# The White Sox - A Brutal Truth **URL:** \ **Category:** The Game Room\ **Tags:** baseball-mlb\ **Created:** [April 16, 2024, 12:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-white-sox-a-brutal-truth/1000363 "2024-04-16T12:30:07Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 6
**Author:** ![John\_DiFool](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/john_difool/32/19543_2.png) [@John\_DiFool](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_DiFool)\ **Post date:** [April 26, 2024, 11:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-white-sox-a-brutal-truth/1000363/101 "2024-04-26T11:56:15Z")
> [@pulykamell](#): > > With the Cubs, every single game was on WGN back then. Every one. Nitpick: if the Cubs were on a major network the WGN feed was pre-empted, but that just meant Harry Caray and co. moved over to the radio. ---
**Author:** ![Jasmine](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jasmine/32/2964_2.png) [@Jasmine](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jasmine)\ **Post date:** [April 26, 2024, 11:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-white-sox-a-brutal-truth/1000363/102 "2024-04-26T11:58:18Z")
> [@John\_DiFool](#): > > Nitpick: if the Cubs were on a major network the WGN feed was pre-empted, but that just meant Harry Caray and co. moved over to the radio. Harry Caray was an iconic Cub broadcaster, but someone mentioned he actually worked for the White Sox before the Cubs. If true, what happened to cause him to leave? ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [April 26, 2024, 12:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-white-sox-a-brutal-truth/1000363/103 "2024-04-26T12:05:16Z")
Yes, yes! And, as was corrected above, they apparently did take some road series off. That sounds vaguely familiar. So let’s revise to the vast majority of games was covered by WGN-TV. Yea, Harry was the White Sox announcer from 1971-1981. I’m not sure why he left. ---
**Author:** ![Railer13](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/railer13/32/9742_2.png) [@Railer13](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Railer13)\ **Post date:** [April 26, 2024, 12:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-white-sox-a-brutal-truth/1000363/104 "2024-04-26T12:44:16Z")
> [@pulykamell](#): > > Harry was the White Sox announcer from 1971-1981 Before he worked for the Sox, he was the radio broadcast partner of Jack Buck, announcing St. Louis Cardinals games. My Dad was a Cardinal fan, and I grew up listening to those two. It was an exciting time in our house when we listened to the Cards win the 1964 pennant on the last day of the season. He worked for the Cards from 1945 to 1970, and then for the Oakland A’s for one season before moving to the Sox. IIRC, Caray was fired by the Cards when he became too critical of the shortcomings of the team, and/or he drank far too much while on the air. ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [April 26, 2024, 12:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-white-sox-a-brutal-truth/1000363/105 "2024-04-26T12:51:21Z")
> [@Railer13](#): > > nd then for the Oakland A’s I knew about the Cards, but I always seem to forget about his one season in Oakland. ---
**Author:** ![RickJay](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/bb73d2/32.png) [@RickJay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RickJay)\ **Post date:** [April 28, 2024, 9:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-white-sox-a-brutal-truth/1000363/106 "2024-04-28T21:28:30Z")
The White Sox have “improved” to 6-22. They’re above 2.5 runs scored per game, a big step for them. ---
**Author:** ![Skywatcher](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/skywatcher/32/254_2.png) [@Skywatcher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skywatcher)\ **Post date:** [April 29, 2024, 1:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-white-sox-a-brutal-truth/1000363/107 "2024-04-29T13:30:29Z")
> [@pulykamell](#): > > Digging a bit more, it seems that even with Sportvision, about 1/4 of White Sox games were broadcast on Channel 32. So it wasn’t quite as difficult to catch a Sox game as I may have implied, but it was a lot more difficult than with the Cubs and WGN, which broadcast every game for free (to my knowledge/memory.) Yeah, I was about to mention WFLD. I grew up watching the Cubs down in Kankakee County for two reasons: the day games, as you mentioned, and the only TV we had that could pick up UHF was B&W. ---
**Author:** ![Skywatcher](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/skywatcher/32/254_2.png) [@Skywatcher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skywatcher)\ **Post date:** [April 29, 2024, 1:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-white-sox-a-brutal-truth/1000363/108 "2024-04-29T13:37:56Z")
> [@John\_DiFool](#): > > > [@pulykamell](#): > > > > With the Cubs, every single game was on WGN back then. Every one. > > Nitpick: if the Cubs were on a major network the WGN feed was pre-empted, but that just meant Harry Caray and co. moved over to the radio. We were in the New Orleans area for the '84 pennant run; Dad had coincidentally sprung for our first cable subscription that year. After discovering the family’s stereo could pick up WGN all the way down there, I’d have night games on TV and WGN radio on the stereo whenever WGN had been preempted. ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [April 29, 2024, 1:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-white-sox-a-brutal-truth/1000363/109 "2024-04-29T13:48:23Z")
Come to think of channel 44 (WSNS) had games too at some point IIRC, before ON-TV took over that station. ---
**Author:** ![zimaane](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/a3d4f5/32.png) [@zimaane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/zimaane)\ **Post date:** [April 29, 2024, 2:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-white-sox-a-brutal-truth/1000363/110 "2024-04-29T14:37:09Z")
They are not even the worst team now, record-wise. That crown belongs to the Miami Marlins at 6 - 23. ---
**Author:** ![John\_DiFool](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/john_difool/32/19543_2.png) [@John\_DiFool](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_DiFool)\ **Post date:** [April 29, 2024, 4:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-white-sox-a-brutal-truth/1000363/111 "2024-04-29T16:59:22Z")
Anyone fondly recall the Age of Parity, when every team was usually between 70 and 95 or so wins? For more than a decade now tho seems like we’ve had a lot more 100 win or 100 loss teams than we used to. ---
**Author:** ![Railer13](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/railer13/32/9742_2.png) [@Railer13](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Railer13)\ **Post date:** [May 1, 2024, 9:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-white-sox-a-brutal-truth/1000363/112 "2024-05-01T21:20:29Z")
> [@zimaane](#): > > They are not even the worst team now, record-wise. And the Sox, after winning 3 in a row, just got swept by the red-hot Twins. At 6-25, they are once again the worst team, as the Marlins are now 7-24. ---
**Author:** ![Jasmine](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jasmine/32/2964_2.png) [@Jasmine](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jasmine)\ **Post date:** [May 2, 2024, 12:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-white-sox-a-brutal-truth/1000363/113 "2024-05-02T12:43:31Z")
> [@Railer13](#): > > At 6-25, they are once again the worst team, as the Marlins are now 7-24. Good, I want the first pick which, I hope, is a future Hall-of-Famer. ---
**Author:** ![Munch](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/munch/32/5281_2.png) [@Munch](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Munch)\ **Post date:** [May 2, 2024, 12:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-white-sox-a-brutal-truth/1000363/114 "2024-05-02T12:49:21Z")
> [@Jasmine](#): > > Good, I want the first pick Because of weird revenue-sharing rules, the White Sox will pick no earlier than 10th. Large market teams cannot get a lottery pick 2 years in a row. ---
**Author:** ![Jasmine](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jasmine/32/2964_2.png) [@Jasmine](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jasmine)\ **Post date:** [May 2, 2024, 1:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-white-sox-a-brutal-truth/1000363/115 "2024-05-02T13:57:27Z")
Oh, come on! I checked, and our player payroll is right in the middle of the pack. On top of that, we have hardly any fans at the games. We have no revenue to share! So, now what? We can’t get a great player, and no free agents want to be on team that is awful. ---
**Author:** ![Munch](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/munch/32/5281_2.png) [@Munch](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Munch)\ **Post date:** [May 2, 2024, 2:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-white-sox-a-brutal-truth/1000363/116 "2024-05-02T14:21:41Z")
> [@Jasmine](#): > > our player payroll is right in the middle of the pack Revenue sharing isn’t a function of payroll, it’s a function of revenue coming in (broadcast rights, ticket sales, etc.). Because the White Sox are doing well in that regard (or, at least, _were_), they didn’t receive revenue from the sharing plan. It’s a weird rule that penalizes big market teams that underperform. Can’t say I like it, even as a fan of a small market team. ---
**Author:** ![Jasmine](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jasmine/32/2964_2.png) [@Jasmine](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jasmine)\ **Post date:** [May 2, 2024, 2:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-white-sox-a-brutal-truth/1000363/117 "2024-05-02T14:22:40Z")
> [@Munch](#): > > It’s a weird rule that penalizes big market teams that underperform. Oh, great; we specialize in “big market teams that underperform”. LOL ---
**Author:** ![Hawkeyeop](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/958977/32.png) [@Hawkeyeop](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hawkeyeop)\ **Post date:** [May 2, 2024, 4:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-white-sox-a-brutal-truth/1000363/118 "2024-05-02T16:26:19Z")
Personally I don’t think “revenue sharing” should be about payroll or revenue, but rather market. The White Sox can spend money. They have a market that can support them and has when they have been competitive. The fact that it doesn’t support them is largely based on them them pretty consistently putting out a subpar product. I don’t see why they should be rewarded for that. I much rather money go to teams like the Brewers or Cardinals who have much smaller markets, but manage to put out competitive teams and build their brand. ---
**Author:** ![Jasmine](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jasmine/32/2964_2.png) [@Jasmine](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jasmine)\ **Post date:** [May 2, 2024, 4:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-white-sox-a-brutal-truth/1000363/119 "2024-05-02T16:28:43Z")
> [@Hawkeyeop](#): > > I much rather money go to teams like the Brewers or Cardinals who have much smaller markets, but manage to put out competitive teams and build their brand. I understand, but that also promotes the rich getting richer and the poor getting poorer. ---
**Author:** ![Hawkeyeop](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/958977/32.png) [@Hawkeyeop](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hawkeyeop)\ **Post date:** [May 2, 2024, 4:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-white-sox-a-brutal-truth/1000363/120 "2024-05-02T16:37:10Z")
Well you aren’t giving money to the Yankees or Dodgers who have market advantages. There is a major problem with revenue sharing that teams are rewarded for alienating their fans and spending tiny amounts on payroll. There is no reason cities like Miami or Oakland cannot support a team with a midsize payroll or higher, but their is no incentive for these owners to invest in their teams when they just just get steady profit handed to them every year. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-white-sox-a-brutal-truth/1000363.md?page=5) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-white-sox-a-brutal-truth/1000363.md?page=7)