Lip Man 1

Cub fan my ass LOL: https://chicago.suntimes.com/pope-leo-xiv/2025/06/19/pope-leo-white-sox-chant-vatican

Very true.

🤔 OK.....

Good...they can't lose tonight at least.

The stink goes back a lot longer than that. Since the start of 2007 they have had 12 losing years, five winning ones and a .500 season. That's among the worst in baseball over that extended time period.

A prudent position.

“That's part of the reason why he's in Triple-A, because we want him to play,” said White Sox manager Will Venable of Baldwin. “He's still a young player, and we just don't have that opportunity for him here. He's part of our vision for the future, and for him to get there and really develop, he needs to be in Triple-A playing."

But the question remains CAN the White Sox actually teach and develop? Halfway to 100 losses now.

Offense really has never been there...just like the defense, non-existent in the White Sox world.

At the time though (before the 92 season) that wasn't known. Here is what Jack told me: ML: I’m not trying to place blame here, but the Sox as good as they were, always seemed to be one piece short, whether it was another starter or another big bat to go with Thomas and Ventura. Do you think the organization did everything they could to get to a World Series? JMD: "That’s tough to say. I know that Mark McGwire wanted to come here. He called me three times in about a 10 day period after the 1991 season. He asked me about the other guys in the clubhouse, about the coaching staff and about the city of Chicago. I honestly felt we were going to get him. I called Robin (Ventura) to let him know what was going on and I remember he was excited. He told me “alright...we’re going to kick ass.” The Sox then asked Frank (Thomas) if he’d go to DH full time so that Mark could play first and he said no.” “One time I was talking with Jerry Reinsdorf and he told me the reason the Sox wouldn’t go out and sign any big name, big money free agents is because they were concerned about how I’d react to it. We had those contract issues all those years and they thought I’d get angry over it. I looked at him and said it wouldn’t bother me, especially if I was looking at my World Series ring! All I ever wanted to do was win, I didn’t care how much somebody else made."

Kite: It wasn't always that way since I've been following baseball but then I'm older than you. 😉 Obviously if it is a game for the fans, they aren't buying it, ratings are horrendous for it the past few years. In my perfect world all relevant stats would be fed into a computer who would rank the players at each position. Stats would be through June 30. The top two at each position, 1st, 2nd, SS, 3b, C and DH get selected. The top six outfielders go as well as the top five starting pitchers and the top five relief pitchers. That's 28 players for each league. I would agree with Billy Martin that the rule where every team needs to be represented is scrapped and the unwritten rule where every player has to play is also canned. If any players are legitimately hurt, as verified by an independent doctor, then the next ranked player at that position gets selected in their place. I'd also set aside a large sum of money that goes to the winning league as a bonus, something to make the game mean something again since the days when guys like Pete Rose and Tommy Lasorda wanted to kill the A.L. are long gone.

Agreed, that is very unusual for this organization.

Very true. Him not being willing to move to DH cost the Sox signing Mark McGuire according to Jack McDowell. Eventually he did of course when he started to have some injuries.

Just the fact that this was being considered in the first place are among the multiple reasons why the ASG has become a farce and that fans should no longer be allowed to vote for it (or at the very least if they are allowed they get one vote only for each fan...not as many as you want.)

Since 2007 that has become basically ingrained in the organization from top to bottom...and it all starts at the very top. "An owner who 'thinks he knows everything' led the White Sox to historic disaster" - The Athletic September 19, 2024

Long Sox Machine story on the role of biomechanics with the organization: Fans, some team employees, and even some media members can dream of a Justin Ishbia capital infusion radically changing the White Sox's financial capabilities at some later date and time. But in Sox baseball operations, they are quite plainly still talking about leveraging their small player development operation into making the South Side a place where careers can be kickstarted or resuscitated. And if they're certainly not going to offer the most robust biomechanical data in the league, they can strive to be the team with a five-star boutique operation that delivers it with a bespoke, artisan touch. https://soxmachine.com/2025/06/white-sox-leveraging-biomechanics-more-than-ever-and-trying-to-do-it-with-feel

More likely until after JR is gone.

I said that somewhat in jest but I've also learned over time and from what others have told me that you don't assume JR doesn't have a hand in everything. He may be ordering Getz who has spent this money to get something out of it. It's happened often in the past where the Sox have kept playing guys who completely lost it (Hello: John Danks for one example) and the only possible reason must have been because of the size of their contract before eventually having no choice but to cut them loose.

It's the White Sox way...'we'll play as many stiffs, has-been's and retreads as we can' (have to justify that wasted money you know! LOL) 😲

Not for the next few years anyway.

He certainly will, only it will NOT be on players. As Kenny Williams once said, "it is what it is..."

🙄

Once again the OFFICIAL release said that Ishbia would be investing in the team next year financially. How much clearer can that be to you? Is it going to acquire two "superstars"? Not on your life. But his money will be used to do other things. You are looking at probably a 95+ loss season in 2026 and a labor impasse wiping out at least a portion, possible a very good portion of the 2027 season. We'll see how things look in 2028.

This is from the Sun-Times morning newsletter: Ballpark Mass: Pope Leo XIV brought thousands together at Rate Field on Saturday for a Mass and to celebrate his papacy, marking a historic moment for the local Catholic community and a point of pride for the city. The event, hosted by the Archdiocese of Chicago, drew an estimated 30,000 people and included a livestreamed address from the pope. It was the pontiff’s first direct address to an American audience since being elected last month.

Sure...they'd be 20 games under .500 instead of 26 under. Big friggin' deal. And according to the media reports and the official press release Ishbia is going to be putting money into the team next year, but it won't be going towards payroll (probably by orders of JR). If it goes to things like hiring more scouts, developing minor league complexes or hiring analytic people that would be a worthy investment in my opinion. You need to face reality sir, until JR is gone or until the labor situation is settled or both, JR isn't going to spend much on payroll nor give a tinkers cuss about how many games they win or if the franchise is an embarrassment.