Lip Man 1

For those who can access it: "Pedro Grifol is running out of time as White Sox manager. The only question is when a change will be made" https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/5541838/2024/06/05/pedro-grifol-white-sox-hot-seat/?source=freedailyemail&campaign=601983&userId=602876

https://chicago.suntimes.com/white-sox/2024/06/04/white-sox-pedro-grifol-cubs-craig-counsell-jerry-reinsdorf-wrigley-field-crosstown-chicago

10th time the year the Sox had a lead in the 7th inning or later...and lost. During this now 12 game losing streak, four times they had a lead in the 7th inning or later and wound up losing. Twice the lost the lead in the 7th inning and twice they blew it in the 8th inning. In three of the last four games they lead in the 7th inning or later and lost. Leasure now has been directly responsible for blowing or helping to blow three of those 10 games. Wednesday this bunch of buffoons will try the franchise mark when they lose their 13th straight game.

June 4, 1972 - It is forever known as the “Chili Dog Game” one of the most electrifying games ever played in team history. In the second game of a double header with the Yankees, the Sox having already won the first game 6-1, Sox manager Chuck Tanner wanted Dick Allen to be ready to pinch hit in the last of the ninth inning if needed. Allen at the time was wolfing down a chili dog since he had played in the first game, was sitting out the nightcap and was hungry. He quickly had to put on a uniform getting the last of the chili dog all over the top of it which caused the clubhouse boys to give him a new, clean jersey. With two men on and the Sox losing 4-2, Allen was called to hit. On the third pitch from future Sox relief pitcher Al “Sparky” Lyle, Allen deposited the ball into the left field lower deck for a 5-4 win and a sweep of the twin bill. A bat-day crowd of almost 52-thousand exploded. One of the greatest one-liners in Sox history took place as Lyle was walking in from the bullpen. Mike Andrews was on first base. He and Lyle were roommates when both were with the Red Sox. As Lyle approached the mound Andrews called out, “Sparky”, you’re in deep s%*# now!” As a side note, future sportscaster Keith Olbermann, a Yankee fan, wrote about listening to this game in his book that he co-authored with Dan Patrick “The Big Show”. Olbermann wrote that when Allen hit the home run, he threw his radio out of the second-floor window of his parent’s house.

He get hurt again in a few weeks.

https://www.cbssports.com/mlb/news/oakland-as-request-to-play-almost-10-of-home-games-away-from-brand-new-las-vegas-stadium-per-report/

April 14, 2017 – The White Sox started an all-Garcia outfield at Minnesota, marking the first time in Major League history a team's three starting outfielders all had the same last name. All three collected hits, including Willy Garcia, who doubled in his first big league at-bat in the second. He played left field with Leury Garcia in center and Avisail Garcia in right. Leury had a hit and Avisail had a pair in the game. The Alou brothers all played in the outfield for San Francisco in 1963 a few times but all three never actually started the game. The Sox would win the contest 2-1.

Given how he has run this franchise into the ground if he was as smart as he thinks he is, JR would absolutely stay in the owners box, sign the checks and literally have nothing at all to do with ANY baseball on-field decisions.

Up until the mid 80's the team that had the better record usually had the best attendance. From 1951-1967 for example the Sox outdrew the Cubs in 16 of those 17 seasons. This stayed the same until around the mid 80's when the Cubs (under John McDonough who grew up a Sox fan) started promoting Wrigley Field more than what the club was doing on the field. Studies showed the Cubs were getting roughly 40% of their yearly attendance from out of towners visiting and them being on Superstation WGN really helped push that along. The Sox had opportunities to "own the town" but bad decisions by ownership as well as an inability to consistently make the playoffs short circuited that hope. That being said, new ownership (much like the charge EE and JR put into the franchise in 81-82-83 could drastically change that dynamic. Putting a good team on the field, promoting the club (not cancelling things like Sox fest), and making headlines by signing actual 'superstar' talent can change the perception in a hurry. It happened before the 1971 and 1981 seasons for example.

Ask and ye shall receive: April 29, 1985 - A new yearly tradition was established in the first annual "Crosstown Classic" charity game matching the Sox and Cubs. Down through the years both teams played each other on and off in spring training or during an open date in the regular season. From the late 40’s through the early 70’s, the “Boys Benefit Game” was played helping raise funds for youth baseball. There was also a post season “City Series” that was eventually stopped by request of Major League Baseball. They felt it was taking away interest from the World Series. This was the first time though both teams agreed to play on a yearly basis with a corporate sponsor (Busch Beer). The game alternated between Comiskey Park and Wrigley Field and was played every year through 1995. Because of the labor impasse the teams played two games that season. The Sox won the opener at Comiskey Park 7-4 but it was only the start of a remarkable run. The two teams played a total of 12 games and the Sox never lost one. They’d go 10-0-2 during that time period. After 1995, the series was dropped. It was never publicly explained why, but reports persisted that the cancellation of the series was at the Cubs request. Plus, interleague play was on the horizon and it may have been felt that the game was now meaningless June 16, 1997 - After numerous charity and exhibition games, the Sox and Cubs played for real for the first time in the regular season when they met at the new Comiskey Park. Since then, the two teams have played each other every season multiple times. After playing each other four times in 2022 the Sox had a 73-65 advantage in the regular season meetings. June 25, 1964 - An overflow crowd of over 52 thousand jammed Comiskey Park to watch the Sox hammer the Cubs 11-1 in the annual “Boys Benefit Game.” The Sox, who were the visiting team that night, hit four home runs including back-to-back-to-back shots in the third inning. The home runs were hit by Ron Hansen, Tommy McCraw and Jerry McNertney. Floyd Robinson also had a home run. What was significant however was the fact that fans were allowed on the outfield grass behind ropes, since there wasn’t any room left in the park. It was the last time fans have ever been permitted to stand on the playing field for a game.

https://chicago.suntimes.com/white-sox/2024/06/03/taking-15-45-record-into-wrigley-as-low-as-it-gets-for-white-sox

Just a few thoughts I've read recently where Manfred is working to change/update the "blackout" rules which could make things easier for fans. That could start to make them more conscious of those pirating games. And of course the Bally situation still hasn't been resolved.

Valid point. One of the reasons I was told he was let go was because he wasn't doing what Hahn wanted him to do and he got tired of it. What exactly that was or what areas Hahn wanted him to change I don't know.

He's getting a lot of publicity, I'll say that for him at least: https://awfulannouncing.com/mlb/white-sox-john-schriffen-tommy-pham-william-contreras.html

https://soxmachine.com/2024/06/white-sox-announce-future-broadcast-home-answering-some-questions-and-prompting-many-new-ones/

Someone brought this up in the past, my response was it all depends on how far back you want to go. Roland Hemond for one example, let go by EE/JR in November 1985, wound up winning another Executive of the Year award with the Orioles.

I was told Kenny had supposedly told JR when his contract was up he was retiring that is correct. As far as if he actually has done that I have no idea, I don't think I've seen or heard anything from him since a day or so after he was fired.

Williams and Hahn to my knowledge haven't even been sniffed at by any other MLB team since they got fired. Neither will Grifol.

Exactly correct. You don't like opponents rubbing it in your face. Win more fucking games. By the way the franchise record is 13 straight losses August 9-26, 1924. Lost two to Washington at home, Lost four at Boston, three at New York, three at Washington and a game at Philadelphia.

If I don't that is news to me since they have always treated me very well and gone out of their way to help given the work that I've done for them especially from a historical standpoint. Ask your sources for example about the 12-CD set I put together with audio game highlights, radio spots, player interviews et al going back to 1953 from my library with specific scripts for each one. It took a few years working on and off but the Sox have very little of their history and I do. I felt it was important that they had copies of this material. I've done a lot for them and they have reciprocated in kind. Let's put it this way, the rare times I've been back to Chicago they have always joined me watching a game usually from up in the radio/TV area as well as taking me through the locker rooms, letting me down on the field during pregame and showing me the scoreboard opearations area.

You know though how highly JR still feels about TLR and his opinions and ultimately JR has final say on the managerial hire.

https://awfulannouncing.com/sinclair/diamond-sports-projects-budget-deficit-of-46-5-million-in-court-filing.html

I was in touch with a member of the front office yesterday and they had an interesting comment. They said that the injuries to Jimenez, Moncada and Robert forced the other guys on the team to have to do things they simply weren't capable of doing. I didn't want to press the situation or kick them when they are down since they are a friend but I wanted to tell them that the three injured guys were totally unreliable to begin with given the health history and the fact that Getz brought in players that were barely acceptable talent-wise at the MLB level was a recipe for disaster. In other words the Sox should have seen this coming (and I'm guessing they probably did but JR was OK with the situation)

I know of individuals, friends of mine from the organization that aren't happy with the state of the franchise but frankly they are in no position to really do anything about it. JR controls things and literally has input in every single area on the baseball side of things, both on-field and off the field. From what I've been told he's not thrilled at the way things have been going but that is mitigated by the fact that with all the domestic and international monetary opportunities both locally and from a league standpoint, he's making money and he still feels his operational philosophy is the "right" way to conduct business.

This from Paul Sullivan's column today, TLR will have a say in the next Sox manager: Manager Pedro Grifol might make it through the rest of the season in spite of the White Sox’s pitiful record because no one can fix this team. But Chairman Jerry Reinsdorf eventually will be forced to make a change, if only to persuade Sox fans to come back to the ballpark. Miami Marlins manager Skip Schumaker, who was mentored by former Sox manager and current adviser Tony La Russa, is someone to keep an eye on. Schumaker’s 2025 option was voided over the winter at his request, according to the Miami Herald, making him a free agent after this season. Schumaker took the Marlins to the postseason in 2023 and was named National League Manager of the Year. But they forced out general manager Kim Ng and didn’t add much in the offseason before starting off slow and dealing star infielder Luis Arráez to the San Diego Padres last month to start the inevitable sell-off. Like free-agent manager Craig Counsell last November, Schumaker will be highly coveted. And to paraphrase an infamous remark Reinsdorf uttered to sports writer Toni Ginnetti after the “White Flag Trade” of 1997, anyone who thinks La Russa won’t have a big say in choosing the next Sox manager is crazy.