Per Passan: White Sox sign Munetaka Murakami 2 years 34M

[Chick Mercedes]

On 1/3/2026 at 11:29 AM, DoUEvenShift said:

 

 

Edited Sunday at 09:25 PM by Chick Mercedes

[Eminor3rd]

On 1/3/2026 at 10:52 AM, Texsox said:

Very good owner to non player employees. (Loyalty and job protection)
 

I know enough people that have worked there to call this point into very serious question. 

Modify your parenthetical to be "loyalty and protection for a select group of executives" and you can imagine how "very good owner to non player employees" becomes its exact opposite for everyone outside that select group, in ways ranging from frivolous to extremely problematic.

[Texsox]

4 hours ago, Eminor3rd said:

I know enough people that have worked there to call this point into very serious question. 

Modify your parenthetical to be "loyalty and protection for a select group of executives" and you can imagine how "very good owner to non player employees" becomes its exact opposite for everyone outside that select group, in ways ranging from frivolous to extremely problematic.

I hadn't heard that. We can cross that one off. I just think of the marque positions that rarely turn over. 

[WestEddy]

6 hours ago, Eminor3rd said:

I know enough people that have worked there to call this point into very serious question. 

Modify your parenthetical to be "loyalty and protection for a select group of executives" and you can imagine how "very good owner to non player employees" becomes its exact opposite for everyone outside that select group, in ways ranging from frivolous to extremely problematic.

Let's set down our pretentions.

All jobs suck. 

[ptatc]

47 minutes ago, WestEddy said:

Let's set down our pretentions.

All jobs suck. 

I disagree. I love mine. Have for 38 years.

Plus, many of the people I know past and present enjoy working for Reinsdorf. He treats them well.

[tray]

1 hour ago, ptatc said:

I disagree. I love mine. Have for 38 years.

Plus, many of the people I know past and present enjoy working for Reinsdorf. He treats them well.

Yes, JR has been loyal to a fault with a lot of employees and players over the years.  Most of those entrusted with JR's good will and loyalty returned it in kind (Ozzie, Konerko, Harold, Thome).  Given that, it made me wonder about the way Kenny and Rick were dismissed unceremoniously and told to pack up there sh1t the next day and maybe even told not to come back. As ptatc mentioned, that is not the way JR normally treats employees, especially KW who often boasted about his close relationship with JR. Did thos guys get caught on a hot mike talking about JR or something?  I don't know....they surely deserved to be fired but the  way it was done seemed odd.

[WhiteSox2023]

54 minutes ago, tray said:

Yes, JR has been loyal to a fault with a lot of employees and players over the years.  Most of those entrusted with JR's good will and loyalty returned it in kind (Ozzie, Konerko, Harold, Thome).  Given that, it made me wonder about the way Kenny and Rick were dismissed unceremoniously and told to pack up there sh1t the next day and maybe even told not to come back. As ptatc mentioned, that is not the way JR normally treats employees, especially KW who often boasted about his close relationship with JR. Did thos guys get caught on a hot mike talking about JR or something?  I don't know....they surely deserved to be fired but the  way it was done seemed odd.

Jerry also reportedly refused to let either Kenny or Hahn leave their roles with the White Sox for other opportunities

[soxrwhite]

5 hours ago, WhiteSox2023 said:

Jerry also reportedly refused to let either Kenny or Hahn leave their roles with the White Sox for other opportunities

Carlton Fisk

[ptatc]

6 hours ago, tray said:

Yes, JR has been loyal to a fault with a lot of employees and players over the years.  Most of those entrusted with JR's good will and loyalty returned it in kind (Ozzie, Konerko, Harold, Thome).  Given that, it made me wonder about the way Kenny and Rick were dismissed unceremoniously and told to pack up there sh1t the next day and maybe even told not to come back. As ptatc mentioned, that is not the way JR normally treats employees, especially KW who often boasted about his close relationship with JR. Did thos guys get caught on a hot mike talking about JR or something?  I don't know....they surely deserved to be fired but the  way it was done seemed odd.

Rick Hahn did an interview and said that he had to convince JR to fire him. He said it was for the good of the organization and JR didn't want to do it.

[WhiteSox2023]

47 minutes ago, ptatc said:

Rick Hahn did an interview and said that he had to convince JR to fire him. He said it was for the good of the organization and JR didn't want to do it.

 

[ptatc]

55 minutes ago, WhiteSox2023 said:

 

The one I heard was from the winter meetings this past off season, I think. It was after he was fired, I know that.

[Bob Sacamano]

How do you stop someone from not wanting to work for you lol you can’t physically make them. You just don’t have to show up lol

[Snopek]

I wonder how much of JR’s thing is actual loyalty vs him just wanting to avoid the work involved with finding replacements.

[tray]

1 hour ago, Bob Sacamano said:

How do you stop someone from not wanting to work for you lol you can’t physically make them. You just don’t have to show up lol

Correct. As long as the American flag flies over this country, and certainly since abolition, employers can't do that. 

IMO, Hahn and KW should have been fired before, e.g., after the Drake LaRoach ordeal, poor evaluation of talent, non-competitive line-ups, etc. 

[Bob Sacamano]

3 minutes ago, tray said:

Correct. As long as the American flag flies over this country, and certainly since abolition, employers can't do that. 

IMO, Hahn and KW should have been fired before, e.g., after the Drake LaRoach ordeal, poor evaluation of talent, non-competitive line-ups, etc. 

yeah definitely before the first rebuild.

[WhiteSox2023]

1 hour ago, Bob Sacamano said:

How do you stop someone from not wanting to work for you lol you can’t physically make them. You just don’t have to show up lol

Yes, he would just have to resign.  Here’s another story about Kenny from years ago.

https://chicago.suntimes.com/2014/12/17/18595015/reinsdorf-white-sox-balk-at-letting-ken-williams-speak-with-blue-jays

[WestEddy]

2 hours ago, Bob Sacamano said:

How do you stop someone from not wanting to work for you lol you can’t physically make them. You just don’t have to show up lol

Non-compete clause. If he quit, JR wouldn't let him work for another team for the duration of his contract. 

[southsider2k5]

2 hours ago, Bob Sacamano said:

How do you stop someone from not wanting to work for you lol you can’t physically make them. You just don’t have to show up lol

NCAs are wild.

[Bob Sacamano]

13 minutes ago, southsider2k5 said:

NCAs are wild.

At the same time, the guy is admitting he’s doing a terrible job and should be fired. It sounds crazy to want to keep that guy around lol

[chitownsportsfan]

2 hours ago, Bob Sacamano said:

How do you stop someone from not wanting to work for you lol you can’t physically make them. You just don’t have to show up lol

Yea that's complete BS. The biggest myth around Hahn is that he didn't serve his entire time at his and JRs pleasure. It was a mutually parasitic relationship. 

[nrockway]

24 minutes ago, southsider2k5 said:

NCAs are wild.

https://www.reuters.com/article/world/jimmy-johns-settles-illinois-lawsuit-over-non-compete-agreements-idUSKBN13W2J9/
 

reminds me of this. sometimes you just want to take your talents to quiznos…or the anaheim angels. I could absolutely picture Hahn as a sandwich artist. 

Edited 23 hours ago by nrockway

[Bob Sacamano]

2 minutes ago, nrockway said:

https://www.reuters.com/article/world/jimmy-johns-settles-illinois-lawsuit-over-non-compete-agreements-idUSKBN13W2J9/
 

reminds me of this. sometimes you just want to take your talents to quiznos…or the anaheim angels. I could absolutely picture Hahn as a sandwich artist. 

I hear Jimmy John’s is interested.

[Princess Dye]

when you hear about a Bulls/Sox GM wanting to retire that shows (1) this is how he got bigger raises..because he was incredibly valuable to Jerry who never wants to launch a wide search..always wants familiarity (lol)

and

(2) this is the only leverage ploy that can work because it is not believable any other team would want this employee to do any job equal to what he had here. unless it's Benetti.

[Eminor3rd]

23 hours ago, WestEddy said:

Let's set down our pretentions.

All jobs suck. 

I’m not talking about the tedium of basic job responsibilities. 

[chitownsportsfan]

8 hours ago, Princess Dye said:

when you hear about a Bulls/Sox GM wanting to retire that shows (1) this is how he got bigger raises..because he was incredibly valuable to Jerry who never wants to launch a wide search..always wants familiarity (lol)

and

(2) this is the only leverage ploy that can work because it is not believable any other team would want this employee to do any job equal to what he had here. unless it's Benetti.

John Paxson punched a guy and because he was a 40th percentile or so GM kept his job for another half decade. AKME are one of the worst FOs in the NBA and there is zero talk of a hot seat. I realize Michael ostensibly runs the Bulls but this is a JR hallmark. He is extremely hesitant to put in the hard work to find better employees. He's been this way going on two decades.