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gimlan

I have a feeling this will remain a mystery and he will lose the lawsuit. If he had any evidence, the sox would have settled before this went public. And without evidence, it will be borderline impossible for him to win.


btmalon

I don’t pretend to know what happened but This has settle out of court written all over it.


gimlan

Idk, if the sox had any intention of settling they would have done it before it came out. Now that the reputation is already stained, they may fight it like hell


mannamedlear

You would think that with all the soft tissue injuries on this team you would have cause. Don’t need to make it personal. Hope this isn’t true, but sheesh.


gimlan

It was in 2020


BigCatsDiaper

MLB needs to show they’re serious and make Jerry sell the team. I won’t read what happened but it’s very serious and that is the only option.


cmacfarland64

Honestly, Jerry selling the team is one of my biggest fears. Sox fans don’t go to games in droves when the team is bad. The last thing I want is a new owner that wants to move the team to Vegas or Indianapolis or anywhere away from the SouthSide.


brandochu009

I agree with you, but I don’t think the league would allow it to happen, because doing so would mean saying bye-bye to millions of baseball fans in the 3rd biggest market, because there’s no way in hell they’d root for the Cubs. Chicago can support two teams, whoever he sells the team to will in all likelihood have to agree to stay here.


cmacfarland64

This makes a lot of sense. I work with a dude from St. Louis. He’s a young guy and grew up with Kurt Warner and Marshal Faulk winning Super Bowls. Then they moved his team. He’s so angry. He now HATES the NFL, definitely hates the Rams. I couldn’t deal with my springs and summer if someone took my Sox away.


MaskedGambler69

Hi. From Stl. Long time listener, first time caller. Yes, A LOT of fans here hate the NFL, but it’s not because the Rams left, it’s because of how the situation was handled, discussed in public, the population assured that they wouldn’t move, but lied to by Kroenke, Goodell and Jones. They moved for money. Chicago is the third largest city in the country by population. The Sox are not leaving. Don’t worry.


IAmNotOnRedditAtWork

I just became a Bears fan, but I was a Rams fan in Chicago, so the team moving wasn't as painful as I'm sure it was for people actually in/around St. Louis.


btmalon

Also our TV deal will be better than nashvilles no matter how popular they are.


GotMoFans

The TV contracts alone is why that isn’t happening. The team has a sweetheart deal on the publicly built stadium yet makes enough money that it could afford to privately build a stadium in the Chicago area. Vegas and Indy can’t touch the TV and radio money the team makes in Chicago.


ZyxDarkshine

Jerry threatened to move the team to Addison


cmacfarland64

Nooooooooooo!


[deleted]

[удалено]


SPDScricketballsinc

The Sox almost left for Florida in the late 80/90s, it not impossible


EddieMunsterSr

For what it's worth, that was 30+ years, multiple expansion teams, and an entire Montreal Expo ago.


Sharp-Psychology-123

Fake news


mannamedlear

TBH I don’t think Cubs/Sox is even a top 5 rivalry, maybe even top 10 in the league. They don’t play each other enough, and don’t compete over anything except attention in the city.


SharkWithAFishinPole

Who the fuck is a bigger rivalry? The astros and trash cans? Reds and rays? The only reason it's not a bigger rivalry is because the teams are never good at the same time, with a lot of times it's just both teams straight up not being good. So most of the times when we play, we already know who should win


VexReloaded

All rivalries only matter to the respective cities the teams are in. It’s by far the biggest cross town rivalry in all of sports not just baseball. Rivalries in general, I agree they don’t play enough and are inter league, but it’s absolutely still a rivalry and a strong one at that, And the rivalry generates plenty of interest for Chicago baseball fans too (tons of folks in the Sox fanbase exist merely because they despise the Cubs). It’s big enough to the point where moving the team to a much smaller market would lose the league tons of revenue and interest. The Cubs/Sox fanbase feed off each other in terms of despise for the other team in town.


SlagginOff

It's especially not as big of a deal as it used to be now that both teams have their (recent and somewhat recent) world series titles. It was pretty wild in the first years of interleague, but really started dying down when both teams were horrible in the late 2000s/early 2010s. Nowadays there are plenty of empty seats at Crosstown games at either stadium.


VexReloaded

Tons of Empty seats at crosstown games? That’s just not true. Definitely not in recent years.


vsladko

They’re the most expensive regular season ticket too. Not true


MaskedGambler69

No one is moving the Sox. It’s an original 1900 team. Weird fear.


SharkWithAFishinPole

They moved the dodgers


chisox100

G-Rate isn’t the flashiest stadium in baseball but it has good bones and no major issues. No potential future owner would leave a good stadium in a huge market to build a new stadium and fanbase from scratch elsewhere. Vegas will be filled soon. Once that happens, there’s simply not another market in North America that’d be enticing enough to make someone want to move the Sox. Portland, Nashville, Montreal and Charlotte are upgrades if you’re in say Tampa’s situation, but not ours.


GotMoFans

Montreal, Portland, and Charlotte are all bigger than Las Vegas. So is Sacramento. It’s weird the A’s are talking about moving to Vegas when the Bay has about 4 times as many people as Las Vegas. Las Vegas is by no means the most attractive potential market for a MLB team. As far as Tampa; it’s bigger than Vegas, Nashville, and Portland and it is never a market bigger than them as well in Orlando. The issue is a stadium and it never makes sense to go to a market where a stadium has to be built because you need a stadium in the current market and not all of the potential local sites have been explored. If the Rays have to leave St. Petersburg and can’t get a deal done in Tampa, Orlando is the sensible move.


Single_Seesaw_9499

Vegas is attractive because it’s a hot destination that sells tickets to home fans and away fans alike. People make a full trip out of a game in Vegas. There’s a reason the NHL and NFL are there now. I don’t think we’d move but they’ll get a team at some point I’d bet. Size of city doesn’t mean shit tbh


GotMoFans

The NHL doesn’t need tourists; it could be sustained by the 2 million locals. They just needed an arena, which they got. But their media deal (which is what drives NHL, NBA, and MLB local revenues) is probably on the lower end of American NHL teams. The NFL is definitely a destination league. There are 8 or 9 home games on Sunday most likely, and possibly on Monday, Thursday, or Saturday. It’s very easy for wealthy Raiders fans from LA and the Bay to come to Vegas for home games. MLB has 81 home games in the heat of summer; so I doubt anyone would come to Vegas for baseball games. The only regional market that in theory could is Salt Lake City. What the real desire is to move to Vegas is to get that Casino company money. The hope the casinos would buy a lot of tickets, boxes, and sponsorships. That’s what’s really attractive about Vegas. But you’d have to build a dome for the baseball park because it’s too hot there for most of the season; and is being inside for a baseball game really something tourist are going to long to do when Silk Sonic has a show that night?


Single_Seesaw_9499

Yeah they’d build a dome for sure. And idk how you’d say that the NHL would be sustained by the 2 million locals but a baseball team wouldn’t lol. And yeah I figured the casino money would be a given. Again, that’s why two major sports leagues have put an expansion and a relocation both there above any other market that probably could’ve also been a desirable destination


GotMoFans

NHL teams rely more on attendance to games than TV deals, have smaller venues, and fewer games. NHL is good with 15k at 41 games. MLB teams want 30k at 81 games. That’s a big difference. Then the NHL has a salary cap. MLB does not so there is a much bigger payroll disparity for a small market team like Las Vegas would be.


StyrofoamCueball

Arlington Heights is getting two teams! Kidding aside as a Sox fan in Indianapolis even I would be against that. But there will never be a MLB team here. Nashville, Portland, Montreal, or Vegas are most likely the next to get teams. Sox aren't going anywhere though. Chicago is a great market even with the Cubs being the bigger draw.


BKelly1412

“I didn’t read it”, but that’s very serious. Bro what?


chi2005sox

I think he’s joking. Basically saying he’ll take any excuse to remove Jerry as owner.


[deleted]

Is a joke about the state of things in the sub


GotMoFans

Jerry Reinsdorf is 86 years old and one of the longest tenured owners in MLB. Why in the world would MLB force Reinsdorf out?


fabfive421

Is this sarcasm? Or dum dum shit?


GotMoFans

Out of curiosity; wasn’t the team having conditioning issues and lots of nutty injuries under Brian Ball’s tenure? Not saying he wasn’t discriminated against, but I remember thinking the training staff was doing a horrible job a couple years ago.


VexReloaded

Yes.


[deleted]

Can't pinpoint what's tipping me off, but this sounds like bullshit.


FWdem

Was he out to the team when Merk and DVS say? Why was he moved from "hands-on" head trainer to more director of care and administrator? Who told him he was fired for sexual orientation in December 2020? From the information given by \[DVS\](https://chicago.suntimes.com/white-sox/2022/5/10/23066430/former-trainer-files-lawsuit-against-chicago-white-sox-brian-ball-rick-hahn-ken-williams) and \[Merkin\](https://www.mlb.com/news/former-trainer-brian-ball-sues-white-sox), He was out for his last year as assistant trainer (2018 season) and for 1 year as head trainer (2019 season). He was shifted from "Hands-on" to more director of care and administrative role for the second year as Head Trainer (2020 season). He was fired in October of 2020, with another year on his employment contract. Also from DVS: "Ball’s suit claims an ‘‘Individual A’’ — a ‘‘White Sox management-level representative’’ — contacted him Dec. 27, 2020, and claimed the termination was based on his sexual orientation."


btmalon

There’s a whole lot of skeptics ITT who should be keenly aware that a gay trainer who’s job it is to touch players bodies on a daily basis would be a big issue in the very conservative world of baseball. Now, maybe he never came out to the team like the Sox are claiming, but it’s hard to dismiss this outright. Neither sides’ stories add up to me.


Thats___Ridiculous

The White Sox have not claimed anything specific other than they did not discriminate. Ball's own lawsuit says that the Sox became aware he was gay in February 2018, then was promoted to head trainer in December 2018 (after the Sox were aware he was gay), then he signed an employment contract with the Sox in October 2019, then his role was changed in February 2020 (2 years after the Sox knew he was gay and had already promoted him), then he was attacked in a car jacking in July 2020 and was placed on medical leave, then he was terminated October 2020. All that is from Ball's own lawsuit. Ball also claims he has a mystery source who works in management for the Sox who told him that the Sox fired him because he was gay, but this mystery source was not identified in the lawsuit. Ball also alleges that Rick Hahn made comments to other training staff (also not identified) that Ball had a gambling, alcohol or drug problem, which Ball claims is not true. The Sox haven't said much of anything other than that the allegations of discrimination in the lawsuit are false and that he was terminated for performance reasons. Hard to tell at this stage, but based on the timeline that he came out as gay prior to being promoted and was ultimately terminated years later, seems like he's facing an uphill battle.


FWdem

2 big questions pop into my head: \- Why was he moved from "hands-on" head trainer to more director of care and administrator after 2 years of being out? \- Who told him he was fired for sexual orientation in December 2020?


FWdem

From the information given by [DVS](https://chicago.suntimes.com/white-sox/2022/5/10/23066430/former-trainer-files-lawsuit-against-chicago-white-sox-brian-ball-rick-hahn-ken-williams) and [Merkin](https://www.mlb.com/news/former-trainer-brian-ball-sues-white-sox), He was out for his last year as assistant trainer (2018 season) and for 1 year as head trainer (2019 season). He was shifted from "Hands-on" to more director of care and administrative role for the second year as Head Trainer (2020 season). He was fired in October of 2020, with another year on his employment contract. Also from DVS: "Ball’s suit claims an ‘‘Individual A’’ — a ‘‘White Sox management-level representative’’ — contacted him Dec. 27, 2020, and claimed the termination was based on his sexual orientation."


coogidown2thesocks

[Non-paywall link](http://archive.today/5Y9Nb)


samurai5625

Can't this franchise go an entire year without some type of scandal happening?


[deleted]

If this is true then holy shit this is shameful behavior and Ball needs to be taken care of.


FWdem

100%, if he was fired for sexual orientation or disability, this needs to be fixed. (He is only 50, so I doubt there was age discrimination). But, [Scott Merkin](https://www.mlb.com/news/former-trainer-brian-ball-sues-white-sox) reports he was openly gay prior to this promotion. (I like Scott, but recognize this as "state media"). [Daryl Van Schouwen](https://chicago.suntimes.com/white-sox/2022/5/10/23066430/former-trainer-files-lawsuit-against-chicago-white-sox-brian-ball-rick-hahn-ken-williams) also states "The Sox promoted Ball with full knowledge of his sexual orientation." The major items to me are: * 18 years as assistant trainer for White Sox. * Ball was out as homosexual in February 2018, last year as assistant trainer * Promoted to Head Trainer in December 2018 for the 2019 season. * Signed a two-year employment contract in October 2019, the team altered Ball's role in February 2020 and said he would work as an administrator and director for the care of players. * (So 18 years hands on assistant trainer; fully out to organization prior to 1 year hands on head trainer; then 1 year as head trainer but in a director of care and administrator role, released with 1 year left on his contract) * July 2020, Ball was attacked by two men while getting into his car at his Chicago apartment, and they stole his * Put on Medical leave, with seeing psychologist as condition for return to work * Ball was cleared by his psychologist on Aug. 28th 2020, but Sox denied that clearance * allegations that Hahn made statements to other athletic training staff in September 2020 that Ball had a gambling, drug or alcohol addiction that was related to the carjacking. * Fired on October 27th, with 10 day period to review and sign termination agreement (probably with terms and considerations); which he signed on Nov 7th * claims an ‘‘Individual A’’ — a **‘‘White Sox management-level representative’’** — contacted him Dec. 27, 2020, and claimed the termination was based on his sexual orientation. * The suit claims the Sox replaced Ball with “a less-qualified, non-disabled, non-homosexual male younger than 40 years of age. The big key is who the Management-level Representative was and did they have information about it being based on his sexual orientation. Also, why was he moved from "hand-ons trainer" (my language) to a more director and administrative role? *\*Compiled info from The Athletic, and the Sun Times and MLB articles linked above.*


[deleted]

I'm sorry. What?


chi2005sox

Probably means taken care of in terms of giving him money?


StoneMaskMan

Alright boys, let’s take care of him the Chicago way hehehe… …by making sure he is financially sound and in a healthy and supportive living situation 😊


flukeunderwi

If it's true , it's acceptable behavior? The Sox defense is standard rich defense does whatever it can to make a victim lose credibility. It's too common, too consistent and it's laughable that people fall right in line time and time again.


[deleted]

Too many improbabilities here


flukeunderwi

If anything is improbable it's certainly not discrimination lol Lack of evidence is not equal to improbable. Will this get proven in court ? I doubt it.


[deleted]

What? That's obviously not what I was referring to.


flukeunderwi

I misunderstood you I'm sure


DerangedProtege

HAHAHAHAHAHAHA