Tag / Jerry Reinsdorf

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The Railyards

Canal Edge, a Chicago-based developer led by future White Sox owner Justin Ishbia, used the lucrative Saturday morning of Labor Day weekend to release plans for a potential new stadium as part of a larger development across the Chicago River from the South Loop neighborhood known as The 78.  The site, currently a maintenance yard for Amtrak, was purchased by Ishbia’s private equity firm earlier this year.

Calling the space The Railyards, a new White Sox stadium would join a previously announced healthcare complex.  The stadium would sit alongside the river, stretching from Roosevelt Road in the north to 18th Street in the south, and bordered with the river on its east side and Canal Street to its west.  McDonald’s Park, the new stadium under construction for the Fire, would sit directly across the river.

In a statement, Canal Edge noted it is “currently beginning a multi-month study and feasibility review evaluating a range of factors from transportation to environmental impact. If feasible, this plan could be presented to Chicago White Sox leadership for consideration as one of the team’s ballpark options when its current lease in the state-owned ballpark ends.”  The team’s lease with the Illinois Sports Facilities Authority for Rate Field ends following the 2029 season, which just happens to be the first year Ishbia could contractually buy out current White Sox owner Jerry Reinsdorf and take full control of the franchise.

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National Mascot Day

In honor of National Mascot Day, I thought it would be a treat to look back at the history of White Sox mascots.  After purchasing the team in 1981, Jerry Reinsdorf and Eddie Einhorn looked to upgrade the team’s marketing and community relations efforts.  One of those moves was to hire the same firm that designed the Phillie Phanatic to come up with modern mascots for the White Sox.  Ribbie, a purple anteater, and Roobarb, whatever he was supposed to be, debuted in September of 1981 and, as with most things involving Jerry Reinsdorf and company, the introduction of the pair was tainted with controversy: the removal of Andy the Clown.

While never an official mascot or team employee, Andy Rozdilsky had been appearing at Comiskey Park in a clown costume since 1960, usually given free admission by the ushers.  He would wander the stands, yelling “Cooooommeeee Onnnnnnn Youuuuuu Whiiiiiiiite Soxxxxxxxxxxx!” and had a nose that would light up whenever a child shook his hand. On the day Ribbie and Roobarb were introduced, Andy the Clown was told he had to pay his own way into the ballpark.  The controversy tainted the new mascots in many fans’ minds, and they were retired following the 1988 season.

In 2004, the team introduced a new mascot, the fuzzy green dude himself, Southpaw.  He has been a fixture on the South Side ever since, and has resonated with fans, young and old alike, in ways his predecessors didn’t, which has enabled him to endure for over 22 seasons.

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Keeping It 100

After dropping last night’s game to the Yankees 8-1, the White Sox notched their 100th loss of the season.  While this is only the seventh time in the 125-year history of the franchise that they have lost 100 games, it is the third consecutive season and the fourth in the last eight.  Over 50% of the franchise’s 100-loss seasons have come in the last decade under the stewardship of Jerry Reinsdorf.

While there are some glimmers of hope heading into 2026, there does not appear to be any urgency to improve this offseason.  GM Chris Getz has already indicated they are hoping that incremental improvements from the young nucleus will be enough to push this team back to the winning side of the ledger.  That plan, on its own, seems unlikely to get the job done, but what else can you expect from a franchise that strives for mediocrity?

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Lonely At The Top

It took a while, but the Rockies finally won their 42nd game of the season last night, ensuring that the 2024 White Sox will continue to own the record for the most losses in a single season in the modern era of Major League Baseball.  Moving forward, I propose that MLB officially declare this day, the day the final team wins their 42nd game of the season, Jerry Reinsdorf day in honor of his not-so-glorious achievement.

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Moving On… Slowly

The White Sox announced on Thursday that chairman Jerry Reinsdorf and minority shareholder Justin Ishbia have reached a “long-term investment agreement that establishes a framework” for Ishbia to obtain a controlling interest in the franchise within the next ten years.  As part of the agreement, Ishbia will make “capital infusions” into the White Sox in 2025 and 2026 that will be used to pay down existing debt and support ongoing team operations.  Following that, Reinsdorf will have the option to sell controlling interest to Ishbia between 2029 and 2033 and, following the 2034 season, Ishbia will have the option to acquire the controlling interest.

Reinsdorf, who has had controlling interest in the White Sox since purchasing the team for $19 million from Bill Veeck in 1981, will be 93 at the start of the initial transition period in 2029.  He has long claimed that he has no interest in selling while he remains in good health but would be 97 by the time Ishiba controls the option to buy.  Ishiba, a billionaire private equity investor, increased his stake in the Whtie Sox this spring to a reported 35%.  In a statement, Ishbia said, “I love Chicago, have always loved baseball, and am thrilled to marry two of my passions.”

Overall, this should be a good thing for the White Sox and their fans.  While Reinsdorf has had one of, if not the winningest ownership tenure in franchise history, he has also managed to successfully alienate most of the fan base, starting with his threats to move the team to Florida in the 1980s, followed by his appearance as one of the largest contributors to the work stoppages that wiped out the end of the 1994 season and the start of the 1995 season and, most recently, overseeing the team’s fall to setting the MLB record for most losses last year.  It is time to turn the page, and waiting for 2029, 2034, and/or Reinsdorf’s death is the price we have to pay for being White Sox fans.

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The Wrong Kind Of History

After staving off their ignoble date with history for the final homestand of the season, the White Sox met their date with history on Friday night, losing 4-1 to the Tigers to notch their 121st loss of the season, a total unmatched in modern MLB history.  Owner Jerry Reinsdorf had his fingerprints all over this one, on both sides of the field.  The Tigers, managed by A.J. Hinch, who was then-GM Rick Hahn’s leading choice to manage the White Sox before Reinsdorf insisted on hiring Tony LaRussa for a second go-around, and announced by Jason Benetti, who Reinsdorf and henchman Brooks Boyer drove away from the White Sox booth this past off-season, clinched a playoff berth while handing the White Sox their record-breaking loss.

Last fall, when Reinsdorf promoted Chris Getz to General Manager after firing Hahn and Kenny Williams, he said, “One of the things that I owe the fans is to get better as fast as we can possibly get better.”  He later added, “I realized that if I brought someone in from the outside it’s going to take them a year. He’s going to have to evaluate everyone in the organization.”  Well, both Reinsdorf and Getz now own this year.  The most losses in the 124 years of modern baseball history and second of all-time to the 1899 Cleveland Spiders.  In the conversation for the worst team of all time.  And outside of a handful of promising pitching prospects, most of whom have already debuted and contributed to this season’s history-making finish, very little help on the way from the minor league system.  Speaking as a fan, I would have gladly traded that year for competence.  Something that is sorely lacking on the corner of 35th and Shields.

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T Minus 6

Following yesterday afternoon’s loss to the Guardians, the White Sox now have 114 loses. just six away from the modern record set by the expansion Mets in 1962.  They would have to go 10-5 over their remaining 15 games to avoid tying the record.  They have won ten games since June 29.

Following the loss, team owner Jerry Reinsdorf released a statement, his first of the season, saying that the season has been “painful for all” and that the entire organization “is extremely unhappy” with how the year has played out.  He expects to have more to say once the season has mercifully come to an end.  Unless he has decided to sell the team, which is extremely unlikely, or is willing to admit he made a mistake with the Chris Getz hiring, which is also unlikely, I doubt his additional thoughts will be worthwhile.

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Setting A New Standard

Don’t download that Stadium app just yet.  A little over two weeks ago, news broke that the White Sox, Bulls, and Blackhawks were expected to announce they were moving their game broadcasts from NBC Sports Chicago to Stadium, a multi-platform sports network controlled by Jerry Reinsdorf. Turns out that was a bit premature.  Yesterday, news broke again that the three teams would instead partner with Standard Media Group to create the new television broadcast home for all three teams, starting in October.  The currently unnamed network is expected to be available across multiple platforms, including over-the-air and carriage agreements with cable and streaming providers.

Based in Nashville, Standard Media Group is a local broadcast and digital media company that, according to its website which looks to have not been updated since 2022, operates television stations in Kentucky, Missouri, Nebraska and Rhode Island.  Compared to them, Stadium, owned by a digital and media investment subsidiary of the White Sox with offices and studios at the United Center, looks like a major player.

Why the change?  Maybe Reinsdorf is looking to start greasing the wheels in Nashville ahead of a potential move.  Maybe the thought of spending money, even if the majority of it was coming back to him, offends the chairman to his core. Maybe the White Sox, Bulls, and Blackhawks draw better in Rhode Island than anybody realizes.  We may never know the truth.

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Building A New TV Home

The White Sox, Bulls, and Blackhawks are expected to announce this week that they are moving their game broadcasts from NBC Sports Chicago to Stadium, a multi-platform sports network controlled by Jerry Reinsdorf.  Stadium, which already has a streaming platform n place that could potentially offer a direct-to-consumer product through its app, would then convert into a regional sports network and attempt to find distribution with cable and satellite providers, in an era where viewership is declining.  The teams, specifically the White Sox and Bulls, are also looking for traditional over-the-air broadcasters to carry some, if not all, of the games locally.

Presumably, most, if not all, of the on-air staff would move to the new channel, as this would seemingly spell the end of the road for NBC Sports Chicago.  Some of the behind-the-scenes staff will likely need to move over as well to enable Stadium to make the transition.

Stadium, of course, is owned by Silver Chalice, a digital and media investment subsidiary of the White Sox with White Sox VP Brooks Boyer listed as CEO.  Their offices and studios are currently located at the United Center.

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A New Voice

On Thursday, the White Sox announced that John Schriffen, a 39-year-old from New York, had signed a multi-year deal to become the team’s new television play-by-play announcer.  He replaces Jason Benetti, who, due to growing frustrations with the White Sox front office, left in November to fill the same role with the Tigers after seven years in the White Sox booth.  Schriffen, who is biracial, becomes the second Black television play-by-play announcer in MLB, joining Dave Sims of the Mariners.

This will mark Schriffen’s first play-by-play assignment for a team, he has broadcast Korean baseball for ESPN during the pandemic and has done some MLB work for ESPN Radio.  His other work at ESPN includes college basketball, college football, college baseball, the XFL, NBA preseason, G-League and Summer League.  After multiple interviews, he met with team owner Jerry Reinsdorf and color analyst Steve Stone this past weekend in Arizona for a final audition.  “We hit it off immediately,” Schriffen said. “Everybody knows Steve Stone is the greatest. He has done everything in baseball broadcasting – the dude is a legend.”