I find it hilarious "No room to grow" is utter crap...they can definitely invest in the surrounding neighborhood and remove some of those parking lots and build a much better entertainment experience. Sell the team, Jerry.
How about put a better team on the field. The Cubs are proving you do not need to do a lot to be competitive in the NL Central. The White Sox could do a similar plan as the Cubs have done to be competitive in the AL Central. Develope the Minor League system, sign some free agents, hire a good manager.
If the White Sox think “The 78”is such a great spot and will bring in a ton of revenue with a stadium and development then pay for themselves. Team is paid for. Get a 30 year loan and finance it. If stadium financing costs too much then go “Oakland A’s” with payroll until you generate additional revenue to spend more. Certainly don’t spend crazy money on pitchers who will end up blowing their arms out.
Would be heartbreaking to see the White Sox leave Chicago. They are a historic team, one of the oldest in the league. They belong in Chicago. I know the A's are a historic team too, but they'd moved multiple times. This feels very different.
I was thinking the same thing. It always sucks when a team moves, but unless I’m mistaken, and I’m 99.9% sure I’m not, a team moving after 125+ years would be unprecedented. This is very scary because if the White Sox can move, then nobody is safe.
@@aaronstark5060literally, that honestly means really only the yankees, dodgers, and giants are literally the only teams that can be considered a lock in their city, everybody else is 5 bad seasons and one very crappy owner away from losing their franchise
If the WS move otta Chicago, the A's could move right in... LOL.... I'm sure that ballpark is better than what the A's have right now and will take it, anyday! Call them the Chicago C's. And we're changing partners, (Sport Franchises) again. Crosby, Stills, and Nash.
Reinsdorf is trying to play the same game he did in 80's that ended up getting their current stadium. The state of Illinois will not be as forthcoming this time around, especially with the Bears lobbying for state funds for their planned new stadium (at least the Bears planning on putting in 2 billion of their own $$$,) Reinsdorf is looking for another handout...and he isn't gonna get it...
Yeah, I doubt with the Bears thing going on, there's even a sneezing chance of the White sox getting any state funds. It's already likely Pritzker won't approve the Bears funds and I doubt both would get approved.
Most of their "attendance" is corporate season ticket sales. They had an opportunity to build camden yards in 1991. Look up "Armour Square stadium". They chose the bare bones stadium they did. I've been a fan of the White Sox for years but they are a weird insular franchise that doesn't seem interested in fielding a winner. Most Sox (and Bulls) fans are just tired and waiting for Jerry to die and hoping that could lead to a rebirth like the Blackhawks had.
Umm ... the White Sox sold out every playoff game they've been in in 2005, 2008, 2021. 2000s attendance shows Sox fans show up when the product is worth it, It's absolutely not just corporate tickets.
@@TrustySteeringWheelTrayI’d hope you’d sell out a playoff game lol. The white Sox attendance has been mediocre to bad for 15 years. There are some years that cleveland draws more fans ! How is that possible in a city as big as Chicago
Ownership should sell the team. Sox fans should be more aware of the As situation as a possibility for us. Sox fans are passionate. Stadium problems is the last thing us Sox fans ever thought of.
Jerry said he has no reason to sell the team and unfortunately, he's not wrong. He is the most powerful man in baseball. He pulled all the strings to get his 2 best friends to be the last 2 commissioners.
us sox fans are very aware of the A’s situation unfortunately, i just don’t even see how a team with 125+ years in a city couldn even be considered for relocation, even with chicago decreasing in size with another more popular team, it’s still 9 million people in the metro, all of them don’t want to be cubs fans
People might bring up the fact that the White Sox broke their curse and won the 2005 World Series under Reinsdorf's leadership, but most of us (myself included) would argue this happened in spite of him and not because of him.
Except that it would likely cost him most of his net worth. Not saying he should be holding the city of Chicago and the state of Illinois hostage like he did back in the 80s, but that counterpoint needs to be made in the interest of fairness.
Many Sox fans are ready to call Reinsdorfs bluff. He admitted he bluffed last time in an interview. If he wants to be the type of owner to cut bait and run instead of owning up to his failure and doing better while at the same time paying his share (most of it) of the cost of a new stadium then we don't want him here anyway. He owes this state and city big. Here's the thing that most people are missing. There's not a lot of places for Reinsdorf to take the Sox and certainly nowhere better than Chicago. The blow back that Reinsdorf will face with the Bulls if he moves the Sox will be huge and not repairable. He never fully repaired the damage he did for his part in the 94 strike.
Totally agree with you. No reasonable owner would move from the #2 market in the country to one of the smallest markets (Nashville's population is 715K) in the South. I have a news flash for Reinsdorf - I grew up in NC and southerners don't care about baseball. Southerners love college basketball/football and NASCAR racing. Atlanta is not the South except before General Sherman burned it down. The Braves are an exception because everyone in Atlanta is from northeastern states. I did not start watching baseball until I moved to Chicago in 2006 and then decided to be a Sox fan. In addition, tourists in Nashville are interested in country music attractions like the Grand Ole Opry, Ryman Auditorium, Music Row, Country Music Hall of Fame & Museum, and the famous honky tonks along Broadway Avenue. I cannot see tourists being interested in paying to see one of the worst MLB teams. Even the A's have a better record now than the White Sox.
@@KendallLitwin Yes, that is why we Sox fans need to call Jerry's bluff. I refuse to give another penny to him. Like you said, he owes the city and state $300M+ on the current stadium which is a great stadium. My Asian cousins (Dodgers fans) visited Chicago last summer and we went to the Sox vs Angels game. They liked the convenience of taking the Red Line train from the loop to Comiskey (sat in section 520 with great field view). They loved our food - elotes, Chicago style hot dogs, Italian beef sandwiches, funnel cakes, and Rainbow Cones. They enjoyed our stadium including the incredible view of downtown's skyline from the Chicago and Southside signs.
@@michaelleroy9281 Yes, it is possible. I ski yearly at Snowbird and Brighton, Utah. The massive amount of Californians (including other West Coasters) with their money moving into Salt Lake City has skyrocketed the real estate market and traffic. I'm amazed at how quickly the population has exploded in the past ten years. I am no longer planning to move to Salt Lake City in retirement - more expensive than staying in downtown Chicago. 😂
@@Ibhenriksen Just because you feel unsafe doesn't mean the tax payers need to pony up $2 billion for a new ballpark. How about you move with the WS, which ever city the team goes too?
Great points Brodie! I hope more influential people call out MLB and Manfred for this obvious ploy to move major league teams around like a chess piece… It’s not right for the generations of fans in these faithful cities. Shameful.
Idgaf I'm gonna call it Comiskey, that's what I grew up on and that's what I'm calling it. Is it a top 10 park? No. Is it useless? NO! It could do with major renovations and maybe in another decade we can talk about a new stadium, but it's still a beautiful park. Only gripe is they should have oriented the park better, but it's not horrific.
I really enjoyed the game I saw there. It was nice. I actually had a better time at a White Sox game than I did a Cubs game. To me, the Stadium is fine and this is just a way for the owner to try to get richer.
Brodie, seeing how the A’s situation went down, Manfred has set a very dangerous precedent for the other teams to follow. The White Sox are a historic team. I’m very concerned about this. The owner needs to foot half of that asking cost if not all of it. I know the owners want public money, but if they want a new ballpark they can pay for it themselves!
I live in the Chicago area, I have been wondering this for a few yrs myself. Is the city big enough to support 2 mlb teams. There is a definite parallel between the White Sox and A's. As a Cubs fan I want the Sox staying, I love the Cubs-Sox rivalry. I hope they don't leave
They have been big enough to support 2 teams for 124 years and they still are because one team has fallen on hard times there is a bandwagon to get one of those teams on a train 🚂 heading out of town
The aging Jerry Reinsdorf (he's 88 years old) needs to sell the team to more stable ownership who will actually invest in the farm system. Second, if he doesn't want to use his own money, he might be better off asking Governor JB Pritzker for a direct, personal loan. (The governor is worth $3.5 billion.)
If I were a Sox fan I'd be terrified too. Reinsdorf has no morals. Im a cubs fan, I know sox fans dont want our pity. But we still both play in chicago. I dont gain anything by half the city losing their team. Its not the stadium either, its still pretty nice, and the food is top tier. Way easier to get to than Wrigley too. Its all Reinsdorf.
I could totally see the Angels relocating to Sacramento and going back to being the California Angels. Not saying they should, but I could see it happen.
My money would be on the Diamondbacks moving before the Sox. However, I think that would be a move to another part of Arizona not too far from where they currently play. Plus, they have pretty solid attendance. I'd say a renovation is more likely.
If the angels move they wouldn’t be leaving the LA area. I’ve heard rumors about Long Beach and there are other options in and around LA if the Angels are to ever move.
Looks like Jerry Reinsdorf is up to his old tricks again. The White Sox are one of the inaugural AL teams (as are the As and my primary team, the Tigers), and if there's any team that shouldn't move, it's them. As a Tigers fan, I don't want to see anything undermine our historic rivalry with them; as someone who's sympathetic to the Cubs (they're probably my second-favorite NL team after the Dodgers) I don't want to see that rivalry get broken up; as someone who cares about preserving the history and legacy of Major League Baseball as a whole I don't want to see a team leave a market it's been in for nearly 125 years. I sure hope the proposal for a new field in the loop works out, and if all else fails that Reinsdorf has to sell the team to new ownership that's committed to keeping it in Chicago.
It'll feel weird to see the White Sox move considering that they have been on the south side since its inception. Also if one of the proposed relocation cities is true(Nashville), the rivalry between the Sox and Tigers would feel less authentic.
@@Soulmodulation Yes, I'm familiar with that. It was technically three minutes past the deadline, but they literally stopped the clocks in the legislative chamber so they could legally say they met it. But even if Reinsdorf had announced intentions to move the team to Tampa at that point, I think there's a high chance it still would've failed. Keep in mind that 10 votes from the AL and 8 voted from the NL would've been needed to approve it, and at that time, many owners (particularly the more senior ones) still recalled firsthand how traumatic the loss of the Dodgers and Giants were for New Yorkers. I think it's safe to say that the Tigers, Brewers and As would've all voted against it, and probably more teams as well.
@@Soulmodulationno, the Illinois House failed to do their homework, and call Jerry’s bluff. He knew that place in St Pete was gonna be an absolute mausoleum (and it is) and counted in his boy, Gov Thompson, to come through for him on a stadium deal (he did).
Chicago is Chicago. The White Sox have been playing in this city since the American League started. No team is going to leave a city of that size for some podunk "town." Don't let this bonehead or Reinsdorf scare you. Another thing, there is a big difference between the Bay Area and Chicago. Oakland has all kinds of issues, which is a big reason why the Raiders and Warriors left - and why the A's are leaving. It's a completely different situation than Chicago. If you think the MLB commissioner is fine with an American League team leaving Chicago - then you are some kind of stupid! One last point, if the White Sox were to leave, do you really think the Cubs would remain in Wrigley Field for very long? In an old and "smaller" stadium. The house of cards would begin to fall to no one's liking.
The Sox aren’t going anywhere. They spend the post and preseason acquiring some of the top prospects. The cost of mlb relocations is insane. It’s a long negotiation process now The Sox might not want a new stadium but rather a good deal renewing their laughable lease in 2029 instead and the ability to build more in their area. You don’t negotiate for the thing you want.
I live in Chicago, and here is something to consider. The cost of housing has skyrocketed in the city over the last 20 years or so. There have been many hardworking, decent families priced out or gentrifyed out of Chicago in that time. This is a problem that deserves the attention and response of Government Officials at both the City and State levels. A billionaire owner of a horrible baseball team deserves no response at all. Reinsdorf is a billionaire who can go buy land somewhere and easily afford to build a ballpark, even though he has a perfectly good tax payer funded ballpark available to him now. And I would say the exact same thing for the Bears. Neither the Sox ballpark, or the Soldier Field renovation are even paid for yet, even though both were done more than two decades ago. If Reinsdorf wants to go, let him go fleece somebody else.
There is nothing to worry about. JB Pritzker is one on the most powerful governors in the country and his family owns the Hyatt Hotel chain. Adding the stadium at The 78 will support the Hyatt McCormick Place, 1 mile south and Hyatt Regency 1 mile north . Everyone's pockets will be filled by this construction project. What will happen is that a bill to expand the Illinois Sports Facility credit line to support both projects will be put into the Illinois budget at the end of the May. The State Democrats would not dare vote against the bill, since JB funds their campaigns. The state does not have to worry about tax holder backlash, because the Illinois Republican party is inept. Rinesdorf may be a bad baseball owner, but he knows how to play Illinois politics. The only thing that will hold this up is that someone's pockets are not properly lined. Illinois is not stupid like California. Don't compare us to them.
I get called a screaming Mimi when I talk about Baseball's knickers being on fire and they are still fitting themselves for a new suit. They already have a colossal fail in Oakland with a failed team, a failed management, and a stillborn relocation. They have a successful team in St. Petersburg that still has trouble drawing fans because of location and political squabbling over the new venue. KCMO just killed a faciliites tax for two teams (although KC is probably the least of MLB's relo problems at this point). Milwaukee just raided their coffers for the Brewers, the political backlash of which we will see come November. The Angels are on notice. Even Baltimore! Kendrick's not-so-veiled threat to move the D'Backs out of Phoenix. St. Louis just passed gas on this. Better believe that Jacobs in Cleveland and Coors in Denver are both in the crosshairs soon. Even Petco in San Diego turns 20 this year - that magical age where seemingly everything in Baseball becomes magically obsolete and derelict - unless of course you're the Red Sox, Cubs, Yankees, or Dodgers...Think about that. That's fully one-third of the entirety of MLB with fan bases being extorted for titatnium plated cup holders in the luxury boxes...Now here comes Reinsdorf. He only needs a billion and a half. Sure! Just head on down to 121 North La Salle and grab it out of the petty cash drawer. No big deal. And sure. You can have all the prime real estate you want in the 78. Just take it. They love you so much, it would be their honor to shower you with these regal gifts. Oh. But there's one little problem. There's been a little glitch with a company called Ballys. Yeah, they screwed that site up. Right before they closed the Tropicana Las Vegas after promising your boy John Fisher free land there for his A's. Seems the pilings for their big, bad casino were going right into the city's utilities. Ooops!... 😃...So you might have to clean up that mess first. Just go on back to La Salle then, and grab yourself another billion and a half from the Teeasurer. She'll be waiting for you...Honestly, MLB ownership couldn't tarnish their reputations any more if they all went out on parade in beehive wigs dressed in mumus with electric blue eye shadow and ruby red lipstick...
Jerry reinsdorf spent over 200 million on the whitesox payroll 2 years ago. And he spent that money with bad attendance from the fans. Man I’d die for an owner to spend like that in Ohio. Y’all are blessed lol. Cleveland won’t even spend half of that
@@gnielsen07 he's never spent more than $75 mil on a player, in 06 there was record attendance and he then dropped payroll that team went 90-72 to 72-90, after winning the division in 21, their only big signings were relievers, he spends no $ in scouting and analytics, he won't fire the manager because he doesn't want to pay him, he hired the gm from inside the organization instead of an outside search, and he's now asking the city for $1 billion in tax payers $ for a new stadium
I guess I should start watching the White Sox games on MLB TV. It's always interesting to keep an eye on the teams at the bottom. You never know what might happen.
My great uncle, William Harridge (former president of the American League and the name on the American League Championship Trophy) would be deeply saddened by this news. My family grew up as White Sox fans. My great uncle had a soft spot for the Sox as that was his home town, AL team. Modern times, though, require modern solutions. He described it to my dad that the Cubs are the White Collar team of Chicago, and the White Sox were the Blue Collar team. It would be sad for my family to see them move, but I would hope they would go to a market that keeps them in the mid west. I could see Indianapolis working. That may be far-fetched, but Indianapolis is a growing market, and could have potential for an MLB team. Nashville would be another option.
Reinsdorf actually could have Camden Yards, but he turned it down and wanted a "modern" stadium. Could you imagine how the Chicago skyline would have looked in the background? Amazing.
The day the White Sox leave Chicago is the day I am done with Baseball in any capacity (which isn't much even now) Be damned on my life if I switch to being a Cubs fan....
And that’s one of the issues with the merging of the AL and NL, when the two were separate entities that is one of the things that saved the Sox in Chicago a few times in the 70’s because the AL did not want to loose the Chicago market to the NL, now without that competition the owners and the league officials have very little regard and will say something as stupid as “the Giants exist”, or in the future “the cubs exist”.
Its crazy how in hindsight, for all the hate he got, that their most successful stretch in the last 5 years was under Tony LaRussa. Im a Cleveland fan but White Sox looked like a juggernaut for years to come, and then they threw the pin instead of the grenade.
FYI, like Bruiser Brodie mentioned, cold, early games in Chicago so far. In 2023, White Sox outdrew the Tigers, Pirates, Rays, Royals, Marlins, and (guess who?), so they aren't exactly a disaster when it comes to butts in the seats + paid ticket no-shows.
current Comiskey Park is passable because of all the renovations, but i'm not from Chicago so I can't see all the problems with it just by television alone. However I am from Toronto and Rogers Centre (formerly SkyDome) is very similar, only that it has a retractable roof, so i can understand the reasoning for a new stadium. But its still a passable useful stadium. If the White Sox move than they move. It wouldn't be the first time a hurtful move happened.
I've been to SkyDome, beautiful place to hold wrestling events. As for Comiskey, yeah it has it's issues but they don't really necessitate a new stadium at the current moment. It's not an ugly park, it's not the beauty of Camden Yards or Kaufman Stadium, but it's still a great place for now.
I always feel so sorry for fans and players on teams like this. For players you dream of playing in the big leagues and once you make it your playing at home in front of fewer fans then you did in AAA or even high school. Then the fans are so passionate but no one seems to care other then you.
No public money for sports stadiums. If the San Francisco Giants, Los Angeles Kings, Boston Bruins, Golden State Warriors, and Los Angeles Clippers can pay for the construction costs of a stadium, then the White Sox can too. Heck, even Jerry Reinsdorf’s other team (Chicago Bulls) paid 50% of the construction costs of the United Center. The Chicago Blackhawks paid the other 50%.
Contrary to public opinion, Chicago is NOT A CUBS TOWN! Chicago is the third largest metro market in the country. The South Side is technically a blue collar area where the White Sox play, as compared to the yuppie debutant north side where the Cubs play. As a Sox fan, I am sick and tired of these millionaire owners begging like Keith Sweat to the city and state governments for public money to get a new stadium. That would ultimately mean tax hikes and we have been taxed to the eyeballs! Call me a wishful thinker, but we need another Bill Veeck type owner who cares more about winning and the fans than money! Okay…..rant over.
Please check out the Reno's to blue Jays park. $300 million x 2 during off season to demolish and rebuild Rogers Stadium all private funds & Canadian dollars place is now retro and fan friendly
They arent going to move the team. Its a scare tactic to get people to come to the game. We arent gonna put money in Jerrys pocket while he shows us no respect and doesnt care about the fans. See you in hell, Jerry.
I disagree with the MLB not caring about the Sox staying in Chicago. Oakland doesn’t seem to want sports there and all teams are moving. Sadly, this is a wait until Jerry does situation. Just like Blackhawks fans had to do with Bill Wirtz. Jerry at 88 isn’t getting any younger and doesn’t want to compete. He’s worried about penny pinching. This is why the Bulls and Sox never can compete at the highest levels.
I wonder if Brodie had been around in the early 1950's, what he would have said about proposed relocations of the Boston Braves, St. Louis Browns, and Philadelphia Athletics, the less popular of teams in two-team markets of that time. A few years later, in 1957, what he would have said about proposed relocations of the New York Giants and Brooklyn Dodgers out of the nation's largest city to California, which had become the nation's second-most-populous state within the previous 10 years and would soon surpass New York in population.
MLB is not going to allow the White Sox to move from the Chicago area, as that would mean abandoning a major city / media market. Even though the Cubs are there, the revenue from having two teams in Chicago would be enough to cause MLB to say no to any relocation, unless it's to a suburb of Chicago. If Illinois refuses to give spend tax money on a new White Sox stadium, the team will likely relent and work out a deal. Unlike Oakland, the city of Chicago has leverage over the Sox. Where could the Sox go, that would have the revenue potential of the Chicago area?
Austin/ San Antonio. Single team in a 5 million+ region. Charlotte--major banking center MLB already allowed a team to leave a richer area with just as much population. That team was also the 2nd team in that region in terms of popularity. Just because they have 'Chicago' on their jerseys and play within city limits might not save them.
The Sox and As comparison is terrible. The As have already moved multiple times. The Sox have been in Chicago for well over 100 years and are a founding member of the AL. Saying that the MLB doesn't have a vested interest in keeping the Sox in Chicago is out of town stupid. Also, the Sox fanbase is much larger than that of the As. The number of net people that baseball will lose as fans is massive.
I'm a big Sox fan, and I will admit that the look of things points toward "move" - but from where I am sitting that may not make the best long term economic sense. If you have a good team here, the team will be supported, but there are not a lot of places you can go where the long term economic outlook is positive and doesn't have a baseball team, and would be willing to build a stadium. Reinsdorf & Co. bought the Sox for $19 million 40+ years ago. Today the franchise is worth $2.05 billion. MLB approved a move to Vegas because of the Vegas economic reality - I'm not sure there are a lot of places like that left out there - and at what point does MLB become responsible if a team can't make it? Places like Portland have long term good economic forecasts, but lack the population. San Antonio and Salt Lake City have sizeable urban population, but lack the middle class and suburban populations to sell 81 games a season. Places like Memphis (and a lot of places further south) are showing population growth, but poor long term economic outlooks. Montreal would be great, but they will not build a stadium. I don't think anyone here has a good plan.
I prefer the White Sox over the Cubs. The thing I’m concerned is the public funding not going through but I hope the White Sox get the stadium on the 68
I don't think any market should have more than 1 team in a league anyway. Illinois is losing population and Philadelphia Boston and St Louis all had 2 teams at one point too. Demographics and population trends of the US are moving south and west.
Here’s the thing: if there wasn’t already two teams in Chicago baseball would not put another expansion team there. I think baseball would love to add more markets to the mix and they might be fine with the Sox leaving Chicago because the Cubs are such an important franchise.
Both are historic. If Sox leave, it could be a situation where name stays for expansion team possibility. Sox were born in Chi. MLB wants two expansion teams so even if a few teams move around (A's to Vegas, Sox to wherever and rebranded) you still get new markets + huge expansion fee. Maybe LV A's, Nashville Honky-tonks (rebranded from Sox), Chi White Sox expansion team, Sacramento Beamers expansion team.
As it stands now, the White Sox are better off as the second team in Chicago than as the first team in Nashville or Charlotte. That said, it's very fluid in a dual-market. If the Sox keep playing like they are, and if the stadium situation doesn't change, that market share against the Cubs will shrink. For context, the Sox are one of the worst teams in history right now, and they are filling more seats than the Pirates, Rays, and Royals, who are all playing competitive baseball.
I’m a cubs fan but this is too brutal for the White Sox. It’s kinda of disturbing if I’m going to be honest. This is honestly hard to watch, the White Sox might lose around 125 games.
The Cubs in addition to a local Chicago fanbase have a Regional & National fanbase. The White Sox fans base is nowhere near the size of the Cubs fanbase. The Cubs got more media attention when they won the 2016 World Series. Many people forgot the White Sox won the 2005 World Series. Business wise the Cubs are more popular than the White Sox. I would have mixed opinions if the White Sox relocated from Chicago as a Cubs fan.
NO ONE BETTER SAY NASHVILLE. They are not moving out of Chicago. They have the third best local TV deal. Ownership it the issue with the Sox’s. A’s are a bit different they have one of the worst deals in market that just does not support two teams.
Idk why. Your team spends money. This is nothing like Oakland, or cleveland, or Miami, or Tampa. The white Sox had a top 10 payroll in 2022 and 2023. the white Sox don’t have a huge fan base, Cleveland got more fans to their games last year than the Sox did. And their owner sucks horribly
So let me get this straight. We have high sky inflation, homelessness, illegal aliens, gangs, drugs, etc. But we need to foot taxpayers for not just 1 new stadium, but two? /facepalm
I'm a huge sox fan. I think they are gone. Illinois is not paying for a new stadium. I think they are going to break there lease and relocate maybe as early as next season
Not going to happen in your or my lifetime. MLB will not stand for losing a charter American League team in Chicago. If anything, would not make economic sense for baseball overall. This is a charter American League team in a huge metropolitan area.
MLB wants two expansion teams by 2030 or so. It will be interesting to see if there are a few relocations within that (Las Vegas A's, Royals or Sox?). With Sox, could be a situation where name stays possibly worked out in some deal. Chi gets in on expansion with new White Sox.
IMO no way they're gonna get Chicago a second team again, even if White Sox is historical franchise (charter member of AL) Probably the same reason MLB/Manfred give on why he won't give Oakland team back in the next expansion
I don’t see the Royals going anywhere if the White Sox move it’s gonna be to Nashville but I hope things work out, the A’s Vegas move is giving me some skeptics but I still think it’ll happen
In the last 12 months we've seen 2 franchises in 2 different of the big 4 sports leagues relocate. We're also hearing whispers in Winnipeg, Kansas City, Phoenix (again), Washington, and Indianapolis just to name a few. While I don't think all of these will come to anything more than threats to get leverage from politicians I do believe the land scape of pro sports will look quite different in a ten years. If the White Sox who have been in Chicago for 130 years could really move somewhere else, anything is possible.
Build the new stadium as the anchor to Chicago's newest neighborhood. The city will make their money back with all of the tourism dollars anyway. Just like they did with Navy Pier and Millennium Pk.
Chicago taxpayers are not paying for a mediocre AA team masquerading as a pro MLB team to have a new stadium. Based on their current record, I calculated their potential wins to be 24 games this season and lose 138. The Sox are on track to set a new worst loss record in MLB history with 138. Currently, the sorry A's have a better record than the Sox.
@llee8825 It's a new neighborhood not just a stadium. That's what everyone needs to understand. It doesn't matter how many they lose. They are rebuilding. I'd rather they lose and rebuild than they be at 500 and in the middle of the pack.
@@giacobbeperales5926 Not with Getz as GM and Jerry as owner. They're incompetent and Jerry is senile. 42 years of ownership with 1 World Series championship, 1 division title, and 1 playoff series win. 🤣🤣🤣
@llee8825 Jerry is 88!!! Do you realize that in a couple of years the Sox will have a new owner!!! And we are talking about a new neighborhood which is more than just a stadium.
@@giacobbeperales5926 What if the equally incompetent Reinsdorf sons decide to keep both teams just to torture us?? There is no guarantee Jerry's sons will sell either team (Sox or Bulls) after his death.
I'm a White Sox fan. I hope Reinsdorf moves the team. That's the ONLY hope. He will never sell. It would cost him a ton of money in taxes. From what I understand, the White Sox naming rights and logo are owned by Chicago. If he moves, him, his employees, the entire crap lineup will be gone. Another good owner will swoop in and recreate the White Sox in their own good vision. We need a TOTAL and COMPLETE boycott. Don't watch on TV, don't buy merchandise, don't go to games. It's the only hope.
Chicago sports fans....who live in Chicago have a tendency to look at team stadium requests from a merit standpoint initially....what have ya done for me lately??? I can't criticize that way of thinking. It's a very midwestern concept of good actions requiring a reward by earning that reward in the first place. Which is why many Bears fans can agree that Soldier Field positively sucks but so has the team that plays there and they want a Super Bowl title or two right now. The White Sox are not exempt from this and dug an early grave all the way back to 1988/89 when they approved the stadium design. It was shortsighted and a complete departure from the original stadium thus displaying zero regard for history. And it was acquired through a threat by the Sox owner to move to Florida. 36 years later from that last-minute vote in Springfield, Illinois...we are back in 1988 all over again. But times and thinking has changed public perception. Voters dislike billionaires asking them to pay for their new stadium or arena and politicians are listening more to this and public votes have displayed a new trend.... The owners can feel quite free to stick their request for public funding, tax breaks or whatever...directly up their asses.... The NHL's Coyotes found that out in May of '23 when it was realized that a "privately" funded 2.1 billion dollar project would provide luxury-focused homes, tax breaks, and a bill of roughly 240 million worth of cleanup & infrastructure costs at the expense of Tempe taxpayers...a fate that sealed the Coyotes eventual departure and now they're the property of Utah with a guaranteed arena already funded for them and the Jazz. The Kansas City Chiefs, the resident NFL dynasty with 3 Super Bowl tiles in the last 5 years or whatever lost the renewal of an ongoing sales tax to fund their vision for a renovated Arrowhead Stadium...and thus was done at the expense of a great football team poised to win another Super Bowl in 2024.... Illinois is not going to give the White Sox 1.7 billion in public funding and tax breaks. Nor should they. I say this as a White Sox fan. They've devolved into the worst team in baseball on top of this so even the motivation of a good to great team persuading public opinion is non-existing and this gives Jerry Reinsdorf a very out of touch and condescending look, that is only reinforcing the people's already poor perception of him in the first place. So do I think that the White Sox are going to build a stadium at that nice location called The 78? No. No I don't. They have the WRONG owner to facilitate that outcome. Unless he sells the team to an owner with private resources or dies, thus allowing progressive leadership to intervene with common sense...nothing will happen in the Sox favor. Do I think that the White Sox may move to Utah because the state of Utah has already secured almost a billion dollars to build a MLB stadium IF the MLB grants them a franchise? Yes. Yes I do. Utah has all of the aces that Illinois will never get under the current circumstances. Salt Lake City White Sox? I can see that as a very real deal. And frankly speaking, I'm fine with it.
What Manfraud said about the Bay Area sounds very familiar to DC fans -- "There's already a team in your market. You have a team -- the Orioles." We got a team.
I sear these leagues are becoming a joke in every sport now. College football,hockey,baseball. Pro football even screwed Oakland. Like its all about money anymore
Similar situation with the Royals. Chiefs want a new stadium and they'll get it. Royals may have to fund theirs privately, or perhaps get thrown a few bucks by taxpayers, but the Chiefs are obviously the priority. BTW, I think Kaufmann Stadium is beautiful - I guess it's the location that's the sore spot. Where's George Brett in all of this...?
He’s all wet. Was not impressed with his comments. Clearly doesnt know the history of the owner, the Sox Fans and the city. Sox are not going anywhere.
Because of their neighborhood. Half of the Cubs fans I talk to don't even know much about the team. They just go to the games to drink. Once we get our new stadium at the 78 our attendance will increase as many will flock to see the most beautiful ballpark in the country. In the most beautiful neighborhood.
@@giacobbeperales5926 I'm on the Southside and been a fan since the days of Sosa and Wood. We care about baseball. Good neighborhood but we have fans everywhere. Look at the road series in Seattle. Poor weather doesn't hold us back. If they want better numbers they need new ownership and better marketing.
Jerry Reinsdorf is the biggest problem
I would like this comment, but I respect the thumbs up number 👍🏾
I find it hilarious "No room to grow" is utter crap...they can definitely invest in the surrounding neighborhood and remove some of those parking lots and build a much better entertainment experience. Sell the team, Jerry.
Agreed. I hate these stadiums that have a 4x parking lot footprint than the stadium itself.
Guys who wants to spend time on that area?
How about put a better team on the field. The Cubs are proving you do not need to do a lot to be competitive in the NL Central. The White Sox could do a similar plan as the Cubs have done to be competitive in the AL Central. Develope the Minor League system, sign some free agents, hire a good manager.
@@amazingeric97 The cubs spent most decades doing garbage, their moment was 2016 like the Sox was 2005
If the White Sox think “The 78”is such a great spot and will bring in a ton of revenue with a stadium and development then pay for themselves. Team is paid for. Get a 30 year loan and finance it. If stadium financing costs too much then go “Oakland A’s” with payroll until you generate additional revenue to spend more. Certainly don’t spend crazy money on pitchers who will end up blowing their arms out.
We’re tired of Reinsdorf’s actions
Or inaction. I trust any random fan off the street to run this organization more competently than reinsdork
As a non-White Sox fan, so am I.
The old goat has to go
Would be heartbreaking to see the White Sox leave Chicago. They are a historic team, one of the oldest in the league. They belong in Chicago. I know the A's are a historic team too, but they'd moved multiple times. This feels very different.
I was thinking the same thing. It always sucks when a team moves, but unless I’m mistaken, and I’m 99.9% sure I’m not, a team moving after 125+ years would be unprecedented. This is very scary because if the White Sox can move, then nobody is safe.
@@aaronstark5060literally, that honestly means really only the yankees, dodgers, and giants are literally the only teams that can be considered a lock in their city, everybody else is 5 bad seasons and one very crappy owner away from losing their franchise
It came damn close to happening on June 30, 1988, a matter of minutes
If the WS move otta Chicago, the A's could move right in... LOL.... I'm sure that ballpark is better than what the A's have right now and will take it, anyday! Call them the Chicago C's. And we're changing partners, (Sport Franchises) again. Crosby, Stills, and Nash.
@MisterCautionbut the Sox are third in MLB merch sales. The Cubs aren’t even in the top 10.
Reinsdorf is trying to play the same game he did in 80's that ended up getting their current stadium. The state of Illinois will not be as forthcoming this time around, especially with the Bears lobbying for state funds for their planned new stadium (at least the Bears planning on putting in 2 billion of their own $$$,) Reinsdorf is looking for another handout...and he isn't gonna get it...
The state is $300 Billion in debt, which it was not in 1990.
Yeah, I doubt with the Bears thing going on, there's even a sneezing chance of the White sox getting any state funds. It's already likely Pritzker won't approve the Bears funds and I doubt both would get approved.
Most of their "attendance" is corporate season ticket sales.
They had an opportunity to build camden yards in 1991. Look up "Armour Square stadium". They chose the bare bones stadium they did.
I've been a fan of the White Sox for years but they are a weird insular franchise that doesn't seem interested in fielding a winner. Most Sox (and Bulls) fans are just tired and waiting for Jerry to die and hoping that could lead to a rebirth like the Blackhawks had.
The alternate stadium plans are so painful to look at now, seeing what we could’ve had.
Amour Stadium was NEVER a plan or an alternative. I’m sick of self-loathing, self-pitying, wallowing in their misery Sox fans who push that myth.
Umm ... the White Sox sold out every playoff game they've been in in 2005, 2008, 2021.
2000s attendance shows Sox fans show up when the product is worth it,
It's absolutely not just corporate tickets.
Yes. Armour Park. The best stadium that never was. Sox could still develop the neighborhood.
@@TrustySteeringWheelTrayI’d hope you’d sell out a playoff game lol. The white Sox attendance has been mediocre to bad for 15 years. There are some years that cleveland draws more fans ! How is that possible in a city as big as Chicago
Ownership should sell the team. Sox fans should be more aware of the As situation as a possibility for us. Sox fans are passionate. Stadium problems is the last thing us Sox fans ever thought of.
Jerry said he has no reason to sell the team and unfortunately, he's not wrong. He is the most powerful man in baseball. He pulled all the strings to get his 2 best friends to be the last 2 commissioners.
us sox fans are very aware of the A’s situation unfortunately, i just don’t even see how a team with 125+ years in a city couldn even be considered for relocation, even with chicago decreasing in size with another more popular team, it’s still 9 million people in the metro, all of them don’t want to be cubs fans
Jerry Reisndorf is a terrible owner! He's up there with Bob Nutting, Fisher, etc etc
People might bring up the fact that the White Sox broke their curse and won the 2005 World Series under Reinsdorf's leadership, but most of us (myself included) would argue this happened in spite of him and not because of him.
Reinsdorf is worth 2.4 billion, dude can pay for his own damn stadium
He’s 87 years old. What the hell does he care? Sell the team.
Except that it would likely cost him most of his net worth. Not saying he should be holding the city of Chicago and the state of Illinois hostage like he did back in the 80s, but that counterpoint needs to be made in the interest of fairness.
I always wonder if old Comiskey Park would could have held up until 2024
Many Sox fans are ready to call Reinsdorfs bluff. He admitted he bluffed last time in an interview. If he wants to be the type of owner to cut bait and run instead of owning up to his failure and doing better while at the same time paying his share (most of it) of the cost of a new stadium then we don't want him here anyway. He owes this state and city big.
Here's the thing that most people are missing. There's not a lot of places for Reinsdorf to take the Sox and certainly nowhere better than Chicago.
The blow back that Reinsdorf will face with the Bulls if he moves the Sox will be huge and not repairable. He never fully repaired the damage he did for his part in the 94 strike.
Totally agree with you. No reasonable owner would move from the #2 market in the country to one of the smallest markets (Nashville's population is 715K) in the South. I have a news flash for Reinsdorf - I grew up in NC and southerners don't care about baseball. Southerners love college basketball/football and NASCAR racing. Atlanta is not the South except before General Sherman burned it down. The Braves are an exception because everyone in Atlanta is from northeastern states. I did not start watching baseball until I moved to Chicago in 2006 and then decided to be a Sox fan.
In addition, tourists in Nashville are interested in country music attractions like the Grand Ole Opry, Ryman Auditorium, Music Row, Country Music Hall of Fame & Museum, and the famous honky tonks along Broadway Avenue. I cannot see tourists being interested in paying to see one of the worst MLB teams. Even the A's have a better record now than the White Sox.
@@llee8825 Again, Nashville wants an expansion team, not the Sox.
@@KendallLitwin Yes, that is why we Sox fans need to call Jerry's bluff. I refuse to give another penny to him. Like you said, he owes the city and state $300M+ on the current stadium which is a great stadium. My Asian cousins (Dodgers fans) visited Chicago last summer and we went to the Sox vs Angels game. They liked the convenience of taking the Red Line train from the loop to Comiskey (sat in section 520 with great field view). They loved our food - elotes, Chicago style hot dogs, Italian beef sandwiches, funnel cakes, and Rainbow Cones. They enjoyed our stadium including the incredible view of downtown's skyline from the Chicago and Southside signs.
@@llee8825Forget Nashville, watch out for Salt Lake City, they just got an NHL team
@@michaelleroy9281 Yes, it is possible. I ski yearly at Snowbird and Brighton, Utah. The massive amount of Californians (including other West Coasters) with their money moving into Salt Lake City has skyrocketed the real estate market and traffic. I'm amazed at how quickly the population has exploded in the past ten years. I am no longer planning to move to Salt Lake City in retirement - more expensive than staying in downtown Chicago. 😂
These publicly funded stadiums shouldn't be a problem...as long as they let taxpayers in for free.
Yep
If only…
Here here sam
Or sell part of the team as stock
Sox are a legacy franchise. Moving to Nashville, yeah ... 8 other teams want to move to Nashville. They should start a Nashville Division.
The WS need new players, not a new ballpark.
No, they need a new ballpark. The surrounding area is unsafe.
@@Ibhenriksen Just because you feel unsafe doesn't mean the tax payers need to pony up $2 billion for a new ballpark. How about you move with the WS, which ever city the team goes too?
@@nosportsteamfollower516 Tax payers shouldn't have to put up the $2 billion but they need a new ballpark in a safer location.
But Jerry doesn't want to get those new players
@@Ibhenriksen Then don't go to the game if you don't think it's safe.
Great points Brodie! I hope more influential people call out MLB and Manfred for this obvious ploy to move major league teams around like a chess piece… It’s not right for the generations of fans in these faithful cities. Shameful.
Idgaf I'm gonna call it Comiskey, that's what I grew up on and that's what I'm calling it. Is it a top 10 park? No. Is it useless? NO! It could do with major renovations and maybe in another decade we can talk about a new stadium, but it's still a beautiful park. Only gripe is they should have oriented the park better, but it's not horrific.
I always found it to be a good stadium.
I really enjoyed the game I saw there. It was nice. I actually had a better time at a White Sox game than I did a Cubs game. To me, the Stadium is fine and this is just a way for the owner to try to get richer.
Our family enjoy it ❤
It should be called 2nd rate field
A winning team can make shit stadium feel like a palace. The product on the field is the problem
Brodie, seeing how the A’s situation went down, Manfred has set a very dangerous precedent for the other teams to follow. The White Sox are a historic team. I’m very concerned about this. The owner needs to foot half of that asking cost if not all of it. I know the owners want public money, but if they want a new ballpark they can pay for it themselves!
I live in the Chicago area, I have been wondering this for a few yrs myself. Is the city big enough to support 2 mlb teams. There is a definite parallel between the White Sox and A's. As a Cubs fan I want the Sox staying, I love the Cubs-Sox rivalry. I hope they don't leave
They have been big enough to support 2 teams for 124 years and they still are because one team has fallen on hard times there is a bandwagon to get one of those teams on a train 🚂 heading out of town
Chicago has supported two teams for over a century. What are you talking about?
That's how Billionaires stay billionaires. By getting someone else to pay for everything. I'm sick of this.
The aging Jerry Reinsdorf (he's 88 years old) needs to sell the team to more stable ownership who will actually invest in the farm system. Second, if he doesn't want to use his own money, he might be better off asking Governor JB Pritzker for a direct, personal loan. (The governor is worth $3.5 billion.)
Yes
Pritzker is an actual billionaire
So?
Stop the Scheme! Stop the Scheme!
If I were a Sox fan I'd be terrified too. Reinsdorf has no morals. Im a cubs fan, I know sox fans dont want our pity. But we still both play in chicago. I dont gain anything by half the city losing their team. Its not the stadium either, its still pretty nice, and the food is top tier. Way easier to get to than Wrigley too. Its all Reinsdorf.
Based off the A's and now the White Sox could the Angels be next in line to possibly relocate?
I could totally see the Angels relocating to Sacramento and going back to being the California Angels. Not saying they should, but I could see it happen.
Why would they move? Their attendance is doing fine like 13th atm. Angels don't need to relocate.
My money would be on the Diamondbacks moving before the Sox. However, I think that would be a move to another part of Arizona not too far from where they currently play. Plus, they have pretty solid attendance. I'd say a renovation is more likely.
@@Vossenator The ball park situation, it's one of the oldest and could use a replacement
If the angels move they wouldn’t be leaving the LA area. I’ve heard rumors about Long Beach and there are other options in and around LA if the Angels are to ever move.
Looks like Jerry Reinsdorf is up to his old tricks again. The White Sox are one of the inaugural AL teams (as are the As and my primary team, the Tigers), and if there's any team that shouldn't move, it's them. As a Tigers fan, I don't want to see anything undermine our historic rivalry with them; as someone who's sympathetic to the Cubs (they're probably my second-favorite NL team after the Dodgers) I don't want to see that rivalry get broken up; as someone who cares about preserving the history and legacy of Major League Baseball as a whole I don't want to see a team leave a market it's been in for nearly 125 years. I sure hope the proposal for a new field in the loop works out, and if all else fails that Reinsdorf has to sell the team to new ownership that's committed to keeping it in Chicago.
It'll feel weird to see the White Sox move considering that they have been on the south side since its inception. Also if one of the proposed relocation cities is true(Nashville), the rivalry between the Sox and Tigers would feel less authentic.
@@sunny1992s Agreed, which is why I hope they stay in Chicago, even if they move to the Loop.
@@Soulmodulation Yes, I'm familiar with that. It was technically three minutes past the deadline, but they literally stopped the clocks in the legislative chamber so they could legally say they met it. But even if Reinsdorf had announced intentions to move the team to Tampa at that point, I think there's a high chance it still would've failed. Keep in mind that 10 votes from the AL and 8 voted from the NL would've been needed to approve it, and at that time, many owners (particularly the more senior ones) still recalled firsthand how traumatic the loss of the Dodgers and Giants were for New Yorkers. I think it's safe to say that the Tigers, Brewers and As would've all voted against it, and probably more teams as well.
@@Soulmodulationno, the Illinois House failed to do their homework, and call Jerry’s bluff. He knew that place in St Pete was gonna be an absolute mausoleum (and it is) and counted in his boy, Gov Thompson, to come through for him on a stadium deal (he did).
Looks like a classic play from ownership: tank the team, fans stay away, ask for ridiculous $ for new stadium, threaten to move. So sad..
After the sweep in Philly, I'd pay Frank Thomas and Ray Durham and Jim Tomi to come back
Chicago is Chicago. The White Sox have been playing in this city since the American League started. No team is going to leave a city of that size for some podunk "town." Don't let this bonehead or Reinsdorf scare you.
Another thing, there is a big difference between the Bay Area and Chicago. Oakland has all kinds of issues, which is a big reason why the Raiders and Warriors left - and why the A's are leaving. It's a completely different situation than Chicago. If you think the MLB commissioner is fine with an American League team leaving Chicago - then you are some kind of stupid!
One last point, if the White Sox were to leave, do you really think the Cubs would remain in Wrigley Field for very long? In an old and "smaller" stadium. The house of cards would begin to fall to no one's liking.
Wrigley Field is 110 years old, you never know someday the Cubs might threaten to leave town because their park is too old
The Sox aren’t going anywhere. They spend the post and preseason acquiring some of the top prospects.
The cost of mlb relocations is insane. It’s a long negotiation process now
The Sox might not want a new stadium but rather a good deal renewing their laughable lease in 2029 instead and the ability to build more in their area. You don’t negotiate for the thing you want.
I still find it laughable they would ask for public funding before considering spending money on a good team
Let’s Build A New Bears Stadium Before we Put any Money into the WhiteSox .....It’s the Bears Time to get Some Money.
I live in Chicago, and here is something to consider. The cost of housing has skyrocketed in the city over the last 20 years or so. There have been many hardworking, decent families priced out or gentrifyed out of Chicago in that time. This is a problem that deserves the attention and response of Government Officials at both the City and State levels. A billionaire owner of a horrible baseball team deserves no response at all. Reinsdorf is a billionaire who can go buy land somewhere and easily afford to build a ballpark, even though he has a perfectly good tax payer funded ballpark available to him now. And I would say the exact same thing for the Bears. Neither the Sox ballpark, or the Soldier Field renovation are even paid for yet, even though both were done more than two decades ago. If Reinsdorf wants to go, let him go fleece somebody else.
Manfred with the silly comment “the Giants are still here.” Are you serious? Some people are die-hard fans and won’t just go “root” for another team.
There is nothing to worry about. JB Pritzker is one on the most powerful governors in the country and his family owns the Hyatt Hotel chain. Adding the stadium at The 78 will support the Hyatt McCormick Place, 1 mile south and Hyatt Regency 1 mile north . Everyone's pockets will be filled by this construction project. What will happen is that a bill to expand the Illinois Sports Facility credit line to support both projects will be put into the Illinois budget at the end of the May. The State Democrats would not dare vote against the bill, since JB funds their campaigns. The state does not have to worry about tax holder backlash, because the Illinois Republican party is inept. Rinesdorf may be a bad baseball owner, but he knows how to play Illinois politics. The only thing that will hold this up is that someone's pockets are not properly lined. Illinois is not stupid like California. Don't compare us to them.
The taxpayers pockets will be emptied.
I get called a screaming Mimi when I talk about Baseball's knickers being on fire and they are still fitting themselves for a new suit. They already have a colossal fail in Oakland with a failed team, a failed management, and a stillborn relocation. They have a successful team in St. Petersburg that still has trouble drawing fans because of location and political squabbling over the new venue. KCMO just killed a faciliites tax for two teams (although KC is probably the least of MLB's relo problems at this point). Milwaukee just raided their coffers for the Brewers, the political backlash of which we will see come November. The Angels are on notice. Even Baltimore! Kendrick's not-so-veiled threat to move the D'Backs out of Phoenix. St. Louis just passed gas on this. Better believe that Jacobs in Cleveland and Coors in Denver are both in the crosshairs soon. Even Petco in San Diego turns 20 this year - that magical age where seemingly everything in Baseball becomes magically obsolete and derelict - unless of course you're the Red Sox, Cubs, Yankees, or Dodgers...Think about that. That's fully one-third of the entirety of MLB with fan bases being extorted for titatnium plated cup holders in the luxury boxes...Now here comes Reinsdorf. He only needs a billion and a half. Sure! Just head on down to 121 North La Salle and grab it out of the petty cash drawer. No big deal. And sure. You can have all the prime real estate you want in the 78. Just take it. They love you so much, it would be their honor to shower you with these regal gifts. Oh. But there's one little problem. There's been a little glitch with a company called Ballys. Yeah, they screwed that site up. Right before they closed the Tropicana Las Vegas after promising your boy John Fisher free land there for his A's. Seems the pilings for their big, bad casino were going right into the city's utilities. Ooops!... 😃...So you might have to clean up that mess first. Just go on back to La Salle then, and grab yourself another billion and a half from the Teeasurer. She'll be waiting for you...Honestly, MLB ownership couldn't tarnish their reputations any more if they all went out on parade in beehive wigs dressed in mumus with electric blue eye shadow and ruby red lipstick...
White sox fans are done with Jerry reinsdorf spitting in our face
Jerry reinsdorf spent over 200 million on the whitesox payroll 2 years ago. And he spent that money with bad attendance from the fans. Man I’d die for an owner to spend like that in Ohio. Y’all are blessed lol. Cleveland won’t even spend half of that
@@gnielsen07 he's never spent more than $75 mil on a player, in 06 there was record attendance and he then dropped payroll that team went 90-72 to 72-90, after winning the division in 21, their only big signings were relievers, he spends no $ in scouting and analytics, he won't fire the manager because he doesn't want to pay him, he hired the gm from inside the organization instead of an outside search, and he's now asking the city for $1 billion in tax payers $ for a new stadium
@@gnielsen07 he also has an insane stadium deal where he makes $ If fans show up or not
this is the 'make owners pay for their own shit' button
I guess I should start watching the White Sox games on MLB TV. It's always interesting to keep an eye on the teams at the bottom. You never know what might happen.
My great uncle, William Harridge (former president of the American League and the name on the American League Championship Trophy) would be deeply saddened by this news. My family grew up as White Sox fans. My great uncle had a soft spot for the Sox as that was his home town, AL team. Modern times, though, require modern solutions. He described it to my dad that the Cubs are the White Collar team of Chicago, and the White Sox were the Blue Collar team. It would be sad for my family to see them move, but I would hope they would go to a market that keeps them in the mid west. I could see Indianapolis working. That may be far-fetched, but Indianapolis is a growing market, and could have potential for an MLB team. Nashville would be another option.
pretty soon, New York and Los Angeles will be the only two teams markets left in MLB
Reinsdorf actually could have Camden Yards, but he turned it down and wanted a "modern" stadium. Could you imagine how the Chicago skyline would have looked in the background? Amazing.
The day the White Sox leave Chicago is the day I am done with Baseball in any capacity (which isn't much even now) Be damned on my life if I switch to being a Cubs fan....
Mostl likely it won’t happen
Become a Brewers fan if the White Sox leave. You can keep your dislike for the Cubs and support a team nearby that’s in the opposite league
As a cubs fan, ima be sad if the white Sox leave. They’re a historic team and should stay in Chicago. Plus I love the rivalry between our ball clubs.
@@alexm.6533Absolutely, The Windy City Rivalry is always a hoot since I'm the lone Sox fan among my Cubs loving family.
And that’s one of the issues with the merging of the AL and NL, when the two were separate entities that is one of the things that saved the Sox in Chicago a few times in the 70’s because the AL did not want to loose the Chicago market to the NL, now without that competition the owners and the league officials have very little regard and will say something as stupid as “the Giants exist”, or in the future “the cubs exist”.
Nobody city wants that clown show team. Reinsdorf has ruined the Sox and Bulls.
The reason why the 78 is still available is because it’s right next to the Chicago Union Station train yards and the pollution. There is insane bad.
How do billionaires have the audacity to ask governments to pay for an asset that will only really benefit them in the long run.
Its crazy how in hindsight, for all the hate he got, that their most successful stretch in the last 5 years was under Tony LaRussa. Im a Cleveland fan but White Sox looked like a juggernaut for years to come, and then they threw the pin instead of the grenade.
I've seen this movie before. It's a copy of the script for "Major League"
FYI, like Bruiser Brodie mentioned, cold, early games in Chicago so far. In 2023, White Sox outdrew the Tigers, Pirates, Rays, Royals, Marlins, and (guess who?), so they aren't exactly a disaster when it comes to butts in the seats + paid ticket no-shows.
current Comiskey Park is passable because of all the renovations, but i'm not from Chicago so I can't see all the problems with it just by television alone. However I am from Toronto and Rogers Centre (formerly SkyDome) is very similar, only that it has a retractable roof, so i can understand the reasoning for a new stadium. But its still a passable useful stadium. If the White Sox move than they move. It wouldn't be the first time a hurtful move happened.
I've been to SkyDome, beautiful place to hold wrestling events. As for Comiskey, yeah it has it's issues but they don't really necessitate a new stadium at the current moment. It's not an ugly park, it's not the beauty of Camden Yards or Kaufman Stadium, but it's still a great place for now.
You all forgot one thing, major league owners would have to approve a move out of Chicago, not a sure thing
I can’t imagine a different ballpark will fix this tire fire of a team.
Most Sox fans are worried that Reinsdorf will live into his 100"s.
I always feel so sorry for fans and players on teams like this. For players you dream of playing in the big leagues and once you make it your playing at home in front of fewer fans then you did in AAA or even high school. Then the fans are so passionate but no one seems to care other then you.
No public money for sports stadiums. If the San Francisco Giants, Los Angeles Kings, Boston Bruins, Golden State Warriors, and Los Angeles Clippers can pay for the construction costs of a stadium, then the White Sox can too.
Heck, even Jerry Reinsdorf’s other team (Chicago Bulls) paid 50% of the construction costs of the United Center. The Chicago Blackhawks paid the other 50%.
And So Fi Stadium
Contrary to public opinion, Chicago is NOT A CUBS TOWN!
Chicago is the third largest metro market in the country. The South Side is technically a blue collar area where the White Sox play, as compared to the yuppie debutant north side where the Cubs play. As a Sox fan, I am sick and tired of these millionaire owners begging like Keith Sweat to the city and state governments for public money to get a new stadium. That would ultimately mean tax hikes and we have been taxed to the eyeballs! Call me a wishful thinker, but we need another Bill Veeck type owner who cares more about winning and the fans than money!
Okay…..rant over.
Please check out the Reno's to blue Jays park. $300 million x 2 during off season to demolish and rebuild Rogers Stadium all private funds & Canadian dollars place is now retro and fan friendly
Also Brodie, you do great work. Really appreciate your efforts.
I wasn’t impressed with his report. It felt bush league. Not sure he understands how much Sox Fans hate the owner.
They arent going to move the team. Its a scare tactic to get people to come to the game. We arent gonna put money in Jerrys pocket while he shows us no respect and doesnt care about the fans. See you in hell, Jerry.
Sox fans make up for attendance in drinks consumed. Also we all have jobs so no one is going to a Wednesday doubleheader
That would be no problem for me , not everyone is working , Like those who are retired, I could go go to those DH's or watch them on TV
I disagree with the MLB not caring about the Sox staying in Chicago. Oakland doesn’t seem to want sports there and all teams are moving.
Sadly, this is a wait until Jerry does situation. Just like Blackhawks fans had to do with Bill Wirtz. Jerry at 88 isn’t getting any younger and doesn’t want to compete. He’s worried about penny pinching. This is why the Bulls and Sox never can compete at the highest levels.
I wonder if Brodie had been around in the early 1950's, what he would have said about proposed relocations of the Boston Braves, St. Louis Browns, and Philadelphia Athletics, the less popular of teams in two-team markets of that time. A few years later, in 1957, what he would have said about proposed relocations of the New York Giants and Brooklyn Dodgers out of the nation's largest city to California, which had become the nation's second-most-populous state within the previous 10 years and would soon surpass New York in population.
migrating west was a thing. teams were replaced out east (see KC Royals, New York Mets, etc.) It's not the same now... by any means
St Louis is not Chicago
White Sox fans, Oakland was the shot heard round the league. White Sox fans need to jump on this immediately!
MLB is not going to allow the White Sox to move from the Chicago area, as that would mean abandoning a major city / media market. Even though the Cubs are there, the revenue from having two teams in Chicago would be enough to cause MLB to say no to any relocation, unless it's to a suburb of Chicago. If Illinois refuses to give spend tax money on a new White Sox stadium, the team will likely relent and work out a deal. Unlike Oakland, the city of Chicago has leverage over the Sox. Where could the Sox go, that would have the revenue potential of the Chicago area?
Couldn’t say it any better
Austin/ San Antonio. Single team in a 5 million+ region.
Charlotte--major banking center
MLB already allowed a team to leave a richer area with just as much population. That team was also the 2nd team in that region in terms of popularity.
Just because they have 'Chicago' on their jerseys and play within city limits might not save them.
@HHSGDFootballJPD Austin San Antonio are not bigger than Chicago not even in banking or financially
Reisdorf is getting greedy. Heck Their current stadium isn't Even paid off.
I Love 2005 Chicago White Sox -White Sox - Go - Go - White Sox! (smile)
Go Go Go for 121, these are not your 2005 World 🌍 Series Champion Chicago White Sox anymore
@@michaelleroy9281 I Can Dream, Can't I? (smile)
The Sox and As comparison is terrible. The As have already moved multiple times. The Sox have been in Chicago for well over 100 years and are a founding member of the AL. Saying that the MLB doesn't have a vested interest in keeping the Sox in Chicago is out of town stupid. Also, the Sox fanbase is much larger than that of the As. The number of net people that baseball will lose as fans is massive.
Exactly
I'm a big Sox fan, and I will admit that the look of things points toward "move" - but from where I am sitting that may not make the best long term economic sense. If you have a good team here, the team will be supported, but there are not a lot of places you can go where the long term economic outlook is positive and doesn't have a baseball team, and would be willing to build a stadium.
Reinsdorf & Co. bought the Sox for $19 million 40+ years ago. Today the franchise is worth $2.05 billion. MLB approved a move to Vegas because of the Vegas economic reality - I'm not sure there are a lot of places like that left out there - and at what point does MLB become responsible if a team can't make it? Places like Portland have long term good economic forecasts, but lack the population. San Antonio and Salt Lake City have sizeable urban population, but lack the middle class and suburban populations to sell 81 games a season. Places like Memphis (and a lot of places further south) are showing population growth, but poor long term economic outlooks. Montreal would be great, but they will not build a stadium. I don't think anyone here has a good plan.
Dont say this because it will get Salt Lake another hardon for taking a team, but a team with history like the White Sox will be very depressing.
Things are fine when the team doesnt suck.
I prefer the White Sox over the Cubs. The thing I’m concerned is the public funding not going through but I hope the White Sox get the stadium on the 68
78
I don't think any market should have more than 1 team in a league anyway. Illinois is losing population and Philadelphia Boston and St Louis all had 2 teams at one point too. Demographics and population trends of the US are moving south and west.
I absolutely agree.
Here’s the thing: if there wasn’t already two teams in Chicago baseball would not put another expansion team there. I think baseball would love to add more markets to the mix and they might be fine with the Sox leaving Chicago because the Cubs are such an important franchise.
Both are historic. If Sox leave, it could be a situation where name stays for expansion team possibility. Sox were born in Chi. MLB wants two expansion teams so even if a few teams move around (A's to Vegas, Sox to wherever and rebranded) you still get new markets + huge expansion fee. Maybe LV A's, Nashville Honky-tonks (rebranded from Sox), Chi White Sox expansion team, Sacramento Beamers expansion team.
As it stands now, the White Sox are better off as the second team in Chicago than as the first team in Nashville or Charlotte. That said, it's very fluid in a dual-market. If the Sox keep playing like they are, and if the stadium situation doesn't change, that market share against the Cubs will shrink.
For context, the Sox are one of the worst teams in history right now, and they are filling more seats than the Pirates, Rays, and Royals, who are all playing competitive baseball.
I’m a cubs fan but this is too brutal for the White Sox. It’s kinda of disturbing if I’m going to be honest. This is honestly hard to watch, the White Sox might lose around 125 games.
Cubs fan, primarily, here (but I like the White Sox a little too). I truly feel bad for die-hard Sox fans. They don't deserve this crap.
The Cubs in addition to a local Chicago fanbase have a Regional & National fanbase. The White Sox fans base is nowhere near the size of the Cubs fanbase. The Cubs got more media attention when they won the 2016 World Series. Many people forgot the White Sox won the 2005 World Series. Business wise the Cubs are more popular than the White Sox. I would have mixed opinions if the White Sox relocated from Chicago as a Cubs fan.
NO ONE BETTER SAY NASHVILLE. They are not moving out of Chicago. They have the third best local TV deal. Ownership it the issue with the Sox’s. A’s are a bit different they have one of the worst deals in market that just does not support two teams.
I'm checking out the Nashville newspapers occasionally, there is absolutely no news of a ballpark being built there anytime soon
Everyone hates Jerry Reinsdorf.
Idk why. Your team spends money. This is nothing like Oakland, or cleveland, or Miami, or Tampa. The white Sox had a top 10 payroll in 2022 and 2023. the white Sox don’t have a huge fan base, Cleveland got more fans to their games last year than the Sox did. And their owner sucks horribly
Reinsdorf would rather move the team out of Chicago than sell to an owner that would be competitive.
So let me get this straight. We have high sky inflation, homelessness, illegal aliens, gangs, drugs, etc. But we need to foot taxpayers for not just 1 new stadium, but two?
/facepalm
They’re not leaving the nation’s 3rd largest market. If they move it will be to suburbs
It won't be 3rd for long. By 2030 Dallas-Fort Worth will have overtaken it.
So why has no other league added a 2nd team in Chicago if they've been the 3rd largest market for a while?
@@HHSGDFootballJPDBecause Chicago is not New York or Los Angeles
you never know, they allowed a team from a large market to move to a smaller market.
@@willp.8120thought that was Houston
They have been trying to relocate for decades and the market isn't losijf MLB baseball. Just let them go
I'm a huge sox fan. I think they are gone. Illinois is not paying for a new stadium. I think they are going to break there lease and relocate maybe as early as next season
Not moving
Relocate where next season Sherlock? cow pasture like Charlie Finley once wanted to play at?
Not going to happen in your or my lifetime. MLB will not stand for losing a charter American League team in Chicago. If anything, would not make economic sense for baseball overall. This is a charter American League team in a huge metropolitan area.
There are at least 3 teams that would move before the Sox would. Rays, angels, diamondbacks
@troyarrington5492 The Angels are going nowhere someone is going to start rumors about them while we're at it
MLB wants two expansion teams by 2030 or so. It will be interesting to see if there are a few relocations within that (Las Vegas A's, Royals or Sox?). With Sox, could be a situation where name stays possibly worked out in some deal. Chi gets in on expansion with new White Sox.
IMO no way they're gonna get Chicago a second team again, even if White Sox is historical franchise (charter member of AL)
Probably the same reason MLB/Manfred give on why he won't give Oakland team back in the next expansion
Royals leaving KC would be a far bigger tragedy than this or Oakland. Those markets are two team markets and KC loves their Royals.
Tampa is another one that needs to be sorted out
I don’t see the Royals going anywhere if the White Sox move it’s gonna be to Nashville but I hope things work out, the A’s Vegas move is giving me some skeptics but I still think it’ll happen
There is a big difference between Oakland and Chicago. Sox are not going anywhere.
In the last 12 months we've seen 2 franchises in 2 different of the big 4 sports leagues relocate. We're also hearing whispers in Winnipeg, Kansas City, Phoenix (again), Washington, and Indianapolis just to name a few. While I don't think all of these will come to anything more than threats to get leverage from politicians I do believe the land scape of pro sports will look quite different in a ten years. If the White Sox who have been in Chicago for 130 years could really move somewhere else, anything is possible.
Build the new stadium as the anchor to Chicago's newest neighborhood. The city will make their money back with all of the tourism dollars anyway. Just like they did with Navy Pier and Millennium Pk.
Chicago taxpayers are not paying for a mediocre AA team masquerading as a pro MLB team to have a new stadium. Based on their current record, I calculated their potential wins to be 24 games this season and lose 138. The Sox are on track to set a new worst loss record in MLB history with 138. Currently, the sorry A's have a better record than the Sox.
@llee8825 It's a new neighborhood not just a stadium. That's what everyone needs to understand. It doesn't matter how many they lose. They are rebuilding. I'd rather they lose and rebuild than they be at 500 and in the middle of the pack.
@@giacobbeperales5926 Not with Getz as GM and Jerry as owner. They're incompetent and Jerry is senile. 42 years of ownership with 1 World Series championship, 1 division title, and 1 playoff series win. 🤣🤣🤣
@llee8825 Jerry is 88!!! Do you realize that in a couple of years the Sox will have a new owner!!! And we are talking about a new neighborhood which is more than just a stadium.
@@giacobbeperales5926 What if the equally incompetent Reinsdorf sons decide to keep both teams just to torture us?? There is no guarantee Jerry's sons will sell either team (Sox or Bulls) after his death.
I mean.... Oakland has TWO shovel ready sites 🤷🏿♂️ somebody share this with mayor Thao 😏
I'm a White Sox fan. I hope Reinsdorf moves the team. That's the ONLY hope. He will never sell. It would cost him a ton of money in taxes.
From what I understand, the White Sox naming rights and logo are owned by Chicago.
If he moves, him, his employees, the entire crap lineup will be gone. Another good owner will swoop in and recreate the White Sox in their own good vision.
We need a TOTAL and COMPLETE boycott. Don't watch on TV, don't buy merchandise, don't go to games. It's the only hope.
Not true
The name is owned by Major League Baseball
Dudes gunna die soon
The Cubs are def Chicago's team, IMO. The White Sox should relocate to Utah 😁
Chicago sports fans....who live in Chicago have a tendency to look at team stadium requests from a merit standpoint initially....what have ya done for me lately???
I can't criticize that way of thinking. It's a very midwestern concept of good actions requiring a reward by earning that reward in the first place.
Which is why many Bears fans can agree that Soldier Field positively sucks but so has the team that plays there and they want a Super Bowl title or two right now.
The White Sox are not exempt from this and dug an early grave all the way back to 1988/89 when they approved the stadium design. It was shortsighted and a complete departure from the original stadium thus displaying zero regard for history.
And it was acquired through a threat by the Sox owner to move to Florida.
36 years later from that last-minute vote in Springfield, Illinois...we are back in 1988 all over again. But times and thinking has changed public
perception. Voters dislike billionaires asking them to pay for their new stadium or arena and politicians are listening more to this and public votes have displayed a new trend....
The owners can feel quite free to stick their request for public funding, tax breaks or whatever...directly up their asses....
The NHL's Coyotes found that out in May of '23 when it was realized that a "privately" funded 2.1 billion dollar project would provide luxury-focused homes, tax breaks, and a bill of roughly 240 million worth of cleanup & infrastructure costs at the expense of Tempe taxpayers...a fate that sealed the Coyotes eventual departure and now they're the property of Utah with a guaranteed arena already funded for them and the Jazz.
The Kansas City Chiefs, the resident NFL dynasty with 3 Super Bowl tiles in the last 5 years or whatever lost the renewal of an ongoing sales tax to fund their vision for a renovated Arrowhead Stadium...and thus was done at the expense of a great football team poised to win another Super Bowl in 2024....
Illinois is not going to give the White Sox 1.7 billion in public funding and tax breaks. Nor should they. I say this as a White Sox fan.
They've devolved into the worst team in baseball on top of this so even the motivation of a good to great team persuading public opinion is non-existing and this gives Jerry Reinsdorf a very out of touch and condescending look, that is only reinforcing the people's already poor perception of him in the first place.
So do I think that the White Sox are going to build a stadium at that nice location called The 78?
No.
No I don't.
They have the WRONG owner to facilitate that outcome. Unless he sells the team to an owner with private resources or dies, thus allowing progressive leadership to intervene with common sense...nothing will happen in the Sox favor.
Do I think that the White Sox may move to Utah because the state of Utah has already secured almost a billion dollars to build a MLB stadium IF the MLB grants them a franchise?
Yes.
Yes I do.
Utah has all of the aces that Illinois will never get under the current circumstances.
Salt Lake City White Sox?
I can see that as a very real deal.
And frankly speaking, I'm fine with it.
What Manfraud said about the Bay Area sounds very familiar to DC fans -- "There's already a team in your market. You have a team -- the Orioles." We got a team.
3:00 a good example of why Washington should be abbreviated was WSH
I’ve been a fan since 67 and I say let them go. The Reinsdorf ownership has soured me on my first favorite Chicago team. I’m done until he sells. 😢
I sear these leagues are becoming a joke in every sport now. College football,hockey,baseball. Pro football even screwed Oakland. Like its all about money anymore
please update on the SOS petition and if it will be on the ballot to overturn(i hope)
Well, I don't think they'll make an Oakland (definition: let 3 major league pro sports team leave). Good thing thry have 2 MLB clubs.. Oakland = 0
Better news than the news
I’m a Sox fan but they suck can’t win if their life depends on it . Same old same old.
Similar situation with the Royals. Chiefs want a new stadium and they'll get it. Royals may have to fund theirs privately, or perhaps get thrown a few bucks by taxpayers, but the Chiefs are obviously the priority. BTW, I think Kaufmann Stadium is beautiful - I guess it's the location that's the sore spot. Where's George Brett in all of this...?
Would be an absolute shame if the sox who were in Chicago since 1901 moved.... hope they figure this out....
Interesting take. This wasn't something I was considering, but with what Brodie presented, it does seem conceivable.
He’s all wet. Was not impressed with his comments. Clearly doesnt know the history of the owner, the Sox Fans and the city. Sox are not going anywhere.
Relocate them to Sac permanently 💯💯
Uhm. No
Cubs drew over 30k despite it being freezing out so this isn't a good look.
Because of their neighborhood. Half of the Cubs fans I talk to don't even know much about the team. They just go to the games to drink. Once we get our new stadium at the 78 our attendance will increase as many will flock to see the most beautiful ballpark in the country. In the most beautiful neighborhood.
@@giacobbeperales5926 I'm on the Southside and been a fan since the days of Sosa and Wood. We care about baseball. Good neighborhood but we have fans everywhere. Look at the road series in Seattle. Poor weather doesn't hold us back. If they want better numbers they need new ownership and better marketing.
@giacobbeperales5926 If they get the park at the 78 , GRF barely passed in 1988