Lip Man 1

JR not being "the worst" owner instead being "one of" the worst owners is little consolation don't you think? The on-field record since the start of the 2007 season is one of the worst in MLB and it's clear for whatever reason JR doesn't seem to mind that fact.

The season itself hasn't been frustrating. It's been an unexpected joy a la 1977 and 1990. But it is frustrating to me anyway, that the Sox had kill shot chances three times and weren't able to close the door. They need to do what the Cubs have been able to do, put together a long win streak and start to put some distance on Cleveland. Maybe they can start that this weekend, we'll see.

The money stays deposited in the White Sox bank drawing interest and ticket holders are told they can automatically have tickets for the 2028 season.

They very well could...assuming JR lets Getz get the pitching they badly need.

That's a good question, I don't know about that one.

MLB-TV a few days ago was speculating he could go to the Yankees. (Why are we not surprised?)

I think a lot will depend on what happens the next four games in Cleveland. If the Sox do well they can afford to give him more time. If they crap the bed, I'm guessing his status will at least be discussed by the front office.

Ron needs to go to New York and ask if Yankee fans root for the Mets? Or go to the Los Angeles area and ask if Dodger fans root for the Angels. Please. You pick a side, Period. Full stop. End of story. And here's an example of how the Cub organization feels about the White Sox. For years, decades, the scoreboard at Wrigley when listing American League games would have White Sox on it versus whomever they were playing. Now and this has been the case I think since the Tribune Company bought the team, although I can't say that for sure, they list the Sox as "Chicago" versus whomever they are playing on the scoreboard. And we're supposed to root for them? 😆

You have to take all those with a grain of salt though. It all depends on what a team is willing to pay for his services.

I've never seen a season like the Cubs are having. A pair of 10 game win streaks, then lose 18 of 24, now about to win 11 of 13. With everybody and his brother on the injured list. How the hell are they doing it????????????????????????????

Sorry, that's not happening at least with this individual. Screw them all.

Well the fact that they are in a race where every game could matter even more significantly over time...they may want to rethink that philosophy. Third straight series they had a chance for the sweep and could not close it out. Very frustrating.

SEVEN factoids today: July 1, 1905 - Sox pitcher Frank Owen won both games of a double header at St. Louis. The scores were 3-2 and 2-0. In both games he went the distance and only allowed the Browns seven total hits for the afternoon. He is one of only 47 pitchers in baseball history to accomplish this feat, (i.e. two complete game wins in a single day) which generally happened in the early part of the 20th century. July 1, 1910 - The Sox opened the original Comiskey Park and lost 2-0 to the St. Louis Browns. Within three days of the first game, three Sox players were sidelined with injuries thus beginning, in the minds of some, a “Curse of the Comiskey’s” or “White Sox Curse.” Sox owner Charles Comiskey felt he had cursed his club because he broke a traditional Irish belief of 'never on Friday' which was the day of the week the stadium opened. Infielder Lena Blackburne stroked the first two Sox hits in their new stadium; both were singles off of Barney Pelty. July 1, 1920 - Future Hall of Fame catcher Ray “Cracker” Schalk was honored with his own day. The ceremony took place before a double header with the St. Louis Browns. The Sox split the two games winning the opener 3-2 in 11 innings, losing the second 4-1. Schalk officially went 1 for 4 in the twin bill with an RBI. July 1, 1962 - The Sox set the A.L. record for sacrifice flies in an inning as they got three in the fifth inning as part of a 7-6 win over the Indians at Comiskey Park. It was the second game of a double header with the Sox winning both contests. Juan Pizarro, Nellie Fox and Al Smith did the honors. The Sox were able to accomplish this feat because Indian’s outfielder Gene Green committed errors on two of the fly balls. They took the first game 5-4. July 1, 1990 - On the 80th anniversary of the opening of Comiskey Park, the Yankees Andy Hawkins threw a no-hitter. Except for one small problem....he LOST the game 4-0! The Sox got all their runs thanks to back-to-back fly ball errors courtesy of Jim Leyritz and Jesse Barfield in the eighth inning. Leyritz’s error was the back breaker as it came on a fly ball off the bat of Robin Ventura with the bases loaded with two out enabling three runs to come home. The Sox Greg Hibbard matched Hawkins pitch for pitch in the early going as he also had a no-hitter through the first five and a third innings. July 1, 1991 – Thanks to a Carlton Fisk home run in the 10th inning the Sox beat Minnesota at the Metrodome 5-4. It was the franchises 7,000th win. Bobby Thigpen, the fifth Sox pitcher of the game picked up the win. July 1, 2006 – Just six weeks after Cub catcher Michael Barrett sucker punched him at home plate in a White Sox dominant win, A.J. Pierzynski struck again. With the White Sox trailing, 6-5, with two runners on and down to their last out, Pierzynski clubbed a home run onto Sheffield Avenue to put the White Sox up, 8-6. It came off of Ryan Dempster. Bobby Jenks closed it out with a 1-2-3 ninth for his 25th save. Immediately after the home run Cub fans in the outfield bleachers delayed the game by tossing garbage onto the field which caused numerous members of the grounds crew to have to come out and clean the warning track area up.

When the bottom two hitters in your lineup drive in six runs, you're having a good night!

Four factoids today: June 30, 1978 – Former Sox outfielder Larry Doby was named manager replacing Bob Lemon. Doby became the second minority manager in Major League history after Frank Robinson. His tenure would be short. He was fired at the end of the season, replaced with Don Kessinger. The Sox record under him was 37-50. June 30, 1988 - After years of saying that the original Comiskey Park was outdated, Sox owners Jerry Reinsdorf and Eddie Einhorn came very close to moving the team to the Tampa Bay/St. Petersburg, Florida area. At the stroke of midnight, the Illinois General Assembly passed a bill allowing the construction of a new stadium, thus saving the Sox. Technically it was past midnight but Illinois Governor Jim Thompson actually stopped the clock in the meeting room since no bills could be passed after that time period and when the final vote was taken it was past the witching hour. But it was a close call. Minutes before House and Senate members walked into their chambers late that Thursday, leaders from both parties predicted that the 150-million-dollar Sox stadium bill would fail, leaving the Sox no choice but to leave the South Side for St. Petersburg, Florida. House Republicans left their caucuses, saying they had only five votes for the package. Their Democratic counterparts said only 50 votes could be mustered. And Senate Democrats said they had only 10 votes in favor of the deal. But a few minutes before midnight, Senate Democrats ratified the measure by gathering 30 votes. The House then passed the measure by a 60-55 vote. Meanwhile Florida baseball fans were stunned as they realized they had been used as a pawn to get a new facility by the power brokers and politicians of Chicago. The new stadium built with taxpayer money would open its doors on April 18, 1991. June 30, 2008 - White Sox outfielder Nick Swisher became only the second player in franchise history to homer from both sides of the plate, twice in the same season, when he hit two in a 9-7 win over Cleveland. Swisher did it the first time a few weeks earlier in a game against the Twins. Only Jose Valentin had ever done that before and he did it three times between 2000 and 2003. One of Swisher’s home runs was a grand slam as he drove in five runs on the night. June 30, 2015 – When Chris Sale struck out the Cardinals Jhonny Peralta in the sixth inning of a game the Sox would eventually win 2-1 in 11 innings at St. Louis; it marked the eighth consecutive start that he fanned 10 or more hitters. That tied Sale with Pedro Martinez for the longest streak in baseball history. The stretch for Sale started on May 23 against the Twins and he fanned 97 batters. Even though Sale was overpowering, the White Sox offense was so weak that his record in those eight starts was three wins, three losses and two no-decisions.

Maybe...and he may also be thinking 'I want to continue to leave as much money possible for my family because I am 90 and won't be around forever...' I hope your version is right but again this is JR so who knows?

First win against the Orioles in a long time. Great way to start an important road trip.

A rarity for today, just one factoid: June 29, 1995 – With a 22-hit barrage, the White Sox ran their winning streak to seven games in a 17-13 slugfest at County Stadium over the Brewers. Robin Ventura led the way, going 5 for 6 by starting with four singles, then adding a solo shot in the top of the ninth for Chicago’s 17th run. The third baseman scored four times and drove in three. Things got heated in the middle of the game; remember, the Phil Garner Brewers and Terry Bevington White Sox detested one another. After Ray Durham hit a three-run homer in the top of the sixth to put the White Sox up, 13-6, Bill Wegman drilled Ron Karkovice in the ribs with a 3-0 pitch. Wegman was ejected immediately, and Garner got the boot for whining about it, as the benches emptied. But it only got weirder from there. In the bottom of the ninth, up 17-10, Bevington inserted absolutely wild (two walks per inning) Rob Dibble into the game in garbage time. Dibble whistled his first pitch right under pinch-hitter Pat Listach’s chin, igniting an all-out brawl and the ejections of both Dibble and Listach.

It seems like since the Yankee series the Sox have been getting hurt by a lot of bloop hits. Pitchers making good pitches but the hitters are just getting enough of a piece to put the ball in play and they are falling in.

Fair enough. Then the fact that they have struggled on the road having lost 13 of their last 18 games comes into the equation. Let's hope they turn that around this week. This stretch of seven games is important.

Because money spent this year coupled with who knows how much lost revenue next year is an issue, possibly for JR. And when he set the payroll number for this year over last winter, it was rumored that a lockout was a possibility, now it's almost a certainty, That could, notice I said could, change his thinking. Remember with JR the three rules are: money, money and money. I hope the Sox do something but my guess is, it won't be a game changer.

Rentals mean additional salary for this year and with the lockout coming JR may say "no, period" to any salary increases for this season because of the ramifications the lockout will have on next year and his operating income. I'd hope he'd allow something if the Sox are still in it but this is JR remember.

The official Sox website has no update on him since May 24. They posted that Bush had a setback updated on May 24. Berroa hasn't had any updates since May 17 with his new injury. Frankly I'm not counting on any of those guys for this season.

Yes, next week is going to be big. Remember last year they didn't win a single game all season either in Baltimore or Cleveland. Winning at least three on the road trip would be fine by me. The question is can they do that?

We'll find out soon enough. The wild card of course is the labor situation and probable loss of significant income next year, if there is one.