The White Sox are trying to remain optimistic despite all the negative publicity surrounding repairs on the Dan Ryan Expressway.
Team officials will be keeping a nervous eye on the expressway after the repairs begin March 1. They are quietly preparing themselves for the worst:
studio baseball because nobody can get to Comiskey Park. One top-ranking Sox executive predicted the team won`t draw more than 800,000 in 1988.
For now, they are hoping the dire predictions won`t match the build-up.
”It`s premature to say it`s going to be a disaster,” said Vice President of Marketing Mike McClure. ”Our biggest fears are misinformation. We`ve already seen a number of articles without anything happening yet. One trucking executive said to stay away. Everybody will be affected, but to what extent, nobody knows yet.”
The Sox are making efforts to minimize the impact. They`ve pushed back the starting time of night games from 7 p.m. to 7:30.
They also are including with each ticket sold a list of alternate routes to the ballpark. McClure estimates that at least 50 percent of Sox customers take the Ryan.
”Information is the key,” McClure said. ”It`ll be important to see how people react once the repairs start.”
Thus far, the Sox are pleasantly surprised that season tickets haven`t been adversely affected by the negative publicity. The club expects to have sold 510,000 season tickets by opening day. That`s down from 550,000 in 1987, but the Sox expected a drop-off after 1987`s lackluster finish.
”This won`t be an ordinary year,” McClure said. ”But if we`re winning, people will find a way to get to the ballpark.”
– The Sox schedule isn`t the most favorable for producing a big gate. They play 18 of their first 27 games at home, when the weather makes fans want to stay home. On top of that, the team has only two home weekends between the All-Star break and Labor Day.
”This was done for baseball reasons, not financial reasons,” team president Eddie Einhorn said. ”We`re hoping it will help the team get off to a good start.”
– Dave LaPoint, a former Cardinal, is excited about the Sox`s trade for Lance Johnson and Ricky Horton from St. Louis.
”You can`t have enough ex-Cardinals around,” he said.
LaPoint called Horton ”a first-class guy. He`ll add a lot to the clubhouse. He also has the best pick-off move in baseball.”
How good?
”Real good,” Greg Walker said. ”He got me last year in an exhibition game.”
LaPoint thinks Johnson should be able to create havoc on the base paths.
”He`s one of those type of players that if you`re a pitcher, you don`t want to see him on base,” LaPoint said. ”He`s very fast and very aggressive. Defensively, he`ll add some excitement. Nothing gets over his head.”
– Reliever Bob James` career is in jeopardy. He reportedly flunked a physical with the Cleveland Indians. The reports said he weighed 267 pounds with 27 percent body fat. The Sox didn`t offer James a contract for 1988. He is expected to sign a Triple A deal with the Los Angeles Dodgers.
