Texsox

I'm not sure what else they can say.

I bet they would like to take that fast start back. If they arrived at this point never having been in first place there probably would not be so much pressure. They need a shake up. A mid season manager change will not turn the clock back that far. But let's start 2017 in 2016. Sorry RV but it's time.

Is this the first summer in the house? Have you asked your neighbors (who in most subdivisions will have similar setups) how long theirs run? You may also check with the electric utility to compare usage with last year.

QUOTE (BigHurt3515 @ Jun 19, 2016 -> 01:29 PM) What is the point of scoring anymore To keep viewers around for a few innings?

That is a well reasoned post. I disagree withat a few points. The baseball that has been played there is some of the best in the world. Far above college, MiLB, independent league, etc. With the team winning close to 50% of the time. If the Sox do not deserve fan support than baseball in America doesn't deserve any support. The league should drop half the teams at least.

It will be interesting to see if you can buy baseball tickets. That would make sense but it is TM.

QUOTE (southsider2k5 @ Jun 19, 2016 -> 11:43 AM) I haven't seen a list of what I could buy for, as of yet. I phrased that wrong. You must have bought a significant number of tickets to qualify for that many free tickets. How much business have you done with TM?

QUOTE (SCCWS @ Jun 19, 2016 -> 08:31 AM) Not as much now-a-days. Without getting too technical, it is more difficult for a company to write off entertainment tickets. Speaking from experience, I often was offered tickets to sporting events from companies. But rarely did the company take me as opposed to giving out tickets to use. Corporate tickets are only allowed to be written off if the event involves a "business meeting" ( i.e. a company rep present). So corporate boxes and food provided tend to be easier to write off over grandstand tickets. But I am under the impression the White Sox do not have a large number of corporate tickets which is why they get some significant swings in attendance numbers based on the game. I disagree on the wildcard. I think both will come from AL east. I do think KC could take the Central over Cleveland but only one from Central will make it. I also believe some people believe that businesses can just spent freely because it is a tax "write off". Imagine spending a dollar and getting back 30 cents. How long can you do that? They have to increase their business to support that entertainment. Back when the Cubs played a lot more day games I entertained a little bit at Wrigley. We could have lunch before the game, hit the game, and be home almost for dinner. For the buyer it was a day away from the office. Sox games at night were also fun, but it had to be a customer that like night life.

QUOTE (southsider2k5 @ Jun 19, 2016 -> 11:02 AM) Holy crap, I have 22 free code tickets, plus like a dozen $2.25 off codes. Does the list of shows not exist yet? How many and what shows did you buy tickets for?

The problem becomes projecting three or four years down the road when your draft pick may be MLB ready. Will that be your need?

QUOTE (Thad Bosley @ Jun 19, 2016 -> 10:08 AM) Lol - the only thing I'll admit is that it's encouraging to see that you've actually dropped your "stupid act". That in your previous post you did a great job of listing out and therefore acknowledged the many, many instances over the years where the ownership has engaged in non-fan friendly behavior. And how that in combination with the dearth of winning by this organization explains not only the size of the fan base, but also it's lack of eagerness to routinely fill the ballpark. You really read that list and thought those are all legit reasons for fans to stay away?

QUOTE (Dick Allen @ Jun 19, 2016 -> 09:25 AM) Prospects break your heart. I get BP every year and keep it under my bed. Here are the top 20 prospects according to them in 2010: Strasburg Heyward Naftali Perez Jesus Montero Stanton Pedro Alvarez Desmond Jennings Carlos Santana Buster Posey Chris Carter Dustin Ackley Jeremy Hellickson Ryan Westmoreland Martin PereZ Kyle Drabek Justin Smoak Brian Matusz Escobar Michael Taylor Madison Bumgarner That is baseballs top 20 6 years ago. Does that look like a roster that should contend year after year? Lately every time you post I've been saying amen brother. I hate the draft. It take twenty or thirty prospects to get one guy on your 25.

QUOTE (soxfan2014 @ Jun 19, 2016 -> 08:59 AM) I lean towards no one else willing to give him a chance but we shall see after this season. My pat response is Greg Walker was hired almost immediately after leaving the Sox. Baseball guys have more lives than a cat.

I think anger didn't last long, now I'm looking at bargaining.

QUOTE (soxfan2014 @ Jun 19, 2016 -> 08:44 AM) I doubt he ever manages in the MLB again. I agree, but I base that more on his choice than no one else willing to give him a chance.

http://www.worldatlas.com/articles/safest-...-the-world.html View information as a: List Chart Country Safety and Security Ranking Hong Kong 1 Iceland 2 Finland 3 Ireland 4 Sweden 5 Taiwan 6 Denmark 7 Norway 8 Canada 9 Luxembourg 10 New Zealand 11 Singapore 12 Switzerland 13 Slovenia 14 Australia 15 Austria 16 South Korea 17 Portugal 18 Netherlands 19 Belgium 20 Germany 21 Japan 22 United Kingdom 23 Czech Republic 24 Spain 25

QUOTE (flavum @ Jun 19, 2016 -> 08:22 AM) I think we're done micro-analyzing what is and what is not Ventura's fault. He's done either now or on October 2nd. If any of the 29 other teams want to tap into the brilliant baseball mind of Robin Ventura, they're going to have that chance. I wouldn't be shocked if he receives an offer from a team. But I would be more surprised if he doesn't just retire as a footnote in Sox managerial history.

QUOTE (3GamesToLove @ Jun 17, 2016 -> 11:13 AM) Chicago blood! Springfield looks like ass.

I believe the demand here is to put an even crappier product on the field at the cell for a couple seasons as long as they are winning down on the farm? Let's talk reality.

QUOTE (Lip Man 1 @ Jun 18, 2016 -> 09:55 PM) To me it's a simple concept and really I'm amazed some folks just don't get it. The Sox are no different from a restaurant or the hardware store or the local cleaners. They are ALL businesses first and foremost. If they put out a poor product, customers will not do business with them. They are under absolutely no obligation to do so. Would you keep going back to that restaurant if they keep getting your order wrong for example and the food is bad? Now add in a taxpayer funded ballpark, perhaps the biggest "sweetheart lease" in baseball and millions of dollars in income and to me, customers who support bad baseball (or a bad steak or a bad hammer or a dirty shirt) well...they are the ones who I think should be rethinking the situation. To each his own I guess. Mark Mark, you are an intelligent guy, please follow my point here and see what you think. You bring up a great point and one that perpetually follows Sox baseball. While your point is that simple, it is also more complex. Let's look at restaurants. Is your favorite restaurant a Michelin three star rated place? There are thirteen in all of the United States, more than World Series winning baseball teams, about the same as playoff teams in baseball. By baseball standards all of the other restaurants are not worthy of visiting because they are not winning. Their product is not very good compared to these thirteen. There are two Michelin three star restaurants in Chicago. If you go to any other restaurant you are supporting mediocrity or worst. So what can a restaurant do to earn your business that isn't winning? Provide a great atmosphere, great service, be a good fit for your entertainment dollar. Family friendly if you need that. They need to provide a quality experience for the time and money you invest. It would then follow that the Sox need to make certain they have set the table for a quality experience. They know that both teams will play some of the highest level baseball on the planet. (After all it is the MLB, name a better league anywhere). The home team may not win. But if your favorite actor is in a movie, do you care if the movie wins an Academy award of not? For the out of town Sox fans here, it seems like everyone gets to a game when they are in town, no matter how the team is doing. I'm catching a Sunday game against Detroit. Why? Because of the experience. Seeing the stadium and everything that surrounds a MLB baseball game. If fans judge the quality of the experience strictly on the outcome, they will eventually always be unhappy and most years will never attend a game. Of course we are talking about the casual fan, not the diehards here who will generally buy tickets. So no, sports teams don't function exactly like a restaurant, dry cleaners, etc. All of those other examples can earn your loyalty without being one of the top four or five in world. Sports teams also need to beat every other competitor on top of doing everything else great.

He should get a pass for last night. That loss clearly is on the front office and the 5th starter they acquired. No manager was going to pull that one out of the loss pile.

QUOTE (caulfield12 @ Jun 19, 2016 -> 01:53 AM) Today, James Shields can become the second starter in #MLB history to allow at least 7 R in 5 IP or less in four straight starts. #whitesox I believe that unlike when they shielded Dunn from baseball immortality, Jimbo will have every opportunity to make baseball history in Boston on Thursday. Buy your tickets to the only homerun derby that will count in the standings. This guy really passed a medical? That's what blows my mind. Or he is pitching like he left something turned on at home and needs to get back in a hurry. This may turn out to be the worst trade in Sox history. To be fair until their is a diagnosis of what is going wrong it is difficult to see who this should be fully pinned on. Certainly everyone takes some of the blame, but Shields is suddenly infinitely worst than in the weeks before the trade.

QUOTE (caulfield12 @ Jun 18, 2016 -> 09:03 PM) Look at some of the recent winners around baseball (even tonight). Junior Guerra was in our system and let go. Anyone could have had Dustin McGowan. Feldman with the Astros. Yovanni Gallardo. Lincecum. Edinson Volquez. Colby Lewis. The only pitcher that might have been a WORSE decision than Shields was arguably Ubaldo Jimenez. Even the O's announcers really detest him. I love it when people are posting so much that they forget what thread they are in.

QUOTE (BlackSox13 @ Jun 18, 2016 -> 06:38 PM) Not sure which is the bigger head scratcher, the trade for Shields or the horrible 4 game stretch Shields is having. And I thought Javy Vazquez was perplexing. The horrible stretch for me.

I'm not necessarily disagreeing just pointing out that the NRA represents a lot of American citizens. I cancelled my membership because I didn't agree with their lobbying efforts, but I have plenty of friends who still maintain their memberships and some even toss in some extra. There is a face to the NRA that if you are going to wage a battle needs to be seen.