Question of the day
Monday, Jul 15, 2024 - Posted by Rich Miller
* I have not been to a White Sox game this year, and I’m betting that I’m not the only one…
The Chicago White Sox have had a season to forget so far in 2024, and they set yet another mark this weekend that they’d just as soon rather forget.
The White Sox wrapped up their pre-All Star Game schedule on Sunday with a loss to the Pittsburgh Pirates at Guaranteed Rate Field, their fourth in a row and their seventh in their last eight games.
The loss puts the White Sox at 27-71 on the season as the All-Star break arrives, and that number is enough to put them in some less-than-desirable company.
According to Stathead, the White Sox now hold the record for most losses before the All-Star Game of any team in MLB history, outdueling the 1979 Oakland Athletics and 2018 Baltimore Orioles for that distinction.
The Athletics did have a winning percentage that was worse than the White Sox, who have won 27.6% of their games so far this season.
The first All-Star game was played in 1933. Heckuva job, Jerry.
My Sox hat is starting to look rather tatty of late, but I refuse to buy another one. Between the team’s losses and the owner’s stadium drama, I’m just beyond reluctant to give them any money.
* Lately, the team has been sending me increasingly desperate emails. The latest…
* The Question: How should I respond?
- Flyin'Elvis'-Utah Chapter - Monday, Jul 15, 24 @ 11:13 am:
Well, if you insist on being a Chicago sports fan-
“Fool me once…”
- Sox Fan - Monday, Jul 15, 24 @ 11:15 am:
I wouldn’t respond. As a former season ticket holder myself, I know how hard the season ticket reps work. It’s a tough job when things are going good. Trying to sell the current product on the field is essentially impossible.
- Grandson of Man - Monday, Jul 15, 24 @ 11:17 am:
The Sox should be paying you to attend is the response. Or at least half off on tickets.
- Waffle Fries - Monday, Jul 15, 24 @ 11:17 am:
Not responding is a response.
- DuPage Saint - Monday, Jul 15, 24 @ 11:26 am:
Tell them you are holding out for box seats at the new stadium
- Friendly Bob Adams - Monday, Jul 15, 24 @ 11:26 am:
The guy sending the emails is just a guy doing his job. I’m sure he’s having a miserable year. So just say “no thanks”
- Proud Papa Bear - Monday, Jul 15, 24 @ 11:26 am:
Not this year. I’m saving my pennies to see them in the brand new ballpark.
- Pundent - Monday, Jul 15, 24 @ 11:32 am:
Tell them you’re waiting on the team to respond.
- Levois - Monday, Jul 15, 24 @ 11:37 am:
Sorry I bought season tickets for the Cubs….
- 47th Ward - Monday, Jul 15, 24 @ 11:38 am:
===According to Stathead, the White Sox now hold the record for most losses before the All-Star Game of any team in MLB history,===
In fairness, the All-Star game is later this year, so there’s that.
This would be a good time to move to better seats for next season. You might be able to get a seat in the dugout for next year. See if they’re willing to deal on this.
- Vote Quimby - Monday, Jul 15, 24 @ 11:41 am:
“I appreciate your effort, but I have no interest in paying money to watch this team currently.”
- StarLineChicago - Monday, Jul 15, 24 @ 11:42 am:
Whoever sent you that email is also not having a very good summer and is just doing their job, so be gentle.
- Rich Miller - Monday, Jul 15, 24 @ 11:44 am:
===good time to move to better seats for next season===
I do not have season tickets. Never have. Not even sure how I got on this list.
- Henry Haupt - Monday, Jul 15, 24 @ 11:45 am:
With kindness. Whoever sent you the email from the White Sox Ticket Department has an impossible job!
- JS Mill - Monday, Jul 15, 24 @ 11:45 am:
As others have said, not that guys fault the team is atrocious. The worst I have (we all have) ever seen.
Just a sorry, no thanks is appropriate.
As a lifelong Sox fan this season is so bad that I have not watched more than two innings (total for the season). Even in some of the 90 plus loss seasons I went to games. Not this time.
- TJ - Monday, Jul 15, 24 @ 11:54 am:
“Convince your boss to sell the team, and I’ll consider spending money on the Sox.”
- paujl w, chicago - Monday, Jul 15, 24 @ 11:59 am:
response is simple: “jerry clearly doesn’t care about the team, why should I”.
- H-W - Monday, Jul 15, 24 @ 12:05 pm:
Build from the bottom up. No one is attending, or at least not enough. Slash ticket prices. 20,000 empty seats equals $0.00, but 20,000 times $5 or $10 equals butts in the seats. Butts in the seats help win games. Start at 5:00 and high school kids can attend and afford to attend. You might also help curb teen angst and violence.
- CornAl DoGooder - Monday, Jul 15, 24 @ 12:05 pm:
“If you give me a dollar now and I put it on the White Sox winning the World Series, and they pull it off, I promise I will spend my winnings on tickets next year”
- Heat of Summer - Monday, Jul 15, 24 @ 12:06 pm:
Respond the same as if it was from ILGOP since the circumstances are alike… the losses, leadership drama, reluctant to give them any money, increasingly desperate emails.
- SoSider - Monday, Jul 15, 24 @ 12:10 pm:
I got one of those emails, too. Told them I would buy tickets when there’s new ownership.
I’m actually rooting for them to lose. Reinsdorf has earned the distinction of having the “worst team in baseball history” on his resume. Hope he get’s it.
- Amalia - Monday, Jul 15, 24 @ 12:15 pm:
you don’t have a relationship with the person who reached out to you as you do not have season tickets. unless one wants some link I don’t respond to such things.
- Anon324 - Monday, Jul 15, 24 @ 12:16 pm:
“I will treat this team with the same enthusiasm as Mr. Reisndorf and the rest of the ownership group. If/when they act as if they are interested in putting money, time, and effort into winning, I will put money, time, and effort into support as a fan. Until then, I will treat this team with the same passive disinterest that they have shown for decades and any joy I obtain will be a happy accident, as with the winning teams they have managed to luck into in that time.
Regards, etc.,”
- Alton Sinkhole - Monday, Jul 15, 24 @ 12:30 pm:
Yeah way to show that underpaid ticket sales person
- Rich Miller - Monday, Jul 15, 24 @ 12:52 pm:
===Yeah way to show===
Take a breath.
- Pundent - Monday, Jul 15, 24 @ 12:56 pm:
=Not even sure how I got on this list.=
The teams now have the name and email address of anyone who purchases a ticket thanks to mobile ticketing. They have low paid commission sales people working those lists. And based on some of the emails I’ve received some of these solicitations are nothing more than the work of bots.
- ChicagoVinny - Monday, Jul 15, 24 @ 12:57 pm:
I wouldn’t respond at all, it’s just going to flag that there’s someone reading them and beget even more automated emails.
- Frida's boss - Monday, Jul 15, 24 @ 12:59 pm:
I’d like to sit in the owner’s box please!
- Waiting for them to sell or move... - Monday, Jul 15, 24 @ 1:03 pm:
I’ll wait until they become the Hammond Sox.
Not.
- Give Us Barabbas - Monday, Jul 15, 24 @ 1:10 pm:
I think they need a new promotion: dollar beers if you bring a disco record with you. The gimmick this time will be they will Play the records.
I kid, but you know, Veeck was a heck of a showman and promoter, giving you an interesting experience even if the team lost. The current organization could use some of that moxie.
- Google Is Your Friend - Monday, Jul 15, 24 @ 1:18 pm:
==* The Question: How should I respond?==
Talk about the incredible deals on SeatGeek. Take Kansas City on the 31st, starting at $1. That’s right, one dollar! Will the team match?
- Cool Papa Bell - Monday, Jul 15, 24 @ 1:23 pm:
You could remind the person, at least they don’t have to try and sell tickets to Oakland A’s games.
The Dodgers sell more tickets over 8 homes games than the A’s have sold over 46.
- Lurker - Monday, Jul 15, 24 @ 1:48 pm:
My wife has been to two games and they won both. The Sox need to pay her I think(bp)
- TNR - Monday, Jul 15, 24 @ 1:55 pm:
== the work of bots. ==
You might be on to something. I received one of these emails and it contained a couple of typos and weird sentence structure.
- Annonin' - Monday, Jul 15, 24 @ 1:58 pm:
Respond with the same love and unity that sweeps the nation. CHERISH that 2 of the 27 wins came from the Cards
- Three Dimensional Checkers - Monday, Jul 15, 24 @ 4:04 pm:
I second the sentiment to not go all Karen-Fax on some random sales rep.
- Unionman - Monday, Jul 15, 24 @ 5:16 pm:
Tell them you will happily buy tickets to their upcoming visit to the sold out Robin Roberts Stadium (assuming MLB adopts the soccer relegation system)
- Keyrock - Monday, Jul 15, 24 @ 5:51 pm:
When a ticket rep called me, I politely asked him to give Jerry a message to sell the team.