Lip Man 1

Rollins or Garcia...really doesn't matter. They both suck. But you do have to wonder if at least some of Sox management has finally seen the light on Garcia as often as he's been benched this year. Mark

Had the chance to see him from a far when I was covering a Kentucky Derby one year and the other time was just very special. I'd like to pass that along. In 1980 he was fighting the "South American Champ" basically as an exhibition in Louisville so we drove over from Lexington to cover it. We were wearing our white satin "ABC Sports" jackets. Sorry I don't remember the name of the guy he fought. After the exhibition we headed over to the locker room just to see what was going on when Bundini Brown saw us and saw the jackets. When he saw "ABC Sports" on the back he thought it was "Howard Cosell's ABC Sports" out of New York and let us into Ali's dressing room! He didn't realize it was simply the ABC affiliate in Lexington, WTVQ. When we got inside we were able to get an interview with him. I was just shooting it but it was incredible something I'll never forget. Before the lights were turned on and the interview started he was very quiet just relaxing but as soon as the lights came on, he "became" Ali...loud, brash, talking about how he was going to come back and "shock the world again!" I badly wanted to get an autograph but it wasn't appropriate and never had the chance to get that close to him again. Still that was some night. RIP Champ. Mark

You know something I was thinking of. The Royals have been gutted by injuries and are still doing well. Cleveland has had two key players out for extended periods of time and are hanging in there. The Sox have had ONE real injury (Jackson) and Melky is gone for three days and they basically have NOTHING coming off the bench to plug in. I mean I could see that if it was 2013...but now? Three years later and the depth still isn't there? I guess this franchise was in even worse shape than I thought in 2013 if three years later they still can't find a bench. Guess everything went towards plugging the black holes among some of the starting spots. Mark

QUOTE (BigHurt3515 @ Jun 3, 2016 -> 08:39 PM) Just so people know, L. Garcia got taken out of the game early so he could be the one coming up L. Garcia...another "sterling" example of the "quality" in the Sox minor league system. Another stiff. Mark

QUOTE (flavum @ Jun 3, 2016 -> 08:38 PM) Don't give up yet. Let's see where they are on June 20. Baseball is a funny game but honestly I don't see much changing. They can't beat the teams in their division when they have guys lost to injury...how are they supposed to beat them when said guys start returning? Mark

Sox are now 3-10 against divisional opponents NOT named Minnesota. Unless that changes in a hurry, the Sox can start figuring on setting up tee times for their golf games in early October. They simply can't beat clubs in their division. Didn 't expect anything else tonight though to be fair... six 'starters' hitting under .250 with the 'heart of the order' three-four-five under that mark as well. No Jackson, no Melky...no bench worth a damn. As Kenny would say, "it is what it is..." And the 'four A' relief pitchers used at the end just sealed the deal, guess Robin knew what was going to happen and didn't want to waste his better guys. Maybe they'll play better Saturday. Mark

QUOTE (Greg Hibbard @ Jun 3, 2016 -> 02:37 PM) Also, why is it that when the Twins can go 4-2 against the Indians they are "playing much better of late", but when the Royals come back and win three straight come from behind victories against the Sox, it's the White Sox who suck? Maybe, just maybe it's because the Sox blew late leads in every game...AND half of the Royals starters were out with serious injuries. Maybee...LOL. Mark

Unfortunate timing to be sure. This is where having a good bench really helps...unfortunately the Sox have no such thing. Mark

It would be nice (and important) to start beating someone in the division not named Minnesota. Mark

If they can start beating divisional teams they'll have a good shot. If not...well we've seen that movie before. Mark

Flipping through the channels last night and saw an interesting piece on Jose. Apparently he saw the most fastballs Wednesday against the Mets than in any other game in his career. According to the story he was late on every single one. They showed in slo-motion and stopped the video to prove their point. Even his sac fly they said he was late. They can't explain why suddenly he's behind on fast balls and said he may have to start 'cheating' getting his swing begun earlier to get around on them. The problem with that they said was that pitchers then will start throwing him sliders and he'll be out in front. They said the Sox should be very concerned about this. Mark

QUOTE (Hatchetman @ Jun 2, 2016 -> 09:54 AM) So KW deserves the job for life? Because of what happened back in 2005? Apparently in the White Sox organization he does. Mark

QUOTE (Greg Hibbard @ Jun 1, 2016 -> 12:28 PM) They are on pace for sure, but I believe most would say their schedule has been weighted towards having the toughest stretch early, no? Schedule still isn't easy...June is a killer. They really don't see things ease up (if you can call that in the A.L.) until after the All Star break. Mark

I don't know what to make of this one today...you walk that many guys you should have your brains beat out...somehow the Sox didn't let it happen. Really happy for the bullpen though, they did what they needed to do to get the job done. Offense though is still "less than stellar..." Now on to Detroit, they have their top pitchers lined up...we'll see. One thing is clear, if the Sox don't start beating someone other than the Twins in their division, they aren't going anywhere in October. (Well maybe the golf course...) Mark

QUOTE (mmmmmbeeer @ May 31, 2016 -> 09:35 PM) Interesting. Thanks. I wonder who has had an eye out for owning an MLB team. Wonder if MJ would get involved? I don't think MJ would even be the slightest interested. I was told the guy who was, owned the Memphis Grizzlies and was from the area. Unfortunately he passed away last year (I think) so honestly I have no idea who would be interested. Mark

It would be unrealistic to expect the GM to openly rip the guy he personally extended a contract to. Mark

Maybe coming back like the did will turn things around. After all it was the blown game in Texas that started them into this mess in the first place. Nice to see them not give up against a very tough pitcher. Now we'll see if they can win the series Wednesday. Mark

QUOTE (mmmmmbeeer @ May 31, 2016 -> 02:12 PM) Atlanta also has made the move to the suburbs. They were located on the southside of ATL and not in a great area. While they did piss off a lot of fans from the southern burbs, the map they had of tv viewers, season ticket holders, etc., was heavily weighted toward the northern suburbs, which is where they'll be playing next season. I think the Sox can definitely survive in Chicagoland long-term. Has Reinsdorf ever made any mention of what he wants to happen to the Sox when he passes? On more than one occasion and as 'recently' as May 2004 he told Bob Sirott on Chicago Tonight that when he's gone he's advised to family to sell the team. He's also said that his family has no interest in retaining the franchise when he's gone. That also he said publicly. I've been told by two sources, one of who worked for the Sox, that his wife has been asking him to sell and get out for years but so far he's refused to do so. Mark

Turf toe is a very tricky thing. Larry Czonka had to retire because of it in football because it wouldn't go away. Hurts the Sox defensively to be sure. Mark

Saw an interesting stat today on the MLB Network about Shields. He is getting the fewest run support for any pitcher in baseball. S.D. is averaging 1.9 runs per start for him. Hey Q will have some company if the Sox get him! LOL. Just what the Sox need another 'hard-luck' guy. Mark

QUOTE (southsider2k5 @ May 31, 2016 -> 11:17 AM) The Dodgers and Yankees are having trouble getting the cable companies to pay the carrying fees associated with their networks. With Comcast being the company they are leaving, I can't see things being nearly as easy for the Cubs as you think. In fact, for someone who follows history as much as you do, the parallels to White Sox leaving for SportsVision are pretty impressive. The Cubs are going to leave an existing network which is carried on every single cable and satellite company for one that doesn't yet exist, and will need to fight to get those networks to pay extra for them. Seeing how hard that has been for Houston, LA, and even the Yankees, I don't see your level of optimism. Simply because over the past 30 years the town has turned completely on to the Cubs. Those fans (some call them lemmings) will pay any amount of money to watch "their Cubbies..." And if they happen to get to or win a World Series in the next few years, cable companies will be breaking down their doors to put them on. The Cubs aren't totally stupid they took the gamble on Heyward for a reason Kenney came right out and said why. Time will tell of course, but I'm willing to put up a few dollars that when all is said and done my scenario will be closer to reality. SportsVision was a huge gamble, the idea was brilliant but ahead of its time. History has shown that since RSN's dominate the market now, the Cubs aren't dealing with the same landscape from many areas and standpoints. Mark

QUOTE (Thad Bosley @ May 31, 2016 -> 10:39 AM) The Cubs were a dormant, slumbering giant of a franchise for a very long time, fully capable of realizing the potential of which you speak but had not. And for over three decades the current ownership group had a chance to get out in front of this and take steps to cement and maximize the Sox' place in the market, but did not. The level of relevancy that Jerry Reinsdorf's White Sox have in the market both locally and nationally today is the same as it was when he took over the team in late 1980. And it is this level of relevancy that Eddie Einhorn mocked on the first day of the current regime's ownership when he started spouting off about turning the Sox into a "first class organization". How has that turned out, now nearly 36 years later? It's pretty obvious. As a wise man once said, "Actions speak louder than words". Just FYI, Mike Veeck's take on that comment. From my interview with him: ML: That group made the first in a long line of faux paux's when Eddie Einhorn made a statement the day they bought the club along the lines of ‘we’re going to start running a first class operation.’ Many Sox fans and reportedly your dad were shocked and insulted by that comment. Making it worse was that your dad was right there when it was said. How did your dad and the Veeck family feel about that comment? MV: “We have never equated money with class. Just because we didn’t wear two hundred dollar shirts and three thousand dollar suits didn’t mean we didn’t have manners or didn’t respect other people. The one thing that my family has always done first and foremost was respect the fans of baseball and the game of baseball.” ML: I have heard that supposedly, Eddie Einhorn over the years privately apologized to your dad and tried to mend fences with him to no avail. Is that true? MV: “No Eddie Einhorn never apologized for that remark, Jerry Reinsdorf did, and there is a difference between those two men.” ML: Mike you’ve followed the Sox in various forms and capacities for forty years. You were here when the Sox owned Chicago, won on the field seemingly every season, and got the lion’s share of the media coverage. Today it’s completely opposite. The Sox have been ignored starting around the mid 80's. How did this happen, what in your opinion has gone wrong with the marketing / PR / on field approach that this ownership group has taken? MV: “When you veer from your history you take chances. We were proud of the ‘blue collar / working class’ nature of our fans. Our fans worked for a living, that’s why we played night games. Being a Sox fan isn’t for the faint. We were the team of “Jungle” Jim Rivera, Earl Torgeson and Early Wynn. Day baseball is for the Cubs. The club has gone away from their history.” “Old Comiskey Park was destroyed and it didn’t need to be, it could have been fixed for a modest amount of money... that hurt many fans. When the Sox announced the formation of ‘Golden Box Seats,’ I had to laugh...’Golden Box Seats’... just exactly what is that outside of a way to raise ticket prices? Eddie Einhorn said that the Sox would never have rock and roll concerts at Comiskey Park like we did, like it was distasteful. Three years later Michael Jackson played at Comiskey Park..” “The Sox owned every underdog in Chicago. The Sox were much more comfortable to them. If I had a part of this club I’d have so much fun at the Cubs’ expense. I would not be ‘politically correct.’ Chicagoans expect that, they embrace honesty. ‘Disco Demolition’ was ridiculed, but it got the Sox into Rolling Stone magazine.” Mark

QUOTE (SpankyEaton @ May 31, 2016 -> 06:40 AM) How so? I'm not familiar with TV deals outside of the fact that they create revenue. Considering Seattle, Arizona and St. Louis recently got deals in excess of multiple Billion dollars, should the Cubs continue to do well on the field they will probably get the most amount of money in history for a TV deal. Crain Kenney already told the media this off season of their plans and because of the expected windfall they took the gamble and signed Heyward to that mega contract. Meaning they know what's coming. They'll be able to basically sign everyone and anyone they wish because of the TV money they'll be getting. Plus advertising and marketing companies will be falling all over themselves and willing to pay just about anything to advertise with them. In short, they'll have more money than God and suck up a lot of the potential advertising / marketing / PR deals for themselves. There won't be much left for the Sox. Plus if the Sox continue to embarrass themselves and make themselves irrelevant in their own market when their TV deal expires (unfortunately for them at the same time as the Cubs basically) they won't even sniff what teams like Seattle and Arizona got...it simply will not be there. Not a good situation at all. Mark

QUOTE (greg775 @ May 30, 2016 -> 10:32 PM) You think that because you are the best fan in Sox history. I used to be like you, but I can't take it anymore. Maybe, but it made more sense not to bunt cause of the fact the team can't hit in the clutch and everybody knows it. Giving up one out just to move the runners is kind of insane. Gary Peters forever! Is Pete Ward living? What does he do for a living? Amazing how those guys that played in that era had to get careers after baseball cause they didn't make enough $$$. I am assuming they get a nice pension now though. Pete is alive and well and living in a suburb of Portland. Visit him every year when Idaho State plays there. Have been to his house and seen the memorabilia he has of his career including his Sox jersey. Very nice guy. Owned a travel agency for almost 40 years before selling it and retiring. Mark

Out of all the columns today the paragraph that got my attention was in David Haugh's piece where basically he said that Ventura should be fired and explains why but then concludes by saying the issue is that with Jerry Reinsdorf he rarely sees the obvious: Here is the paragraph though that pretty well expresses my feelings: "The Sox have no identity under Ventura. He has proved nothing as a manager in four-plus seasons, beyond the fact he's likable. He has done nothing to instill confidence that things will improve quickly. If Ventura stays, this looks like more than a "rough patch,'' as Sale called it. Barring something dramatic, this feels like the beginning of the end." Well said. Mark