Lip Man 1

From my interview with Roland (God rest his soul...) Roland Hemond’s Best Trades: (in chronological order...) 1. November 30, 1971: White Sox send Ken Berry, Syd O’Brien and Billy Wynne to California for catcher Tom Egan, starting pitcher Tom Bradley and outfielder Jay Johnstone. (Author’s Note: Bradley would win 15 games with a sub three ERA in both 1971 and 1972. Egan served as a very good backup to Ed Herrmann and Johnstone added speed, pinch hitting abilities and a crazy character to keep the clubhouse relaxed.) 2. December 2, 1971: White Sox send Tommy John and Steve Huntz to Los Angeles for first baseman Dick Allen. (Author’s Note: The trade that saved the franchise. Allen won the M.V.P. award in 1972 leading the Sox to a near division championship. His ability to hit for power and average was unmatched on the South Side for years. Named to three All-Star teams.) 3. December 2, 1971: White Sox send Rich McKinney to the Yankees for starting pitcher Stan Bahnsen. (Author’s Note: Bahnsen would win 54 games in three and a half seasons in Chicago including 21 in 1972.) 4. November 19, 1972: White Sox send Tom Bradley to San Francisco for outfielder Ken Henderson and pitcher Steve Stone. (Author’s Note: Henderson was a Gold Glove winning, power hitting center fielder while Stone added depth to the pitching staff. Bradley never regained the form that he showed with the Sox and was out of baseball by 1975.) 5. August 14, 1973: White Sox acquire starting pitcher Jim Kaat on waivers from Minnesota. (Author’s Note: Kaat was a two time 20 game winner for the Sox in 1974 and 1975. Made the All-Star team in 1975. Won 45 games in two and a quarter years in Chicago.) 6. June 15, 1975: White Sox send pitchers Stan Bahnsen and “Skip” Pitlock to Oakland for outfielder Chet Lemon and pitcher Dave Hamilton. (Author’s Note: Lemon would turn into one of the top center fielders in baseball with the Sox making the All-Star team twice. Hamilton was a regular contributor to the 1977 White Sox team with four wins and nine saves.) 7. December 11, 1975: White Sox send third baseman Bill Melton and pitcher Steve Dunning to California for first baseman Jim Spencer and outfielder Morris Nettles. (Author’s Note: Melton had a bad back and had worn out his welcome getting into a shouting match in a Milwaukee hotel lobby with broadcaster Harry Caray. Spencer meanwhile won a Gold Glove for his defensive prowess in 1977 saving many errors. He also had 18 home runs and 69 RBI’s for the “South Side Hit Men”, twice driving in eight runs in a game.) 8. April 4, 1977: White Sox send shortstop “Bucky” Dent to the Yankees for outfielder Oscar Gamble, pitchers LaMarr Hoyt and Bob Polinsky and cash. (Author’s Note: The deal was made because the Sox could not afford to resign Dent. Gamble blasted 31 home runs for the “South Side Hit Men.” Hoyt would become a very good starting pitcher winning the Cy Young Award after going 24-10 in 1983.) 9. July 10, 1979: White Sox send pitcher Jack Kucek to the Phillies for infielder Jim Morrison. (Author’s Note: When the Sox were being rebuilt in the early 80's Morrison provided stability and power at either second or third base. Had three seasons of double figure home run totals.) 10. December 12, 1980: White Sox send pitcher “Tex” Wortham to Montreal for second baseman Tony Bernazard. (Author’s Note: Bernazard was a switch hitter with speed and the ability to hit to all fields. He was a good second baseman in his two and a half years with the Sox. Hemond then sent him to Seattle for Julio Cruz a move that crystalized the 1983 team.) 11. January 25, 1983: White Sox send pitchers Steve Trout and Warren Brusstar to the Cubs for infielders Scott Fletcher and Pat Tabler along with pitchers Dick Tidrow and Randy Martz. (Author’s Note: Perhaps Hemond’s greatest deal. Roland used the free agent compensation rules that were in use at the time to inquire about getting Cubs future Hall of Fame pitcher Ferguson Jenkins whom they left unprotected. Cubs G.M. Dallas Green got word of it and quickly made this deal. Part of it was the promise by Hemond that the Sox would not take Jenkins. Fletcher and Tidrow were important parts of the 1983 team. Tabler was then traded to Cleveland for Jerry Dybzinski adding another part to the club.) 12. January 20, 1984: White Sox select starting pitcher Tom Seaver from the free agent compensation pool. (Author’s Note: The future Hall of Famer would win 32 games in two years with the Sox including his 300th beating the Yankees 4-1 on August 4, 1985.) 13. December 6, 1984: White Sox send pitcher LaMarr Hoyt and two minor leaguers to San Diego for pitchers Tim Lollar and Bill Long along with infielder/outfielder Luis Salazar and shortstop Ozzie Guillen. (Author’s Note: Hoyt would see his career quickly end after the 1985 season due to substance abuse. Lollar and Salazar helped the 1985 team to a winning record but Guillen would become the Rookie of the Year in 1985 and win a Gold Glove in 1990 along with becoming a three time All-Star.) Roland Hemond’s Best Deal That Never Happened: As part of the major rebuilding effort after the disaster of 1970, Hemond had worked out a trade with the Washington Senators that would have sent left handed relief specialist Darold Knowles to the White Sox for relief pitcher Wilbur Wood. However Wood was holding out and never signed a 1971 contract. Therefore the Sox couldn’t deal him until he did. By the time Wood signed the Senators were no longer interested. It turned out to be a major blessing for the Sox. Wood would blossom into one of the top starting pitchers of the decade, winning 20 or more games four times and being named to the All-Star team three times. He would be named a member of the Sox Team of the Century in 1999. Sometimes the best deals are the ones you never make!

I think there is some truth to that. But as I wrote I don't think he understands yet calling MLB as opposed to G-League, Slamball or NBA Summer League. Different type athletes, different skill sets, different rhythms to the sport and most importantly a totally different audience. He's not going anywhere short of new ownership so I hope next year is better, he's difficult to listen to.

If the Sox are willing to actually help pay for it that would alleviate a lot of those who are against it (including myself) but until JR holds a press conference and publicly says this, I'm not betting my life on it. Regarding the team next year DVS of the Sun-Times as part of a story a few days ago said the feeling is the Sox will not be very active in the free agent market (naturally...the money will NOT be spent! LOL) Under current ownership the bolded part is exactly correct, that's the only hope and hope is not a recipe for success.

Luis Alvarado, Mike Andrews, Tom Bradley, Tom Egan, Jay Johnstone, Pat Kelly, Rick Reichardt, Vicente Rome and Ed Stroud weren't prospects. They were competent Major league players who helped the Sox go from 56 wins (1970) to 79 (1971) in a single season, one of the biggest single season turnarounds in MLB history. To say nothing then about getting Dick Allen and Stan Bahnsen the following season. It wasn't Hemond's or Tanner's fault Allyn's outside business interests went bust and the franchise almost couldn't meet payroll (and for all the good Veeck did, financially he wasn't any better) or that Stu Holcomb who had no business being in a MLB front office ordered Hemond to release, not trade, release any player who wouldn't agree to his initial contract offer. July 27, 1973 - Sox vice president Stu Holcomb ‘retired’ under pressure after his hard-line approach on salaries destroyed the 1973 White Sox. When players wouldn’t come to terms with his initial offer, Holcomb ordered, then player personnel director Roland Hemond, to release them. Not try to compromise with them or try to trade them to get something back... but release them. The Sox gave away Jay Johnstone, Ed Spiezio, Mike Andrews and Rick Reichardt. When Holcomb ordered Hemond to release 21-game winner Stan Bahnsen, Hemond and manager Chuck Tanner went to owner John Allyn. Hemond and Tanner threatened to quit if something wasn’t done. Allyn sided with the duo and Holcomb was history bringing some stability to the front office although the damage was already done. When the Sox suffered injury after injury that year, using the disabled list 38 times, there was little depth to try to fill the gaping holes. They’d end the season in fifth place at 77-85 after leading the division in late May.

They already did that earlier this season at 14 setting the franchise record if I recall correctly.

19 times. That's how many times the Sox took a lead into the 7th inning or later...and lost the game. 19 They go winless for the season in Kansas City. Seven straight losses. I'll have to look to see if the Sox have ever had multiple double-digit losing streaks in a single season.

The biggest thing the Sox had going for them was that John Allyn had the guts to see things were off the rails, fired basically everyone and brought in Roland Hemond and Chuck Tanner. Things got better in a hurry. That's not going to happen with JR so keeping Crochet and Robert do nothing to really move the needle to being a competent, winning franchise again. So until new ownership arrives, keep getting prospects and hope. That's all you've got right now.

Glasnow starting Wednesday, Kershaw starting Thursday for the Dodgers. We'll see how they do and how it may impact their trade interest.

I'm guessing it is because the personal relationship between Brooks and Jason became toxic over time and Brooks wanted to let Jason know who was boss.

Let's go winless in Kansas City for the season! Don't stop now boys!

You mean when new ownership arrives. Inquiring minds want to know...do they have another double digit losing streak in them???????????????

The Dodgers are a lock for the playoffs this year. They aren't a "contender" you can pencil them in for the N.L. playoffs. They have the opportunity to get a person who could be an ace pitcher for several seasons including this year and have him ready to go when it counts the most...this season...come October. They can monitor his work load until then without risking anything as far as making the post season. They have that much flexibility. Dodger fans will understand that situation easily, It is strange that others don't seem to grasp that concept.

The other reason the owners agreed to do it back in 94-95 was to try to move negotiations forward towards a settlement on their terms. Needless to say the result they got wasn't what they wanted.

If for no other reason to give credence when they claim they are "losing" money which most fans on the surface simply do not believe. But you don't have to worry, after the Stanford economist destroyed that claim in 94-95, owners vowed they'd never do it again. The Braves are the only exception because they are a publicly owned company and have to do so.

That also was brought up in The Lords of the Realm. Owners are so dishonest they'll even attempt to screw each other over after supposedly agreeing on something.

Second half begins and so does more losing.

The book The Lords of the Realm by John Helyar goes into detail on some of the ways teams were hiding income when MLB agreed (for the only time) to let an independent accountant examine their books. He was from Stanford. The accountant exploded Bud Selig's myth that 18 teams were losing money at the time of the 1994-95 labor impasse. MLB vowed they'd never open their books again (and they haven't) One example Helyar went into was the Braves under Ted Turner. Instead of putting up the broadcast rights for the club on the open market in Atlanta, he simply gave them to his own WTBS at a reduced rate. Then claimed that the Braves weren't bringing in as much revenue as they should have and were "losing" money in this area. Smart people can make numbers say just about anything you want them to when they are done with all the manipulations.

He has an unbelievable baseball memorabilia collection in his home.

Agreed but that income still goes to him. That's why it is so tricky to get a real accurate read on what a team does or does not make. There are so many ancillary companies and areas to stash revenue.

JR doesn't like to pay people not to work and as others have stated he's the designated scape-goat at the end of the year.

Until any team allows an independent accountant to examine their books this is all speculation but Manfred has said MLB is now at least a 10 Billion dollar a year business. There are more revenue streams both domestically and internationally for MLB than ever before. And in the Sox case it is not just revenue from merchandise, parking, concessions and advertising it is the very team-friendly deal they have on the stadium with the ISSA.

That's fine if the two different broadcasts i.e. radio/TV are in synch. Often times they aren't.

To Scott Merkin: “We want to develop to win. We want to develop winners. And yes, you gotta develop players fundamentally. But most of the time, these guys come up here fundamentally sound."--Pedro Grifol. WHAT????????????? Is he watching the same things we've been seeing for years in this organization?

I asked around and I don't know if this is the complete story. I was told Jeff texted Schriffin at a number he thought was his but later learned it was the wrong number. It was a Sox office number. The Sox alerted Jeff and he reached out to John to apologize and to set the record straight for a story that was about to be published. Schriffin never responded. That's all I know.

? This may be one of the most asinine statements I've ever read in my life. I don't "claim" to announce games, I've broadcast games for 40 years on both TV and radio. This past May for example I broadcast the Big Sky softball championships on ESPN+. 11 games in four days. I've broadcast high school sports, college sports and semi-pro baseball in Kentucky, Louisiana and Idaho. Oh I was also in TV sports anchoring for 14 years at three different stations. I'd be happy to give you a complete list of where I worked and who I broadcast for. I'm 68, there's no way in hell I would have even applied at that age, you must be insane. Bottom line, the broadcast on the TV is poor. Period. End of story. Full stop. Yes it would have been easier to listen to if the Sox were winning but that doesn't change the fact it is poor. And I guarantee you it would STILL be talked about. The "hometown" broadcast is one of the few ways fans connect to the team and organization. It is a damn important connection. You want the best possible person representing your organization in this fashion. Schriffen right now isn't it. He may get better we'll see how he improves next year but I think he'd be better off dropping the "attitude" that he's trying to bring to the broadcast. He shouldn't have a chip on his shoulder, he's not down on the field and frankly he gets paid the same if they win or lose. Just be professional, that's all.