Lip Man 1

The Sox won't do anything.

January 20, 1965 - Another big deal pulled off by Sox G.M. Ed Short which kept the franchise’s streak of winning seasons going. The Sox were part of a three-team trade with the Indians and Athletics. When all was said and done, the Sox parted with outfielders Jim Landis and Mike Hershberger, pitcher Fred Talbot and catcher Cam Carreon. In return they got back power hitting catcher John “Honey” Romano, pitcher Tommy John and outfielder Tommie Agee. Agee would be named Rookie of the Year in 1966 becoming the first Sox player ever with 20 home runs and 20 stolen bases in a season. John would be part of the Sox brilliant starting rotation, making the All-Star team for the first time in 1968. He’d win 82 games in seven years, three times posting an ERA of under three. His trade to the Dodgers at the winter meetings in 1971 netted the Sox Dick Allen. Romano wasn’t a slouch either in his second stint with the club, banging out 33 home runs in two seasons before being traded. Romano originally came up in the White Sox system and played in 53 games during the 1959 pennant winning season. January 20, 1984 - Once again Sox G.M. Roland Hemond used the free agent compensation rule to the White Sox advantage, plucking future Hall of Famer Tom Seaver from the Mets. The Sox were entitled to compensation after losing Dennis Lamp to the Blue Jays. In his two full years with the Sox, Seaver would win 31 games, including his 300th one overall on August 4, 1985 against the Yankees. Earlier that same season he started his 14th opening day on the mound, a big-league record. In both full seasons he’d also throw over 236 innings, averaging 132 strikeouts and have an ERA both times under four. In 1985 his ERA was 3.17. Tom had to be convinced to join the Sox. It took co-owners Eddie Einhorn and Jerry Reinsdorf going to his hotel room at the winter meetings after they selected him to talk with him face to face before he agreed…. but, before Seaver let them in, he asked to see their ID’s since he had never met them before!

I just hope to outlive current ownership and hope for better things down the road.

It all starts with ownership. 🤡

It is when the organization has a self-imposed payroll limit and is more concerned with fiscal responsibility than winning.

January 19, 1909 - Sox owner Charles Comiskey purchased a piece of land on the corner of 35th and Shields from Roxanna Bowen. The site would be used to build the original Comiskey Park on, starting in March 1910. In only four months the steel and concrete stadium would be opened and ready for use. January 19, 1972 - Early Wynn, who helped the White Sox to the 1959 pennant, was elected to the Hall of Fame with 76 per cent of the vote. Wynn made it on his fourth ballot, slowly working his way up the vote count before crossing the 75 per cent threshold. He’d win exactly 300 games in his long career and in 1959 the year the White Sox won the pennant, he captured the Cy Young Award on the basis of 22 wins, an ERA of 3.17 and over 255 innings pitched. He played five years with the club winning 64 games.

Based on the grip and the radar gun total it looked to me like he was throwing a circle change-up.

Historically remember JR doesn't believe much in the minor league system and has gone on record as saying he doesn't believe in paying for "potential." With that being said there are only a limited number of ways to procure talent, since he doesn't seem to think developing it is the right way, maybe he should start signing quality free agents... Oh wait...guess that's not the right way either! 😄

I'll take the 4$ option

MLB broadcasters do work under contract and teams/agents do announce when they are or have signed new contracts.

Once again it seems that all the talk by Hahn about trades and working to improve the team are all pure BS. The bottom line with this team under this ownership was, is and always will be fiscal responsibility and no accountability over winning.

His dad played professionally with the Montreal Maroons, the forerunner to the Canadians. When I visited Pete in his home in the Portland suburbs he had both of his dad's team M.V.P. trophies from the 1930's.

Tommy John was also a passenger in the car which was rear ended leaving the Chicago Stadium lot after a playoff game vs. Montreal.

January 17, 2002 - After one injury plagued, controversial season with the Sox, pitcher David Wells signed a contract with the Yankees. Wells won only five games in 2001 for the team with 16 starts. Naturally he then turned around and won 61 games over the next four years with New York, San Diego and Boston. The White Sox did get some revenge against him in the 2005 A.L.D.S. as they beat him in game #2 of that series 5-4 when he was pitching for the Red Sox. The big blow was a three-run home run by Tadahito Iguchi.

I've had issues too.

January 15, 2003 – It was another bold stab by G.M. Kenny Williams as he acquired starter Bartolo Colon as part of a three-way deal with Montreal and the Yankees. Colon had a good season for the Sox… 15 wins, 242 innings pitched and 173 strikeouts before inking a large deal with Anaheim where he’d win the Cy Young Award. Williams brought him back in 2009 hoping for the same but got little for his troubles. In fact, Colon got hurt, was overweight and when assigned to a minor league rehab stint never reported! It was rumored that Colon was distraught over the death of entertainer Michael Jackson, and when manager Ozzie Guillen heard such, he emptied out Colon’s locker and dumped the possessions in the hallway outside of the White Sox clubhouse! January 15, 2021 – The White Sox continued to make strong moves to get back into serious contention for a championship. On this date they announced the signing to a free agent contract of Liam Hendriks, one of the top relief pitchers in baseball to a multi-year deal. The contract would net the Australian right hander 54 million dollars over three, possibly four years. Since taking over as the A’s closer on June 21, 2019, Hendriks had recorded a 1.99 ERA over 68 innings pitched, with 39 saves, 111 strikeouts and a 0.79 WHIP in 65 appearances. His contract had an unusual twist, perhaps the first of its kind in baseball. The fourth year of the deal had an option year, worth 15 million but included a 15-million-dollar buyout. If the White Sox declined the option, the buyout would be paid in 10 equal installments between 2024 and 2033. The paying of money down the road, something NFL teams often do, could help with the ‘luxury tax’ threshold should the Sox be in that position where it becomes an issue. Hendriks wouldn’t disappoint posting 38 saves, a 2.54 ERA and 113 strikeouts against only seven walks in his first year on the South Side winning A.L. Relief Pitcher of the Year honors. He followed it up in 2022 with 37 saves an ERA of 2.81 and 85 strikeouts vs. 18 walks.

January 14, 1963 - It was the move that re-energized the franchise and led directly to back-to-back-to- back 90 or more-win seasons in 1963, 1964 and 1965. Sox G. M. Ed Short traded shortstop Luis Aparicio and outfielder Al Smith to the Orioles for third baseman Pete Ward, outfielder Dave Nicholson, shortstop Ron Hansen and relief pitcher Hoyt Wilhelm. Trading Aparicio was a shock but contractual differences between him and the team and the bad feelings it produced made a deal necessary. Ward would be named Co-Rookie of the Year (with teammate Gary Peters) and would supply power for the next few seasons. In 1963 and 1964 Ward averaged 22 home runs, 89 RBI’s and hit .290 before an accident where he was a passenger in a car leaving Chicago Stadium after a hockey game severely impacted his career. He suffered whiplash and never felt comfortable at the plate ever again. Nicholson, who struck out far too much, still had 22 home runs and 70 RBI’s in 1963. Hansen would be one of the best defensive shortstops in the league and hit as many as 20 home runs in a season, at a time when shortstops simply didn’t do that. Wilhelm became the top relief pitcher of the 1960's. In his six years with the Sox, he’d win 41 games and save 99 others while producing some astonishingly low ERA’s considering he threw the knuckleball. His highest ERA between 1963 and 1968 was 2.64, every other season it was below two. He’d be elected to the Hall of Fame in 1985. January 14, 2001 - The Sox acquired pitcher David Wells from Toronto basically for pitcher Mike Sirotka. Over the coming weeks and months, Sirotka and the Blue Jays claimed the Sox knew that Sirotka had a bad arm and couldn’t pitch. Sox G.M. Ken Williams defended himself by saying that he told the Jays he thought Sirotka might be hurt and offered pitcher Jim Parque instead. Commissioner Allan “Bud” Selig ruled in late March that the trade would stand. The whole episode became known as “Shouldergate.” Wells meanwhile had few good moments with the Sox. He’d beat the Indians opening day in Cleveland after he said fans got him angry by talking about his mother and how he was raised but after that, because of a bad back he barely pitched, winning only five games in total with only 16 starts on the year. He then caused a major controversy when he went on the radio and said that he didn’t think first baseman Frank Thomas was as badly hurt as he claimed. Thomas would only wind up playing 20 games that year after he tore a triceps muscle diving for a ground ball along the first base line.

I was told in Jake Peavy's case for example when he missed 1/6th of the season after that lat tear the Sox got back money based on insurance coverage but I was also told that teams keep insurance deals very close to the vest and the actual terms/ conditions are really only known to the team and insurance company. I was also told coverage on athletes contracts is very expensive.

White Sox attendance issues started in the mid 1960's when social unrest created the myth that Comiskey Park was a "dangerous" place because of its location. Nothing the Sox could do about that but they have shot themselves in the foot over the years with decisions like leaving WGN-TV, creating SportsVision and saying "We are Chicago's American League team..." instead of taking on the Cubs full-on. From 1951-1967 the Sox outdrew the Cubs in 16 of those 17 years sometimes by a wide margin. Part of the issue is the Sox have not been able to consistently put a winning competitive streak like that together since then. Often they come out of the blue (like in 2005) and have an excellent season but they...can't...keep...it...going. I don't mean winning World Series after World series but how about making the playoffs say four times in six years or five times in seven? Sox have never done that. They'll have a nice stretch (1981-1983, 1990-1994, 2000-2006...) and then it's back to mediocrity. To say nothing even about all the controversies...Sox are moving...stadium controversy, JR and 1994 labor impasse, White Flag Trade, cancelling Sox fest, bizarre new ticket policy among others. That's no way to build a fan base in my opinion.

Anything is possible that's why they play the games on the field but with so many issues, holes, controversies (I was told last week that the Sox new bizarre ticket approach was created without the knowledge or input of a few of the high levels front office staff) it's a long shot. White Sox fans should heed the motto: "Hope for the best, expect the worst..."

Remember Hahn arrogantly talking about "multiple championships" and "talk to me after the parade". LOL

January 12, 1982 - In the January phase of the amateur draft that no longer exists today, the White Sox unearthed the unlikeliest of success stories. John Cangelosi was selected with the No. 433 overall pick, befitting a 5´8´´ fireplug of a player. He played at Miami Dade College. Three years later, Cangelosi made his Major League debut in Chicago, and in 1986 he leapfrogged the more highly-touted Daryl Boston to make the Opening Day roster as Chicago’s center fielder and leadoff hitter. He swiped 39 bases by the All-Star break, but then was benched rather curiously by midseason manager replacement Jim Fregosi. His best hitting game with the Sox came early in that same 1986 season when he banged out four hits in a 4-3 loss to Milwaukee at Comiskey Park on April 9. Traded to Pittsburgh after the 1986 season, Cangelosi would play 11 more years in the big leagues, winning a World Series with the 1997 Florida Marlins. January 12, 2000 - Sox G.M. Ron Schueler made amends for some of his worst moves by shipping disgruntled pitcher Jamie Navarro to Milwaukee as part of a four-player deal. In exchange he got long ball hitting shortstop Jose Valentin and pitcher Cal Eldred. Both would play a large part in the unexpected divisional championship in 2000. Eldred went 10-2 in 20 starts for the team that season before an elbow injury basically ended his White Sox career in July. Valentin played five years on the South Side averaging 120 hits, 27 home runs and 76 RBI's in those years and he was a Cub-killer. One of the highlights in Jose's White Sox stint was a very rare accomplishment, a ‘natural’ cycle which took place against the Orioles on April 27, 2000. He singled in the first, doubled in the second, tripled in the third and homered in the eighth inning in a 13-4 win. For the day he went 4 for 5 with five RBI’s and two runs scored.

They can, the issue is they don't have the will to do so thanks to ownership.

January 10, 1992 – It was one of the worst deals in Sox G.M. Ron Schueler's career as he traded pitcher Melido Perez and two minor leaguers to the Yankees for Steve Sax. Schueler envisioned a devastating one/two punch at the top of the order in Tim Raines and Sax followed by Frank Thomas and Robin Ventura. It never happened, as Sax suddenly forget how to hit and was gone from the team by late April 1994. Making matters worse is that one of the minor league pitchers dealt was Bob Wickman who’d go on to become a top relief pitcher and two-time All-Star winning 63 games with 267 saves. Sax did have one moment of glory as on May 5, 1993 in Milwaukee he made an incredible catch in left field on a ball hit by Billy Doran with the lead run on base. It happened in the eighth inning. Sax broke back and to his left on the drive and caught the ball with his left arm extended. The angle and momentum caused him to tumble over and he lost the ball out of his glove on the way down. Just before hitting the ground however, he snagged the ball with his bare right hand holding it up to the umpire after he hit the grass. That saved a run and the Sox won the game 3-1 on a Robin Ventura home run in the top of the ninth inning.

Heard back from my source on the insurance question: "I'm told the terms of the insurance policies vary, are extremely high and usually kept private between the team and insurance company. " So I guess if Hahn does something that's an indication the Sox are covered in some way although there is no way to know for sure one way or the other especially given the secrecy and dysfunction in this organization.