It only makes sense then, that the potential end of the agreement is spurred by U.S. Cellular pulling out of the Chicago market entirely, and selling off its business in the area to Sprint/Nextel.

The agreement sticks around for now, even if it doesn’t make any business sense for a company to pay for advertising in a place where it doesn’t do business.  But it brings to mind the annoying element of the recent spate of corporate stadium names, other than the clumsy, intrusive falseness of  the names themselves.

They  can change.

Referring to U.S. Cellular as “The Cell” isn’t much more than trying to draw a face on bloodstained volleyball, but changing it to another meaningless company name just makes it worse.  It shakes out all the ascribed meaning and tradition, and reboots to yet another blank screen.

That was a lot of the original tragedy of the switch away from being “Comiskey Park”, since the classic sound of the name and its long history in the city covered up the fact that Charles Comiskey was notoriously stingy and cold-hearted, to the point where being the first guy to play behind the bag at 1st base doesn’t make up for it.

Even though their shelf life is reduced these days, stadiums have a permanence in our baseball-watching routine that players will never have, which is why we crave a familiar and endearing way to address them. But when turning the title placard of the stadium into another billboard is an easy way to secure an eight-figure payday (if not more), and locking away the naming rights permanently wastes an opportunity to capitalize down the road on escalating franchise values, chances are slim of any of these cravings getting satisfied. At least now while the team is being run by a businessman as savvy as Jerry Reinsdorf

Other than the potential amusing cognitive dissonance of a park where stocking a power-hitting roster is always the best strategy being named “Sprint Field”, I see no cozying up to a park named for the new dominant mobile phone conglomerate. Unless of course, Sprint/Nextel decides to get all deconstructionist and negotiate a new deal to name the stadium Dominant Mobile Phone Conglomerate Field.

Since opening in 1991, U.S. Cellular Field has never been special, but there have been effective means of making it “ours”. Those will need to come from a means outside official name recognition, which looks set to remain mired in impersonal, transiet corporatized slop until further notice.

Whatever pays for Chris Sale’s uber-extension and hyperbaric chamber, I suppose. Obviously, we long ago made the decision that we care more about that.

Follow James Fegan on Twitter @JRFegan

It’s been a rough season for John Danks’ little brother. He has been left off the 40-man roster and the White Sox have decided to bring him into camp as a non-roster invitee. He was exposed to the Rule 5 draft in December but nobody selected him. Recently the Sox showed less faith in him when they decided to sign veteran outfielder Kosuke Fukudome. Most likely Danks will start the season in Triple-A Charlotte for the third consecutive year.

The new talk of this extra muscle is fun and slightly encouraging but it means nothing in the big picture. It actually is a little frustrating. Why did it take so long for a 6-foot-5 man to grow into his body? He’s not a young player anymore and should have added this years ago. He didn’t go to a small school, he went to the University of Texas. Their workout center might be bigger and more advanced than the one at U.S. Cellular Field.

A takeaway from this whole muscle gain is maybe Jordan Danks is finally getting it. He is finally figuring out his natural talent and successful big brother is not enough to get him to the major league level. He has to work hard and make himself a better baseball player.

What should impress of Danks’ off-season has nothing to do with muscle. He spent many days and weeks reviewing videotapes of his swings to figure out what he can do better. Danks has told the media what came of it is a better two-strike approach. Last season he hit .257 with only 14 home runs and 155 strikeouts.

Danks still has the time and talent to put it all together. He is already a very good defensive outfielder. If he cuts down on the strike outs and increases his power numbers he will have a home in Chicago. While everybody will be talking about his new physique this week when he comes into camp, the real story in the coming weeks will be his improved fundamentals. This is a make or break spring for Danks, let’s hope he can put it all together.

Jordan Danks

The Cell

I go to about 10 Sox games a season. I usually find whatever cheap tickets are available in the bleachers or outfield section. They usually cost me no more than $40 a ticket depending on who they are playing. I have never been a season ticket holder nor do I really have a desire to be one. With that, I have heard more from the White Sox promotional staff than ever before in the last couple weeks. Are they getting desperate?

In the last month I have received 13 emails, calenders and ticket plans in my mail box. Last week I had a representative call me from the team to tell me how excited they were for the upcoming season. She then proceeded to offer me season tickets and seven game plans. I don’t think I’m that special, at least when it comes to the White Sox. This is the sign of a desperate franchise who knows they will have a hard time drawing fans on a daily basis. A sad start to the season if you ask me.

Sox fans are normally blue-collar hard working people who are knowledgeable about the game and don’t like spending their hard earned money on a bad product. They don’t like spending their money on a GM who complains about the fans and fights with the manager. A center fielder who refuses to chase down fly balls.

If the White Sox put as much energy into changing the culture of the team as they do their marketing campaign they will have people come to the ballpark. Who knows too, they might just get a winner out there too.