SpringfldFan
07-17-2003, 01:19 PM
I don't want to think this way and I really shouldn't post this, but morbid curiosity is getting the better of me.
Assume the Sox' furtunes don't change in the second half. They struggle to split the first couple of series in the second half and fall to 9 games back. KW, refusing to give up, makes Fregosi manager and when the trading deadline comes he makes a move like picking up Tejada for Valentin, Rauch, and Borchard. The team continues to stumble, finishing 79-83.
In the offseason, the Sox dismantle and say goodbye to Lee, Colon, Robbie, Tejada, and Everett and are left with a weak team for 2004 and a minor league system missing Ring, Almonte, Webster, the aforementioned Borchard and Rauch, and others. At this point it is safe to assume that a World Series will have to wait at least 4 or 5 years as the team tries to rebuild again, and still with KW calling the shots. Just to make the picture complete, the Cubs start reaping the benefits of their farm system and tap the rich 2004 free agent market and are the clear favorites in the weak NL central.
At this point, what happens with the sox? JR could just ride it out and field 90 loss teams like what we had in the Nahoradny-Nordhagan-Chappas era. It is hard to believe that is possible because you would never see more than 5000 fans at the cell for the games. JR selling or moving the team is a possiblity but that seems pretty farfetched. Equally farfetched is the idea of him (even if he could afford it) to tap the market and field a team with a $100 million payroll. I can't envision contraction, either, since this is a venerable team with history in a large market.
If the worst comes to pass this year, I simply cannot imagine what will happen with the team in the near future. What do you folks think will happen?
Assume the Sox' furtunes don't change in the second half. They struggle to split the first couple of series in the second half and fall to 9 games back. KW, refusing to give up, makes Fregosi manager and when the trading deadline comes he makes a move like picking up Tejada for Valentin, Rauch, and Borchard. The team continues to stumble, finishing 79-83.
In the offseason, the Sox dismantle and say goodbye to Lee, Colon, Robbie, Tejada, and Everett and are left with a weak team for 2004 and a minor league system missing Ring, Almonte, Webster, the aforementioned Borchard and Rauch, and others. At this point it is safe to assume that a World Series will have to wait at least 4 or 5 years as the team tries to rebuild again, and still with KW calling the shots. Just to make the picture complete, the Cubs start reaping the benefits of their farm system and tap the rich 2004 free agent market and are the clear favorites in the weak NL central.
At this point, what happens with the sox? JR could just ride it out and field 90 loss teams like what we had in the Nahoradny-Nordhagan-Chappas era. It is hard to believe that is possible because you would never see more than 5000 fans at the cell for the games. JR selling or moving the team is a possiblity but that seems pretty farfetched. Equally farfetched is the idea of him (even if he could afford it) to tap the market and field a team with a $100 million payroll. I can't envision contraction, either, since this is a venerable team with history in a large market.
If the worst comes to pass this year, I simply cannot imagine what will happen with the team in the near future. What do you folks think will happen?