“I think they’d be the second-richest owners in baseball behind Stevie Cohen,” Pierzynski said. “So hey, let’s go. If they can start buying players and buying the superstars we need to win in today’s game? Yes, please. You know what they’re going to become? What the Cubs should become – a powerhouse in the Central.”

https://www.newsbreak.com/670-the-score-560021/3827775197845-a-j-pierzynski-a-justin-ishbia-led-white-sox-organization-would-be-a-powerhouse

https://www.audacy.com/670thescore/sports/chicago-white-sox/aj-pierzynski-justin-ishbia-led-white-sox-would-be-a-powerhouse

here's the link to the AJ/670 The Score interview

 

 

While full details of Ishbia’s agreement or understanding with White Sox chairman Jerry Reinsdorf remain unclear, many in the industry believe the development has paved the way for Ishbia – who’s building a mansion in Winnetka – to take over as the controlling owner sometime down the line.

 

https://www.wnep.com/video/sports/locked-on/lo-chicago/white-sox-show/chicago-white-soxs-ownership-saga-a-new-era-with-justin-ishbia/535-b607518f-4c04-457d-92c4-53d42326db22

 

Yes, it can be merged back into the Ishbia greater thread, but this is intriguing enough that AJ is excited, lol...

https://www.sportico.com/feature/mlb-team-values-rankings-list-1234715821/

White Sox worth $1.9 billion (17th overall) according to Sportico, which tends to be $200-300 million higher than Forbes in their numbers.

Twins valued at $1.7 billion (19th)...but most believe the eventual winning bid (now that Ishbia's out) will end up in the $1.4-1.5 billion range...and there's now a definite possibility the Twins will taken off the market entirely by the Pohlad family.

Of course, the possible cancellation of the 2027 season over the salary cap/floor issue looms large.

14 hours ago, caulfield12 said:

“I think they’d be the second-richest owners in baseball behind Stevie Cohen,” Pierzynski said. “So hey, let’s go. If they can start buying players and buying the superstars we need to win in today’s game? Yes, please. You know what they’re going to become? What the Cubs should become – a powerhouse in the Central.”

 

AJ and I are on the same page with the Cubs.  There might not be a bigger con artist in baseball than the Ricketts ownership group crying poor with like $50 million a season in ON book profits.

Watch out for the Reds...Cubs' fans, they're coming up in your rearview faster than it appears.

And Milwaukee won't go away easily with Chourio Yelich and Woodruff.

2 hours ago, southsider2k5 said:

AJ and I are on the same page with the Cubs.  There might not be a bigger con artist in baseball than the Ricketts ownership group crying pour with like $50 million a season in ON book profits.

Funny thing the media isn't letting them off the hook with the JR carrott mentality.  They are doing enough to stay in the race for that division.    

The Ricketts do NOT want to

A) Pay tax.

B) Commit a lot of dollars past the 2026 CBA expiration.

This move to make Ishbia the heir to the throne, kills 2 birds with one stone. It sets JR up with a filfty rich buyer, and it keeps him away from a division rival.  He buys the Twins and starts spending and winning right away, the White Sox look even worse.

7 minutes ago, Dick Allen said:

This move to make Ishbia the heir to the throne, kills 2 birds with one stone. It sets JR up with a filfty rich buyer, and it keeps him away from a division rival.  He buys the Twins and starts spending and winning right away, the White Sox look even worse.

Yeah it was an incredibly bad look for the Sox when the news dropped that he was buying the Twins 

Wishful thinking with no basis in reality. “Plz save us billionaire overlord!!”

10 minutes ago, nrockway said:

Wishful thinking with no basis in reality. “Plz save us billionaire overlord!!”

What?

9 minutes ago, Chicago White Sox said:

What?

“This guy is so rich, he’s gonna spend so much money on great players”

 

no he won’t

5 minutes ago, nrockway said:

“This guy is so rich, he’s gonna spend so much money on great players”

 

no he won’t

Look, I get doubt, but we literally have their history in Phoenix as an example of their own behavior.

I get that the “grass isn’t always greener on the other side” but you don’t want to have any hope? Look at who our owner is now.

26 minutes ago, nrockway said:

“This guy is so rich, he’s gonna spend so much money on great players”

 

no he won’t

Will he spend money on players who will produce positive WAR? Because our current owner doesn't even do that.

25 minutes ago, Bob Sacamano said:

I get that the “grass isn’t always greener on the other side” but you don’t want to have any hope? Look at who our owner is now.

I don't get even continuing to follow the team/sports if you are just going to be miserable about any possible news that comes out.

14 minutes ago, PaleAleSox said:

Will he spend money on players who will produce positive WAR? Because our current owner doesn't even do that.

Right like I'll take the owner who may spend money over the current owner who is not spending anyway.

32 minutes ago, PaleAleSox said:

I don't get even continuing to follow the team/sports if you are just going to be miserable about any possible news that comes out.

Even Balta would definitely take the Ishbia's over JR...unless he's really upset by the Bradley Beal and Durant deals out in the desert.

And that was the brother moreso than Justin.

Edited February 25, 20251 yr by caulfield12

50 minutes ago, Bob Sacamano said:

I get that the “grass isn’t always greener on the other side” but you don’t want to have any hope? Look at who our owner is now.

Exactly.  It’s pretty much being in the position of how could any other owner be worse than JR?

7 minutes ago, WhiteSox2023 said:

Exactly.  It’s pretty much being in the position of how could any other owner be worse than JR?

Other than Daniel Snyder...and Clippers/Sterling and previous Suns owner, Saylor???

2 hours ago, southsider2k5 said:

Look, I get doubt, but we literally have their history in Phoenix as an example of their own behavior.

I would be more confident in a new owner moving the team, frankly. Trust the devil you know? Not exactly. I just can't get behind "hoping" for any owner, who knows what their motives are. I think it's more likely they're motivated to make money than they are to win. Phoenix spent some money, it's a fair point (although on bad players), but I'd wonder how much revenue the Suns bring in vs what their luxury tax bill was. KD probably sold a lot of jerseys. I assume the logic is different with the White Sox in a sport where you're not compelled to spend within a particular window, where there generally isn't as much money as there is in basketball. I think of Prokhorov with the Nets who spent big, failed, then sold the team rather than spend money again.

I recently learned about the Bundesliga's ownership structure where in order to qualify to compete, a club must be majority-owned by the fans. (Why did German sport leagues develop differently than America's? It seems like a better sporting culture, frankly.) A critique of this system is that the clubs have less money than, say, the EPL and so the best players are probably going to switch leagues or play for Bayern Munich -- but does that argument exist in baseball? Are players going to start flocking to Japan and Mexico? It seems like less of a culture shock to move from Germany to France than Sarasota to Gwangju. I just think when it comes to talking about a new owner, I'd think about being more like the Packers than hoping the new guy is gonna do what Cohen did. I also sort of think Cohen is trying to spend as much money as he can before the SEC seizes all of his assets...maybe that's what you need out of an owner.

11 minutes ago, nrockway said:

I would be more confident in a new owner moving the team, frankly. Trust the devil you know? Not exactly. I just can't get behind "hoping" for any owner, who knows what their motives are. I think it's more likely they're motivated to make money than they are to win. Phoenix spent some money, it's a fair point (although on bad players), but I'd wonder how much revenue the Suns bring in vs what their luxury tax bill was. KD probably sold a lot of jerseys. I assume the logic is different with the White Sox in a sport where you're not compelled to spend within a particular window, where there generally isn't as much money as there is in basketball. I think of Prokhorov with the Nets who spent big, failed, then sold the team rather than spend money again.

I recently learned about the Bundesliga's ownership structure where in order to qualify to compete, a club must be majority-owned by the fans. (Why did German sport leagues develop differently than America's? It seems like a better sporting culture, frankly.) A critique of this system is that the clubs have less money than, say, the EPL and so the best players are probably going to switch leagues or play for Bayern Munich -- but does that argument exist in baseball? Are players going to start flocking to Japan and Mexico? It seems like less of a culture shock to move from Germany to France than Sarasota to Gwangju. I just think when it comes to talking about a new owner, I'd think about being more like the Packers than hoping the new guy is gonna do what Cohen did. I also sort of think Cohen is trying to spend as much money as he can before the SEC seizes all of his assets...maybe that's what you need out of an owner.

From the guy building a Chicagoland house worth more than the most expensive contract in Chicago history?  The guy who had a company with a Chicago HQ?  You have more confidence that he is going to move the team, than he is going to try to spend to win at a rate appreciably ahead of the current ownership structure?  I don't know what a German soccer club, the NHL, or the NFL have to do with that, but I will flat out say there is more vision for what an Ishiba led ownership group would look like than say a Dave Stewart one, or frankly any other owner we have no history from.

5 minutes ago, southsider2k5 said:

From the guy building a house worth more than the most expensive contract in Chicago history?  The guy who had a company with a Chicago HQ?  You have more confidence that he is going to move the team, than he is going to try to spend to win at a rate appreciably ahead of the current ownership structure?  I don't know what a German soccer club, the NHL, or the NFL have to do with that, but I will flat out say there is more vision for what an Ishiba led ownership group would look like than say a Dave Stewart one, or frankly any other owner we have no history from.

This this this

He didn't buy the Twins partially because he much prefers staying in Chicago....

Do it right and you have a gold mine with a split of the third largest media market.

New stadium possibly.  Downtown adjacent.

Cubs are going to be making a mistake if they don't make the playoffs this year and advance with Tucker...seems so unlikely he signs long-term.

Ricketts clearly following the JR and KW "finishing 2nd-4th place is still a successful revenue producing season" philosophy from 2000-2012.

Edited February 26, 20251 yr by caulfield12

OK Ishbia is a ticket to the promised land. But, from a larger perspective, for those willing to take that, I wonder how long the money game can last.  Right now it sure looks good though with the Sox at the bottom of the heap.

Then there is this. Consider that we (the ISFA/taxpayers ) own the current stadium, acres of parking, and a lease with the White Sox franchise for 5 more seasons.  That seems like a predicate for at least exploring the possibility of making the WSox a publicly held team, or a hybrid like the Packers.  Probably unrealistic , and I understand that, but I am just not fully on board with private ownership of sports teams by Billionaires. But winning is everything I guess.

 

 

2 hours ago, tray said:

OK Ishbia is a ticket to the promised land. But, from a larger perspective, for those willing to take that, I wonder how long the money game can last.  Right now it sure looks good though with the Sox at the bottom of the heap.

Then there is this. Consider that we (the ISFA/taxpayers ) own the current stadium, acres of parking, and a lease with the White Sox franchise for 5 more seasons.  That seems like a predicate for at least exploring the possibility of making the WSox a publicly held team, or a hybrid like the Packers.  Probably unrealistic , and I understand that, but I am just not fully on board with private ownership of sports teams by Billionaires. But winning is everything I guess.

 

 

Ho would they get enough small time investors to even add up to $50-100 million?

The Packers' "public" ownership situation is far more complicated than that appearance.

Even the Boston Celtics issued stock/shares in her 80s and 90s.