I Got 5 On It...
The Chicago White Sox May be up For Sale. We Should Pitch In!
The Chicago White Sox had a lot of things going for it. It’s a Major League Baseball team nestled in a bustling city, they have a couple of championships to their name, and for a while was the very definition of what it meant to be cool. The key word of that opening sentence was had because there has been nothing but misfortune that has assailed my second favorite team ever since. In 2024, the White Sox broke a record; one for the most losses EVER for a major league team in the modern era. 41 wins, 121(!) losses. To this day, I’m still asking “How?” Actually, after seeing this clip…
I can understand why.
Owner Jerry Reinsdorf, who took control of the team in the early 80s, has come under fire from executives and fans alike to sell the team. Makes sense, right? Jerry gets his return on investment upon selling, and hopefully the teams gets a new direction . The problem, according to this Axios article, is that Reinsdorf historically has bluffed selling or moving the team before to get public funding, more on his investment, and more. This past week however, we got a fresh report saying that ol’ Jerry has had a change of heart. From MLB Trade Rumors:
White Sox owner Jerry Reinsdorf is open to selling the club and is in “active discussions” with a group led by Dave Stewart, reports Brittany Ghiroli of The Athletic. It’s unclear how possible a sale is or how much progress the talks have made, but it would be a seismic shift for the franchise if it comes to fruition.
Dave Stewart?? Who doesn’t love Oakland Athletics legend and savvy baseball mind, Dave Stewart? In fact, Dave Stewart owning the team would be a really good idea.
But you know what would be a BETTER idea?
Much like my foray into “Sports Club Ownership” with the Caledonian Braves Scottish Soccer team, I think the White Sox would benefit GREATLY by allowing individual fans to invest and “own” the team. Meaning, I’m okay with someone like Dave Stewart (or even an unknown dude in a suit owning the team) if it allows fans (and interested parties) to buy in for shares of the squad. MLB would hate that, but that’s just more of a reason to do it. Let me count the ways:
You see that cap logo? It doesn’t mention a city at all. In fact, it’s one of the few that doesn’t list a city on the merchandise. So it’s a brand that is way easier to translate to people living abroad.
Everyone knows sports are getting more and more undeniable. With so many streaming services realizing people will download apps to watch sports (because you have to watch them as live as possible), what we are seeing is an explosion of sports being broadcasted and televised. With regional sports networks on the decline, if the team plays its cards right with a new digital home in mind, The White Sox could end up being ‘The World’s Team.’
Attendance won’t be an issue. If you spin it, everybody who puts in a couple of bucks is an “owner,” you’ve already made your home ground a destination for people to visit their “investments.” That pumps money in the city and into the club. Look, most of us know that we’re not going to be or get rich, especially in this economy. But someone who gives a baseball team the equivalent cost of a tank of gas can wear a sticker saying they own one of the 30 MLB franchises? Come on. This works for the NFL’s Green Bay Packers. That team is technically “fan-owned” and every ten years they trot out an opportunity for people to buy shares that are worth about as much as the paper it’s printed on, and they always sell out.
People are dumb.
I know because I’m one of those people. The White Sox were selling charity bricks for $200 to have them laid at the stadium a couple of years back, and I totally went in and bought one. Why? Dumbassery, that’s why!
I guess what I’m saying is, let ME own the team! I got like $7.50!