Lip Man 1

JR talking about Himes on the Chet Coppock show: “The fact is Larry Himes cannot get along with anybody. You can hardly find anybody in the Sox organization that wasn’t happy when Larry Himes left.”

You make a great point. For me personally unlike in 1981 and 1994 I won't be that upset if the season in 2027 is wiped out. The Sox still won't be worth a damn. I can always watch stuff out of my library if I need a baseball fix. If the owners are going to die on that hill of demanding a salary cap it's going to be a long wait until baseball returns.

His ego won't allow him to admit his way simply hasn't worked for a long time and he's laughing all the way to the bank anyway.

Right off the top of my head from interviews that I've done were Wilbur Wood and Ed Herrmann. Wood went so far as to say that in the late 60's the only games he really wanted to pitch in were games where he thought he could get a save. (He was a top relief pitcher at that point in his career.)

I asked former Sox broadcaster Milo Hamilton about him: ML: One of the oddities about that season took place in spring training on April 8 when two youngsters, Bruce Howard and Denny McLain had a ‘pitch-off’ to determine who would stay in the organization and get promoted to Double-A. Do you remember anything about that game or about McLain in general when he was with the White Sox. (Author’s Note: Howard would win the game 2-1 and get promoted to Lynchburg, Virginia. Because of baseball rules at the time concerning bonus babies, McLain had to be released. He was claimed by the Tigers a week later.) MH: “Well the pitch-off was only part of the reason the Sox let him go. He was a cocky kid. His high school used to get tickets to Sox games and I can still remember him sitting by the dugout yelling “I can beat those guys.” He was hard to handle and his attitude was something that Al Lopez (Author’s Note: White Sox manager) and the organization just wasn’t going to put up with. In spring training he ran up a 700 hundred dollar phone bill talking to his girlfriend and he refused to pay it.” “Howard was a clean cut kid. Never gave anyone any trouble. Unfortunately he didn’t turn out to be much of a pitcher and in that respect you have to give McLain his due, he turned into a great pitcher. I mean he won 30 games one season.”

https://www.chicagotribune.com/2025/07/15/mlb-lockout-salary-cap/

I've had a lot of former Sox players tell me how hard it is to be positive and even 'enjoy' coming to the park when you just know you are probably going to lose.

Given the number of stiffs, has-been's, injury prone guys and retreads totaling 63 players overall, you'd need a softball or maybe a basketball to fit all their names! 😆

In all seriousness that would be well worth reading.

Just received my advanced copy of Dan's book and I look forward to reading it. Was impressed in the acknowledgment page that Scott Reifert of the White Sox and Mark "Gonzo" Gonzales who covered the Sox for the Chicago Tribune that season participated and actively helped in the making of the book.

2029 is the first year JR has the option to sell to Ishbia. Basically he has said that unless something happens he intends to ruin this franchise for another four years.

https://chicago.suntimes.com/white-sox/2025/07/15/garrett-crochet-carlos-rodon-chris-sale-mlb-all-star-atlanta-chicago-white-sox

JR wasn't the driving force behind SportsVision, it was Eddie Einhorn. “If you want people to come, you can’t give the product away. That’s the way it’s been done everywhere else except Chicago for years. The best organizations, the ones that draw the most people at the gate, don’t go that way. They have limited TV.” --Eddie Einhorn to reporter Bob Logan from the book "Miracle on 35th Street."

The Jeff Torborg documentary trailer is now up on You Tube. The finished product is still a few weeks out as a number of additions are being made to it, comments from fans and people in baseball about Jeff. Here is the link to the trailer:

Lot of pitchers again 11 if I've counted right. Only one is left handed.

"We're one season closer to new ownership!!!" There you go! 😉

I hope your right and that they'll be competitive in 2027. I think the odds of that are slim and none myself but we will see. I'm sure you'll continue to defend the status quo though with the organization. I'm guessing that will never change. 😆

Bill Veeck was inducted into the Hall of Fame on July 22, 1991.

The players want nothing, Manfred and the owners of the Orioles and Yankees (LOL) have already gone public with the desire for a salary cap. The expectation is as Ken Rosenthal and others have reported that very soon after the 2026 season ends the owners will lock out the players and demand a cap be put in place. The MLBPA has already gone on record as saying that will never happen. They will never agree to a cap. You can draw your own conclusions.

I hate to break this to you but you can pretty much plan on it being a lost season.

https://chicago.suntimes.com/white-sox/2025/07/13/white-sox-ozzie-guillen-retired-number-13-2005-world-series-reunion-aj-pierzynski-paul-konerko

https://chicago.suntimes.com/white-sox/2025/07/13/white-sox-mlb-draft-first-round-billy-carlson-shortstop-chris-getz-rebuild-colson-montgomery

Correct...it was in the LCS.

😆😆😆😆😆 With the upcoming labor impasse you'll be lucky if JR doesn't order another team payroll reduction this off season. Getz will be allowed to sign a few more retreads, stiffs, injury prone, over the hill guys to fill out the roster. You'll get nothing and like it! 😉

Salary issues unless the Sox offer to pay some of it. Way to early to say anything about C. Montgomery. The reunion weekend was very well done and the way they honored Jenks was note worthy and sincere. Don't even watch the All-Popularity Game anymore, it has become a joke and a farce.