zenryan Posted January 21, 2006 Share Posted January 21, 2006 I live in Orlando and was listening to a Tampa station and someone mentioned how the Sox almost came to town back in the 80s or so. Well I was just wondering how close were they to moving down here? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kevin57 Posted January 21, 2006 Share Posted January 21, 2006 Very close...all too close. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheHawkaroo Posted January 21, 2006 Share Posted January 21, 2006 I think that Sox ownership just needed the leverage to get a stadium deal. I am not sure how serious they were about moving, they just needed the threat to get money from the city. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
G&T Posted January 21, 2006 Share Posted January 21, 2006 Hours away from moving. The same day the papers had to be signed with Tampa was the day that Illinois decided to pay for the stadium. That's what I've heard anyway. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
southsider2k5 Posted January 21, 2006 Share Posted January 21, 2006 The deadline had actually passed to get a stadium done... A miracle tear in the time space continuim made sure that it stayed 11:59 for about an extra half hour to get a deal done that saved the Chicago White Sox. If it had "turned" to midnite the Sox were gone. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Greg The Bull Luzinski Posted January 21, 2006 Share Posted January 21, 2006 QUOTE(southsider2k5 @ Jan 21, 2006 -> 04:38 PM) The deadline had actually passed to get a stadium done... A miracle tear in the time space continuim made sure that it stayed 11:59 for about an extra half hour to get a deal done that saved the Chicago White Sox. If it had "turned" to midnite the Sox were gone. On one of the public broadcasting stations, they just did a thing about the flaw in the "space and time continuim" that allowed the Cell to be built. I think they did it during the World Series. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Greg The Bull Luzinski Posted January 21, 2006 Share Posted January 21, 2006 QUOTE(Tony82087 @ Jan 21, 2006 -> 05:11 PM) I remember watching that, might have been ABC 7. You might be right. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
earthshiner Posted January 22, 2006 Share Posted January 22, 2006 my dad has told me that he went to bed thinking that the next day the sox would be the Tampa White Sox Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Baines3 Posted January 22, 2006 Share Posted January 22, 2006 I remember that very well all to well. The Sox were extremely close to moving to Tampa. I remember I was moving from Michigan to Texas at the time and as I crossed the Illinois border, I was hoping for someone to save the Sox. Well the Sox stayed in Chicago and all these years later I am still grateful for the night the clock stayed at 11:59pm to get the deal done. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nitetrain8601 Posted January 22, 2006 Share Posted January 22, 2006 Really close. There's an online book on Jerry Reinsdorf and Eddie Einhorn and I read like the first 4 chapters and they were talking about it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Heads22 Posted January 22, 2006 Share Posted January 22, 2006 I don't remember any of this. I think that makes you all old. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Baines3 Posted January 22, 2006 Share Posted January 22, 2006 QUOTE(Heads22 @ Jan 21, 2006 -> 11:29 PM) I don't remember any of this. I think that makes you all old. I know what you mean. When you can remember something 18 years ago like it was yesterday, that is a sign that your getting old. Heck I can remember the 1976 White Sox like it was yesterday! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Heads22 Posted January 22, 2006 Share Posted January 22, 2006 QUOTE(whitesox1976 @ Jan 22, 2006 -> 12:17 AM) I know what you mean. When you can remember something 18 years ago like it was yesterday, that is a sign that your getting old. Heck I can remember the 1976 White Sox like it was yesterday! I've got trouble remembering yesterday like it was yesterday. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
YASNY Posted January 22, 2006 Share Posted January 22, 2006 QUOTE(Heads22 @ Jan 22, 2006 -> 12:26 AM) I've got trouble remembering yesterday like it was yesterday. That means you are really getting old! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
YASNY Posted January 22, 2006 Share Posted January 22, 2006 Did I just make a post in this thread? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TLAK Posted January 22, 2006 Share Posted January 22, 2006 QUOTE(nitetrain8601 @ Jan 21, 2006 -> 10:18 PM) Really close. There's an online book on Jerry Reinsdorf and Eddie Einhorn and I read like the first 4 chapters and they were talking about it. Do you have a link or remember what it was called, I'd like to take a look at it. The 80's were an interesting and tumultuous period for the White Sox. The baseball and money politics behind the Bartolo’s being blocked from buying the team and Reinsdorf’s group getting it, the estrangement of Bill Veeck. The courting of Carlton Fisk, the move to pay TV and the bad blood with Harry Carry and Jimmy Piersall. Ken Harrelson’s reign as GM and the firing of Tony Larussa. The whole stadium deal, including the role of Governor Thompson. I could be a season from ‘Dallas’, we even have a JR. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Texsox Posted January 22, 2006 Share Posted January 22, 2006 If the Governor and Mayor, were diehard Cub fans, the Sox would have been gone. As noted, the stadium deal was only completed when Gov. Thompson kept pushing the clock back. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sayitaintso Posted January 22, 2006 Share Posted January 22, 2006 QUOTE(Texsox @ Jan 22, 2006 -> 08:02 AM) If the Governor and Mayor, were diehard Cub fans, the Sox would have been gone. As noted, the stadium deal was only completed when Gov. Thompson kept pushing the clock back. Then thank you Gov. Thompson for saving the Sox. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Critic Posted January 22, 2006 Share Posted January 22, 2006 I had a letter to the editor printed back then. I had drawn a logo for the St. Petersburg White Sox that looked kind of the St. Louis logo, but it formed a dollar sign. It would certainly be interesting to see how that move would have worked out, but I can't imagine the neverending grief Sox fans would have taken from the Baby Bear Cult. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mr_genius Posted January 22, 2006 Share Posted January 22, 2006 this topic still pisses me off Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Texsox Posted January 23, 2006 Share Posted January 23, 2006 The biggest lie I can think of is that Sox fans would never support the Cubs. Eventually, the Cubs would be selling out every game like Boston. Die Hard Sox fans would never cross over, but many more would. IMHO, the Cubs would have had a WS winner by now with the increased payroll am extra million fans would have brought in. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
YASNY Posted January 23, 2006 Share Posted January 23, 2006 QUOTE(Texsox @ Jan 23, 2006 -> 08:17 AM) The biggest lie I can think of is that Sox fans would never support the Cubs. Eventually, the Cubs would be selling out every game like Boston. Die Hard Sox fans would never cross over, but many more would. IMHO, the Cubs would have had a WS winner by now with the increased payroll am extra million fans would have brought in. That's Blasphemy! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
retro1983hat Posted January 23, 2006 Share Posted January 23, 2006 I was in high school when this was happening and in May of 1988, the Sox played the Cubs in the old Crosstown Classic game at Wrigley. I think the game went like 15 innings. Well during the game, a bunch of us Sox fans stood up and started chanting "Save our Sox!, Save our Sox!" I didn't realize until years later, how close we were to losing the 2005 World Champs to Florida. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pants Rowland Posted January 23, 2006 Share Posted January 23, 2006 QUOTE(Texsox @ Jan 23, 2006 -> 09:17 AM) The biggest lie I can think of is that Sox fans would never support the Cubs. Eventually, the Cubs would be selling out every game like Boston. Die Hard Sox fans would never cross over, but many more would. IMHO, the Cubs would have had a WS winner by now with the increased payroll am extra million fans would have brought in. While I agree there would be plenty of Sox fans that eventually would have become Cubs fans, I think your take on the Cubs winning the world series is far off base. The Cubs basically sell out their park now and have been doing so for some time. They have even drawn 3 million fans to that little ballpark of theirs and that has not produced a world series winner. There are plenty of teams without big budgets that have won championships over the past 25 years. This includes smaller budget teams such as the Blue Jays, Braves, Tigers, Royals, Twins, Angels, Marlins, Diamondbacks and Athletics. It is about more than just attendance. That helps, but if you are inept at developing talent and a winning mentality at both the player and coaching ranks, you are never going to win anything. The fact is the Cubs do not sell baseball and they haven't sold it since before WWII. The Cubs sell atmosphere, revisionist history and a bar scene both inside and outside the park. If the Cubs lose but ________ (insert Banks, Kingman, Ryno, Dawson, Sammy, etc. here) hits a home run and everyone gets drunk and laid, then it was a good day. This will not change no matter how far south the White Sox are located. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Irishsox1 Posted January 23, 2006 Share Posted January 23, 2006 The whole "the Sox are moving to Florida" was brewing for some time, but I always thought a deal would get done. Then I saw that a stadium was being built in Florida, then as the deadline was getting closer, I started to think that the Sox might end up moving. You have to remember that in 1984 the Colts moved to Indy in the middle of the night, so why wouldn't that happen to the Sox. So the deadline was set and when I went to bed that night I thought the Sox were goners. I woke up the next day and my dad told me the good news that the Sox were staying. I was upset with Reinsdorf and the team for being taken hostage, but I got over it when the Sox got off to a great start in 1990. The 1990 team saved me from doing something really stupid and got me back on the right track. Now that I'm older I relize that you have to set deadlines to get deals set. The SF Giants did the same thing in the late '90's and it got them a stadium also. It was a dark time as a Sox fan, but if you can believe it, it was not the lowest. In my opinion the 1994 strike was the lowest. Of all the years to go on strike!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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