Inside The As

White Sox Fans Planning "Reverse Boycott" When A's Visit; An Important Test for "Sell" Movement

Chicago White Sox fans have had their own struggles with ownership in recent years, and now they're planning to voice those concerns when the Oakland A's come to town

Jason Burke

White Sox Fans Planning "Reverse Boycott" When A's Visit; An Important Test for "Sell" Movement
White Sox Fans Planning "Reverse Boycott" When A's Visit; An Important Test for "Sell" Movement /

Things haven't been going great for the Chicago White Sox this season. At 46-69, the South Siders sit in fourth place in the worst division in baseball. After trading away Chris Sale after the 2016 season and José Quintana at the Trade Deadline in 2017, fans were told that the future was coming.

The team did well in those trades, adding Dylan Cease, Eloy Jiménez, Michael Kopech, and Yoán Moncada, but injuries have limited the brief success that the team has had. There was also the controversial hiring of Hall of Fame manager Tony LaRussa before the 2021 season. He would step down as the club's manager last October citing health reasons. 

After trading away two big pieces, Sox fans were told to be patient and to trust the process. Heck, it worked for the Cubs! The one problem with trading away star players and collecting high draft picks is that if everyone is approaching roster construction the same way, then it's bound to not work for at least a handful of clubs. 

With that as the backdrop, there is a plan in the works on social media to get White Sox fans to voice their displeasure with ownership when the A's visit Chicago (fitting) in a couple of weeks. A brand new "X" (formerly Twitter) account recently posted this.

While the protest will be directed at White Sox ownership and the front office, it will also be in support of A's fans and their own struggles with John Fisher. The account did not respond to a DM before publication. 

However, White Sox podcaster Nick Murawski was able to provide some insight on the Sox situation. 

"I think a lot of the discontentment stems from the lack of accountability within the organization. Jerry Reinsdorf has allowed general manager Rick Hahn to stay employed in spite of his poor performance. Reinsdorf is running the Sox like a mom and pop corner store. The team culture is in question, the manager is ineffective and the front office is void of proven results. There needs to be serious change and it needs to start at the top."

This could be a huge litmus test for the movement that started in Oakland, and the results will be out of their control. Part of the reason the A's initial "reverse boycott" was such a success and has led to near nightly "sell the team!" chants stems from the organization of A's fans to get everyone on the same page. There are cheer cards printed with simple instructions and handed out frequently. Fans have worn their sell shirts on the road to help spread the message. There's been a lot of time and energy put into not only getting this movement off the ground, but also keeping up sustained pressure and attracting media attention. 

If White Sox fans are able to rally support, draw a decent crowd, and have everyone chant at the top of the fifth inning, then the impact that could have on the efforts of A's fans could be huge. To have another owner's fan base turn on them and start chants of their own, directed at them--that would be less than ideal for Major League Baseball. 

Really, how many fan bases truly love their owners? This could happen to any of them. Even if Chicago's "reverse boycott" is a rousing success, it may not impact how the billionaire owners in baseball vote on relocation for Oakland later this year. But A's fans are looking for that sliver of a chance these days, and this date in Chicago also could have an impact on how owner's vote. 

The relocation vote has never been about what's good for the sport, or ripping a team away from a city or any of that. It's about the bottom line. How much money could be gained or lost by approving the A's relocation? If A's fans are mobilizing other fan bases, that would hurt their bottom lines. 

That could be what makes them turn on John Fisher and gets enough of them to vote "no." 

Published
Jason Burke
JASON BURKE

Jason is the host of the Locked on A's podcast, and the managing editor of Inside the A's. He's a new father and can't wait to take his son to his first baseball game at the Coliseum. 

Home/News