southsider2k5

The fact that there are other fan bases that don't show up for their teams doesn't mean the Sox fan base hasn't left in droves since 2005. Again, what other teams have done is irrelevant to the facts at hand.

This is so many irrelevant words. It also doesn't change anything, or matter.

So no? I have not seen this reported anywhere yet, so color me skeptical.

Yeah, I think some might be looking at full season results a little too much. When it comes to the RP core, they are here NOW for the most part. These are the guys they want to form our playoff bullpen out of for the most part. If guys here fail, we have guys like Johnson and Burdi coming from behind.

Another great post on this topic. While at the bottom of the rebuild, this is the time for the Sox to evaluate as many of these guys a possible. There will always be veteran reliever out there to add when and if we decide that we are trying to win and need more arms. Until then, internal evaluations are key.

Again, in 2019 coming off of a 100 loss season, it isn't about who may be good or not, it is about finding out who IS good. If guys fail, you move on to the next guy. The Sox still aren't trying to win next year.

Do you have a source for this? I haven't seen it.

The facts are the facts. The fans have left to nearly a 50% rate since 2005. In terms of TV ratings it is even worse. That isn't debatable. Even as you continue to go back decades to justify your bitterness, the numbers are the numbers. But keep up the personal attacks. That is all you have left to resort to since the facts don't support you.

As just a piece of the behind the scenes stuff. The filibuster alone has results in more suspensions and bans than the entire rest of Soxtalk combined for a really long period of time now. It generates more discussions between staff about problems and potential problems then anywhere else as well. For what is supposed to be primarily a baseball message board which was created long before there were the explosion of social media options available for people who want to discuss anything under the sun, it generated a gigantic share of problems for the message board. When it was created it was an afterthought to add a place for discussions that was a good idea at the time. We have lost a very high amount of posters due to interactions in the filibuster over the years, again WAY higher than what we have lost due to problems in any other board over that period of time. The political and deeply personal nature of the discussions frankly have caused too many people to lose their minds for periods of time and partake in unacceptable behaviors. No matter the warnings and the flat out begging for that to change, it never did, and frankly probably never will (and that goes for both an individual basis as well as a collective one). This also has been something that has been discussed for a really long time with all of those arguments, attacks, and unconventional behaviors happening in the background. It just got to the point where the option to host those kinds of discussions was hurting Soxtalk more than it was helping it.

It is the ultimate in entitlement to be complaining about not making the playoffs in a year where even the management flat out said would be the bottom of the cycle.

Some of the more insecure posters here take this personally. It isn't personal. The numbers are there. Sox fans leave in droves when the team isn't winning. They come and go to extreme levels when compared to other fan bases. That's their prerogative. But the facts are facts. Our attendance is down nearly 50% from its peak, and our viewing is down even more than that. That isn't subjective. That is reality. The numbers are there. I have yet to see a single person be able to answer that with anything other than the typical personal attacks and non sequitors. The rest of this post isn't even worth wasting time on.

The only nonsense is to try to call anyone but yourself angry. This time you are trying to go back six decades, while calling yourself patient, even though the flight of the fan base since the last time the Sox won shows you are 100% wrong, again.

So why the double standard for expectations?

Are people throwing decades long temper tantrums about Sears too? Burning their Sears clothing to protest Sears leaving their town? Creating local message boards to complain about the assistant managers of their local Sears team? Are they talking about scouting the neighborhoods for the next up and coming cashiers? Seriously, it is an awful comparison.

This is reality. Teams with more resources have more options. This fan base means the team doesn't have as many options as others. Some wear that as a badge of honor, yet are upset when it works against them.

Except in places like just across town...

lol, this same fan base that apparently needs multiple consecutive playoff appearances to show up expects little.

Pretty sure there is no real comparison between retails sales and professional sports. That is completely and utter ridiculous.

Funny what you can accomplish with fan support that gives you time to build the right way. The thing that never gets said is that Sox managements impatience is largely a product of an impatient fan base wanting results right now. They were scared to go through a rebuilding process because they knew they would hemorrage fans and viewers... that has largely been proven true.

Again this is not the same pen.

This is so spot on.

Which pretty clearly makes it much harder to simply outspend the mistakes. This isn't a Yankees or Dodgers budget we are talking about here. The simplicity of "SPEND!" while the easiest answer, isn't always realistic.

You should be. Your line of reasoning as me agreeing with Balta. That alone should be reason enough to make you wonder.

You are pretty well making Balta's point for him.

I think the quiet turnover of the people in charge of the minor league system, as well as development, was a big response to this era. I also feel like the early returns have been there at least so far. I mean it is hard to evaluate draft classes this early, but it feels like the last 3 drafts have been our best in probably 15 years. The 16/17/18 classes have been really exciting and are doing big things in the minors.