Thad Bosley

So what did you think a couple of years ago, or whenever it was, when the Sox got their new scoreboards installed in the ballpark, which cost all of $7M, that the Sox still reached into the public till to let the State pay for it? Here we have an owner who has ascended to billionaire status right before our very eyes, due in large part to nearly 30 years of massive public subsidies, yet he still felt the need to let the cash-strapped state of Illinois pay for something that he could reach into his pocket and pay cash for right on the spot. Had the will been there, that $7M could have been redirected to needs of the state far greater than that of those scoreboards. All it needed was some leadership and a moral compass. That didn’t happen, of course. Our favorite billionaire’s bottom line took precedence, as always, and which has been the case the entire time he’s been owner going into Year #39 of this “Great Reinsdorf Experiment”. But what do you think, SS2K5? Should the owner as a gesture of goodwill have footed that $7M for those scoreboards?

It would be positively illuminating to see how much of that $76M profit came at the hands of Illinois state taxpayer subsidies. When the White Sox suck, and when no one comes to the ballpark to line Reinsdorf’s pockets, who’s left to pay the bill to ensure Jerry maintains his billionaire status? Answer - the state of Illinois, courtesy of the infamous sweetheart lease deal Reinsdorf employed blackmailing threats against the state to secure, at least as it was reported back when it happened. It is that lease deal that allows Reinsdorf to operate the ball club in the careless, nonchalant way he does. It matters not how well the team fares on the field because his profits are guaranteed. Meanwhile, we the fans get stuck with going as long as we do without postseason experiences and putting up with losing season after losing season after losing season. The fortunes of the franchise have zero chance of improving under this current ownership. After nearly 40 years of it, we know what to expect and what not to expect. Our fan experience won’t change until there is a change in ownership, and that change cannot and must not include the name Reinsdorf. Enough is quite enough with that name at the helm.

Em, no. This is NOT the 2013/2014 Cubs. The 2013/2014 Cubs were owned by Tom Ricketts with a one/two punch of Theo Epstein and Jed Hoyer making things happen in the front office, on their way to four consecutive playoff appearances, including a World Series title. All of that in just seven years on the job. Meanwhile, our Sox, conversely, are owned by Jerry Reinsdorf and backed by the front office dynamic duo of Kenny Williams and Rick Hahn. Heading into their 19th year together now as the 1-2-3 brain trust atop the organization, they have all of two postseason appearances to speak of during the nearly two decades, and none at all in over a decade now. Surely you can see the competency gap between the two organizations.

This is the 29th year in which the “JR regime” has operated under the benefit of MASSIVE TAXPAYER SUBSIDIES courtesy of the sweetheart leasedeal Reinsdorf backed a bunch of weak Illinois politicians into giving him back in the late ‘80s. It’s also the 25th year the major market Sox have played in the small-market dominated A.L. Central. Yet through all of that, all the Sox have essentially to show for it is a .500 record, and you act like that’s some sort of a bragging right?

And so are you.

Let’s fill in the hole of understanding your thinking of the owner and his management team. Scale of 1-10, 10 being nirvana, where do you rate Jerry Reinsdorf, Kenny Williams, and Rick Hahn, in terms of competence and effectiveness in their roles?

Lol - just seeing your zany answer to this now. Wow, Dr, Frued, thank you once again for your unsolicited psychoanalysis of what our beleaguered fan base has dealt with courtesy of the asshole owner and his shithead lackeys in the front office these past two decades. Ok, where do we start. Oh yes, this notion of a “perpetual winner” you claim I’m clamoring for. What precisely does that mean, your use of the word “perpetual”? I have never once used that word in any description of my expectations of this owner and his (very ineffective) management team’s performance. I mean, “perpetual”? Hell, we are nearly 40 years into this atrocious Jerry Reinsdorf experience as owner of OUR White Sox, and we haven’t gotten anything even remotely resembling “occasional winner”, never mind “perpetual winner”, during these past 40 years. 40 YEARS!! WTF are you even suggesting when you cough up this “WAHHHHH - you’re just looking for a perpetual winner!” bull spit up? “. You’ve received this kind of feedback many times before on this forum, and from many very reasoned and sensible people. Yet you continue to tow the company line and defend this horrendously ineffective ownership/management group, despite the fact their days are numbered and in this next decade, they’ll all soon be gone, and a dawn of a new day will shine for our beleaguered fan base, finally. You know that as well as anyone. So why do you continue to shamelessly defend Jerry Reinsdorf, Kenny Williams, and Rick Hahn?

It kind of seems obvious now. Trade for him last year, with the hopes he would fall in love with the experience of playing on the Chicago White Sox baseball club, and then he'd be willing to sign on the bottom line for the low ball offer that they coughed up this offseason. Delusional then, delusional now, as we all came to see.

You mean the “history of the” REINSDORF era “is there”. None of us posting on this site are “probably rooting for the wrong team”, and shame on you for suggesting so. No, what we all have to cling onto from a hope perspective is the fact this horrific current ownership, which has failed our fan base for an ungodly near four decades, is probably going to come to an end sooner rather than later. And then our fan base will move onto a much brighter future.

You’re the only one trying to dredge up this owner’s four decades of franchise-crippling decisions in this thread. You seem obsessed with the subject. I’ll indulge you on the topic, if you want, but I think the subject matter of this thread focused on the latest of the current owner’s ineptitude that played out this offseason, is plenty for the time being. But, like I said, more than happy to revisit the four decades of similar fan-unfriendly decisions that have been sent our way the past 38 years. You just let me know, Mate!

Not a game - the game is great. It's the owner. He has been and continues to be an abysmal disaster to the organization and this beleaguered fan base.

"...is what we do"? And you are complacent with that? Nothing to complain about or be dissatisfied with?

The complaining which offends you so is current and remains relevant. People are complaining about what has happened recently this offseason due to the ineffectiveness of this failed ownership and management team. It just so happens it's the same failed owner who was similarly ineffective 38 years ago, and 30 years ago, and 20 years ago, and 10 years ago. Pretty much for the entirety of the ownership, spanning now nearly 40 decades. But kudos to the bleeding heart who is always able to turn a blind eye to and make excuses for this maddening and continuous ineffectiveness.

“Hurt feelings” are reigning supreme on the ‘ol site these days, if you haven’t noticed, with all roads leading back to the continued failures of your heroes in the front office, with whom you inexplicably have no issues. Then again, you’ve allowed yourself to be conditioned to set the bar so low when it comes to their performance. But that’s your issue. I’m sure 2019 will meet the same expectations you’ve had in the past several seasons. Enjoy all of the coming losses. They should look familiar to you. Meanwhile, there are several other posters posting far more interesting points of view than your personal attacks, which seem to be on the rise today from you. Spring fever?

Ok, so your point is you’re content settling for the ineptitude and ineffectiveness of the owner and his front office. Set the expectations low and you won’t be disappointed seems to be your White Sox fan mindset. Fair enough, you are quite clear about that and certainly entitled to that opinion. Meanwhile, other fans are entitled to their own opinions as well, including the ones where they set the bar considerably higher than you do, which obviously with this owner/FO routinely leads to disappointment. C’est la vie! Others have the same right to b**** about that as much as you do to b**** about those who do.

I find it completely incomprehensible how the Sox can have both the most tenured AND worst owner in all of baseball.

Um, the night is simply meant to promote "diversity" and "inclusion", not homosexuality. It's a 21st century concept.

Yes, that's exactly what this night is meant for, to promote homosexuality. In fact, the gays will have gay officers situated in booths all around the ballpark where you can sign up to be in the gay army right there on the spot. WTF!! ?

You have to dream before your dreams can come true.

Well, the outcome probably needs to be a little more than that. We can't have a 2005 outcome (although that is always the ultimate goal), but then have the team essentially disappear for the next 13, 14 years. SUSTAINABILITY, Baby! This organization desparately needs SUSTAINABILITY!!

The worst year in terms of attendance in Reinsdorf’s 38 years of fan-nauseating ownership was 1989, when the team just barely drew over a million fans. Last year they drew 1.6 million, which was the lowest since they drew 1.3 million in 1999. So the fact it’s a year ending in the number “9”, coupled with a very disappointed fan base at the moment after this horrendous offseason, you just may get your wish for even further depressed attendance in 2019.

Was he serious about the Phillies before they slid a piece of paper across the table with the words “Three hundred thirty million” on it?

Operative word: Boras. To think Scott Boras of all agents, with his record, would deliver a contract to a client like Harper, a generational talent no less, for a “value WAY under his actual market price” is delusional thinking at its finest. Zero chance of that happening! Makes you wonder what other owners and front office management teams think of the Sox brass after all of this.

Especially given the whole buzz around Jim Thome being dispatched to Vegas to talk to him. What was that all about then? Were the Sox only in this If in some very unlikely event Harper could be had at a substantially below market price?