LVSoxFan

http://www.suntimes.com/sports/baseball/wh...ill-follow.html Hmm interesting. Especially Thornton's comments. For those who don't want to read the link, here's the elevator version: according to the piece, if the Sox begin to struggle, you're going to see a fire sale. Hence why the Floyd rumors won't go away, and everything's on the table, INCLUDING Konerko, Thornton and obviously A.J. Thornton wastes no time in saying that he's tired of losing with the Sox. And he can't be the only one feeling that way. Here's my two questions: 1) Why wasn't this the case last year? It was obvious early on that we had MAJOR problems so why did that whole season continue on? Oh, wait: probably because KW was engaged in a pin-the-loser-on-the-other guy pissing contest which Ozzie ultimately lost. But not after the season was long gone. 2) Oh you're serious this time, are you KW? OK so we clean house of all the vets/higher priced talent (except Dunn and Rios and Peavy, whom you're stuck with) and we'll get right to that rebuilding with our... last-ranked farm system (cue "Yakkity Sax"). The more this goes on the more I think that there's one person in particular who needs to go before any player.

Geez what's Sale's ERA up to now? 13?

Hopefully he can get that ERA of 9 down somewhat. Ouch.

Hmph. Not bad at all.

I guess I'd agree I'd rather see a tag line that doesn't make any promises because Lord knows last year the organization got endless sh** from everyone for the "All In" campaign, which, if you remember still had commercials inexplicably running all season long, long after they were all... out. Although even that wasn't as bad as "The Kids Can Play!" Or was it? So no I guess I'm not embarrassed by the new tag, nor will we be, which was probably be the point.

QUOTE (klaus kinski @ Mar 13, 2012 -> 10:09 AM) Can't disagree. especially the "hope" factor. They get new guy, launch some dead meat, have a plan-thus hope. We lose most popular and dependable player, keep same guy, have no apparent plan (i.e. signing Fukudome) have same dead meat on team-thus little hope. It's hard to appreciate the game for this team at $50 for a descent seat and $25 for parking. Well and you raise another good point. It's not like prices have come down. Last year was the emptiest I have seen The Cell since I've been going there. The only upside was that you could pretty much sit where you wanted because the ushers weren't going to chase you away. I remember feeling bad for the vendors in the UD because they had no business and often were gone just a few innings into the game. Okay I guess one other upside was that you could get on Stubhub and get fantastic seats for a steal. You got no such deals trying to buy Sox tix through their site. The Sox can schedule all the special days and bobblehead promotions they want but those gimmicks won't save them if this team ends up skidding throughout the entire season. As somebody once plainly said: winning sells tickets. And yes, LOL, the "Appreciate the Game" tag line seems like surrender already.

QUOTE (SoxFan1 @ Mar 13, 2012 -> 12:44 AM) I hate the comparisons to the Cubs all the damn time. They weren't always popular and selling out Wrigley Field. There is nothing lovable about losing. They will not forever be the #1 team in Chicago. As far as baseball goes, they will be. I think realistically the Bears are the #1 team in Chicago. As for us vs. Cubs, it's simply geography. Where The Cell is cannot compete with the Wrigley location. I was at Cubs/Sox at Wrigley two seasons ago and there was a guy in the bleachers with his four kids and wife from Texas. They were in Chicago and they all wanted to see... Wrigley. He bought SCALPED tix outside for the family (think of what that must have cost). They either didn't know or barely knew that there was a second team in Chicago. So right there you've got the tourist crowd, plus the built-in crowd from the surrounding 'hood (mine, BTW) and of course the allure of being able to hit the endless bars/restaurants before and after the game. We can never compete with that for the casual baseball fan. IMO when old Comiskey came down they should have built the new park on the lakefront (say, where Northerly Island now resides) and THEN all of a sudden you'd have a location to die for. That said, if the rumors are true and Wrigley will be torn down and built up next year meaning the Cubs have to play at The Cell, that will settle the argument once and for all about how many loyal fans they really have, when it means getting on the el every time and heading eight miles south (as I do). Cubs attendance was abysmal last year BTW, probably only ours was worse. What will probably keep the stands more full this year is they have something we certainly don't: hope. With their new management, even if not this year then soon they ought to at least be contenders. And if this doesn't work, I'd say there truly is a curse. Contrast that with us, where even our new slogan can't avoid the reality that nobody expects this team to do anything and there is no short-term fix and our farm system is rated a league-worst. Appreciate the game? How about appreciate some offense? I can take the losses if they're hard fought but I swear to God last year it seemed like every game I was at was the same game over and over. Flatliners.

Wow I can't recall a season in recent memory with so little expectation. Have you guys seen the new slogan btw? Hint: it ain't "All In."

Are we all in agreement that as Adam Dunn goes, so goes the team? I don't mean that his having a great year means success for the Sox, just that if he reverts to being that guaranteed out he was last year we're pretty much hopeless in 2012? Although things are looking encouraging so far. Ah, let me amend that: Dunn and Rios. They can't have another 2011 without dragging the team down.

You guys just mirrored what my Cub fan co-worker said: video screen = put it on one of the rooftops. Seriously though: who the hell needs a video screen at a baseball game? Football, I can see that--wanting to see the replays etc. But when do we ever look at the jumbotron at The Cell except for the opening montage? They don't replay controversial plays. So that leaves, what? The pizza races?

Guys, they're not going to tear down the outfield. They just redid that--remember? And it is much better. There's no way they're getting rid of the old-school scoreboard or the ivy. I would expect the grandstand will come down and be rebuilt, albeit with the original sign at the front saved (as it should be) and placed on the front of the new stadium.

QUOTE (LittleHurt05 @ Feb 14, 2012 -> 11:24 AM) I would be interested to see what the attendance figures would look like away from Wrigleyville, especially if it's a Cubs team that's still rebuilding. All the Cubs fans that love to use their attendance in Cubs/Sox arguments would have to put up or shut up. This. Me and my Cub fan co-worker have had this argument for years--if the Cubs have to play at The Cell, will their "loyal" fans show up? This will be the experiment. And this is coming from a guy who can walk to Wrigley, so Sox games for me means an hour round trip on the el every time I go (more like 90 minutes if you include the walking). That said, it will be interesting to see what happens to Wrigleyville businesses if the Cubs are gone for an entire season. That is their money-maker, the summer, and some of them I don't think will be able to survive. Think of the rooftops also. Maybe that's why the whole thing is being denied, because of the potential outcry from all the bars in the neighborhood (although this has got to be done sometime). I'm all for the idea though. Makes perfect sense--why wouldn't you do this? And where else would they play? Thillens?

Gawd. 2007. I thought that year was bad. Until last year.

QUOTE (Tex @ Feb 9, 2012 -> 04:13 PM) Makes me want to puke. Seeing Mark take the field has been my favorite sign the season has begun. The smile, the quick throw and baseball was back for a new season. It's just not going to be the same. I think one of my favorite things to look forward to was him pitching on Opening Day. Not just because it was him, but because you had a chance to win and you knew you'd be out of there in under three hours. I miss him already.

Can't disagree with a lot of this. AJ always gets dinged because he can never throw anybody out. Am I the only one still getting used to not seeing Buehrle's name in the rotation? When it said #1 starter and there was Danks... I think it's finally hit me...

Nothing against Paulie because he's a rock and the elder statesman but I never understood how he "leads." He never seems to talk. Somebody like AJ or Buehrle I could TOTALLY see as a "leader," unless I'm completely crazy. Am I?

QUOTE (The Ginger Kid @ Jan 25, 2012 -> 06:21 PM) Bite your tongue. I saved up months of allowance and paperboy money to buy one for about $50 back in the day. These were the unis when I became a Sox fan as a kid so I will always have a soft spot for them, too.

QUOTE (Steve9347 @ Jan 31, 2012 -> 01:21 PM) I have a feeling buying them on Stub Hub this season the day before or of game is going to equal lots of cheap games this year. I bought almost exclusively from StubHub all last year as you described and it was awesome. Will do again this year.

MB and PK statues are no-brainers. And AJ too? Fine with me? Although arguably I think some of them are already on the WS sculpture out front, right?

I don't know how the team will do, but I get the overwhelming vibe that everybody in that clubhouse is happy to have a new manager. Did anybody see AJ on TV saying he is 100% done talking about Ozzie? That and all the other stuff seems to hint that this change was indeed sorely needed. Whether that will produce a winning team remains to be seen; it definitely seems to be a happier team though. As for Jake, what do you want him to say? To gripe? To say nothing? Of course he'll be judged on how he pitches, but if players are going to talk pre-season, I'd rather hear the optimism instead of... God forbid... more talk about last year's dismal season.

LOL at the line in the article: "On the other hand, the Sox will have other hands..." I think I like this guy. Put him in the Sun-Times instead of Cowley.

While Reed may turn out a pleasant surprise, what's scaring me is the idea of Thornton As Closer: Redux. Gulp. Please God no.

It remains to be seen if Sale's going to be okay taking over the starter role once those innings start piling up. Reed is still pretty young to get excited about. Viciedo, though--you're right that guy is somebody to get excited about.

QUOTE (SOXOBAMA @ Jan 25, 2012 -> 04:32 PM) Looks like I will be buying several new jerseys for this season... I know, right? Damn. I said after the last one--okay, no more, I have enough (10). But these are too cool to pass up.