Reinsdorf considers moving White Sox out of Guaranteed Rate Field or selling team

[Lip Man 1]

Just now, WBWSF said:

You posted a few months ago that "your Source" told you that a new stadium  was never brought up by anybody. If you believed that you believe in the Easter Bunny.

My "source" was a member of the front office in a high ranking position. They told me in all the meetings they attended that subject never came up after I asked about it because I was curious.

I'm guessing the situation has drastically changed since then given the state of the organization and the total dysfunction.

I trust implicitly this individual whom I've known for years and who has been associated with the franchise in a high ranking position for decades. 

[South Side Hit Men]

1 hour ago, HOFHurt35 said:

I think Reinsdorf and Co might own the lots where the old ballpark stood, along with any parking lots from the old ballpark. 

So then I found the actual full OG agreement online, listing the ISFA as acquiring all lots north and south of the stadium.

See Exhibit A-2 Pages 94-95 for the plots of land acquired by the ISFA, including OG Comiskey Park parking lots.

See Exhibit A-3 Pages 96-97 for current layout

https://www.isfauthority.com/assets/management-agreement-with-all-amendments2.pdf

Any land the White Sox owned within the current stadium or parking lot boundaries prior to the ISFA was acquired by the ISFA in the late 1980s.

 

Edited August 22, 2023 by South Side Hit Men

[Texsox]

4 hours ago, Chicago White Sox said:

Your recent bout of trolling really sucks and this post is pure garbage…I truly hope everything in your life is going ok because it’s a very odd for someone to take joy in posting nonsense like this.

Then buy him a new stadium and enjoy White Sox baseball just like it has been for decades. 

 

[FrontierDayz]

27 minutes ago, TheBooneLoganEra said:

Steve Stone on the score next.

For the Sox fan out of towners…let us know if Stone added to the newest Sox melodrama…

[Bob Sacamano]

Just now, FrontierDayz said:

For the Sox fan out of towners…let us know if Stone added to the newest Sox melodrama…

Audacy.com

[Look at Ray Ray Run]

39 minutes ago, Balta1701 said:

Yes, I don't understand that.

A quick check gives the Oklahoma City metropolitan area as 1.4 million people, a similar check gives Nashville at 2 million people. In general, I find the suggestion that 1.4 million is 50% higher than 2 million to be something I do not understand.

Nashville also has other moderately sized urban areas somewhat nearby (2.5 hours drive time or less) in Memphis, Knoxville, and Louisville, - the largest city in that range of OKC other than Dallas (which has its own team) seems to be Tulsa which is smaller than Memphis and Wichita, which is less than half the size of Louisville and smaller than Knoxville. 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oklahoma_City_metropolitan_area

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nashville_metropolitan_area

I admittedly didn't look up the Nashville population and was going by the continually cited 1 million in this thread, but I guess my other point would still remain.

I also don't think we're counting "Cities" within 2 and 1/2 hours unless all of a sudden Madison, Bloomington, Champagne, and the likes are now being accounted for in our Chicago example.

The reality is, 99.999% chance the Sox aren't leaving Illinois, despite your doom and gloom nature. TexSox sadly will not get his dream of watching Sox fans be miserable as the team moves elsewhere.

[mmmmmbeeer]

Nashville isn't happening.  First, taxpayers just ponied up a s%*# ton of money for a new Titans stadium.  Second, the southeast is Braves country.  It would be very difficult for a different team to make inroads into that longstanding Braves fanbase.  The threat to move is just a negotiating tactic.

With the current lease ending in six years, this is a good time for the Sox to start negotiations on a new stadium deal.  For one, with the Bears basically headed out of Chicago, the political climate is good for the Sox to negotiate.  Second, Jerry knows the team will be sold when he dies.  If he can secure a sweetheart deal from the city/state now, he'll up the franchise valuation significantly, just in time for the sale.

Point being, the media is taking normal due diligence by the Sox and creating a whole bunch of clickbait sensationalism.

[chitownsportsfan]

17 hours ago, bmags said:

If you offered me the Sox being contracted but Jerry losing all his money and his worthless kids needing real jobs, or the Sox sticking around but Jerry lives another 15 years….I’d have a really hard decision.

My reaction to this news was similar, and it surprised me a bit. I really don't care if they leave Chicago. I'd be sad for the people in Chicago but as someone that is firmly in middle age and is 2k miles away? That has plenty of other teams to root for that don't actively engage in fan murdering decisions?

I don't care.

[Balta1701]

Just now, Look at Ray Ray Run said:

I admittedly didn't look up the Nashville population and was going by the continually cited 1 million in this thread, but I guess my other point would still remain.

I also don't think we're counting "Cities" within 2 and 1/2 hours unless all of a sudden Madison, Bloomington, Champagne, and the likes are now being accounted for in our Chicago example.

The reality is, 99.999% chance the Sox aren't leaving Illinois, despite your doom and gloom nature. TexSox sadly will not get his dream of watching Sox fans be miserable as the team moves elsewhere.

I don't dispute Chicago being massively bigger, and you can count whatever you want in that, but if a team was making the case to move out of there - Chicago already has a team that is much more liked by the city as a whole. There is a decent case that Chicago's market is well served by the better franchise and that the second team could grow the sport's fanbase as a whole if it moved elsewhere. If a different city put up a serious stadium offer, it's going to be considered.

[Dick Allen]

At the very least, I'm sure JR would like a lease extension continuing his sweetheart deal for many years, with the city/state agreeing to hundreds of millions of upgrades.

[palehose1]

2 minutes ago, mmmmmbeeer said:

Nashville isn't happening.  First, taxpayers just ponied up a s%*# ton of money for a new Titans stadium.  Second, the southeast is Braves country.  It would be very difficult for a different team to make inroads into that longstanding Braves fanbase.  The threat to move is just a negotiating tactic.

With the current lease ending in six years, this is a good time for the Sox to start negotiations on a new stadium deal.  For one, with the Bears basically headed out of Chicago, the political climate is good for the Sox to negotiate.  Second, Jerry knows the team will be sold when he dies.  If he can secure a sweetheart deal from the city/state now, he'll up the franchise valuation significantly, just in time for the sale.

Point being, the media is taking normal due diligence by the Sox and creating a whole bunch of clickbait sensationalism.

well said

[Dick Allen]

1 minute ago, Balta1701 said:

I don't dispute Chicago being massively bigger, and you can count whatever you want in that, but if a team was making the case to move out of there - Chicago already has a team that is much more liked by the city as a whole. There is a decent case that Chicago's market is well served by the better franchise and that the second team could grow the sport's fanbase as a whole if it moved elsewhere. If a different city put up a serious stadium offer, it's going to be considered.

There was a better chance of the Cubs moving to Rosemont, like they threatened, but didn't do and didn't get anything, than the Sox moving to Nashville in the next decade.

[Panerista]

4 hours ago, pcq said:

Charlotte is way bigger. Maybe Nashville has more growth potential coming. 

Neither really touches Chicago if the team is winning. 

That's the thing. We all give Cubs and their fans crap, but in 05 the vast majority of the third largest city in the country had eyes on the White Sox. 

[MiddleCoastBias]

If we're moving the team to the suburbs, The Village of Bedford Park has an opportunity to do the funniest thing right now.

[Panerista]

4 minutes ago, Balta1701 said:

I don't dispute Chicago being massively bigger, and you can count whatever you want in that, but if a team was making the case to move out of there - Chicago already has a team that is much more liked by the city as a whole. There is a decent case that Chicago's market is well served by the better franchise and that the second team could grow the sport's fanbase as a whole if it moved elsewhere. If a different city put up a serious stadium offer, it's going to be considered.

I don't know how true this is. The Cubs are more nationally popular but the White Sox are much more popular in the Cook County working class.

If anything, the White Sox are more culturally significant to their part of the city than the Cubs are to any one part of Chicago.

[Panerista]

2 minutes ago, MiddleCoastBias said:

If we're moving the team to the suburbs, The Village of Bedford Park has an opportunity to do the funniest thing right now.

Nah, they're going to move to Darien: "A Nice Place to Live Play"

[Dick Allen]

1 minute ago, Vacheron said:

Neither really touches Chicago if the team is winning. 

That's the thing. We all give Cubs and their fans crap, but in 05 the vast majority of the third largest city in the country had eyes on the White Sox. 

That's the thing. Oaklands situation wasn't because the team sucked. Montreal wasn't because the team always sucked. Tampa isn't because the team always sucks. Wouldn't MLB tell JR, why don't you try putting a good team on the field at least semi consistently then tell us Chicago cannot support you. 

[Quin]

I knew plenty of Cubs fans suddenly start wearing black and silver in 2005.

Our fanbase exploded for Leury fucking Garcia.

[Panerista]

1 minute ago, Dick Allen said:

That's the thing. Oaklands situation wasn't because the team sucked. Montreal wasn't because the team always sucked. Tampa isn't because the team always sucks. Wouldn't MLB tell JR, why don't you try putting a good team on the field at least semi consistently then tell us Chicago cannot support you. 

I can't imagine Atlanta ownership being like "yeah, go ahead and move to Nashville"

[Balta1701]

1 minute ago, Vacheron said:

I can't imagine Atlanta ownership being like "yeah, go ahead and move to Nashville"

We recently had a much more relevant example of a team moving much closer to another team's market, with Baltimore having to accept the move of the Nationals to Washington, which was explicitly within the television market area assigned to the Orioles. That still happened. 

[Panerista]

4 minutes ago, Balta1701 said:

We recently had a much more relevant example of a team moving much closer to another team's market, with Baltimore having to accept the move of the Nationals to Washington, which was explicitly within the television market area assigned to the Orioles. That still happened. 

That was 20 years ago

[Texsox]

I think it would be dumb to move the team, but I will not underestimate JR and MLB doing something dumb. 

The logic could be we have a team in that market, we don't have one in that other market, we are adding another market, it's a win.

While many fans will only watch MLB baseball if there is a Sox team in Chicago, MLB won't lose that many. 

And before someone jumps on it, I believe indifference is what will get JR's attention. Fans so invested in the team that they will rent billboards and go to games just confirms he can crap on us and we'll be back. 

[Panerista]

2 minutes ago, Texsox said:

I think it would be dumb to move the team, but I will not underestimate JR and MLB doing something dumb. 

The logic could be we have a team in that market, we don't have one in that other market, we are adding another market, it's a win.

While many fans will only watch MLB baseball if there is a Sox team in Chicago, MLB won't lose that many. 

And before someone jumps on it, I believe indifference is what will get JR's attention. Fans so invested in the team that they will rent billboards and go to games just confirms he can crap on us and we'll be back. 

I'm fairly convinced the Sox won't go anywhere. Jerry is so old he likely doesn't live to survive a decade long move. Also, I think being in a large market is a better selling point if he were to sell. 

Edited August 22, 2023 by Vacheron

[35thstreetswarm]

3 minutes ago, Texsox said:

And before someone jumps on it, I believe indifference is what will get JR's attention. Fans so invested in the team that they will rent billboards and go to games just confirms he can crap on us and we'll be back. 

Yes, once people stop showing up to Guaranteed Rate in huge numbers everything will change

[South Side Hit Men]

The August 2003 amendment starts on page 361.

The April 2008 renewal agreement starts on page 421.

https://www.isfauthority.com/assets/management-agreement-with-all-amendments2.pdf

Rent:

The Sox pay the following effective 2011 through November 30, 2029:

• $1.5M each season
• $0.00 for paid attendance through 1,925,000 tickets.
• $3.00 for each paid ticket 1,925,001 - 2,425,000
• $4.00 for each paid ticket 2,425,001 - 2,625,000
• $5.00 for each paid ticket 2,625,001 - 2,825,000
• $7.00 for each paid ticket 2,825,001 and above.
• The White Sox get a 50% credit of "Other Taxes" charged on tickets not to exceed the fees for selling 1.925M + tickets (Page 423; Other Taxes are listed on Page 426-427, so all the taxes you see on each ticket sold above the base amount the Sox get 50% back if they have to pay a penny plus for over 1.925M attendance). 

Team Rights:

• The Sox are entitled to a maintenance subsidy per season, ranging from $2.669M in FY 2004 through $4.378M in FY 2029.
• The Sox are entitled to $3.4M in naming rights per season.
• Team entitled to several renovations listed on page 375.

Current Term & 1 Year Extension:

The Sox have until November 30, 2028 to give notice to the IFSA to extend the lease by one year, from the current end date of November 30, 2029 to November 30, 2030.