Great, i'm feeling the same way as Mariotti.

Mariotti, for once, was right on the money with that article. I had accepted the fact that JR was going to hold payroll to 55 or 60 million dollars. Why!? Why should I accept that? Why should I continue to be disappointed by the cheapskate mentality of a guy who owns a team in a major market, but markets the team like it's playing in BFE?

 

There is no excuse for him not putting an $80 million payroll on the field in the city of Chicago. None. Period.

What is funny to me is all the people who call JR cheap. Many who are saying these things are the same people who complain when they buy a ticket to the upper deck and are forced to sit there. How can someone unwilling to shell out $6 call someone cheap?

If Maggs gets shipped out to Anaheim and we lose Konerko as well, if we can't get K-Rod, then this is the prospect I wanna go afta.

Casey Kotchman, Angels, Age: 20

Kotchman has excellent plate discipline (more walks than strikeouts), can hit for average and plays good defense. His power stroke hasn't come yet, but he did hit 30 doubles in 288 ABs in the Midwest League last season. Those doubles may turn into to homers once he matures. On the downside, Kotchman's had an unfortunate run of wrist and forearm injuries — the kind of injuries that can hinder the developing power of a young hitter. He's a great natural hitter, though. He dominated the Cal League this past season and shouldn't have much trouble adapting to the high minors. If his power develops as it should and he stays healthy, he could be a top-tier first baseman in the majors. ETA: 2005.

Give it up...... Kotchman is not going anywhere.

Just a note to Jas, quit trying to deal Jo Bo.

Mariotti, for once, was right on the money with that article.  I had accepted the fact that JR was going to hold payroll to 55 or 60 million dollars.  Why!?  Why should I accept that?  Why should I continue to be disappointed by the cheapskate mentality of a guy who owns a team in a major market, but markets the team like it's playing in BFE? 

 

There is no excuse for him not putting an $80 million payroll on the field in the city of Chicago. None. Period.

Yas, I hate to say this, but I disagree with you here.

 

Why should JR spend an extra $20-$25 million when there is no guarantee that fans will show up in the numbers required to make it a good investment? What if the team struggles out of the gate, would fans continue to come then?

 

What if they are 12 games back at the All-Star break? Would the crowds at USCF still be there since he "raised payroll"?

 

I agree that an $80 million payroll is reasonable, but not with the revenues the Sox have. If the Cubs payroll is only projected to be at $90 million, how would you expect the Sox to be at $80 mil?

 

I do think that the die-hard Sox fans would come more often but that is not enough. That is not enough to push them to 3 million in attendance.

 

I would like to see the Sox payroll around $65 million, but can't see it being any higher than that.

What is funny to me is all the people who call JR cheap. Many who are saying these things are the same people who complain when they buy a ticket to the upper deck and are forced to sit there. How can someone unwilling to shell out $6 call someone cheap?

 

post of the year

 

 

Yas, I hate to say this, but I disagree with you here. 

 

Why should JR spend an extra $20-$25 million when there is no guarantee that fans will show up in the numbers required to make it a good investment?  What if the team struggles out of the gate, would fans continue to come then? 

 

What if they are 12 games back at the All-Star break?  Would the crowds at USCF still be there since he "raised payroll"?

 

I agree that an $80 million payroll is reasonable, but not with the revenues the Sox have.  If the Cubs payroll is only projected to be at $90 million, how would you expect the Sox to be at $80 mil?

 

I do think that the die-hard Sox fans would come more often but that is not enough.  That is not enough to push them to 3 million in attendance. 

 

I would like to see the Sox payroll around $65 million, but can't see it being any higher than that.

Even though I agree that there's no real reason for JR NOT upping the payroll, I don't agree that you should spend foolsihly just to get there. Maggs is not a $14 mil-a year player. If someone out there is willing to give him that much, then let him go, and remind yourselves of how good the Rangers have been after siging A-Rod, how many titles the Dodgers have won since signing K. Brown, and how Albert Belle has cemented his bust in Cooperstown after moving to Baltimore.

Mariotti, for once, was right on the money with that article.  I had accepted the fact that JR was going to hold payroll to 55 or 60 million dollars.  Why!?  Why should I accept that?  Why should I continue to be disappointed by the cheapskate mentality of a guy who owns a team in a major market, but markets the team like it's playing in BFE? 

 

There is no excuse for him not putting an $80 million payroll on the field in the city of Chicago. None. Period.

Magglio Ordonez is the one player we should keep. I don't pretend to know anything about the Sox ecomomics other than Resinsdorf appears to be a pretty tight fisted owner. Maybe what he needs is a course on how good public relations and customer service along with putting out a quality product will make you a success. You don't build a winner on the cheap. If you spend money putting the best baseball team possible on the field the fans will come and spend money. I like Magglio and listening to peoples comments about Magglio and other Sox players makes me wonder what's the matter with some people. I think emotions run things for some rather than anyone actually being a judge of talent. Another issue is the salary demand. I have never seen Maggs demand $15M a year, maybe he has or his agent has, I don't know, but I bet they would be open to negotiating a long term contract at a fair price. Of course thats just my guess. One thing I think for sure is the fact Jerry Reinsdorf should be looking to spend more on this team and make a winner. If you build it they will come...

What is funny to me is all the people who call JR cheap. Many who are saying these things are the same people who complain when they buy a ticket to the upper deck and are forced to sit there. How can someone unwilling to shell out $6 call someone cheap?

I totally agree, Dick.

 

Many Sox fans are unloyal hipocrites, and it's because of our tiny (paying) fanbase, we have these payroll and winning issues EVERY.DAMN.YEAR.

 

JR may be a cheap liar, but does anyone honestly think that if Sox were averaging 3,000,000 fans a year and high TV ratings and merchandise sales, he WOULDN'T spend at least 75-80 Mill?

 

 

Oh and non-attending Sox fans....SHUT UP. You spend $150-200 a month on local Cineplex but you can't take your kids to see the Sox couple times during the summer? f*** you.

 

I am poor and I go.

Just a note to Jas, quit trying to deal Jo Bo.

I don't consider him much of a prospect right now. He could prove me wrong, but I like Reed so so so much more.

I don't consider him much of a prospect right now.

 

But Yas, how can that be? Afterall he runs a crazy 40-yard dash; throw like a QB; has light-tower power.

 

And the sig, what happened to it?

But Yas, how can that be? Afterall he runs a crazy 40-yard dash; throw like a QB; has light-tower power.

 

And the sig, what happened to it?

Lol...I think I cursed him by having him as my avatar. But I'm honest...he hasn't done anything to warrant his hype in a few years so I say if you can get a young player or give him to do something that makes this team better, go for it.

Reinsdork is cheap.

I mean give me a break.

We have had a good corps nuclueus for years and he

won't spend the extra 20 or so mill to give us a champion.

 

As far as Sox fans ... the last eight years of old Comiskey, they

turned out in droves.

Sox fans are not going to come (except for the great loyalists on

here who I do respect for attending so many games) out in droves

until we field a dominant team.

GO SOX

Magglio would probably restructure his contract IMO. All these rumors have no NAMED sources besides KW, who said WORST CASE SCENARIO we would trade Magglio....

Yas, I hate to say this, but I disagree with you here. 

 

Why should JR spend an extra $20-$25 million when there is no guarantee that fans will show up in the numbers required to make it a good investment?  What if the team struggles out of the gate, would fans continue to come then? 

 

What if they are 12 games back at the All-Star break?  Would the crowds at USCF still be there since he "raised payroll"?

 

I agree that an $80 million payroll is reasonable, but not with the revenues the Sox have.  If the Cubs payroll is only projected to be at $90 million, how would you expect the Sox to be at $80 mil?

 

I do think that the die-hard Sox fans would come more often but that is not enough.  That is not enough to push them to 3 million in attendance. 

 

I would like to see the Sox payroll around $65 million, but can't see it being any higher than that.

Rex, look at it this way. Your local restaurant puts out mediocre quality food and you to it once every two weeks to get out of the house. Yet, in a conversation with the owner, he tells that if more people would come twice a week, he'd put out much better quality food.

 

In other words, you can't expect your customers to get excited about mediocrity and come out in droves to fork over their hard earned bucks. Put the damn product on the field that they want to see, and they will come out.

 

JR expressed disappointment in the attendance for the last half of the 2000 season. Did he really think that the fans believed they had a team with a legitimate shot to win it all? I didn't believe it. Hoped for it, yes. But I knew that pitching staff wasn't going to get it done. Then the next year, we got out of the gate like a bunch of slugs, so that killed any carry over effect from 2000.

 

He's got to put a team out there that fans look at it and say "Yes, this team can do it." Then they have to play up to their potential. Until he does that, it's going to be the same old stuff on the southside.

Rex, look at it this way.  Your local restaurant puts out mediocre quality food and you to it once every two weeks to get out of the house.  Yet, in a conversation with the owner, he tells that if more people would come twice a week, he'd put out much better quality food.

 

In other words, you can't expect your customers to get excited about mediocrity and come out in droves to fork over their hard earned bucks.  Put the damn product on the field that they want to see, and they will come out. 

 

JR expressed disappointment in the attendance for the last half of the 2000 season.  Did he really think that the fans believed they had a team with a legitimate shot to win it all?  I didn't believe it.  Hoped for it, yes.  But I knew that pitching staff wasn't going to get it done.  Then the next year, we got out of the gate like a bunch of slugs, so that killed any carry over effect from 2000.

 

He's got to put a team out there that fans look at it and say "Yes, this team can do it." Then they have to play up to their potential.  Until he does that, it's going to be the same old stuff on the southside.

Yas, an MLB team is not a restaurant.

 

Just as you say you didn't believe the 2000 team had a real chance, JR doesn't really believe that the fans will come often enough if he invests another $20 million.

 

Believe it or not, there are actually other MLB teams that are supported well even in down years. Some teams get the fan support without winning all the time, allowing for them to have a higher payroll.

 

There is something to be said for supporting your team through thick and thin, and Sox fans don't seem to be willing to do that.

There is something to be said for supporting your team through thick and thin, and Sox fans don't seem to be willing to do that.

 

If only we (and Sox ownership/management) knew why.

 

Rex?