Lip Man 1

On Foul Territory yesterday they were talking about this with the MLBPA Director and he brought up an interesting point about having a salary cap in other leagues. He said MLB is the only one of the major pro sports in North America to have never missed a game since the other leagues had a salary cap implemented. His point was the NFL, NBA and NHL all have salary caps and all had seasons disrupted because the players felt the owners were taking advantage of the situation.

Here is part 3:

This doesn't make sense but over and above that JR wouldn't allow it right now.

If I remember right the Sox have among the fewest full time scouts in MLB for one example. You'd think this is something obvious especially if you are loath to dive into free agency and pay for superstar players which JR doesn't agree to do. It is just bizarre how this franchise has operated particularly since 2007, they won't pay for free agents and they won't put the resources into acquiring, drafting and developing their own talent. Maybe that's why they have had only five winning seasons since the start of 2007.

Cali: Fair enough. We'll see in the next few years who proves to be more correct in their assessment. Of course it all may not matter if something happens and ishbia gets control of the team sooner than expected. I would assume in that case much like what John Allyn did in September 1970, that he basically fires everyone on the baseball side and brings in his own people. Bottom line to me anyway is that the Sox are going to lose 100 games again next year, in 2027 the labor impasse is going to short circuit the season, at least to some extent, which will make an honest evaluation impossible. If Getz and company are still around when the 2028 season starts we'll see if all these "changes" (which admittedly the Sox desperately needed to make) prove to be of value or if the powers that be once again, chose the wrong people to be in charge and short circuited any real development. As an aside the Athletic has a story today in the daily newsletter that Manfred is pushing for a salary cap when directly talking to players and the MLBPA isn't buying it (along with said players).

I'd basically put everyone on notice since the franchise is about to have its third straight 100+ loss season. You have next year to prove your worth, period. Full stop. That goes for the baseball side of the operations, the marketing side, the broadcasting side, the medical, training and conditioning staffs. Everyone from scouts to equipment people to everyone in between. The incompetence, dysfunction and ineptness needs to stop.

Exactly.

They clearly have an interesting decision on their hands don't they? Guess it depends on what is being offered.

https://chicago.suntimes.com/white-sox/2025/07/09/luis-robert-trade-white-sox

From the Sun-Times postgame story: The injury to Baldwin, the team’s emergency catcher, means fans likely won’t be seeing prized rookie backstops Quero and fellow prized rookie backstop Kyle Teel in the lineup together anytime soon. That’s only happened five times since Teel, the Sox’ No. 2 ranked prospect, joined Quero on the big-league squad with his call-up last month. Venable said he’ll usually keep them separated to avoid getting caught in a roster pickle. “It’s much easier to have one of them on the bench. You do get into some binds if you DH one of them, but that’s something that we’re open and willing to do if the time is right,” he said. “It can handcuff you there a little bit.” Both young catchers have shown promise at the plate. The 22-year-old Quero (.263/.391/.474) has been a heart-of-the-order mainstay as one of the team’s best contact hitters since his April debut. He hit his first career home run last weekend at Colorado and has also picked off three baserunners. Teel, 23, (.246/.390/.311) is still looking for his first dinger to go with four doubles and four RBI.

Absolutely he was part of it although part of it also wasn't his fault, a first baseman being asked to play the outfield with little to no experience at the big league level. It's hard enough to produce without having to worry about learning a new position.

Not really, have no idea what will happen long term but getting out of the crapfest organization has got to help a player at the very least mentally.

Getz is on the phone right now!

Seriously doubt this comment, JR won't be around in 10 years, Ishbia will be in charge and my guess is things will be a lot different. At the very least they can't get any worse.

Says hitters will be the priority: https://chicago.suntimes.com/white-sox/2025/07/08/white-sox-draft-mlb-chris-getz

From my history of SportsVision chapter for a forthcoming book by Dr. Fletcher and the Chicago Baseball Museum: Einhorn was appalled when he got a look at the White Sox TV deal. In 1980, then Sox owner Bill Veeck signed a deal with Charles Dolan of Cablevision, an East Coast company that was getting into the cable TV market. The two-year deal gave the Sox $6,000 per game, WGN-TV also got the rights to show 60 Sox road games a season. The total worth of the deal to the Sox was only $840,000 a year. Dolan was a very sharp operator who took Veeck to the cleaners. Veeck, like most old-time owners, felt that television was nice to have, but the real way to make money in baseball was at the gate. Einhorn overturned the deal and came up with the idea for SportsVision which became a reality in May 1982. The idea was to get Chicago sports fans to sign up for the service which would provide a steady diet of White Sox games, primarily home games, along with the Chicago Bulls, Chicago Blackhawks and Chicago Sting. The channel would be provided by local and area cable services as a premium service. At the time of launching, it cost most fans $50 just to get it installed as it required a special descrambler, not counting the monthly fee which varied from system to system. The idea proved to be a failure as the original target of 50,000 subscribers was never met. Even during the playoff season of 1983 the subscriber base was far short of the original goal. The Sox claimed to have 30,000 subscribers but Bob Logan in his book, "Miracle On 35th Street: Winnin’ Ugly with the 1983 Chicago White Sox" wrote the actual total was closer to 20,000. Einhorn then wanted to change the service to a true pay-per-view option and charge three dollars per game to watch, but that never became a reality. Eventually SportsVision was sold off to Dolan and Cablevision and changed into SportsChannel-Chicago, part of a group of regional sports channels which then was absorbed by Rupert Murdoch and his Fox Broadcasting Company and changed into Fox Sports Chicago, which was part of the nationwide blanket of Fox regional sports affiliates. Eventually that regional network became Comcast Sports Chicago, then NBC Sports Chicago before being completely shut down.

The awful players just never seem to leave the system do they?

And don't forget the "White Flag Trade."

That one rep and the Mayor may be the only politicians in favor of giving tax payer money to the Bears and White Sox. I've seen numerous stories (and posted the links) where politician after politician is basically saying 'no way' as far as giving money to them. Politics of course is a strange game so we'll see what happens.

If they are willing to kick in money they could get a low level prospect but there's also the chance he doesn't get moved. Getz specifically talked about that to the mainstream media recently. I think it would be foolish to keep him, anything is better than nothing in my opinion, that low level prospect may turn out to be something, but these are the White Sox remember.

Correct along with Wilson Alvarez and Scott Fletcher for Harold Baines and Fred Manrique.

No question... he doesn't feel players deserve what they are being paid. Never has since the mid-1980's. I remember reading years ago a quote from him where he said something along the lines of 'I didn't realize how much winning costs...' This was after the Sox had that great 1983 season and then guys all wanted raises.

Was just given some information about a new White Sox book coming out, and no...I had nothing to do with it 😆 Here is the basic information: The official title is "White Sox Redemption - The Road to World Series Victory in 2005." McFarland Publishing. It will be on Amazon, and possibly other locations. I don't have a release date yet but it will be soon. Dan Helpingstine is the author, he has done four or five previous books on the Sox. So you have this book and the Jeff Torborg documentary on You Tube both coming out soon to help get you through the rest of this season.

https://awfulannouncing.com/espn/bobby-jenks-death-post-follow-up.html

Someone had to be named I guess. He didn't look like an All-Star today and hasn't for the last few weeks.