Random Card #30

Like Sandy Alomar Jr., most of my planned contributions to the blog today will be behind the scenes. We all need days like that. There's just no avoiding it.

I always appreciated the fact that Sandy Alomar Jr. was on the Sox, a multitude of times. I think that he brought a sense of stability to the pitching staff, at a time where there was no clear direction in some of the starters. The experience that Sandy brought was invaluable. His bat was a different story. His offensive prowess had long since been put to bed. Sometimes that isn't as important as calling a good game behind the plate and passing the knowledge of a long successful career to a younger generation.

I see most of the current Sox players picking Griffey's brain. I think that's wonderful. The Sox have been fortunate to have a roster of players who care for the game more than the fame and monetary gains. Would the players on the Red Sox or Yankees pick Griffey's brain, if he would have landed there? To some degree, I would imagine, but nothing like the players on the White Sox.

I can see Sandy Alomar Jr. becoming a bullpen coach for the White Sox at some point. I think that his experience behind the plate will compliment any teachings that the White Sox currently have in place. The Sox have a great history with catchers. Ray Schalk, Sherm Lollar, Ed Herrmann, Carlton Fisk, Sandy Alomar Jr, A.J. Pierzynski, stand out among the rest. The Sox have always taken pride in having sound catchers calling the game.

There's a reason that the Sox used to carry three catchers. They tried to protect the longevity of their catchers, by giving them breaks. This mostly started when Fisk was injured in the early and mid-eighties. The Sox also hold the distinction of having the record for most innings caught in a single game by a catcher. That record is held by Carlton Fisk, who caught all 25 innings of a game against the Brewers (when they were an AL team) in 1984.