White Sox GM hampered by low attendance

26 minutes ago

 

CHICAGO (AP)—White Sox general manager Ken Williams said Tuesday he may not be able to make a big trade this season because of smaller crowds at U.S. Cellular Field.

 

Williams nearly pulled off a significant trade in May, putting together a deal to acquire Jake Peavy(notes) from the San Diego Padres. But the 2007 NL Cy Young Award winner used his no-trade clause to torpedo the agreement.

 

Before Tuesday’s game against the Indians, Williams cited slumping attendance as a reason the White Sox may not be able to pull off another big move that would add salary to the team’s payroll.

 

“Well, if I’m being completely honest money is more of the issue now. We expected a little more support than we’ve gotten,” he said. “I think it’s a reflection upon the economy of what’s kind of happen with regards to attendance and I don’t know if we’ve played consistent enough, or been exciting enough for people to get behind us. We’re still hopeful.”

 

Chicago made a small trade Tuesday, acquiring reliever Tony Pena(notes) from the Arizona Diamondbacks for minor league infielder Brandon Allen.

 

Williams noted weak attendance numbers during a three-game series with the Dodgers in late June, where the White Sox averaged 20,814 fans. The White Sox are averaging 26,147 this season, compared with 30,877 last year.

 

“We’ve been probably pretty short or a little aggressive in our projections and we might have to take a lot closer look at it, because, the Dodgers series was certainly an eye opener for us,” Williams said.

 

Um he is talking like he's oblivious to the fact that they raised prices (in a s***ty economy to boot), and especially with that Dodgers series.

Kenny, you came into a year by trading Nick Swisher, losing Joe Crede, picking up Bartolo Colon, and starting Chris Getz, Dewyane Wise, and Josh Fields. While i agree with many of these moves this should come as no suprise to anyone.

KW's looking for a scapegoat, so he's putting it back on the fans.

 

How nice.

You make a blockbuster trade and bring in Roy Halladay... I guarantee more fans will come. You let this team fade into mediocrity, and you'll see attendance numbers drop even more.

 

And puh-lease about the Dodgers series. You raised the freaking prices for a mid-week series in this economy! Get over yourselves!

Edited July 8, 200916 yr by BearSox

Maybe if your team did more than tread around .500 they'd fill up the park.

 

Also, if we had a contributing minor league system, one that before 2007 was practically ignored, we'd be able to fill in positions from within rather than add millions from taking on a player from another team.

 

 

What did Kenny expect? He put Fields, Getz, and Wise out there to fill out 3 important positions.

they must not get any money from the parking

we are 2 games out of 1st and in the race...our attendance should not be this bad

Can anyone in the Sox brass honestly not blame fans in this economy avoiding those bloated Dodger ticket prices?

we are 2 games out of 1st and in the race...our attendance should not be this bad

 

Yeah and we're 2 games above .500.

 

We've been a mediocre team.

Yeah and we're 2 games above .500.

 

We've been a mediocre team.

 

Didn't the Cards win the 2006 World Series after only winning 83 regular season games?? I bet their fans thought they were mediocre all yr

Didn't the Cards win the 2006 World Series after only winning 83 regular season games?? I bet their fans thought they were mediocre all yr

 

That team was in first pretty much all year.

 

They really struggled down the stretch.

You cant argue the facts.

 

If the Sox had a higher attendance, they would be able to support a higher payroll.

 

Sox fans for better or for worse will only support this team if they are the clear favorites to win. Anything less they are going to be pessimistic. It wasnt always this way, but since the 1994 baseball strike Sox fans have a much different attitude towards attending games.

 

 

That team was in first pretty much all year.

 

They really struggled down the stretch.

 

 

Doesn't matter, they struggled, made it to the playoffs, then got hot...we can do it too, oh wait, we are only mediocre so no chance right???

I like the cheap upper deck tix, but parking shouldnt be more than the tix!!! $23 for parking, WTF?!?!!?!?!?

You could see this coming a mile away... Then again, it could just be another smoke screen for Kenny.

Memo to 2006 Cardinals: f*** YOU for winning it all that year, now every fanbase of a mediocre maybe-contending team will bring this up every time the discussion of an average team making the playoffs comes up and railroad the conversation every single time no matter the topic or reason for the team's mediocrity. The 2006 Cardinals were a fluke, World Series winners typically aren't .500 ballclubs.

Edited July 8, 200916 yr by lostfan

You cant argue the facts.

 

If the Sox had a higher attendance, they would be able to support a higher payroll.

 

Sox fans for better or for worse will only support this team if they are the clear favorites to win. Anything less they are going to be pessimistic. It wasnt always this way, but since the 1994 baseball strike Sox fans have a much different attitude towards attending games.

 

Well you can definitely understand that.

 

We had a team that could have won it all that year and our season had to end because two sides couldn't agree. And JR had something to do with that strike too...

Well you can definitely understand that.

 

We had a team that could have won it all that year and our season had to end because two sides couldn't agree. And JR had something to do with that strike too...

 

we were up 1 game on Cleveland, and the Yanks were 3 games better than us...nothing was guarenteed

It is what it is. That was 15 years ago, I guess when the Sox won in 2005 and they have boosted the payroll to over 100mil, I dont really think much about what used to be. Would winning in 1994 have changed my life? I dont know.

 

Right now the Sox are in the upper half in terms of payroll and in the lower half in terms of attendance.

 

Unless you think the Sox are about bleeding money, either attendance has to go up, or payroll has to go down (unless they make the playoffs etc and get a boosted revenue stream.)

Edited July 8, 200916 yr by Soxbadger

Maybe if your team did more than tread around .500 they'd fill up the park.

 

Also, if we had a contributing minor league system, one that before 2007 was practically ignored, we'd be able to fill in positions from within rather than add millions from taking on a player from another team.

 

It reminds me of the Alice Cooper song Lost in America

 

I can't get a girl

cuz I ain't got a car

I can't get a car

cuz I ain't got a job

I can't get a job

cuz I ain't got a car

So I'm looking for a girl with a job and a car

Don't you know where you are

and Jerry is about to buy an NHL team in Phoenix...I know he says he doesnt mix payrolls or anything like that, but spending $170 mil HAS to factor in it somehow (or some of $170 mil, whatever his part is!)

The economy is hurting the Sox. I'm perfectly fine with them not adding payroll if they feel they can't. In these terrible economic times better to be safe than sorry.

What a bunch of crap from KW. As others have noted, he did nothing to excite the fan base this season, and the team has played absolutely pathetic at home this season.