Lip Man 1

Rep. John Cabello (R-Machesney Park). "We've got to do what's best for number one, the taxpayers, number two, the citizens of the state of Illinois." https://www.cbsnews.com/chicago/news/bad-performance-plans-taxpayer-stadiums-bears-white-sox/

I did interview Bart, never did Terry.

I think they were excellent relief pitchers, some of the best in the game... there was no reason to even consider them as starting pitchers. Gossage told me Forster had the best arm he's ever seen for a pitcher. Tom Bradley told me he thought Bart Johnson had the best arm. Again the only reason the Sox did it in 1976 is because they had very few other options as that team was a disaster.

From MLB.com: Nov. 13: These clubs could be involved in trade market for Crochet Although the White Sox didn't move Crochet prior to the Trade Deadline, there appears to be little doubt about their intentions for the left-hander this offseason. "They're going to trade him this winter," a rival evaluator told ESPN's Buster Olney at the GM Meetings last week. "It's not a matter of if; it's a question of when." Olney shed some light on Crochet's potential market in an article for ESPN+ (subscription required) on Wednesday, noting that general manager Chris Getz is looking for "a package of prospects constructed around at least one high-ceiling youngster to anchor the deal." Chicago's preference is for that main piece to be a position player, but the team is open to a pitcher being the centerpiece, "depending on the depth and quality of the prospects offered." Based on conversations with industry sources, Olney names the Phillies, Padres, Yankees, Dodgers, Braves, Orioles, Red Sox and Mets as teams that could pursue a Crochet trade.

Goose was always a relief pitcher until the Sox made him a starter in the 1976 season along with Forster because they did not have any other options.

If you say so. The mayor also wants to be reelected and the way his administration appears to be incompetent the last thing he wants is a public revolt over giving billionaire owners money. Anything can happen but the way the wind is blowing as well as numerous statement by the Governor appear to show new stadiums for the McCaskey family and JR are as much a pipe dream as the Bears winning a Super Bowl or the White Sox the World Series.

https://awfulannouncing.com/dsg/diamond-sports-fanduel-single-game.html

Correct, but it will be linked (fairly or not) in the mind of the public at large and groups/individuals will be sure to make that connection public, again fairly or not. Under the current climate I can't see any politician willing to stick their neck out for JR or the McCaskey family.

In this political climate with the financial issues impacting (real or not) what most Americans think it would be political suicide for ANY politician right now to come out and say, 'I support giving a billion dollars to owners for more free stadiums...' They would be attacked from all sides and not be reelected. Especially in JR's case who isn't even willing to pay a fair share. Get used to it, this is not happening under the current situation. The Sox and Bears will continue to play at their current stadiums and like it.

That's three moves the Angels have already made this off season.

Neither is going to get anything.

A spokesperson for Gov. JB Pritzker said his “stance on the stadium issue remains unchanged regardless of possible locations” — namely, that the Bears should not expect to receive any public dollars for a new home. https://chicago.suntimes.com/bears/bears-stadium/2024/11/12/bears-stadium-michael-reese-site-lakefront-bronzeville

Meh, rearranging deck chairs on the Titanic. They'll fire the head coach at the end of the year and bring in another worthless, milquetoast stiff.

The odds of Sasaki signing with the White Sox are slim and none...and slim just walked out the door.

That's the White Sox way.

So what's next for the Bears? Answer: Stink-town and another losing season. They may not win a game the rest of the season, which is completely fine with me. Clown ownership, clown organization. 🤡

From MLB.com: 29. White Sox (24.3 WAR) Top free agents: RHP Mike Clevinger, RHP Chris Flexen, 3B Yoán Moncada Biggest needs: Where to start? Not last! Not, you know, good, but not last. (Remember, again: the projections care about the players here and what they might do in 2025 – not that the 2024 team lost 121 games.) It should go without saying that new manager Will Venable arrives to find a roster that needs improvement basically everywhere, and that contention in 2025 is not exactly the goal. There are really only three questions that matter, right now: Will ace Garrett Crochet get traded? If so, to who, for what? Will center fielder Luis Robert Jr. rebound from a brutal year? If so, when does he get traded? A year from now, which young players show that they’re part of the next good Sox team? It’s that last question that seems most interesting, and most important. If the 2025 season gives you confidence that Colson Montgomery or Drew Thorpe or Miguel Vargas or Ky Bush or Edgar Quero are going to be contributors, while Noah Schultz and Hagen Smith progress towards the bigs, it can be a successful season. If they don’t? Competitive baseball could be years away on the South Side.

https://chicago.suntimes.com/white-sox/2024/11/09/chicago-white-sox-chris-getz-analytics-brian-bannister-brian-mahler-ryan-fuller-yoan-moncada-garrett-crochet

https://awfulannouncing.com/dsg/mlb-atlanta-braves-object-bankruptcy.html

Yes and no. More to the point JR signed Belle to that deal because he was angry that the other MLB owners voted to settle the labor dispute after Judge Sotomoyer ruled they were not negotiating in good faith. In fact during the press conference reporters specifically asked JR about the motivation for the deal and JR said that (paraphrasing) 'If the other owners weren't going to look out for baseball he was going to look out for his team...' As an aside JR also said he asked Frank Thomas his opinion on if the Sox should sign Belle or Barry Bonds and Frank said Belle. Belle put up staggering numbers for the Sox. But JR (naturally) protected himself by allowing the clause that Belle had to be one of the three highest paid players in the game or he could become a free agent. When Rickey Henderson (I think) got his big deal that moved Belle out of the top three and invoked the clause which JR never intended to honor in order to keep him. As a follow up to that situation Thomas took a little less money on his deal thinking the Sox would use it to keep Belle AND Ventura. The Sox did neither which pissed off Frank. Remember JR always has to "win" at negotiations even if it hurts the team on the field.

https://soxmachine.com/2024/11/will-venable-arrives-in-chicago-as-a-new-manager-for-a-new-system/

https://awfulannouncing.com/dsg/st-louis-cardinals-local-media-rights-deal.html

There has been movement, more politicians have said it isn't happening.

https://www.chicagotribune.com/2024/11/06/chicago-white-sox-rebuilds-jerry-reinsdorf/

https://awfulannouncing.com/local-networks/atlanta-braves-financials-reveal-increase-tv-revenue.html