The 2024 Chicago White Sox made the wrong kind of history, and there will be consequences. After losing an MLB-record 121 games, majority owner Jerry Reinsdorf may move on.
Reinsdorf is open to selling the team and is in talks with an ownership group led by former big-leaguer Dave Stewart, via The Athletic’s Brittany Ghiroli.
Reinsdorf led an ownership group that purchased the White Sox for $20 million in 1981, and trails only the New York Yankees’ Steinbrenner family as the league’s longest-active owner. The 88-year-old owns about 19% of the team.
Chicago won the World Series in 2005 and has made the playoffs three times since then, but Reinsdorf’s reign has been rocky recently. The team finished 81-81 in 2022 and 61-101 in 2023 before its horrific ’24 campaign, causing him to fire team president Kenny Williams and general manager Rick Hahn last year.
This new development comes a month after Reinsdorf’s candid message to White Sox fans.
“This year has been extremely painful for all, especially our fans,” Reinsdorf said through a team spokesperson in September. “We did not arrive here overnight, and solutions won’t happen overnight either. Going back to last year, we have made difficult decisions and changes. Those changes have continued this summer, and we look forward to naming a new manager with new energy this fall.”
White Sox fans rejoice after Jerry Reinsdorf news
Owners of losing teams are rarely popular with fans, and Reinsdorf is no exception. White Sox supporters rejoiced with memes, GIFs, and videos once news broke that he may sell, via social media.
JERRY REINSDORF IS OPEN TO SELLING THE WHITE SOX!!
HIT IT BOYS!! https://t.co/npBrtHG7Co pic.twitter.com/lTnRlklNfj
— SouthSide Behavior (@SSBehavior) October 16, 2024
Reinsdorf has also said that he’d like to move the team away from Guaranteed Rate Field before the team’s lease expires in 2029, which has also been an unpopular sentiment.
White Sox fans when they hear Jerry Reinsdorf might sell the team to a Nashville group if he doesn't get a shiny new free ballpark: pic.twitter.com/ejo67cjaU3
— Mike Pries (@MikePTraffic) October 16, 2024
Stewart’s group is based in Nashville, and he’s been trying to get the city an MLB team. As much as White Sox fans want a new owner, they don’t want to see their team leave Chicago, either, via X user @MrDolan14.
“Hey @MLB it’s true Jerry Reinsdorf is a terrible owner. It’s also true the @whitesox belong in Chicago in their stadium that is completely fine. Approving a sale to an ownership group that takes a team away is a full non starter. Stop,” the user said.
While talks are still in the early stages, it appears likely that the organization will go through significant changes over the coming years.
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