One of the hardest fan facts is that someone else owns something you love. In October 2020, White Sox fans were exposed to this fact when Chairman Jerry Reinsdorf hired Tony La Russa.
Contempt for La Russa’s second term as Sox manager will be dismissed as a hindsight or quarterback on Monday morning, but that’s a mistake. The immediate and urgent response to the appointment was anger. Even the people who were willing to give him a chance had questions: Why is he? why now? The employee’s favoritism was easy to recognize for most Chicagoans, and it left a terrible aftertaste.
Rensdorf’s unilateral decision soured the credibility of his front office, which had effectively usurped his authority. It was a breach of public trust with the fan base. Sox fans have every right to take revenge by keeping their money in their pockets for a while. The Sox now has a “prove it” agreement with the South Side.
It makes what happened on Monday at the 35th and Shields particularly interesting. behind rosa retirement press conference, Sox brass had what it considered “end-of-season media availability”. The only problem is that the season is not over. I offered a comfortable exit for General Manager Rick Hahn to not put pressure on specific players. It took a few times during the question-and-answer session.
While Discuss the upcoming management research, Han explained that a suitable candidate would have recent experience in a tournament-level bunker. If that sounds familiar, it’s because it’s almost exactly what he said in 2020 after the team fired Rick Renteria:
“Ultimately, I think the best candidate or ideal candidate would be someone who has had experience organizing a tournament in recent years,” Han said. “October’s last experience with organizing a tournament would be perfect. But we will remain open.”
I can’t tell if Sox fans are lit up or if Han is trying to recreate the franchise. He seems to want you to believe that “New Aunt Viv” is the same as “Old Aunt Viv”. I felt rough… Daphne Maxwell Reed did a great job as “New Aunt Viv,” but you get what I’m saying.
Sox Vice President Ken Williams and Han appeared ready to hire current Tigers manager AJ Hinch. There have even been offers of a press release bearing Hinch’s signature on a photo of La Rosa. Some of these photos leaked into the public arena and allowed speculation that this was some kind of internal rebellion against a crazy owner.
The problem is still the trust – trust that the process will never be hijacked by Reinsdorf again. Who do you know? Reinsdorf probably has more friends that he feels he owes. Maybe he feels guilty about Reppi and Rhubarb. Don’t rest too much, Southbow!
For the most part, I think Williams and Han have good intentions, but the road to hell is paved with good intentions. The past two years have happened and they have been full of consequences. Inflated salaries, layoffs, and unfulfilled expectations will make Sox’s brain trust backed by a Reinsdorf-imposed budget. It’s an excuse Sox fans have heard before. Han and Williams will have to get creative if they want to succeed, but frankly, their creativity has left a lot to be desired lately.
Hahn spent quite a bit on Monday putting together a reasonable approach to this next management appointment, but until we know Reinsdorf’s thumbs are off the scale, none of the words matter. Fans are tired of it. Sox fans were loyal during the rebuild with promises of brighter days.
Reinsdorf is indebted to Sox fans. His carefully chosen manager failed. Pull out Agent K’s “neuroanalyst” if you like, but they won’t soon forget those two years lost from the tournament window. Nor should they. Confidence goes both ways, and Reinsdorf is too late.
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