Lip Man 1

Just a few years ago Sox fans paid for billboards to be put up at various locations telling JR to sell the team. Cost around three grand if I remember right.

Because the pathetic division by and large still has FAR more talent, especially the Tigers, than the White Sox.

The ghosts of Al Smith, Jim Landis and Mike Hershberger. 😆 Seriously does it even matter?

That is true but JR's position in the 93-94 impasse and then the White Flag Trade severely impacted the perception of the franchise by the fan base. Even in 2000 fans were reluctant to get on board still feeling betrayed and angry over his actions.

Absolutely no question that a top notch ballpark and entertainment area are needed today but let's not also forget that winning makes up for a lot of issues. If the Sox solve that one, the other things will fall into place.

This dysfunctional organization simply can't get out of their own way can they? 🤡

Episode 4 (I think this is the final episode):

Stranger things have happened but keep in mind the Fire owner said he'd pay for the new stadium himself. Which is something the Sox have not said they would do... not even say they'd contribute a substancial amount towards it. Based on published comments from politicians that is a deal breaker par excellence. Unless that happens a new stadium is a dream for the Sox. (And no they aren't moving to Portland, Montreal, Charlotte, Salt Lake City, New Orleans, Nome, London, Istanbul or Calcutta...😆)

Oh I know the owners will never again agree to open their books, I'd suggest under ANY circumstances. Just like the MLBPA will never agree to a salary cap.

Understandable although Ishbia may also want to buy and develop the land around the current park and remove some of the parking lots. But regardless of where the Sox try to go to, or want to go to, unless they are willing to pay a very substancial portion of the price of a new stadium they aren't going anywhere since they aren't getting the financial backing from the state and city based on the overall current published comments from the politicians. That could change of course but I don't see that happening right now with everything going on in D.C. impacting individual states and cities.

Until and unless the owners agree to open their books to an independent auditor (like they did in 1994 and swore they would never do that again after that person showed how they were cooking the books to show losses) we will never really know what is going on. I did see a story yesterday where the Braves who do have to open their books because they are publicly owned pulled in over 650 million dollars in revenue last year from the team and the entertainment district that they own.

Yes. They had it ranked as the third hardest in baseball.

Saw a story today where the WNBAPA is gearing up for a lockout/ labor impasse with the owners come this November. And as a side note saw where in a players poll the Sky tied for the worst team/organization to play for. They fit right in with the other organizations representing the city it seems.

Sox Machine with a detailed breakdown of Sox possible moves: https://soxmachine.com/2025/07/taking-inventory-of-the-white-soxs-trade-assets-as-the-deadline-approaches

And they'll lose 100 games next season as well.

That would be SO typical White Sox, but the MLBPA will never agree to a salary cap.

I spent many nights and days at that place and always considered it a very nice ballpark. Comiskey had its faults just like Wrigley, Fenway, Tiger Stadium, Forbes Field et al but overall it was a good place to watch a game from. And it was a hell of a lot better than the cookie cutter stadiums that opened in the 1970's. Watch the documentary "Last Comiskey" on You Tube. It will give you a proper perspective.

JR talking about Himes on the Chet Coppock show: “The fact is Larry Himes cannot get along with anybody. You can hardly find anybody in the Sox organization that wasn’t happy when Larry Himes left.”

You make a great point. For me personally unlike in 1981 and 1994 I won't be that upset if the season in 2027 is wiped out. The Sox still won't be worth a damn. I can always watch stuff out of my library if I need a baseball fix. If the owners are going to die on that hill of demanding a salary cap it's going to be a long wait until baseball returns.

His ego won't allow him to admit his way simply hasn't worked for a long time and he's laughing all the way to the bank anyway.

Right off the top of my head from interviews that I've done were Wilbur Wood and Ed Herrmann. Wood went so far as to say that in the late 60's the only games he really wanted to pitch in were games where he thought he could get a save. (He was a top relief pitcher at that point in his career.)

I asked former Sox broadcaster Milo Hamilton about him: ML: One of the oddities about that season took place in spring training on April 8 when two youngsters, Bruce Howard and Denny McLain had a ‘pitch-off’ to determine who would stay in the organization and get promoted to Double-A. Do you remember anything about that game or about McLain in general when he was with the White Sox. (Author’s Note: Howard would win the game 2-1 and get promoted to Lynchburg, Virginia. Because of baseball rules at the time concerning bonus babies, McLain had to be released. He was claimed by the Tigers a week later.) MH: “Well the pitch-off was only part of the reason the Sox let him go. He was a cocky kid. His high school used to get tickets to Sox games and I can still remember him sitting by the dugout yelling “I can beat those guys.” He was hard to handle and his attitude was something that Al Lopez (Author’s Note: White Sox manager) and the organization just wasn’t going to put up with. In spring training he ran up a 700 hundred dollar phone bill talking to his girlfriend and he refused to pay it.” “Howard was a clean cut kid. Never gave anyone any trouble. Unfortunately he didn’t turn out to be much of a pitcher and in that respect you have to give McLain his due, he turned into a great pitcher. I mean he won 30 games one season.”

https://www.chicagotribune.com/2025/07/15/mlb-lockout-salary-cap/

I've had a lot of former Sox players tell me how hard it is to be positive and even 'enjoy' coming to the park when you just know you are probably going to lose.

Given the number of stiffs, has-been's, injury prone guys and retreads totaling 63 players overall, you'd need a softball or maybe a basketball to fit all their names! 😆