Lip Man 1

I absolutely agree losing in ingrained in this organization and because so few times are anybody held accountable by JR who has publicly admitted multiple times he really dislikes having to fire people, nothing really changes. For years according to a story by Mark Gonzales when he was still covering the Sox for the Tribune, the Sox spent the least amount of money in all baseball on their minor league system. I don't know how much that may have changed but I'm reminded of something my dad always said, "you get what you pay for..." With JR as owner the results shouldn't surprise anybody.

Very true.

More flotsam and jetsam.

Different fans look at the sport in different ways so I don't begrudge you your feelings. Others, like myself, feel that winning is also part of things and since 2007 the White Sox have done very little of this. I can only speak for myself but it doesn't matter much to me if the sun is shining, the beer is cold or how many fans are in the stands. That's all secondary, the top item is did the Sox win the game? Are they having a good season?? And I simply can't see the MLBPA agreeing to a salary cap in any way, shape or form. When Ishbia takes over he'll have the financial resources to buy whatever pitching he needs should he choose to do so.

When you have as much money as he does, "pride" doesn't even factor into the equation. Priority #1, and #2 and #3 and so on down the line, is the bottom line. Period, end of story. And his bottom line is "fiscal responsibility" (his words) which translates into how much profit can we make?

March 27, 2025 – Sean Burke became just the seventh pitcher in the last 100 years to start on opening day with fewer than 20 career innings pitched in the majors and he made it a successful one as the White Sox blasted the Angels 8-1 at Rate Field. The right-hander worked out of danger in the first and second innings and then settled into a groove allowing three hits with three strikeouts in six scoreless innings to aid the Sox in Will Venable’s first game as the team’s manager. Burke, made his fourth career start and fifth overall appearance. In the process, he joined the Dodgers’ Fernando Valenzuela (17 2/3) in 1981, St. Louis’ Tom Poholsky (14 2/3) in 1951, Pittsburgh’s Elwin “Preacher” Roe (2 2/3) in 1944, Brooklyn’s Hal Gregg (18 2/3) in 1944, Philadelphia’s Edgar Smith who’d go on to pitch for the White Sox, (19) in 1937 and Philadelphia’s Carroll Yerkes (9 2/3) in 1929 as pitchers in the last 100 years to start on opening day with fewer than 20 career innings pitched. Burke’s 19 career innings entering the day were the fewest for a Sox opening-day starter, eclipsing the previous marks of 61 by Pat “Patsy” Flaherty in 1903. Garrett Crochet had 73 before his start in 2024. Burke became the sixth pitcher in the last 70 years to start on opening day with three or fewer career starts, joining Crochet in 2024 (zero), Texas’ Tanner Scheppers in 2014 (zero), Colorado’s David Nied in 1993 (two), San Francisco’s Al Holland in 1982 (three) and Valenzuela in 1981 (zero).

They still have a lot of dumpster dive guys on the roster right now, especially in the pitching area and in the outfield. Sox Machine with the autopsy from Thursday: First impressions from a dreadful White Sox Opening Day -...The White Sox came into this season having struck out 20 times in only three games over their entire 125-year history, and all three took extras. Their 21 strikeouts against Seattle in 1996 required 1

Today show this morning had an almost five minute feature on Benetti.

I'm not holding my breath on either Hicks or Newcomb.

Exactly correct. I'm surprised some fans still don't understand this about JR.

As long as JR is still breathing he's not going to make anymore drastic changes. Remember he doesn't care anymore about the on-field record, he cares about leaving as much money as possible to his family and perhaps seeing the MLBPA finally broken in the next CBA negotiations. But just in case, you may want to submit your resume again to JR. Get it to him early right? 😉

This pitching staff especially the starting rotation shouldn't impress anybody. As far as the bullpen? Considering they have blown and lost 50 games when leading in the 7th inning or later the two previous seasons, I don't think much will change this year. There are maybe, maybe...three guys who could prove to be valuable on a good team in the entire Sox bullpen.

I get it completely. I'm hoping to still be around when it happens and see a better future before I'm gone.

Things will get better when JR is gone, Ishbia takes over and makes the changes so desperately needed on the baseball side of the operations.

No worries.

"Because there’s what progress looks like as Getz and Venable describe it, and then there’s progress in the only way that matters to most people — winning a bunch more games. A major league season is often described by those on the inside as a “marathon,” but it’s Sox fans who know better than anybody what that actually feels like. They’re the ones who’ve been stranded by the side of the road, doubled over and gasping for breaths of any sort of optimism that might power them through another full journey." https://chicago.suntimes.com/white-sox/2026/03/26/white-sox-win-total-2026-mlb-opening-day-chris-getz-will-venable-brewers

You lost me on this one. 🤕

This was just flat out embarrassing. Reminds me of opening day 1970. (Look it up kids...) Just plain bad. 20 strike outs. This team will only go so far as the pitching lets them.

Just to be clear when I reached out to them it was via written letters.

I know when I visited Chicago and was treated very well by the Sox I'd write JR to let him know how I was treated and to thank the organization. He always responded but then again I never asked for an interview for the G.M. position either. 😉 After the Sox won in 83 I also wrote him, EE and Roland Hemond and all responded. Roland became a good friend for many years afterwards until he passed away.

Story in the Tribune today, not exactly what the Sox I'm sure wanted to see on their opening day but it is what it is. To me it didn't really say much other than updating that statements have been taken and summarized. https://www.chicagotribune.com/2026/03/25/white-sox-shooting/

Remember JR no longer answers his letters and request to interview for the G.M. position so the advice will fall on deaf ears! 😉

"No one’s expecting a playoff run. No one’s ruling out a wild-card flirtation, even if it’s just a week or two of meaningful games after the All-Star break. But looking at this Opening Day roster, no one can rule out the possibility of a fourth straight year of 100-loss futility, either. It’ll be Getz’s mess to own, or his claim to executive fame. Either way, it’s all on him now." https://chicago.suntimes.com/white-sox/2026/03/25/white-sox-opening-day-chris-getz-rebuild-progress

Have been getting my jerseys through this store. They are well made and I've got no complaints about the price either: https://www.jerseyswholesalefactory.com.co/

March 25, 2021 – Injuries can happen at any time, but needless injuries, in spring training to boot, can take the heart right out of a club, the fanbase and completely change the fortunes of a season. On this day the White Sox announced that Eloy Jimenez, one of the best young sluggers in baseball at the time would be lost for most of the season, because of a ruptured left pectoral tendon. He suffered the injury when getting hung up on the top of the fence trying to catch a ball hit by the A’s Sean Murphy the day before, a ball that wasn’t catchable. Sox broadcaster Steve Stone was particularly critical of Jimenez even attempting to try to catch a meaningless home run in a spring training game and putting himself at risk. Since getting called up in 2019, Jimenez had been injured multiple times when dealing with trying to play left field. His injury was more common in football and most likely happened on impact when his left arm hit the top of the fence. After an intensive rehab lasting four months, he returned to the team on July 26 but injury issues continued to dog him and he was traded to the Orioles in 2024.