Lip Man 1

Thank you Lord. Of course if Getz is named GM nothing will really change and even if JR goes outside of the organization (which he absolutely needs to) unless he allows them free reign, gives them a good budget to work with and let's them overhaul areas like medical, player development and drafting it won't matter much.

Supposedly he's already told JR when his contract is up (don't know if it is this year or next) he is done.

https://soxmachine.com/2023/08/white-sox-begin-laying-tracks-toward-relocation-inside-or-outside-chicago/

It is in his contract that JR has the ultimate say (basically 51% of the vote) on any sale or anything that results from it. The other investors have zero say in the matter.

And don't forget in addition to the capital gains tax there's a little thing called the Illinois state tax!

Just heard this from a source who had dinner with JR last Wednesday. I asked him what he thought about things and what he thinks may happen. Based on what the reply was if Kenny is helping JR in the interviews he isn't going anywhere: "When at dinner with Jerry and our group last week, he hinted at conducting interviews internally. Sounded like he will conduct the interviews along with Kenny. I could be wrong, but that's my gut. Haber and Getz both need to go. Look at the records of our farm teams. None are doing well. Our development guys don't know how to evaluate or develop talent. Going to be interesting, but a big shakeup is needed. Haber is disliked by many and Getz like Rick has not proved himself. Our ML system was ranked like 29th before acquiring some decent prospects with the trades at the deadline and it still only moved us up to 20th."

My "source" was a member of the front office in a high ranking position. They told me in all the meetings they attended that subject never came up after I asked about it because I was curious. I'm guessing the situation has drastically changed since then given the state of the organization and the total dysfunction. I trust implicitly this individual whom I've known for years and who has been associated with the franchise in a high ranking position for decades.

August 22, 1923 - In a game at Comiskey Park, Sox pitcher Hollis “Sloppy” Thurston struck out the side on only nine pitches versus the Philadelphia Athletics. It came in the 12th inning. He retired the A’s Frank “Beauty” McGowan, Clarence “Chick” Galloway and Sam Hale. Thurston however, who came on in relief starting in the 11th inning, got the loss in the game, 3-2 which went 13 innings. Striking out three hitters on only nine pitches is called an “Immaculate Inning.” August 22, 1968 - In Detroit, White Sox pitcher Tommy John was attacked by the Tigers Dick McAuliffe. McAuliffe, who made the final out in Joe Horlen’s no-hitter in 1967, walked in the third inning then attacked John while going down the baseline. John knocked him down with an inside pitch for ball four just moments before. As the benches cleared McAuliffe and John wrestled on the mound, during it McAuliffe’s knee struck John’s shoulder damaging it so badly that he went on the disabled list and was lost for the year. He was 10-5 with an ERA of 1.98 at the time he was hurt. McAuliffe was suspended for only five games. August 22, 1980 - Sox owner Bill Veeck agreed to sell the team to Edward DeBartolo Sr., a multi-millionaire who invented the modern-day shopping mall in Ohio. DeBartolo though was voted down by the other league owners due to speculation about his possible association with mobsters and his acknowledged horse racing interests. The way was then opened for Jerry Reinsdorf and Eddie Einhorn to purchase the team. Einhorn was part of a group originally trying to buy the San Diego Padres and Reinsdorf was part of a group attempting to own the New York Mets. DeBartolo meanwhile eventually bought the San Francisco 49’ers, let his son run the franchise and promptly won multiple Super Bowls. August 22, 2020 – It seemed like every day during the pandemic influenced season something record setting was happening for the White Sox. On this date against the Cubs at Wrigley Field, Jose Abreu wrote his name in the record books by homering in three straight at-bats, driving in four runs in the 7-4 win. On the night he went 4 for 4 with three runs scored. Abreu had already homered twice in the Friday night win and added a solo shot on Sunday afternoon giving him six round trippers in the three-game set, the first time a Sox player had ever done that. And his home run Sunday came in his first at-bat giving him four in a row over those two days. He became the 15th player in team history to homer three times or more in a single game. August 22, 2023 – After a failed rebuild that saw the team win only two playoff games total in two appearances and with attendance and fan interest falling off a cliff. Owner Jerry Reinsdorf fired Executive Vice President Ken Williams and G.M. Rick Hahn. Reinsdorf who was very loath to make serious changes and was loyal to a fault, appeared to have no choice as the team, which was expected to contend for multiple championship became one of the worst clubs in baseball. Williams was in his 11th season as Executive Vice President with the Sox after serving as the club’s General Manager for 12 seasons. The Sox won the 2005 World Series under his guidance as G.M. Hahn served as the General Manager for the past 11 seasons, leading the Sox to consecutive postseason appearances in 2020 as a wild card and 2021 as A.L. Central champions but those were the only two winning seasons the franchise had under his guidance.

Heard back from a source who actually had dinner with JR last Wednesday along with people in the front office. JR likes to have everyone get together 2 or 3 times a year I was told. The stadium issue never came up during the dinner...all that was discussed were the internal interviews JR is doing. Am trying to find out what was said along those lines. And this from The Athletic today perfectly sums up this organization: "You can say a lot about the White Sox — they’re chronically mismanaged, consistently tone-deaf, frustratingly run, mostly oblivious to reality — but don’t ever say they lack devastating comedic timing. Hours after a story broke about the organization grasping for leverage for a new stadium, the actual team immediately fell behind by five runs in the top of the first inning en route to a 14-2 loss to the Seattle Mariners."

As I wrote in my State of the Sox story from November things along the lines of infighting and back stabbing from front office employees vying for the title of "president," his wife passing away last year, his close friend (almost like a son) Kenny Williams going to retire soon and possibly health issues. Like I wrote if he's willing to take a 200 million dollar (estimated) tax hit just from capital gains to say nothing of the Illinois state tax, something must really be wrong...because he's not losing money.

Given the fact that JR does not own the stadium or the land that it is on, I'd be stunned if they got 3 billion when the perception (even according to Forbes) is that the club is "only" worth 2 billion. A bidding war is always possible although they'd have a better chance of that happening if they weren't so dismal since the start of the 2007 season.

Interesting postgame quote from Grifol to Merkin after tonight's farce: “You're gonna have to go in there and ask them,” said Grifol on why the hitters did not adjust. “It's a good fastball, don't get me wrong. It moves and he commands it and he's good at what he does. But that's a better question for them.”

Buehrle/Wood brings up a very good point when talking about the TV market size. I agree with him Nashville isn't a threat, it, like Tampa, is going to be used by a bargaining tool by JR (if he is still around)

55 runs allowed in the last four games, that may be some sort of team record.

"The possibility of moving is serious enough, according to Crain’s, that a Chicago developer is preparing a bid." https://chicago.suntimes.com/white-sox/2023/8/21/23840794/white-sox-considering-move-from-guaranteed-rate-field-report

https://www.mlb.com/whitesox/news/white-sox-exploring-new-stadium-options

https://www.bleachernation.com/cubs/2023/08/21/report-white-sox-may-be-pondering-a-move-out-of-chicago/ A good look at the situation and his bet is they aren't going anywhere out of Chicago but may be trying to get a new stadium or more likely this is to try to entice buyers. If JR does really want to sell and take that massive tax hit, things must be worse than we are being led to believe.

Folks: Relax...this is all a moot point (or a moo point, the point of view of a cow as Joey said on "Friends...")\ JR won't be around in six years.

Given JR's age change could be coming tomorrow or next week...you never know.

I have the radio broadcast of that 9th inning and Harry Caray said Bahnsen just stood on the mound with his hands on his hips and then Ed Herrmann came out to talk to him. From my interview with Stan: ML: Then on August 21, 1973 at Cleveland you came within a few feet of a no-hitter. I have the audio of the last of the 9th inning and I’d like to know what goes through a pitchers mind when he in the process of doing this, then what were you feeling when you lost out on it. (Author’s Note: The Sox won the game 4-0 but Bahnsen lost the no-hitter when with two out, ex-White Sox outfielder Walt Williams rolled a ground ball just to the left of Bill Melton on a 2-1 count.) SB: “Well I knew what was happening, that they hadn’t gotten any hits off me. That night I was warming up in the bullpen and just wasn’t feeling good, my stuff wasn’t working and I remember thinking ‘oh, no…’ because Cleveland had knocked me out the week before in Chicago. But when the game started it was one of those nights where if I’d miss on a pitch, they’d pop it up or hit it right at somebody.” “In the 9th inning, I knew that Bill (Melton) wanted to play in on the grass in case Walt Williams was going to try to bunt for a hit. I threw a breaking ball and he got on top of it and I thought I had it. He hit a two bouncer that I was sure Bill was going to get to but with him playing in, it got past him. I really wanted it, and naturally I was disappointed when it didn’t happen.” “A few years ago I saw Walt at a BAT convention and he told me something I didn’t know, that when he got to his car after the game, the fans had trashed it! They dumped garbage on it and everything. I guess they wanted to see me get the no-hitter too.”

I'd love to be a fly on the wall and listen to the "interview" between JR and Hahn. Considering McGuffy continues to say that Hahn wasn't allowed to finish the rebuild job, that he wanted to sign a few guys to nine figure deals...I mean what/how is he supposed to tell his boss (assuming what McGuffy says is true) 'YOU were the one who screwed this rebuild up!' ?

August 21, 1926 - Ted Lyons fired a no-hitter in beating Boston 6-0 at Fenway Park. The Red Sox would only get two baserunners in the game, one came on a walk and the other on an error by shortstop Bill Hunnefield who fumbled a ground ball and then threw high to first base. Lyons, a future Hall of Famer, would win 260 games in a 21-year career, all with the Sox. His number #16 would be retired by the club in 1987. August 21, 1959 – It was Nellie Fox night at Comiskey Park. In the midst of a pennant race the Sox honored their second baseman and future Hall of Famer. Fox was given a new boat, shotgun and other presents and teared up when he spoke to the home crowd. He’d go on to become the American League’s M.V.P. that season hitting .306 with 70 RBI’s. On this night he went 0-3 with a run scored in the 5-4 win over Washington before almost 38-thousand fans. August 21, 1973 - Sox pitcher Stan Bahnsen took a no-hitter into the ninth inning against Cleveland. After getting the first two outs, former Sox outfielder Walt Williams got a ground single to left past third baseman Bill Melton. Melton inexplicably, was playing in, anticipating a possible bunt from Williams who later said under no circumstances would he try to break up a no-hitter by bunting late in the game. Stan then got the final out finishing with a one-hitter, striking out four, in the 4-0 win. August 21, 2005 - The Sox tied the club record by hitting four home runs in a single inning. It happened off the Yankees Randy Johnson in a 6-2 win at U.S. Cellular Field. The four who went deep were Tadahito Iguchi, Aaron Rowand, Paul Konerko and Chris Widger. The home runs came in the fourth inning. Iguchi, Rowand and Konerko went back-to-back-to-back.

Actually then Mayor Harold Washington insisted that the only place he'd agree to as far as city money and help for the project would be right next to the original Comiskey Park. He also had members on the stadium board that would do as he demanded regarding any votes in the matter. Dr. Fletcher's next book on the 1990 team and the new stadium comes out next year, I'm a contributor to it and have already seen the historical research that Dr. Fletcher and John Owens have done regarding the stadium and Washington's insistence on where the stadium was to be built is clear.

Didn't see this posted, this is the second time this season the kid is going to miss time with an arm-type issue: "The Sox put left-hander Noah Schultz, their first-round draft choice in 2022, on the injured list with a shoulder impingement after he was scratched from his start Sunday at Class A Kannapolis. Schultz has a 1.33 ERA with 38 strikeouts and six walks in 27 innings."

That was always Jay Mariott's contention. And in fact the owners removed JR from the committee that advised the commissioner on labor issues over it.