CSF Posted April 23, 2004 Share Posted April 23, 2004 Sox need extreme makeover Posted Friday, April 23, 2004 By Barry Rozner What the White Sox don't need is a tummy tuck. Or Botox, or calf implants or liposuction. They need all of it. They don't just need a facelift. They need a face change. They don't need gimmicks and they don't need just a new marketing director. They need marketing direction. The White Sox don't need to blow up their ballpark. They need to blow up the environment of their ballpark, not to mention their organization and their culture. Ask anyone what the face of the Blackhawks is and they'll tell you it's a bumbling, stumbling fool that spits all over its fan base every time it opens its mouth or makes a move. Ask anyone what the face of the White Sox is and they'll tell you it's just plain sour. It's mean, angry, vindictive, jealous and petty. Every news conference - this side of Ozzie Guillen - features someone who's unhappy, defensive, mad or scowling. Their inferiority complex when it comes to the Cubs overwhelms them, but they're too busy concentrating on their misery to see it. Sure, the Sox could hire someone like the Cubs' No. 2 marketing man, Jay Blunk, and he would do very well, though early speculation has centered on Jerry Reinsdorf's son stepping into the vacated marketing job. But there's a much bigger issue here, and that's the unfriendly atmosphere that permeates every inch of the Sox organization from top to bottom, and from foul line to foul line. And the only way to change that is to put someone in charge who can change the dynamic and force dynamic change. The most obvious candidate is Cubs marketing director John McDonough, who is going to be president of an organization someday, and if the Sox were smart they'd get him now, put him in charge and give him the run of the joint. The Sox don't have a boss the fans can see. They don't really know who makes decisions or solves problems. The Cubs didn't either, and their front office was a joke until Andy MacPhail was hired. He changed the aura immediately to a place where business would get done and get done the right way, from top to bottom. When the casual White Sox fan thinks of the team, he or she thinks of executives staring coldly into cameras, players unhappy with contracts or fans attacking someone on the field. Right or wrong, it's what they see, and the organization needs someone with personality, vision, credibility, ideas, power, influence, respect and a calming smile to change the notion of what White Sox baseball means. Right now, you walk in and are immersed in unhappiness and choked by unfriendliness. The Sox don't just need a new marketing boss and they don't need gimmicks. That's like paying millions to an all-star second baseman when you've lost 100 games and really need five starting pitchers, two set-up men and a closer. If they want to change the attitude, they need a team president, someone like McDonough to change the environment to one of cooperation and friendliness. Until then, the organization will be the worst of all combinations: ugly with a rotten personality. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BridgeportHeather Posted April 23, 2004 Share Posted April 23, 2004 I saw somewhere in the Sun Times yesterday that quite possibly Veeck's son might take over soon. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BrandoFan Posted April 23, 2004 Share Posted April 23, 2004 What about SS's own McDonaugh (sp?) dude everyone keeps chirpin' about? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
southsider2k5 Posted April 23, 2004 Share Posted April 23, 2004 I saw somewhere in the Sun Times yesterday that quite possibly Veeck's son might take over soon. Now that would be a coup. Can you imagine the goodwill that would come out of that hiring? God if fans loved Ozzie, can you imagine bringing someone is from the most popular era of the Sox Fan? I wonder if there is any bad blood between the Veeck's and the current ownership? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chisoxfn Posted April 23, 2004 Share Posted April 23, 2004 As much of a name Veeck is, would it be a good hire? He's going to definately be agressive and energetic and I think thats what you need from a president. You want that type of confidence stewing from your employees. Actually I think this article is pretty dead on. The Sox organization gives you kind of a cold feeling. They are starting to change it, but the attitude just isn't that firey, lets have fun and play baseball. Ozzie has it, KW is about as firey as it gets (I really like KW's attitude), but then you have the rest of it and it just doesn't respond that way. Still, I'd rather take the Cubs guy then Veeck. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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