this year. Even the oldest Millennials start turning 50(!) two years after the Sox lease is up. When looking at how people spend their time and money for sports entertainment these days and going forward, the next owners of this team aren't going to be looking at what worked with Boomers and Gen Xers 30 or 40 years ago.

Lots of public money going into that project. I'm not tied in to DC local news, but I'd imagine not everyone is happy with that.

The Ishbia brothers are reportedly worth around $15B. There is potentially money to pay for a new stadium if that's what they think is the best path forward. I'm not saying that's what they'll do. You also bring up some valid questions about the 78 location. None of the options are perfect. That's why, even though I'm in favor of a ballpark at the 78, my guess now is that the most likely outcome is what you described: ballpark improvements and developing the area around the current park. Seems like the path of least resistance. Lots of question marks either way. It'll be very interesting to see what the result is when the dust settles. ...and yes, none of it will matter if they continue to play the way they have for most of the last 15 years. The new owners have to retool this organization top to bottom IMO regardless of stadium.

I'm hard pressed to think of another MLB team that doesn't now or has plans to play in an iconic or highly rated park and/or in a vibrant area (i.e.; popular neighborhood or entertainment district). Maybe the Brewers with their ballpark surrounded by parking lots is the best answer. Other than that? Dodger and Yankee Stadium? But those are two of the most elite franchises in MLB history and one can argue that their stadiums are considered iconic. Am I missing anyone? Chase Field isn't anything special IMO, but is downtown. Miami's new stadium and its location has been a huge swing and a miss and their attendance has been terrible. I just think it's incredulous to think that there's nothing wrong with the current Sox ballpark status and that their attendance right when they won the World Series proves that.

The Sox have the 2nd longest postseason series win drought in MLB. Only the Reds have gone longer (1995) and they might actually make the playoffs this year. 2005 is the only season in the 44-year Jerry Reinsdorf era that the Sox actually won a post-season series. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Major_League_Baseball_franchise_postseason_droughts So yeah, the new owners need to start with rebuilding the organization itself from the ground up. Hopefully they're smart enough to realize they can (and IMO must) do more than one thing at a time to turn this franchise around and that fixing the on-field performance/organizational rot and improving the ballpark experience aren't mutually exclusive.

That would certainly be a huge improvement over the current situation. They've had attendance issues with the current ballpark for 30 years save for the 2 or 3 years after they won the World Series. The numbers clearly show this. One huge benefit of this option is that it's all ISFA land. Of course, the Ishbias would still have to pay for a new stadium just as they would at the 78, but other sports owners are spending a lot more than JR is committing toward new stadiums, so while not a certainty it's not an out of the question. I don't think a plan to "just win" is enough because it's so tough to do consistently. The Mets owner threw a record amount of money into that team and how is that working out for them? Same with the Ishbias and the Suns. I also don't think just winning a few division titles or wild cards with early playoff exits is going to do much to move the needle for the Sox market share in Chicago at this point.

It'll be very interesting to see how the new labor contract and the TV deals eventually shake out in a few years. Seems like the disparity between the haves and the have not franchises has gotten worse in the last 5 years or so.

I wonder if Nashville is such a shoe-in for an expansion team anymore just because of this. They're spending a TON of public money on that new Titans stadium.

Sox final attendance numbers for the season are 1,445,738. That's up by about 60,000 fans total over 2024 but it's still the second lowest season total since 1999. https://www.mlb.com/news/white-sox-lose-final-home-game-of-2025-to-padres

Sox have to go at least 5-1 this last week of the season to avoid 100 losses.

Those of us around long enough know that he's been a PR disaster almost from the get-go. He's been alienating fans since 1982 and his late partner Eddie Einhorn was just as bad if not worse. There was a brief respite in 2005 before the franchise has gone into the ditch over the last 18 or so years culminating in last year's all-time record loss total. Disgraceful.

Agreed. Plus, I don't care what jobs Schriff had before he joined the White Sox. I said he's unqualified, not inexperienced. I don't care if he's finishing his 2nd season and is less bad than last year. He was unqualified when he was hired and he's still a really bad announcer. If the Sox fired him tomorrow, would any MLB pick him up as their PBP man? I highly doubt it.

If you have a differing opinion and some stats to back up your view, fine. But no need for personal insults. I'm not going to stoop to your level..

The DC city council has approved a deal to build a new domed stadium for the Washington Commanders at the site of the old RFK stadium. They expect the new stadium to open for the 2030 season. https://wtop.com/dc/2025/09/the-washington-commanders-are-returning-to-dc-as-council-approves-3-7b-deal-for-stadium-at-rfk-site/

Good for them. Jerry & Co. earned their infamy for last season's 121 losses. Unless it's the Cubs, Yankees, or Red Sox, I have no interest in seeing another team surpass that record.

But nobody is suggesting that there will be no parking lots at either a redeveloped current site or the 78. That sort of sounds like a strawman argument. Otherwise, you're not wrong that there are going to be fans who want to drive to the game and can't/won't use public transportation. I just don't see a scenario where parking is essentially eliminated for people attending Sox games.

I don't disagree that it would be difficult, if not financially impractical, to fix some of the biggest structural flaws of Rate Field. I just think it's a possible outcome that they could remain at Rate Field long-term. I for one will be very unhappy and disappointed if that happens since IMHO it'll doom the Sox to pretty much their current, reduced market share (a small market team within a major market) and to recurring attendance issues for decades to come. When you say "take away the parking that most fans like", by "most fans" do you mean the 17,000 that show up for games now or the fans that say they'll only attend games if the Sox make the playoffs in multiple seasons? I'm sorry, but the Sox have been catering to fans who want nothing more than a ballpark right off the expressway and surrounded by acres of parking lots and it's obviously not working and it goes against what just about every other MLB team has figured out over the last 30 years. Plus, it's not like they'll eliminate all parking if they redeveloped the area around the current stadium. They'll also have parking if they move to the 78, too.

I don't know about crime, but I remember that Hillside area being kind of dumpy even ~30 years ago. Further south are nicer areas. I'm thinking of the Western Springs/LaGrange area as being rather pleasant.

Schriffen is a perfect reflection of this organization. This includes how it hires unqualified people for top positions and how it has given Sox fans an utterly crappy product.

Until someone builds something permanent (surface lots don't count) on the south end of the 78, the door isn't closed on the Sox building a stadium there. Interesting that the Fire's plan shows not much development south of their stadium other than surface lots. That could indicate that they and Related Midwest are aware the Sox are still an option for that end of the property.

It means Sox ownership (present and future) better get a move on if they really want to build a stadium at the 78. We know Jerry isn't going to pay for a new stadium and the state certainly won't. It's all up to what the Ishbias want to do with the franchise going forward as JR eventually hands off ownership to them and they haven't said a word on the issue. It could very well be that their plan is to stay at 35th St and make major changes there. We'll see.

This. Think about the last time you (not you specifically, Kyyle) accidently bumped into someone out in public. Did you shoot them a dirty look in response? I know it was all spur of the moment, but it makes Rosenthal look like a douche. The camera man had a job to do too, it's not like he was some rando sneaking onto the field snapping photos for fun.