White Sox success

[kente777]

Assuming the White Sox go to and win the World Series, do you think that would put a bit more pressure on the Trib and managment to put a winner on the field next year?

 

Ken

[OnTheBeach]

Assuming the White Sox go to and win the World Series, do you think that would put a bit more pressure on the Trib and managment to put a winner on the field next year?

 

Ken

 

Why should it matter when fans enjoy following "loveable losers" or is that an unfair stereotype that has changed? I don't think most fans on this board celebrate lovably losing but rather would put their feet to the fire.

[Cubfanintheknow]

Assuming the White Sox go to and win the World Series, do you think that would put a bit more pressure on the Trib and managment to put a winner on the field next year?

 

Ken

 

I'd like to think 97 looooong years without a championship would be pressure enough to go out and put a winner on the field.

[Derwood]

As I've said in other threads on this subject, a White Sox championship would take away the excuse of "well, the Sox haven't won in decades either"

[Cubzfan64]

Since the Cubs seem to be run strictly as a business, the only thing I can think of that would pressure them to put a winning team on the field is a boycott of the ballpark (meaning loss in revenue) with the expressed message that the fans won't return until the team is improved.

 

The odds of that happening are slim to none, and slim is out of town unfortunately (imho at least). I'm a Cub fan and I root for the team on the field every day, but it doesn't mean I approve of how the ownership does their job - and the only way I can show that is by not going to the ballpark.

[Tim]

Since the Cubs seem to be run strictly as a business, the only thing I can think of that would pressure them to put a winning team on the field is a boycott of the ballpark (meaning loss in revenue) with the expressed message that the fans won't return until the team is improved.

 

The odds of that happening are slim to none, and slim is out of town unfortunately (imho at least). I'm a Cub fan and I root for the team on the field every day, but it doesn't mean I approve of how the ownership does their job - and the only way I can show that is by not going to the ballpark.

As a businessman, I can assure you that the fans boycotting Wrigley would not have that effect. If the fans were to stop showing up, the Trib would simply reduce expenses to the point where the team still turns a profit. If the fans started boycotting Wrigley, instead of fielding a winner we'd turn the Cubs into Tampa Bay.

 

There's nothing wrong with the Trib's dedication to winning at this point. They have given the team more than the required resources to field a winner. The problem isn't with ownership at this point.

 

And I don't believe there's anything wrong with Hendry's desire to win, either. I think he's doing the best job he can. I don't think the Sox winning is going to have much of an impact on the team one way or another.

[CaliforniaRaisin]

As I've said in other threads on this subject, a White Sox championship would take away the excuse of "well, the Sox haven't won in decades either"

 

That's fine. But this ignores the fact that Trib has allowed the Cubs to spend ~$100 million a year. While we might not agree with the moves Jim Hendry makes, he obviously is already doing what he thinks gives the Cubs the best chance to win. These things won't change if the Sox win the World Series.

 

EDIT: Maybe I should read what Tim posts before posting.

[J.R.]

As I've said in other threads on this subject, a White Sox championship would take away the excuse of "well, the Sox haven't won in decades either"

 

I don't recall ever hearing Cubs officials reference the other team's failure as a means of soothing fans' frustration.

[vance_the_cubs_fan]

Of course, if the Sox win the World Series, according to one Sox fan, everyone will pack the cell and no one will be Cubs fans anymore. :roll:

[Fred Hornkohl]

Of course, if the Sox win the World Series, according to one Sox fan, everyone will pack the cell and no one will be Cubs fans anymore. :roll:

 

More likely, the angel Moroni will blow his trumpet, and the end time will be upon us !! :wink:

[CaliforniaRaisin]

Of course, if the Sox win the World Series, according to one Sox fan, everyone will pack the cell and no one will be Cubs fans anymore. :roll:

 

If the Cell doesn't draw after a WS, their fanbase is hopeless when it comes to attendance.

[RockTheIvy]

If the Sox win the World Series I am scared for two reasons: One, the whole Golden Trumpet end-of-the-world thing, and two, and really, more importantly, I am worried that the Cubs will look at the Sox team, see low OBPs up and down the lineup, and say "Look, we don't need OBP to be successful, just look at the White Sox." So instead of landing OBP, we again focus on tools...

[nilodnayr]

Of course, if the Sox win the World Series, according to one Sox fan, everyone will pack the cell and no one will be Cubs fans anymore. :roll:

 

If the Cell doesn't draw after a WS, their fanbase is hopeless when it comes to attendance.

 

There were still tickets available at the box office the day of for the first playoff series. And looking at the attendance records they only hit their SRO mark of 41,000 once so far in the playoffs. I went to about 25 games this year, many of them important games and the attendance was always insanely poor.

[Outshined_One]

I don't buy it. Are you saying that the Tribune willingly says to themselves, "Gee, why should the Cubs be any good? We should spend ~$100m on a payroll that never wins a thing!" ...right.

 

What pressure will this put on the Tribsters? The casual yuppie fans won't go out to the Cell en masse if the White Sox win the World Series. They don't care for baseball, they care for going out, getting drunk at the park, and then stumbling out to the neighborhood bars afterwards to get even more drunk. You can't exactly do that at the Cell, ya know?

 

The dedicated and hardcore Cub fans won't jump on the White Sox bandwagon.

 

I think Jim Hendry has come into each season having assembled the best possible team to compete for a playoff spot and the World Series in each year of his tenure with the Cubs, given payroll and player availability. Now, plenty of us question this particular conception of assembling a competitive team. But I don't think Hendry willingly holds back because of the lovable loser concept.

 

It's bad business.

[TB_11]

This was somewhat discussed in another thread - Link

 

The Tribune cares about the Cubs turning a profit. If the Sox win the World Series, people will still pile into Wrigley, still watch the games, still buy the jerseys. If anything it might actually be beneficial from the point of view of the Tribune Company, since the Cubs will now be the only cursed team, the only team that hasn't won in over 80 years.

 

Also I've never heard anyone in the organization point to the White Sox's futility when asked about our own.

[Fro]

It's sad because in most situations, getting your butt kicked by your rivals in the standings would result in people getting canned.

[frostwyrm]

I admit to having caught a bit of Sox fever. I have grown weary of Dusty Baker's idiocy and bad moves by Hendry. Basically, I'm sick and tired of being sick and tired. For example, the 2003 NLCS was entertaining but also maddening even when the Cubs were ahead because I could see stupid and costly mistakes being made by Baker. Stuff like that has worn me down. Until the past week I'd forgotten how much fun it is to cheer a team when you're not expecting the manager to do something stunningly stupid

[Derwood]

It's sad because in most situations, getting your butt kicked by your rivals in the standings would result in people getting canned.

 

If by rivals you mean the Cardinals, then yes. I don't consider the White Sox as rivals (besides fans vs. fans). When you play one team 17 times a year and the other 6 (which should be 3 ) times a year, there is no contest.

[Derwood]

As I've said in other threads on this subject, a White Sox championship would take away the excuse of "well, the Sox haven't won in decades either"

 

I don't recall ever hearing Cubs officials reference the other team's failure as a means of soothing fans' frustration.

 

They haven't. But I think there is that feeling about the Chicago teams in the press and in TV coverage. "The two Chicago teams have the longest stretch without titles." Well if the Sox win, the focus of the "longest drout" talk will all be on the Cubs.

 

Of course, the Trib is ambivalent about this at best.

[frostwyrm]

I have to believe a Sox title would attach an added embarrassment factor to a Cubs failure in 2006. The Cubs players and coaches have pride and egos and I'm sure they run into the Sox players in social situations around town. How could it not be embarrassing to play for a $100M flop when the neglected crosstown rival is the world champ, and you have to actually live with the rival's players because they're your neighbors?

[nilodnayr]

As I've said in other threads on this subject, a White Sox championship would take away the excuse of "well, the Sox haven't won in decades either"

 

I don't recall ever hearing Cubs officials reference the other team's failure as a means of soothing fans' frustration.

 

They haven't. But I think there is that feeling about the Chicago teams in the press and in TV coverage. "The two Chicago teams have the longest stretch without titles." Well if the Sox win, the focus of the "longest drout" talk will all be on the Cubs.

 

Of course, the Trib is ambivalent about this at best.

 

 

The press rarely acknowledged the fact that the sox had almost as long of streak as the cubs up until very recently. It was always all about the cubs streak.

[Outshined_One]

The press rarely acknowledged the fact that the sox had almost as long of streak as the cubs up until very recently. It was always all about the cubs streak.

 

Yep. Compare how often in the mainstream you hear about "1908" and "The Curse of the Billy Goat" as opposed to the Black Sox. Some people have tried to make it a curse, but it never exactly caught fire in the mainstream.

 

If the White Sox win the WS, who's next on the list of teams with the longest drought without a title? Giants or Indians?

[CubinNY]

I think it will matter more to the fans then to the organization. It will be fodder for internet message boards. The media will ask stupid questions and the Hendry and Dusty will give some innocuous comments. That will be the extent to of it.

[Outshined_One]

The media will ask stupid questions and the Hendry and Dusty will give some innocuous comments.

 

In other words, it'll be business as usual.

[CubmanPi]

White Sox success will put no added pressure on the Cubs organization. The pressure will then be on Cubs fans and their ability to avoid every single Sox fan until the Cubs can put one together. Imagine trying to go to Wrigley for a Cubs game in '06 if they're hosting the defending World Series champion Whi--(edited for sensitive readers). It's bad enough with the fan jeers in both directions already, but if the Sox finish their run this year, they will have reached epic proportions of intolerable, even for them.