Lip Man 1

Correct. That's why he had the clause in his deal about being one of the "top three" paid players in the game and why MLB removed him from the committee that advises the commissioner on all labor matters. They were really pissed. “The owner who’s railed the loudest and longest about curbing player salaries had just broken the bank. Randy Levine rushes into the hall where he sees Rob Manfred, who’s just heard the same news. “What the f***?” says Levine, and both men rush back to Levine’s office to call “Bud” Selig.” “Bud” have you heard the news? Levine asks. Selig has not. Levine fills him in, and there is silence on the other end of the line. “Thank You,” Selig says. “Selig is soon on a conference call with the game’s owners and one thing quickly becomes clear: Reinsdorf’s stunning decision has broken any remaining resistance to the deal they’d just rejected. Another vote will be held in six days. But first, Selig wants to talk to Reinsdorf, who has spent the day telling reporters that he’s just trying to win. “It doesn’t mean I like the system,” he tells every reporter who reaches him. And that’s what he tells Selig when the two speak later that day. “But Jerry, all you’ve done is preach about getting spending under control,” says Selig, who knows there is little reason to discuss this much further. What’s done is done, and Reinsdorf has done what every owner in baseball has ever done, whatever’s best for his team. Reinsdorf has one request for Selig. “Please don’t work the owners,” he asks. “Let’s go to Chicago and have an honest discussion.” But it’s not long after Reinsdorf walks into the O’Hare Hilton Ballroom on November 26 that he realizes Selig has the votes he needs to approve the deal. “I can’t believe he fucked me,” Reinsdorf mutters and he’s still muttering when the roll call reaches him. “No” he says, but only Cleveland, Kansas City and Oakland join him and the new labor deal is approved 26-4.” – From the book ‘The Game’ by Jon Pessah. Pg. 199-200. Published 2015.

Westy: I was talking about the franchise in general terms. I wasn't specifically referring to the outfield (which for years has been brutal. Hell before Robert the Sox couldn't find a good center fielder or right fielder to save their souls). For years you hear the same BS in spring training, "We're working on fundamentals. Spending a lot of time on them." Then the regular season starts and it's missed cut off's, botched run-down's, inability to advance runners or score runners from third with less than two outs, awful stupid base running and guys who can't hit their weight." Ergo my comment about finding guys who can catch the ball AND hit. But please carry on.

They will be when Ishbia takes control. Until then JR says, "You'll get nothing and like it!"

Congratulations to the Chicago Bears...a statement win and it guarantees their first winning season since 2018. That's more progress than I could have hoped for this season.

It's unfortunate the White Sox can't see to find players who can actually catch the ball AND hit. It's funny, other teams seem to be able to do so.

Very true. It's all in the eye of the beholder. If Cease performs up to his norm, Toronto makes the playoffs a few times during his deal, and (I assume) they'll reap the benefits vis a vis attendance, marketing and advertising money it won't be a bad deal at all.

“A lot of people say athletes don't deserve to get the money they get, but the one law of economics that has never been repealed is the law of supply and demand. There is a very small supply of athletes who have the ability to play at the major league level in any sport--and the demand is great enough that they command these salaries because that's the law of economics." – Jerry Reinsdorf to the Chicago Sun - Times’ Terry Savage. July 30, 2000.

Sox will claim they were sitting at a table just to appear to be in the room. That's their way of doing business.

This is why he got the money he got, from MLB.com. Not bad for a supposedly "mediocre" pitcher eh? The numbers don't lie: 1,106: Cease’s strikeout total since the start of 2021, the highest in the Major Leagues. Only Cease, Zack Wheeler (1,041) and Gausman (1,020) have more than 1,000 strikeouts over the past five seasons, a testament to their consistency and bat-missing stuff. Cease certainly has both of those attributes, making at least 32 starts in all five seasons and striking out between 214 and 227 batters in each of those years. In a high-velocity era where pitchers’ arm injuries have become commonplace, Cease’s durability -- coupled with his swing-and-miss stuff -- is highly valuable. Of course, Cease’s past stability is no guarantee of his future health, but his consistency is a large part of his $210 million price tag. And the K’s sure don’t hurt, either.

The MLBPA will never agree to a cap under any circumstances, period. End of story.

What I find funny about this was that killing time tonight looking through You Tube and i saw where Kaplan had a podcast up on it. I'd never give that idiot a moment of my time but the caption was that he said they signed Maton and that Cease could be next. 😆

Sox Machine takes a look at them: https://soxmachine.com/2025/11/2026-zips-projections-show-where-white-sox-need-to-add-meat-to-rosters-skeleton

“When the [parking] lease comes due in the next few years, there’s a chance to rethink the entire idea — hopefully with the White Sox involved,” Wood said. “We should look at it with a different set of lens, and say, ‘That’s prime real estate that’s really well serviced by transit, and we should do something with it.’ In terms of the six Chicago Model principles, there’s nothing that couldn’t happen at Rate Field.” https://chicago.suntimes.com/real-estate/2025/11/25/chicago-architecture-center-report-urban-stadiums-development

The Yankees (oh the irony...) and Orioles and Manfred have already publicly said MLB needs a salary cap.

But remember KW also said, "you can't spend a dollar if you only have .50 cents..." 😆

That's how he found Iguchi and he publicly said that.

Ted Turner used to do something like this with the Braves according to the book The Lords of the Realm. He'd basically only offer the rights to his own station WTBS, get very little money for them, but then claim a loss in broadcasting revenue even though WTBS and the Braves were basically under the same corporate structure. And he'd get all the advertising revenue. Other stations like WSB in Atlanta were prepared to offer more money for the rights but "somehow" they never got them. 😉 Owners cook the books that's a fact. That's why you and the MLBPA don't trust them one bit.

One more win and the Bears have a winning season. Pretty remarkable all things considered.

Doesn't mean it isn't concerning and given the track record of the Sox medical, training and conditioning staffs over the past several years, I take anything they say with a grain of salt. Legs are just important to a pitcher as the arm/shoulder. They form the base for everything that follows. If that is hurt other issues can start to take place because of trying to compensate for it.

I guess you haven't been paying much attention to the pap nonsense Getz has been saying this off season. They aren't going to sign anybody worth a damn.

Just more examples of how on and off the field this franchise is incompetent, dysfunctional and inept. Hard to think they are that stupid or blind to the damage that is being done, its that arrogance again that has been around for 40+ years now...WE know what we're doing. How DARE you question us!

I'd be willing to wager the difference between the two and how they will approach ownership, winning and making money will be completely different. And there were "warning signs" about JR and EE going back to the beginning when he and Einhorn bought the club. The "insult" to the Veeck family at the first press conference and this "Jerry Reinsdorf was a “source of intrigue” and in the future could become a “source of controversy.” –From a story by reporter Linda Kay, Chicago Tribune January 30, 1981.

Considering JR doesn't even do that any more, realistically trying to win would be met with open arms by the fan base in my opinion. It's not like the Suns were signing stiffs and has-been's. It simply didn't work out.

https://www.chicagotribune.com/2025/11/20/chicago-bears-poll-stadium/

JR's entire ownership of this franchise has been based on his ego, his certainty that anything he does is right, his belief that players are overpaid and his disdain for the fan base. Yea he wants to get every, single solitary dime he can out of this until he is no longer above ground. He wants as much as possible for his family. He's like many billionaires in this regard. Greed above all.