Happy Veterans Day

Pictured on their way to Hawaii in 1944: (back row left to right) Walt Judnich; then-future White Sox player, Mike McCormick; Joe DiMaggio; (front row left to right) then-current White Sox player, Dario Lodigiani; Jerry Priddy.

Let us never forget the sacrifices that people in the armed forces made. Some things are even more important than baseball. And remember, even if you don't support war, always support the troops.

2nd Anniversary Contest Winner

I got a lot of interesting responses, which is exactly what I was looking for. I even accepted "nothing" as an answer. I didn't want to come out and say that could be an answer or everyone would end up saying that. That being said, Patrick Swayze definitely was a lame favorite, as was the post where this very contest was announced.

I'm not promising anything, but I don't think that Swayze in drag picture will ever make another appearance on this blog. Never say never though. I can be enough of a cheeky bastard to pull that out again, if provoked.

Congratulations to RoofGod for coming out on top in the randomizer!!

Please e-mail me your address and a choice of baseball team and I will mail out some cards shortly after.

Thanks to everyone who chimed in with their entry, opinion and/or well wishes. Let's try for another successful year!

Post script...

I use Firefox exclusively to view and edit this blog. I haven't had any problems since switching over to this browser over a year ago. Kinda weird that someone else could not see this blog properly using the same browser. I'm glad that there are good alternatives out there for those of you who have trouble viewing the blog properly.

Contest Time!

White Sox Cards turns two today. I want to hold an easy contest & I'd like some brutal honesty. Leave a comment on this post between now and 11:59 PM today and your name will be put in the randomizer. You could win some free cards!!

Here's the catch. I want to hear what you think is the lamest post on this blog over the past two years. It could be anything. It's your opinion. It could be something from the infancy of this blog. It could be something recent that you thought was the stupidest thing ever. There are no wrong or right answers here. Just some honest feedback.

If there is no answer whatsoever, the comment will not count towards the contest. You can comment as many times as you like, but only one entry will be accepted.

Be creative. Be honest. I want to give out free cards to somebody!!

Question For The Horror Fans

This has absolutely nothing to do with baseball, but a question has been bothering me for a number of years. Many who frequent this site happen to be horror movie aficionados, so I thought I'd ask.

Sometime in the mid to late eighties, I caught a movie on one of the movie cable networks. It was most likely Cinemax, when they used to run a bevy of horror movies.

All I remember of a particular movie is one scene that has stood out in my mind. It featured the killer, in a yellow raincoat walking up the stairs. Along the way, his hand is stuck in gum left on the banister. He grumbles about it and continues back up the stairs.

And that's all I got. That one part of one scene. It's been driving me batty for years! With my luck, it's probably part of the stupidest movie on Earth, but I need to know.

I've had some suggestions over the years as to what it may be. I've heard "Student Bodies", but I have never seen this scene in that movie. I've heard "April Fool's Day". I didn't see it in there either. I've heard "Communion" (AKA "Alice, Sweet Alice" or "Holy Terror"). The only connection to that movie is the raincoat and that was worn by a twelve year old girl in "Communion", so that is definitely not it.

My feeling is that it came from a low budget horror/comedy from the early to mid eighties, but I just don't know. If anyone can help, I would greatly appreciate it!

Card Spotlight: 11-6-09

1960 Leaf #66 - Earl Battey

This is my first foray into 1960 Leaf. It arrived on Thursday. I had never actually seen any of these cards in person, so I was in for a little culture shock when it arrived. The card is ever so slightly under the standard size.

Whenever I would see a picture of 1960 Leaf cards, the design always made me think of the fifties and sixties team promos that were 5x7 or 4x6. Something in my brain made me think that the 1960 Leaf cards were exactly the same. I can see how foolish I actually was, now that I have my first card in hand.

This was around a time where cards came in all sorts of shapes and sizes. My thinking wasn't out of line. It was just flawed without seeing an example in hand.

This is one of my first cards of Earl Battey too. Earl was a great catcher that was blocked by Sherm Lollar in the Sox organization. His sporadic starts did nothing for his average. He was a lifetime .209 hitter with the White Sox. When he was shipped off to the Senators, he blossomed into a great overall player, winning three gold gloves. By the time that the Senators moved to Minnesota and dubbed the Twins, Earl was a star.

1960 Leaf is strange for many reasons. This was the first Leaf baseball set since the forties and the last until the eighties. There are variations that zoom in on just the face, if you didn't think the mugshot bust shots weren't creepy enough. The set was packaged in a wrapper with marbles. Yes, those round little objects that kids used to play with in a circle (before they played with video games) were packaged with these cards.

This is also one of the last cards of Earl Battey in a White Sox uniform. By the time this card came out, he had already went to Washington.

WSC Birth Years: Wes Whisler

Card #29 - Wes Whisler

Born: April 7, 1983

Wes is an imposing pitcher standing at 6'5". Whisler made his MLB debut on June 2, 2009. He only made three appearances with the White Sox, but they were decent.

In his first two games, he pitched 1.1 innings and didn't allow any hits or runs and finished the game. Both were games where the Sox did not score.

In Wes' final game of the 2009 season, he allowed two walks, which came around to score. The future still looks bright for Whisler. If the Sox need an arm, Wes will be there to help out.

Mailbox Joys: An Old All-Star

1958 Topps #479 Nellie Fox AS

I found myself with a few extra bucks in the PayPal account, so I decided to check out some cards and make some frugal purchases. It's something that I haven't done in awhile, so I've been having fun!

One of those finds came into my life on Thursday through the courtesy of the U.S. mail.

Usually, the fifties Topps All-Star cards are a little out of my price range. Bidding usually goes up pretty quickly for the cards that I see. I got pretty lucky and found a 99 cent steal.

Sure, the card is a bit off center, but the corners are sharp and the color is good. I'm happy with the card and I can live with the minor flaws, until I find an upgrade.

The thing that really sticks out is the photo. He is only 30 years old in this photo, but he reminds me of my grandfather. Still, he was an amazing player in his day. His career really took off after leaving the Athletics. He is the first player I was aware of from the 1959 team and he is one that I love to find bargains on. Every single card I have of Nellie from the fifties, I found dirt cheap. I'm not sure if that's luck or skill, but it doesn't matter. The journey is over for this card.

WSC Birth Years: Jhonny Nunez

Card #28 - Jhonny Nunez

Born: November 26, 1985

Jhonny only appeared in seven games in 2009. Most of those occurred in blowout games. It included his Major League debut on August 2nd in the ninth inning with two outs. In fact, four out of the seven appearances were game finishers.

5.2 innings in seven games isn't really a fair assessment of Jhonny's talent. Nunez may find a better fit on the 2010 team. There may be more chances for him. After a full year in the White Sox system, 2010 should bring a more defined role.

Jhonny came to the Sox in the Nick Swisher trade of November 2008. He was able to slip into the White Sox bullpen, after bouncing around between the Dodgers, Nationals and Yankees farm systems.

Let's Hear It For The Red And Blue!

Among all the Halloween madness that occurred, I received a message from John of Johngy's Beat that he was dropping off another package soon. All he would hint at was that I would be seeing a lot of red and blue.

Immediately, that got me very excited! Red and blue from John could only mean seventies goodness! Boy was that ever worth the wait.

I slept in this morning and missed the Sox/Royals trade that may or may not have happened. I also missed a stop by John. When I awoke, I found a package for me on the coffee table.

In my eagerness, I ripped open the package and found Rich Hinton staring back at me. I was taken aback for a second. What were these? Could it be? I think it might be. Yes! SSPC!

Nearly a full team set!

134 - Bill Gogolewski
135 - Dan Osborn
136 - Jim Kaat
137 - Claude Osteen
138 - Cecil Upshaw
140 - Lloyd Allen
141 - Brian Downing
142 - Jim Essian
143 - Bucky Dent
144 - Jorge Orta
145 - Lee Richard
146 - Bill Stein
147 - Ken Henderson
148 - Carlos May
149 - Nyls Nyman
150 - Bob Coluccio
151 - Chuck Tanner
152 - Pat Kelly
153 - Jerry Hairston
154 - Pete Varney
156 - Rich Gossage
157 - Terry Forster
158 - Rich Hinton

Thanks, Johngy! This was an awesome surprise! Only Wilbur Wood and Bill Melton remain elusive to me now. The back of the cards say 1975, but I've heard that these weren't available until 1976. Either way, they are standard size. That shocked me, considering the puzzle backs were much larger.

I am very glad to have these cards in my collection. I have been hunting these down for awhile now. The hunt is almost over. Oh yeah, the card featured is Cecil Upshaw. Just in case you were in the dark.

WSC Birth Years: Octavio Dotel

Card #27 - Octavio Dotel

Born: November 25, 1973

Octavio had been a questionable closer with other teams, but he finally found his niche in middle relief. Primarily as set up man in the White Sox pen, Dotel seemed to thrive on occasion.

Dotel is best when his role is defined. His successes have come when he is used in a specific spot, usually the entire seventh inning. If you bring Octavio out of his defined role, trouble starts brewing. His recent failures have mostly come when he was brought into the middle of an inning, instead of the beginning.

No situation is ideally the same, but when Dotel is brought into a game for a situation he is mentally prepared for, he is lights out.

Welcome Mark Teahen?

This is what I get for sleeping in this morning. Apparently, the White Sox shipped out Chris Getz and Josh Fields to the Royals for Mark Teahen.

I say "apparently" because the Royals are mum on the trade, although the White Sox have already announced it. It may be a premature welcome, but welcome, Mark!

In other news, the White Sox have re-signed Mark Kotsay. That was a no-brainer there! Welcome back, Mark! I think soon we'll have a team of players named Mark.

This certainly looks like it will be a busy offseason. Stay tuned!

1981 Fleer

Fleer sporadically produced baseball card sets until Topps was allowed to monopolize the baseball card industry by decisions in court and Fleer's initial refusal to sell cards without gum. Eventually, Topps gained power during it's monopoly period and when Fleer was ready to try baseball products again, they found Topps blackballing them.

After a court decision forced the players union to offer group contracts to other companies, Fleer was allowed to produce its first set of baseball cards, in almost two decades, in 1981.

These were exciting times for the hobby. This would be the first time in many years that more than one licensed baseball card set would be on the market. Fleer was voted the number one design of 1981 by Baseball Hobby News.

Despite the design, the set was riddled with errors and the photography was mostly sub par. There are a lot of "in action" shots used for the set, with a nice mix of posed and candid shots. Fleer had to start somewhere and this was it!

The White Sox have twenty cards in the set. Twenty one, if you include the team checklist.

339 - Ed Farmer
340 - Bob Molinaro
341 - Todd Cruz
342 - Britt Burns
343 - Kevin Bell
344 - Tony LaRussa
345 - Steve Trout
346 - Harold Baines
347 - Richard Wortham
348 - Wayne Nordhagen
349 - Mike Squires
350 - Lamar Johnson
352 - Francisco Barrios
353 - Thad Bosley
354 - Chet Lemon
355 - Bruce Kimm
356 - Richard Dotson
357 - Jim Morrison
358 - Mike Proly
359 - Greg Pryor
648 - CL: Mets/White Sox

Overall, this was a great reboot for Fleer. This would be the beginning of some great and some awful sets by the company. This one is important because it collapsed the stranglehold Topps had on the hobby. It was far from a perfect set, but it is one that is highly collectible.

Mailbox Joys: A Fisk To Remember

2009 Goodwin Champions #75 - Carlton Fisk

Recently, I added my first Fisk purchase in awhile. The resulting purchase arrived as if on cue on my birthday. I have been meaning to post this ever since.

This card, as many Fisk cards, hold a significance to me that is nearly impossible for me to comprehend. Since this is a blog, which requires words to coexist with the pretty pictures, I'll try to explain.

Many would think that Carlton Fisk being a Hall of Fame player who spent over half his career with my favorite team would be enough of a reason to collect him. Add that to me playing the position of catcher and I guess you could begin to understand why.

I've been known to chew out players (in a serious game, not one for fun) when they dog it and don't do the little things that they should, like run out a ball in play. I learned that lesson very early and I never forgot it. Sometimes it can be the difference between winning and whining.

I have a strong connection with the most iconic moment of Fisk's career. I was born 366 days after his dramatic home run in the 1975 World Series that changed how games are shown on television. I won't dwell on the fact that a rat ultimately played the most important part of making that piece of television history happen. It doesn't matter. It happened and the sport was changed.

On October 21, 1976, I was born in Chicago. It came one year (366 days, since 1976 was a leap year) to the day of Fisk's World Series home run. In a sense, you could argue that I was destined to be a Fisk fan. It's natural for people to seek out important events, births and deaths that happened somewhere in time on their birthday. Fisk's home run is second to only Ruth's called shot at Wrigley field in storied home runs during the World Series.

Maybe I collect him because of the close proximity to my own birth. Maybe it has to do with being an impressionable child and Fisk being the star catcher on my favorite team. It probably has a little of each and a smattering of other things.

I do know that this is a beautiful card and I am proud to have it in my collection. I am also relieved to find what I thought was the state of Florida behind the Red Sox logo to only be decoration and nothing more. Now I am one card closer to being through with the 2009 Goodwin Champions set.

Trick And Treat?

It's that time of year again. Where spooky things and delightful treats travel through the U.S. Postal Service right to my door. It must be another Trick Or Treat giveaway by the master of gifting, Tribe Cards!

I grabbed the mail today and noticed a small envelope with a familiar address. Would I get Alomared? I opened the envelope slowly. A pair of eyes greeted me. I know those eyes! Kenny Lofton. And there's a White Sox logo. Kenny Lofton was on the Sox. No tricks!

Then I took the paper ring off.

The White Sox logo was just a sticker. Kenny's eyes turned evil and he was smiling, while a mini Kenny Lofton swung a mighty stick and frightened my fragile psyche. This was the Evil Dead trilogy all over again! I turned to the back of the card and it revealed three more Tribe uniforms. And two more Loftons!!!!

Then a 1985 checklist. What?!! That's not right. Another 1985 Topps checklist. The same card!! I'm having a horrible feeling about this.

A 1991 Donruss checklist card!! I think I threw up in my mouth a little.

Wait!! Wait!! Is that a... YES!! It's a White Sox card!! An autographed 2007 Bowman's Best Kyle McCulloch card. I'll consider that a treat, until proven otherwise.

OK. This isn't so bad. I think I'm going to live through the experience.

1997 Bowman checklist!! Awww, man!! 1991 Upper Deck high numbers checklist??!! I can't take anymore junk wax checklists!! Then I reached the last card. Will it be my salvation? Will it at least feature a picture? Noooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

A 1992 Donruss checklist!!!
Four Indian encrusted Loftons on a single card. A number one draft pick autograph of a player still with the White Sox AA team. Six pictureless checklists. I think I got tricked with a treat. How did all of you fare this Halloween?

A Great Projected Trade Of Autographic Proportions

I think that I'm finally over the sinus trouble. Kinda sounds like a Marx Brothers movie. The Marx Brothers in Sinus Trouble, with Dr. Hugo Z. Hackenbush as the Mucous Man!

A weekend filled with "interesting" Halloween parties further pushed this along. Finally, I will be thanking Ryan from The Great Orioles Autograph Project properly.

This amazingly huge package arrives in the mail. It overwhelmed me with its sheer immensity. I had to pop myself a diet root beer. You see, once I unraveled that sucker, I bet it would stretch all the way to Fargo, North Dakota. OK, maybe if I were standing in Kragnes it would, but still, it was a good amount of cards!

A lot were cards that I already had, but that's OK. I can put those into my White Sox recycling program. It's a win/win situation! Let's see what cards I that were brand spanking new to me or ones that piqued my interest.

1961 Post
26 - Roy Sievers

1994 Bowman's Best
4 - James Baldwin

1994 Topps Traded
61T - Joe Hall

1995 Fleer Prospects
5 - Ray Durham

1995 Pinnacle Museum Collection
174 - Mark Johnson

1995 Summit New Age
NA15 - Ray Durham

1996 Bazooka
61 - Frank Thomas

1996 Bowman
54 - Frank Thomas

1996 Finest
5 - Roberto Hernandez
121 - Ray Durham
183 - Wilson Alvarez

1996 Fleer
70 - Ron Karkovice

1996 Leaf
Frank Thomas Charity Card Order Form

1996 Select Certified
107 - Jermaine Dye (Braves)

1996 Stadium Club
128 - Frank Thomas

1996 Summit
5 - Ray Durham

1997 Collector's Choice
72 - Tony Phillips
75 - Harold Baines

1997 Fleer
54 - Wilson Alvarez

1997 Pacific
56 - Darren Lewis
64 - Frank Thomas

1997 Pacific Gems of the Diamond
GD-30 - Domingo Cedeno

1997 Pinnacle
140 - Danny Tartabull

1997 Pinnacle New
193 - Albert Belle AURA

2000 Crown Royale
32 - Magglio Ordonez

2000 Impact
31 - Frank Thomas

2003 - MVP
49 - Joe Borchard
50 - Joe Crede

2003 Ultra Gold Medallion
130 - Jose Valentin

2004 Topps First Edition
408 - Scott Schoenweis
540 - Magglio Ordonez

2005 Throwback Threads
271 - Jermaine Dye

2009 - UD 20th Anniversary
1447 - Carlton Fisk

Thank you, Ryan! All of the cards were awesome! I'm particularly impressed with the 2004 Topps First Edition cards. Usually parallels like those slip right through my fingers.

I will be loading up the boxes you sent with goodies and sending them your way soon!