In February 1997, he raised ticket prices saying he wanted to be in position to acquire veteran players for a playoff push. Instead, when the team got off to a poor start and had to wait for Robin Ventura to rehab a spring training injury, the Sox chose the rebuilding route. Fans felt lied to and let down. Add this bitter pill to the still lingering bitterness of the 1994 strike, and you had true fan alienation. With this simple two-word phrase, the franchise demonstrated it understands that many Sox fans are tired of promises of a bright future.
Cub fans buy into every year.
To give up on the team now and rekindle talk about more rebuilding would convince alienated fans that the team is not and was never serious about winning. Even with the addition of veterans David Wells , Royce Clayton, and Sandy Alomar , the Sox are still a young team. It doesn't make sense to go into a youth movement when the team is still in a youth movement. Things are not necessarily as bleak as they appear. Wells has a mouth but still can pitch.