Chicago White Sox 2024

#351      
Roundball Sage
The Chicago White Sox — 120 losses. Who would have believed that just three years ago?

It’s not easy to lose 120 games in a season. In fact, it’s almost impossible. Yet, that’s what the current version of our beloved White Sox franchise has done. And there is more losing yet to come.

This season is a disgrace to every player who has put on the Sox uniform. It’s a disgrace to...

Luke Appling... Minnie Minoso... Frank Thomas.. Luis Aparicio... Jose Abreu... Billy Pierce... Paul Konerko... Mark Buehrle... Bill Melton... Dick Allen...Jim Landis... Ken Berry... Foxie... and all other Sox players over the past 100 years. It’s sad reminder for we Sox fans about how the franchise we care about has been mismanaged and ignored and left to rot in front of the entire Baseball world.

Yes, it’s damned hard to lose that many games in a single season. Yet this group of White Sox... as constructed by those who have led this franchise for forty years... and found a way to do it.

Let it be known, Sox Nation, that none of this was our fault. We’re doing our part by still caring about this team when the franchise has done so little to earn our loyalty since Bill Veeck left. It’s not even mostly the fault of the players today who are just woefully inadequate to compete on a Major League level. No, that’s not where the fault lies.

Let it also be known that We Deserve Better. This franchise today is no reflection on us. We are winners who know who we choose to support and why for our own personal reasons... and we find reasons beyond the agony of all this losing.

Hold your heads up, Sox fans. No one can accuse us of being like those who just tag along with whoever is winning at the moment. We stay because we found a reason to stay – and care.

This franchise may be owned by some guy who mostly hides and wanted to buy the Mets. But don’t let that fool you. This franchise is ours and belongs to Chicago as civic legacy like the lakefront or all the big skyscrapers that cover the horizon.

‘It Might Be... It Could Be... It IS!’ That’s what Harry used to say. And one day if God wills it so for this franchise and for we fans... it will be again that we reach the heights of 1959 and 2005 again and with frequency for a change. Holy Cow! You Can Put It On The Board — YES!

Until then, Sox fans, just sit back and watch the rest of history this year play itself out.
 
#352      
splitter
EyeoftheIllini said:
Was looking for a tip of the hat emoji, but couldn’t find one. So I’ll just say, well done.
Click to expand...
white sox nick delmonico GIF by MLB
 
#353      
Roundball Sage
Can’t let this baseball season go by without a warm shout-out to the few remaining Athletics fans in the Oakland area. You are losing your team (and will likely never have one again). That stings hard... and is so permanent.

That’s where many of us Sox fans are right now. We know how you feel and we fear the future for our own favorite ball club.

When the A’s moved out of Kansas City... MLB quickly gave KC a new team. That won’t happen with Northern California. Nor might that happen if the worst happened to the Sox in Chicago.

Caring about a ball club is so personal. We each find a reason to care. And if we really care... we stick with it even when times are bad and losses are many.

You’ve have some great ball clubs in Oakland over the years. You gave the White Sox fits in the 1970s as your team was loaded and the Sox were not. That great shortstop and third basemen you had. Those good pitchers. But the Sox did give you some great battles in those years.

And now here we are... thousands of miles apart and yet so close in spirit.

All the best to you guys. And maybe send some hope that we Sox fans won’t have to suffer the same fate.

And just maybe... move to Vegas. Your Raiders should make you feel right at home.
 
#355      
Roundball Sage
Gary J said:
Woohoo! Let’s get that record tonight!
Click to expand...

There are all kinds of laws on the books that Corporations in America cannot put out or submit the Public to harmful products and bad business practices.

I have a suggestion. This should apply to billionaire sports franchise owners as well.

Sports franchises should not be seen as merely a nice toy for some rich guys to do with whatever they please. Franchises must be seen as a public trust and civic necessity.

And so... we need laws to protect consumers (fans) from harmful sports products (terrible teams) and Owners who willfully violate a public trust of running a city's franchise into the ground and still making a godawful fortune of money by doing that.

If an Owner meets certain criteria of failure (which can be spelled out in ‘The Law’) then they must forfeit the franchise and sell it for a bargain price to locals in the community who can afford to buy it. Yes. Do it. Pass this Law. Do this sooner rather than later.

Why am I putting this idea on the White Sox thread? Should I have put this on the Bears thread maybe?

Hmmm... Oh gee, I don’t know. Maybe YOU might have an idea why?...
 
#356      
splitter
Roundball Sage said:
There are all kinds of laws on the books that Corporations in America cannot put out or submit the Public to harmful products and bad business practices.

I have a suggestion. This should apply to billionaire sports franchise owners as well.

Sports franchises should not be seen as merely a nice toy for some rich guys to do with whatever they please. Franchises must be seen as a public trust and civic necessity.

And so... we need laws to protect consumers (fans) from harmful sports products (terrible teams) and Owners who willfully violate a public trust of running a city's franchise into the ground and still making a godawful fortune of money by doing that.

If an Owner meets certain criteria of failure (which can be spelled out in ‘The Law’) then they must forfeit the franchise and sell it for a bargain price to locals in the community who can afford to buy it. Yes. Do it. Pass this Law. Do this sooner rather than later.

Why am I putting this idea on the White Sox thread? Should I have put this on the Bears thread maybe?

Hmmm... Oh gee, I don’t know. Maybe YOU might have an idea why?...
Click to expand...
If you run for office with that platform, you have my vote. Maybe the commissioner and MLB rules committee should do that instead of changing the game like wanting starters to pitch a minimum of 6 innings. There is a luxury tax, how about a futility tax or mediocrity tax. 2 or 3 100 loss seasons in a row or 5 to 10 years without a play-off appearance and you must sell if there is a reasonable offer.

On the bright side of the 2024 season, this has taken some of the sting out of the Black Sox scandal ... half S/
 
#357      
Roundball Sage
splitter said:
If you run for office with that platform, you have my vote... On the bright side of the 2024 season, this has taken some of the sting out of the Black Sox scandal ... half S/
Click to expand...

Also, there are laws on the books about people who allow and create a 'Public Nuisance'... things like overgrown weeds or letting garbage collect in your yard. This is another way that Owners can be held accountable -- when they run their franchise into the ground and turn it into a Major Public Nuisance.

As for the Black Sox and this year's club... isn't it interesting that as the 2024 White Sox are being compared every day to a team from Cleveland (1899) and another team from New York (1962)... that in THIS year of 2024 the current team from Cleveland and both teams from New York are doing well and fans are excited about the coming Playoffs for all of them. They are in... and Sox are WAY out.

What do the Black Sox and the 2024 White Sox have in common? Both teams suffered from bad ownership. You just can't run a good business when your ownership sucks. And when that ownership doesn't... care.
 
#358      
EyeoftheIllini
splitter said:
If you run for office with that platform, you have my vote. Maybe the commissioner and MLB rules committee should do that instead of changing the game like wanting starters to pitch a minimum of 6 innings. There is a luxury tax, how about a futility tax or mediocrity tax. 2 or 3 100 loss seasons in a row or 5 to 10 years without a play-off appearance and you must sell if there is a reasonable offer.

On the bright side of the 2024 season, this has taken some of the sting out of the Black Sox scandal ... half S/
Click to expand...
I know you were being half sarcastic, but Sox have been in playoffs twice within last 5 years, so wouldn’t impact them. Orioles quite recently lost 100+ games in 3 of 4 years, with the outlier being the Covid year. They won the East last year and have qualified for playoffs this year with third best record in league. In today’s pro sports — unfortunately, perhaps — if teams in any league start to get bad, most tear it all down and rebuild. Sox are no different. Yes, they might be in a larger market (believe that is at least part of reason they can’t pick higher that 10 in next draft), but the rebuild blueprint is still the same essentially. It’s unfortunate that Sox may set loss record, but would one really feel any better if Sox only lost 101 games this year?
 
#360      
splitter
EyeoftheIllini said:
I know you were being half sarcastic, but Sox have been in playoffs twice within last 5 years, so wouldn’t impact them. Orioles quite recently lost 100+ games in 3 of 4 years, with the outlier being the Covid year. They won the East last year and have qualified for playoffs this year with third best record in league. In today’s pro sports — unfortunately, perhaps — if teams in any league start to get bad, most tear it all down and rebuild. Sox are no different. Yes, they might be in a larger market (believe that is at least part of reason they can’t pick higher that 10 in next draft), but the rebuild blueprint is still the same essentially. It’s unfortunate that Sox may set loss record, but would one really feel any better if Sox only lost 101 games this year?
Click to expand...
Those two play-off teams were the first back-to-back appearances by the Sox ever ever in well over 100 tears. Lots of teams have lost 100+ games but basically only their fans remember much about those years. The record that was just tied and could be about to be broken will be remembered by one and all for a long long time. i should probably apologize to the one Mets fan i know. His approaching 100 years old and we were relentless in making fun of him for his choice of teams to follow. Sorry Dale., who knew.
 
#361      
EyeoftheIllini
splitter said:
Those two play-off teams were the first back-to-back appearances by the Sox ever ever in well over 100 tears. Lots of teams have lost 100+ games but basically only their fans remember much about those years. The record that was just tied and could be about to be broken will be remembered by one and all for a long long time. i should probably apologize to the one Mets fan i know. His approaching 100 years old and we were relentless in making fun of him for his choice of teams to follow. Sorry Dale., who knew.
Click to expand...
I did not realize that about consecutive playoff appearances. So you mean that Reinsdorf has been owner for one of the three White Sox World Series and the first consecutive playoff appearances in well over one hundred years? Damn. 😁

I know two Mets fans and neither is happy about the Mets potentially losing the record.
 
#362      
Illiniguy74
Roundball Sage said:
Can’t let this baseball season go by without a warm shout-out to the few remaining Athletics fans in the Oakland area. You are losing your team (and will likely never have one again). That stings hard... and is so permanent.

That’s where many of us Sox fans are right now. We know how you feel and we fear the future for our own favorite ball club.

When the A’s moved out of Kansas City... MLB quickly gave KC a new team. That won’t happen with Northern California. Nor might that happen if the worst happened to the Sox in Chicago.

Caring about a ball club is so personal. We each find a reason to care. And if we really care... we stick with it even when times are bad and losses are many.

You’ve have some great ball clubs in Oakland over the years. You gave the White Sox fits in the 1970s as your team was loaded and the Sox were not. That great shortstop and third basemen you had. Those good pitchers. But the Sox did give you some great battles in those years.

And now here we are... thousands of miles apart and yet so close in spirit.

All the best to you guys. And maybe send some hope that we Sox fans won’t have to suffer the same fate.

And just maybe... move to Vegas. Your Raiders should make you feel right at home.
Click to expand...
If the Sox move out of Chicago, I'll never watch, read about or listen to any MLB game/team again. It's that simple for me.
 
#363      
Roundball Sage
Illiniguy74 said:
If the Sox move out of Chicago, I'll never watch, read about or listen to any MLB game/team again. It's that simple for me.
Click to expand...

I'll feel the same way. The reasons I got interested in the Sox are PERSONA:L. I have reasons why I connected with this franchise (and so do probably all of you guys). I do not have these same personal reasons with any other baseball franchise -- and I never could. Nor do I really want to.

It's sad to think of all the great baseball seasons and good times we all COULD have had if 'conditions' with this franchise were different. We were robbed of lots of memories and happy days and nights we could have had.

In short... we Sox fans care much more about this franchise than certain other people directly connected to the Sox do.

That SOX logo will always mean something special to me. It can never be hijacked by bad times and people just drawing a paycheck... or banking money from the team.
 
#364      
Gary J
No connection for me. I am a Cubs fan. Having said that, when they were good, I always hoped they performed well in the postseason. I was happy to see them get the World Series in 05.
 
#365      
Roundball Sage
Gary J said:
No connection for me. I am a Cubs fan. Having said that, when they were good, I always hoped they performed well in the postseason. I was happy to see them get the World Series in 05.
Click to expand...

If the two Chicago ball clubs would ever make it to the Series together one of these days... this World would see something it has never seen before. Chicagoland and The Fan Base of Both 'Nations' of the teams would just go crazy.

A place like New York is used to having teams in the Series all the time. No big deal for them. But when a Chicago team gets there... now THAT is something special.
 
#367      
splitter
Gary J said:
No connection for me. I am a Cubs fan. Having said that, when they were good, I always hoped they performed well in the postseason. I was happy to see them get the World Series in 05.
Click to expand...
1906 is what i keep reminding my Cub fan friends.
 
#368      
Roundball Sage
Sox explode tonight with 3 hits in a loss against Detroit.

Number 121. Everyone was waiting for it. That wait is now over. The 1962 Mets have finally been freed from being the worst team since year 1900 came around and dinosaurs still walked the Earth. That label now belongs to our favorite franchise from the South Side of Chicago.

And who was it that made a damn good decision before this season began? That would be a former White Sox television broadcaster. ‘The smartest (former) White Sox in the Room’ all this season is Jason Benetti.

Not only did he have the good sense to exit what was going to be one of the worst baseball teams in history and not have to broadcast this long death watch... but he moved over to Detroit and gets to call games of an amazing rise of the Tigers from way-down-in-the-pack all the way up into the Playoffs. Tonight was a Party at the ballpark in Motown.

As a fan of the Game.. one has to admire what Tigers have done over the last several weeks to get red hot and into the post-Season. That’s what good teams can do. (Was anyone on the White Sox paying attention?)

The story was the Sox didn’t want Benetti around any more (as he was too competent and popular as his craft)... and Jason wanted to be able to broadcast without having to look over his shoulder all the time.

Reports say Steve Stone is coming back to broadcast Sox games next season. While one must applaud his loyalty to the franchise he once pitched for... one also has to question how he can find the patience to make all this losing sound good. But it’s a gig and it pays pretty good so there’s that.

While Jason Benetti just might be broadcasting the World Series this year... or in the future.

There’s a Playoff Team 90 miles North of Chicago. Now there’s another one just North and East of Chicago.

While the home park of the White Sox will be gathering dust while Sox owners wait patiently to get out of their Lease. And for we Sox fans... our suffering will be over for a few months at least.
 
#369      
Roundball Sage
No one in White Sox Management is going to apologize for this 2024 Sox Season from Hell. But somebody – must. It’s a moral imperative. So I WILL apologize for Everyone, instead.

White Sox Nation – and yes, there still is a loud and proud White Sox Nation from Sea to Shining Sea even though the franchise has done so little to earn our continued loyalty – on behalf of the Chicago White Sox American League Ball Club: I WANT TO APOLOGIZE.

All you passionate Sox fans deserved better – much better. You did not create the toxic mess on 35th Street and you are not responsible for cleaning it up – if it EVER gets cleaned up, that is. This Sox mess stinks worse than the Stock Yards did on its stinkiest day.

I have followed Sports – and sports in Chicago in particular – a long time. And I have never seen any Chicago team degraded to the level of the 2024 White Sox. It is hideous to look at and sad to contemplate. Not the North Side Ball Club (since even when they were dead losers they were always treated as the damned, ‘Lovable Losers!’. Not the Bulls or Bears or Blackhawks. Not the Cardinals or the Packers (Chicago version) or the Zephyrs. Not the Fire. Not the Cougars. NONE of them ever looked so bad as the 2024 Chicago White Sox.

And we all know why it got this way so there’s no need to rehash this big Reigns-Barf of a Mess.

And to Sox players... I also offer a sincere apology. You gave it what you had. It just isn’t enough. You didn’t win because you COULDN’T win. You made it to the Major Leagues but that doesn’t mean you should have. But that’s not your fault – but the fault of an organization so short on talent that they had to put you in Major League uniforms whether you should have been or not. But you did make your money, so there’s that.

Losing has been hard on you guys. I hope you get a good long rest... clear your minds... hug your families... and go talk to someone if you need to. And you probably need to. And often.

And maybe a lot of us Sox fans will need to go see someone to talk to. Yes, this Season was that bad for us and our mental state.

To the vendors on 35th Street I also apologize. The Sox were bad and the crowds were small and you could not sell as many overpriced drinks and food as you should have.

And to anyone else I may have left out... I apologize to you as well.

I can’t make this ball club well. I can’t give this franchise good leadership. I can’t even carry certain signs into the park that say things that certain people in high places don’t like.

BUT... I can and do apologize. For everything this Season that should not have been. For the reputation of a franchise that has been trashed now all over the World. And for all the people who should be apologizing today – but aren’t. And will not -- ever.

There. I did it. It’s done. May this Season Rest in Peace. And may we in Sox Nation find some peace again one day watching our favorite ball club take the field in better days.
 
#371      
Grandpa
Roundball Sage said:
No one in White Sox Management is going to apologize for this 2024 Sox Season from Hell. But somebody – must. It’s a moral imperative. So I WILL apologize for Everyone, instead.

White Sox Nation – and yes, there still is a loud and proud White Sox Nation from Sea to Shining Sea even though the franchise has done so little to earn our continued loyalty – on behalf of the Chicago White Sox American League Ball Club: I WANT TO APOLOGIZE.

All you passionate Sox fans deserved better – much better. You did not create the toxic mess on 35th Street and you are not responsible for cleaning it up – if it EVER gets cleaned up, that is. This Sox mess stinks worse than the Stock Yards did on its stinkiest day.

I have followed Sports – and sports in Chicago in particular – a long time. And I have never seen any Chicago team degraded to the level of the 2024 White Sox. It is hideous to look at and sad to contemplate. Not the North Side Ball Club (since even when they were dead losers they were always treated as the damned, ‘Lovable Losers!’. Not the Bulls or Bears or Blackhawks. Not the Cardinals or the Packers (Chicago version) or the Zephyrs. Not the Fire. Not the Cougars. NONE of them ever looked so bad as the 2024 Chicago White Sox.

And we all know why it got this way so there’s no need to rehash this big Reigns-Barf of a Mess.

And to Sox players... I also offer a sincere apology. You gave it what you had. It just isn’t enough. You didn’t win because you COULDN’T win. You made it to the Major Leagues but that doesn’t mean you should have. But that’s not your fault – but the fault of an organization so short on talent that they had to put you in Major League uniforms whether you should have been or not. But you did make your money, so there’s that.

Losing has been hard on you guys. I hope you get a good long rest... clear your minds... hug your families... and go talk to someone if you need to. And you probably need to. And often.

And maybe a lot of us Sox fans will need to go see someone to talk to. Yes, this Season was that bad for us and our mental state.

To the vendors on 35th Street I also apologize. The Sox were bad and the crowds were small and you could not sell as many overpriced drinks and food as you should have.

And to anyone else I may have left out... I apologize to you as well.

I can’t make this ball club well. I can’t give this franchise good leadership. I can’t even carry certain signs into the park that say things that certain people in high places don’t like.

BUT... I can and do apologize. For everything this Season that should not have been. For the reputation of a franchise that has been trashed now all over the World. And for all the people who should be apologizing today – but aren’t. And will not -- ever.

There. I did it. It’s done. May this Season Rest in Peace. And may we in Sox Nation find some peace again one day watching our favorite ball club take the field in better days.
Click to expand...
The 1-13 Bears were pretty ****** awful, but I guess not the worst ever???? They were awful!
 
#372      
Roundball Sage
Grandpa said:
The 1-13 Bears were pretty ****** awful, but I guess not the worst ever???? They were awful!
Click to expand...

That is true -- really bad Bears team. But I am mainly referring to the overall condition of the entire franchise and not so much just one season.

Sadly, we Chicago fans have a LOT to talk about once we start comparing disappointing seasons.
 
#375      
Roundball Sage
The Sox Owner released a Season-End letter for Sox fans. It includes the following:

“... our on-field performance this season was a failure... As the leader of this organization, that is my ultimate responsibility.”

“... we will do everything we can to fix this for 2025 and the future.”

“... we need to show our progress through action...”.

“Above everything else, I am a fan, a fan of baseball, of Chicago and of the White Sox.”

Comments:

“We will do everything we can...”. Does this mean Everything like in... EVERYthing? Or does he mean more in Everything ‘We Can’ (?). Like, we can do certain things and we can’t do other things – (and that’s it)?

“We need to show our progress through action” ... I think the Sox need to show progress by winning baseball games. No other metric for Sox fans matters in the end.

“I am a fan.. of Chicago...”.

I hope he remembers this when the offers to purchase the ball club pour in when that day comes. Then and only then will we find out who (and what) he is a fan of.

Nice corporate-speak letters are fine. But winning baseball games on the South Side is a bit better.
 
Back