Lip Man 1

Kenny is going to retire. Supposedly he had already told JR that.

DVS story said Getz and Haber will be acting GM's until the end of the season. That Getz will be a candidate but did not mention Haber.

Garfien’s latest podcast dropped this evening. Garfien, McGuffy, Ozzie and Podsednik involved. Highlights of comments: McGuffy: Kenny being fired was a surprise. Knew there had to be changes. It needed to happen. Kudos to JR for making the decision. Ozzie: 500,000 Sox fans today love JR. Pods: Shocked this happened in August, move was made on behalf of the fans. They deserved better, they were promised multiple championships and parades and that never happened. More changes are coming. McGuffy: There was no clear leadership structure. You have to bring in the best players. Sox are at the top of the list on how to fail at a rebuild. Pods: What is the structure/ identity of this team? Garfien: There was massive dysfunction. Pods: Leaders are supposed to take risks. McGuffy: Kenny was never around when the Sox lost 7-8 in a row. He got in the way. Both had to be fired. One guy wanted Bryce Harper, the other wanted to sign him, his way. One guy wanted Manny Machado. The other guy wanted to sign him to a cheap ass contract. Development was bad, drafting was bad. It was a complete disgrace. Ozzie: You can’t hurry the G.M. hire. Need the right attitude, have to be careful. McGuffy: Grifol is now on an island. If they were going to name either Getz or Haber as the new G.M. why not do it tonight? Haber is a bad idea. (Ozzie didn’t know who he was.) Pods: Season is only a disaster if they don’t learn from it. McGuffy: What killed this was ego and who has the power. Ozzie: Kenny has a big ego. McGuffy: Never told this story before. Last year Sox had won five straight, they beat Houston and were closing in on Cleveland they were like 62-58. Kaplan called McGuffy and “Puffy chested” Kenny got on the phone why I don’t know. “I just want to let you know I’m still fucking around.” Why would he call me? When we talk about things it’s not personal. Everyone let this type of s%*# get in the way of things. Garfien: Dysfunction between Kenny and Rick resulted in the Burger trade. McGuffy: Kenny made that trade. How was that OK? Rick did not want to deal him. Pressure now is on the kid they got in the trade. Garfien: Organization looked on the back of baseball cards to try to build a team. (I took this as a shot at guys like Haber who seem to rely just on analytics) Maybe that’s how an MIT educated guy might try to do it but you need more than that, you have to have more than just talent, what’s inside of a guy? What’s inside Moncada? What does he have inside to try to win? Ozzie: JR spent money but they spent it on the wrong people. McGuffy: What would things be like if Renteria was still the manager? They played hard for him. Hiring Tony LaRussa kick started the tsunami. Pods: Fans want to see guys that will sacrifice their body to catch a baseball. Garfien: Suggested former G.M. Dan Duquette as the next Sox G.M. Ozzie: Suggested former Astros G.M. Jeff Luhnow as the next Sox G.M. McGuffy: Talked about Theo Epstein. Call him, make him tell you no! Give him an offer...make him say no. Ozzie: Sox don’t have enough money for Epstein. Ozzie: Grifol will be back next year, Getz knows him. If Getz is named G.M. he’ll be back. Garfien: I want former Major League ballers in this fucking system at all levels. Guys who have been through it, who knew what it was like to play and be in tough times. A rookie is struggling and goes to a coach for help. Sox coaches have no idea about this because they have never been there! McGuffy: This isn’t over, they need to fire some of these players now. Ozzie: Discussion turned to him as a possible manager. Said he likes his broadcasting job and would not sit for an interview. “How many years…how much money?” is all he’d want to know. All agreed more changes are coming to this organization.

Correct. My six sources for that story had a lot to say and a lot of it has proven to be right on the money.

Holcomb had little to do with that.

“People, his friends… have tried to tell him what has been going on, “Hawk” Harrelson, the late Ed Farmer… God rest his soul, Darrin Jackson, Scott Reifert (Author’s Note: Scott is the Senior Vice-President for Communications) , Bob Grim and others but it’s just not registering for some reason.”

Morrissey column tonight: https://chicago.suntimes.com/white-sox/2023/8/22/23842416/white-sox-chairman-jerry-reinsdorf-stunningly-caves-into-reason-fires-ken-williams-rick-hahn

Paul Sullivan's column tonight at the Chicago Tribune: https://www.chicagotribune.com/sports/white-sox/ct-chicago-white-sox-ken-williams-rick-hahn-20230823-7qzbmj6ncvfebcuom4qesaulsm-story.html It's a very good read.

From DVS's story tonight at the Sun-Times: "Assistant general manager Chris Getz, who oversees the Sox’ farm system, and assistant GM Jeremy Haber are assuming GM duties while Reinsdorf looks for a new top front office person. Getz will be a candidate for the GM post."

“Accountability around here is not a problem.”- Kenny Williams 4/25/23 For once Kenny was right! ?

For what it's worth just got this from my source who had dinner with JR and everyone last Wednesday. I mentioned that if either Haber or Getz were named the permanent G.M. nothing would really change. I am VERY encouraged by this comment: "Based I what I heard him (JR) say at dinner last week I would be shocked if either one (Haber or Getz) remains let alone get that job. My understanding is they are both part of the problem."

Farley was an original partner with JR but dropped out, replaced by Einhorn. Farley didn't approve of the fact the Sox went out, spent three million and signed Ron LeFlore and Jim Essian (even though that was with DeBartolo's money...)

It's possible they stay on for the remainder of the season, Levine doesn't make that distinction clear. Could be up to the new GM to decide their fate.

This is what I'm afraid of.

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.