ewokpelts

QUOTE (SoxAce @ Jan 14, 2015 -> 07:18 AM) If he keeps going the way he is, he's in. I just don't see him doing it however. The real question later will be other than having his number retired here, will he get a statue also?If they gave konerko a statue BEFORE he retired, they will give one to buehrle when he returns to the sox. All the living players who have had their numbers retired have gotten a statue(konerko's will be retired this year). And Buehrle will most definitely get his number retired.

QUOTE (lasttriptotulsa @ Jan 13, 2015 -> 02:24 PM) He ended any HOF chance he had by retiring at 34. He's still capable of putting up a 110-120 wRC+ and still can homeruns at as high of a rate as anybody and he really could have had a job as long as he stayed at that level. Had he played and kept that level for another 4-5 years, he would be flirting with 550-600 HRs, 1500 RBIs, and 1700 BBs. As a guy with zero PED allegations, I think they would have a hard time keeping him out with that many homers regardless of what his batting average was.It wouldn't surprise me if he pulls a sandberg. Take a year or two off and clear your head. But I agree, he can easily get a job, especially if he worked cheap.

QUOTE (Douglas Rome @ Jan 14, 2015 -> 05:49 AM) you guys are way too kind, he stole my money and for that there is no forgiveness. His body language and the s*** eating grin on his face every time he drew a walk was one reason I could not stand to see him in the batter's box. Draw a walk, I'm not paying him to draw walks, I could bring back Smokey Burgess to do that. Why they let him sit out the last week so he wouldn't break the all-time strikeout record i'll never know? Would have served him right. thanks, douglas considering he didn't draw that many walks, i imagine you didn't see him smile at you while he's stealing your money that much. Striking out all the god dammed time and only hitting 11 home runs in his first year with the sox is stealing my money.

The best thing the sox can do to convince him to stay long term is win. This deal works for both parties. Jeff is on a big market teams that may be a playoff contender. if he has a good year and helps the Sox do some damage, his stock will rise. The Sox get a legit Ace for at least one year and all they had to give up was Marcus Semian. And if they cant resign Jeff, they get a FIRST ROUND compensation pick.

QUOTE (LDF @ Jan 14, 2015 -> 12:58 AM) didn't Jeff S stated a couple weeks ago that he will explore the FA rt. does that mean there will be no home town discounts. It means he's not signing an extension. Hahn said they knew that going into the trade, but that the sox still will try and make an offer.

QUOTE (Jerksticks @ Jan 13, 2015 -> 04:58 PM) I think he will take less salary to help the team plug more holes next year. Probably a lot of secret compensations available as well. Makes you wonder what Chris Sale actually gets paid by the White Sox. He's gotta be getting hooked up somehow. Chris sale wanted a long term commitment from the sox. and gave up some of his free agency years to get that. He didn't want to play the arbitration game and have a bunch of one year contracts. He'll still get the big mega contract, but he got a little more money in his pre-free agency years as well as the safety net of a long term deal.

QUOTE (knightni @ Jan 13, 2015 -> 07:09 AM) Jeff Samardzija has turned down a 5 year $75-80 million contract with the Cubs - and got traded to Oakland. They traded him for minimal minor league replacement to the Sox (perhaps due to not being able to extend him). What size of contract offer do you think that he would receive from the Sox? Will his agent demand an extension early to avoid arbitration, or will he accept arbitration and let the contract extension linger through the season? Will he choose free agency and not extend at all? What are your guesses, Soxtalk? It's been long stated that he intends to explore free agency. He's from an union family, and has expressed his desire to exercise his rights gained in collective bargaining. Could he sign with the White Sox? It's very possible. But I doubt an extension happens. Sox don't really lose in this situation, as they will likely get a 1st round pick if he walks(and assuming they make him the qualifying offer). If he signs(either an extension or after looking at the market), they will have top flight Righty to complement the embarrassment of riches that are the Sox left handed options.

Box office sales begin 2/28. Online public on sale is 2/27. Expect pre-sales in the days leading up.

I'll be in the area the week before the super bowl. I'm planning to just stop and see the facility.

QUOTE (Chilihead90 @ Jan 6, 2015 -> 01:11 AM) I guess I've never been to one, so I wouldn't know, but I can never sleep the night before opening day, and I end up waking up about 4 hours earlier than I usually do because I am so excited and I clear my whole schedule for it. I don't do any of that for the home opener. I'll still watch it, obviously, I just don't freak out about it's arrival I guess. Do we even sell out non-opening day home openers? EDIT: I looked it up myself. I only went back to our last 3 home openers, in 2012, 2011, and 2008, and we didn't sell out any of them. One was on a Thursday vs. Rays, another on a Friday vs. Tigers, other one on a Monday vs. Twins. Sox haven't missed an opening day sell out since 1999. The official attendance is paid admissions. Comps don't count.

QUOTE (southsider2k5 @ Jan 5, 2015 -> 01:07 PM) Chicago White Sox ‏@whitesox 2m2 minutes ago #SoxFest2015 hotel packages are SOLD OUT! A limited number of single-day passes will be available at http://whitesox.com/SoxFest Friday at 10 am. Bout time soxfest was a packed affair again!

Would not have signed cabrera.

QUOTE (Tex @ Jan 3, 2015 -> 02:35 PM) Baines and Ventura both had HoF potential, both suffered physical ailments that ruined any chance of them reaching their full potential for a career. IF they both stayed healthy Sox history would have been much, much, different. The sox let him walk in free agency. When he was healthy and productive. Aox history would not have changed unless jerry paid him.

QUOTE (LittleHurt05 @ Jan 1, 2015 -> 09:20 PM) Why would the Cubs sell their 20% though? Unless there is a provision in the contract that they must keep some games on CSN. Simple. Ricketts gets paid handsomely. And he can use that money to buy down dept or finance the wrigley project.

QUOTE (Thad Bosley @ Jan 1, 2015 -> 09:38 PM) There are all kinds of reports out there that the Cubs will leave CSN after 2019. Some reports mention them potentially teaming up with FOX Sports to create their own regional network. There was even talk of them punting the WGN portion of their schedule over to the local FOX affiliate, WFLD-TV, in advance of that plan. That didn't happen, as the Cubs recently gave a big portion of the WGN schedule to Channel 7. But one way or another, it would appear as of today they will no longer be broadcasting on CSN after 2019. My assumption then, and I could be wrong, but no games = no 20% ownership, meaning if they walk away from CSN they'd probably sell their 20% back. If I were to put money on it, I'd wager the sox stay where they are.

QUOTE (Thad Bosley @ Jan 1, 2015 -> 09:01 PM) Very interesting discussion. So any guesses as to what happens after 2019, after the Cubs terminate their involvement with CSN and move to their own regional sports network? Do the Sox continue on with CSN, and do they benefit by potentially increasing their % ownership due to the Cubs departure? I have been told that the sox have right of first refusal on the cubs portion of csn Chicago. When( not if) the cubs bolt to a FSN or even an ESPN local rsn, the sox could profit even more on the move. That said, I doubt the hawks follow the cubs to a new station. Rocky considers jerry a mentor as well as a friend, and they have had a fantastic partnership in the united center. Plus, csn is in practically every Chicago cable home, where there are no guarantees the cubsnet will have the same carriage. Look at the dodgers and Astros for that.

QUOTE (WBWSF @ Dec 31, 2014 -> 02:57 PM) 1) If they would of built the Cell at Roosevelt and Clark, we wouldn't be talking about building a new stadium for the White Sox. The City of Chicago wanted to build the stadium in the South Loop. JR wanted to move to Addison/Dupage County. When Addison didn't work out, they wound up at its present location. The City of Chicago withdrew the South Loop offer and the white Sox got stuck building a stadium where it should not of been built. A terrible move for the White Sox. 2) Anybody who thinks the government won't build another stadium for the White Sox is wrong. As long as there is money to be made, a new stadium is a possibility. Keep in mind the City is building a new arena for Depaul, who nobody cares about. Mayor Daley was going to build an Olympic Stadium for the Olympics which would of cost upwards of $300 million dollars. The city was then going to knock it down after the games were over with. 3) I wouldn't be surprised to see Rocky wirtz buy the White Sox. He's one of the investors Harold Washington made a deal with jim Thompson to keep the sox in armour square. The city did not want the sox in the south loop. Especially when they saw how expensive the infrastructure costs would be. Cost that have already expanded ten fold. Oh, and rocky wirtz does NOT own a slice of the sox. He owns part of the bulls. Sam zell is a sox investor.

QUOTE (southsider2k5 @ Dec 31, 2014 -> 03:18 PM) The station gets the subscriber fees and advertising. The Sox get the broadcast fees. If the Sox broadcast fees go up, the amount left over from the subscriber fees and advertising goes down. They get more upfront, but less from their ownership in CSN. And they will be robbing the Cubs and Blackhawks to do it. This isn't like other cities where either the partnerships were set up as a part of the broadcast rights, or they are getting a big check from a new network. JR already owns 40% of the network. No. The sox own 20 pct. the bulls own the other 20. Jerry may control the partnership, but he does not have thatch equity in the enterprise. Big difference

QUOTE (southsider2k5 @ Dec 31, 2014 -> 12:20 PM) It will be squeezing one side to give to the other. So if the broadcast rights fees go up, that means their profits and equity at the station go down. It is a zero sum game. That's not how it works at all. Subscriber fees and advertising are the revenue.

QUOTE (southsider2k5 @ Dec 31, 2014 -> 12:11 PM) From where? Themselves? They already own the station. They own PART of csn Chicago. And they get paid from subscriber fees.

QUOTE (southsider2k5 @ Dec 31, 2014 -> 11:57 AM) They already own their own network. How much more room is there to go? They are getting $50 or so million a year in local tv money. That is currently below the padres and Astros(both who recorded new deals recently). That nber can conservatively rise to $150 million or more if everything works out. They are NOT guaranteed that much in Portland, Vegas, or any other small market.

QUOTE (LDF @ Dec 31, 2014 -> 09:00 AM) i agree but will add, in the current economic conditions in the nation, any sports team may not move, unless economical force too. the time of the city, state financing a sport building / venue will be hard to justify. Leaving Chicago means they lose at least 100 million a year in tv money. And that number will explode after 2019.

QUOTE (Douglas Rome @ Dec 30, 2014 -> 05:41 AM) I been around a long time, and I can say the Ozzie years were the most entertaining since I was a little kid. Regardless of his perception with most folks here, he did keep the Sox on the front page and on the AM radio stations. Name me one Sox manager in the last 50yrs who anybody cared about listening to? I know what you are going to say, all you care about is winning, but there's more to it than that, it also has to be provacative. thanks, douglas When that "entertainent" starts affecting the performance of the team, you need to re-assess the reasons you have the manager. If he's preventing the team from reaching the goals put forth by upper management and ownership, then who cares how many times you're on front page or mentioned during rush hour sports jock radio shows?

Given the current economic climate in baseball, I highly doubt the sox will leave the Chicago market.

QUOTE (Doc Edwards Shot @ Dec 30, 2014 -> 10:57 AM) Dare I say this, but it's not out of the question that the Sox leave Illinois altogether. The next go-around, I sincerely doubt that debt-ridden IL will have the political support to subsidize a new Sox stadium. The Cubs were just rejected by the city and the Bears only got a renovation, not a rebuild. Times will probably be financially tougher 15 years from now, too, not better. I have been a Sox fan for over 30 years, but I'm also a taxpayer and I honestly wouldn't support the IL state government spending taxpayer money on sports - not when they have unfunded pensions and other obligations and owe people out the a**.. The bears deal is actually worse, as that was 600 million for a much maligned "renovation".