A new report on Chicago White Sox owner Jerry Reinsdorf revealed opinions from many current and former employees, as well as some around MLB, and they are not good.
Entering the MLB games today, the White Sox are on the cusp of some awful history. The franchise is just four Ls away from surpassing the 1962 New York Mets for the most losses in a modern-era MLB season. It is a sad situation for a team that made back-to-back postseason appearances just a few seasons ago.
The frustration among the fan base has again ignited a public push for 88-year-old owner Jerry Reinsdorf to sell the franchise. The man who also owns the Chicago Bulls purchased the Sox back in 1981 for $20 million. He is sure to get over 100 times more than that if he were to sell the franchise this year. But that looks very unlikely.
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On Wednesday, a new report from The Athletic revealed opinions from nearly 40 former and current White Sox employees, along with views from people around the game. One of the common criticisms of the Chicago owners is that he is out of touch with what is necessary to win in the league in 2024, including the cost.
“You got a baseball fan owner who thinks he knows everything, and maybe he did in 1992,” a former employee told the outlet. “But the amount of info has skyrocketed in the last 30 years and he’s put his middle finger up at that.”
“As long as Jerry’s philosophy is the overarching one they won’t ever succeed,” said another former employee added.
Chicago White Sox organization has been the butt of jokes by players and execs around MLB
A recent report claimed the White Sox could cut payroll in 2025 after taking huge losses this year during the team’s historically bad season. However, the cost-cutting has gone on long before that and the report reveals examples like Reinsdorf buying a smaller and older plane for the team to travel in. It ended up becoming a joke among players and is one of many reasons why some look forward to departing the team.
Those who know the Chicago boss describe him as “stubborn and generally unwilling to adapt” to what works in the league today. This is all the more frustrating for the staff because he is very hands-on with many facets of the team to this day. Because he is so passionate about the game of baseball.
Chicago White Sox record: 36-117
Along with trying to cut corners on the financial side of things, the owner has reportedly not built a strong infrastructure throughout the organization. It has made the White Sox a laughing stock to rival teams in the league.
“They have people there with no business being in Major League Baseball,” said an executive with another team.