1921 W9316

Researching the history of the Chicago White Sox and baseball cards can be a daunting task. I've run into my share of oddball items, misspelled player names and misidentified cards, players and teams. The further one goes off from the safety of T206, the weirder it tends to get.

Strip cards are nothing new. They've been around for at least a century. They could be considered a novelty in today's hobby. Most of the strip cards that I've seen are very well done for something so tiny. If there aren't photos on the cards, there are drawings or paintings that range from average to excellent.

With great disappointment, I found a set of ten strip cards from 1921. Identified as W9316, these ten cards have to be the absolute poorest example of a vintage card. If there wasn't a player's name underneath the crude drawing, I don't think that anyone would be able to identify each player.

Out of ten players, the White Sox unfortunately have one card.

9 - Ray Schalk

I must point out the positives in this set. It's technically vintage. Ray Schalk's name is spelled right. The kid who colored the cards with crayons kept inside the lines. That's all the positive aspects that I can find for this set. If it were a kid's drawing, the cards would rate higher. The outline of the player tells me that a kid did not draw it. A child may have colored it, but the outlining skill is actually too well done, if that can be believed. This is where being an art major pays off.

This set is known for the bright ruby red lips that every transvestite was known to wear in the privacy of their own home in the early twentieth century. What that says about the ten baseball players chosen, I have not a clue. I can guarantee that no player ever wore this shade of lipstick during a game.

Adding to the embarrassment of this set is the poor condition that most of these cards are found in. It looks like the kid who colored inside the lines passed the strip of cards down to his toddler sibling to have a go at it with the safety scissors. Every cut example that I've seen from this set suffers from a horrible hand cut butchering.

The generic player masquerading as Ray Schalk has no idea that he will be part of the most hated vintage set. The "deer caught in the headlights" look on "Ray's" face seems pleasant enough, but if you could lift the plain white cap off of his head, you would find lobotomy scars.

Worst. Set. Ever.

Favorite Cards: Minnesota Twins

2007 Allen & Ginter Mini Wood #261 - Torii Hunter 1/1

Let me start off by saying that I do not have this card. There is only one in existence and it is not in my collection. I also have no idea whose collection this is a part of currently.

In 2007, I saw the base card of Torii Hunter, in the Allen & Ginter set and fell in love. There was something about the exaggerated expression on Torii's face that made this a favorite of not only me, but many other collectors. I have a copy of the base card which will not leave my extended collection.

In 2008, Torii's card in the Topps Heritage set came close to capturing the lightning in a bottle magic of the 2007 Allen & Ginter card, but couldn't overtake the perfect storm of unexpectedness and priceless. Regardless of what Torii Hunter accomplishes in his career, he is the proud subject of two great cards. Not every ballplayer can say that.

I have never even come close to sniffing a mini wood parallel card. It never showed up in any pack or hobby box that I purchased. On the secondary market, these cards usually command a pretty penny. I love the idea of them though and I hope to add one or more wood mini cards of players or teams I collect.

When I saw the image of Torii Hunter's wooden mini card earlier this year, it had managed to capture the same euphoria of the original card upon first view. I'm usually not one for endless parallels, but I would make an exception for this card. The feelings captured from the original card and the uniqueness of this parallel make this my favorite card of the Minnesota Twins.

Card Spotlight: 9-24-10

1992 Ultra #41 - Donn Pall

I remember really liking Donn Pall when he was with the White Sox. Every time I saw an interview with Donn, he had a big infectious goofy smile. He truly loved the White Sox. After all, he grew up not far from Comiskey Park as a White Sox fan in Evergreen Park, Illinois.

It was always special when someone who is a fan finds himself on the team he rooted for as a kid. Sometimes it works out. Sometimes it doesn't. When Donn first came up, in 1988, the White Sox were in shambles. It would only get worse through the 1989 season, as the Sox finished in seventh place.

Perhaps it was this factor that really endeared Donn Pall to many fans. It's hard to root for a last place team. I don't care how much of a fan you are. Sure, you still support the team. You still watch and you still cherish every victory. Losing grates on the fans as well as the players after awhile. The players that have great attitudes slip into the hearts of the fans and it's hard to shake.

When the White Sox rebounded in 1990 with 94 wins, firmly taking second place to an unbelievable Oakland Athletics team, it was more than just a moral victory. The players who survived the devastation of the past few years were vindicated. The fans who stuck with the team were rewarded. Players emerged from the wreckage of the late eighties teams just before the wrecking ball fell on their baseball palace.

Jack McDowell, Bobby Thigpen and Robin Ventura became household names along with the likes of Carlton Fisk and the traded Harold Baines. Players who would normally not be given a second thought entered the minds of Chicagoans on a daily basis. Donn Pall was one of those players.

Besides the sheer joy that Donn exuded in every interview, he really sealed his place in team lore when Tim Raines was traded to the team. He selflessly gave up his number thirty to the incoming Rock Raines and switched to number twenty-two. In many fans' minds, this was just another example of a class act by a local talent done good.

One of the first autographed baseballs (possibly the first) that I owned was from Donn Pall. I still have that ball and it is up front and center among the few autographed balls that I have in my collection. During the 1993 pennant run, it was hard to see Donn traded to the Phillies that September. For some fans, it was even harder to see him pop up on the Cubs later the next year. I'm sure it did wonders for his family life. If I recall correctly, he married into a family of Cubs fans.

Donn may be a common to most people, but he was a special part of many White Sox teams to me. I will always hold Donn Pall in a higher regard because of how he acted on and off the field, with the White Sox. It was great to spy Donn on the field on August 29, 2010, taking part in Frank Thomas' number retirement. Donn may never receive that honor himself, but that doesn't mean he wasn't in the fans' hearts.

The Waiting Is The Hardest Part

One of the most frustrating things with my Birth Years card series is waiting for usable pictures to appear.

I am down to one card remaining for the 2010 season. This series, which lately has been coming every Wednesday until yesterday, will be postponed until a proper card can be made or the end of the season. I'm still waiting for a usable photograph of relief pitcher Gregory Infante. I have three photos of him in a Chicago White Sox uniform, but there are issues with each one.

The first is an extreme close-up of Greg on his first day with the parent club, with an upside-down Gatorade cup stuck to his hat with gum. It's definitely a different photo, but I can't use it for a 1987 Topps card. The second is another close-up of Greg, not as close as the first one, but still not usable on the card design because it was done with a studio backdrop. The third is another angle of the Gatorade cup, this time a wide shot.

The third shot is usable, but it doesn't fit in with the general vibe of the card set. See, that's important too. The wrong type of photograph can break the illusion of that year's original set. Anyone can make a custom card and slap a photo in there. I pride myself in getting the details right, at least most of the time.

Gregory has been with the club since September 1st, when the Gatorade cup pictures were taken. Since that point, he has appeared in four games spread out over 3.2 innings. To me, that would seem ample time to get at least one usable game photo taken. Or at least a shot of him warming up or just hanging around the stadium. The kid made his MLB debut on September 7th and there isn't one single photo of that? Out of the sixty-three pitches that he has thrown as a big leaguer, not one picture exists? That's ridiculous.

Instead, I've been seeing too many pictures of Manny Ramirez, every other reliever that's entered a game this month, and an Oakland A's fan that needs to see a dermatologist about some nasty two-tone green fungus growing on their skin.

There are ten more games. I'm hoping to find a decent photo of Infante pitching during those ten games, but if not, there will be a card all ready to go. Not one that I'm 100% on, but one that might have to do.

1910 E102

The E102 is a strange card set. It consists of twenty-five players, three of which have picture variations (Doyle, Miller and Wagner). One additional card has a picture variation and a wrong name (Schmidt).

Those are pretty typical for an issue of this era. What makes this a strange set is that no one is certain about where these came from originally. There is no particular candy company associated with this set. There is no company identification on either side of the card.

Another problem with this set is that no one can agree 100% on when it was issued. I imagine that would clear up if a company is ever identified as the manufacturer. Until then, there are several years which this set is listed. I've seen listings as early as 1908 and as late as 1911, but the general consensus is that this set was issued in 1910. According to the American Card Catalog compiled by Jefferson Burdick, these cards were issued between 1909 and 1911 by a anonymous caramel company.

The White Sox have one card in this twenty-five card set.

Patsy Dougherty

This set is also a bit of an anomaly, since the player's position is listed. In the case of Dougherty, left field is specifically listed. Typically, the player's position is not mentioned on the front of a card in this era. In the instances that they are, usually the more generic position of outfield would be given to a left fielder.

The card front is bright and the colors pop, which is the norm for cards from this era. The E102 cards are especially condition sensitive. Finding one in pristine condition is almost an impossible task. If you can find one, in any condition, cherish it.

And She Has Sung

You were expecting a fat lady, perhaps? This is Chicago. When the fat lady is supposed to sing us off, Koko Taylor shows up with the blues.

And if the message isn't clear, here's Overkill to well, overkill.

Congrats to Jim Thome. Oh yeah, and the Twins too.

1999 Fleer Tradition

My life was not focused on baseball cards for many years after the 1994 strike. Kudos to those who stuck around, but it seems the majority of the stories out there are similar to mine. Fed up with the overproduction and devaluing of cards, along with the fallout ill-will from the strike, caused many collectors to pack up shop and pursue other interests.

One by one, the collecting bug has bitten again and we are lured back into the fold. Upon our reentry into card collecting, we immediately look for the familiar names of our youth. One of those names is Fleer. An adult reentering the collecting world today would be shocked to learn that Fleer is no more. Even more surprising would be the fact that Fleer declared bankruptcy and was bought by Upper Deck. Upper Deck has their own card issues, which we won't get into here.

Smack dab in the middle of this is the 1999 Fleer Tradition set. This is the second year that the flagship Fleer set was morphed into Fleer Tradition. Gone was any set without a secondary tag after the Fleer name. I'm not sure who had this brilliant idea, but looking back on that decision, was it really necessary? Probably not.

This set came out in a period where the majority of Fleer sets looked similar. Oh sure, they were somewhat distinguishable from one another, but looking at any random card resulted in knowing that it was made by Fleer.

The front of the card was glossy with foil stamping. In 1999, I'm sure this was still something somewhat special. Today, it's boring, since nearly every card has some sort of foil embedded in the card. Still, the design is understated, which is usually good. In this case, it's good, even though the design doesn't stand out.

The back of the card is refreshing. A nice photograph greets you on the back, as well as full stats. That is something that was a bit of a rarity during this period. It's nice to see a well designed back.

The White Sox have 18 cards in the set.

34 - Frank Thomas
53 - Mike Caruso
87 - Ray Durham
119 - Magglio Ordonez
150 - Mark Johnson
211 - Craig Wilson
229 - Brian Simmons
240 - Paul Konerko
298 - Jeff Abbott
314 - Jim Abbott
349 - James Baldwin
377 - Chad Bradford
434 - Bobby Howry
441 - Wil Cordero
504 - Greg Norton
526 - Jim Parque
551 - Bill Simas
573 - Mike Sirotka

The only rookie card is Chad Bradford. Paul Konerko has an odd card, showing him with the Cincinnati Reds. It includes the color scheme for the Reds, but lists him on the White Sox. It's a pet peeve of mine to show a player on one team and list him on another. It's an interesting dynamic within the team set though.

Favorite Cards: Toronto Blue Jays

1983 Topps #488 - Alfredo Griffin

Unlike the previous entries in this series, this card is different in several ways. It features a team whose first game (against the White Sox) took place roughly five and a half months after my birth. This is also the first card featured that is younger than I am. It is also the first card to feature a Rookie of the Year, even though he had to share that honor with John Castino of the Minnesota Twins in 1979.

This is a copy of a card from my very first pack of card, back in 1983. I've told the story of that pack several times, so I won't re-hash that here. I will however re-hash and add things about the card itself.

Thumbing through that first pack could have been disaster. I was unimpressed with players that I was unfamiliar with and teams that I didn't follow. There were posed players that looked older than my grandfather, to my six and a half year old eyes. Then, I came across this card of Alfredo Griffin.

The first detail I noticed about the picture was the pucker of Alfredo's mouth. The second detail that caught my eye was the ball. It looked like he was about to miss the ball, but seeing only one frame of a play in motion, it was hard to tell for sure. I can remember looking at Griffin's headshot and thinking that he looked so sincere. He had a kind face. I was heavy into the Blues Brothers at that time (and still am), so the fact that Alfredo had sideburns like Elwood Blues may have subconsciously held my attention too.

It could be a combination of all these things and more. Whatever the reasons, I have not been able to get this card out of my memory. I thought so much of it as a child that I wrote "$1.00" in black crayon on the back. To me, at that time, $1.00 was the equivalent of pricing it at $100.00 today. It meant that much to me.

I have no idea what happened to this card. I assume it is tucked away in a box somewhere in a closet, trapped with other childhood memories. I did run across it about a decade ago, but I was in a non-collecting phase of my life, so I put it back wherever it was and forgot about it. I haven't been fortunate enough to replace the card and it is not on a high priority list. I have my memories and somewhere in my house rests the card, waiting to be discovered.

I haven't found another Blue Jays card that has ever captured my interest more than this card. It's been twenty-seven years and the search continues, but this Blue Jays card will be tough to beat.

WSC Vintage: Art Weaver

Card #25 - Art Weaver

Art Weaver caught fifteen games with the Chicago White Sox in 1908. Over those fifteen games, he sported a .200 average and a .953 fielding percentage. Weaver's final Major League game was on August 8, 1908. Fans said that Art's ultra thin physique reminded them of the hands of a clock, so his nickname became "Six O'Clock".

His best days were in the minors just before and after his stint with the White Sox, where he put up averages in the mid to high two-hundreds, topping three hundred twice, reaching a career best .355 average for the Salt Lake City Skyscrapers in 1912.

Asthma-related health problems eventually forced Art out of organized baseball and contributed to his early death, at the age of 37, in March 1917.

Talk Like A Pirate Day

Talk Like A Pirate Day's official MLB spokesperson,
DAVID AARDSMA

ThAARR be the treasure, me hearties!

Davy Jones' locker be in me mouth. ListAARRRine, please!

ThAARR be me name and numbAARR!

When you see the whites of my numbAARR, I be huntin' for ya!

One day, through a perfect alignment of karma, David Aardsma will play for the Pittsburgh Pirates. Until then, MLB's "Talk Like A Pirate Day" spokesperson, David Aardsma, will be one team away from greatness.

Blog Bat Around: The Commissioner

David from Indians Baseball Cards Has issued a new round of Blog Bat Around. This new installment deals with the announcement of Bud Selig finally giving up his "temporary" power as acting commissioner in 2012.

What would you do as MLB's next commissioner? Would you stand pat or would you issue a plethora of changes? What would be your legacy?

With much thought, I narrowed many ideas, some with merit, some Nikola Tesla crazy, and came up with the ideas that most made sense to me. There wouldn't be anything as disturbing as caught steroid users wearing pink versions of their uniforms with frilly lace. Although that could be an effective deterrent. Instead, I will focus on a few on field and a few off the field changes.

If I were given the reigns of baseball commissioner after Bud Selig stepped down, I would change a few things about the game we love.

First let’s go with the on field changes.

I would add two teams to the American League. This would not only ensure that every team plays the same amount of interleague games, it would even teams out between the leagues. The first team would be located in Central Canada, possibly Winnipeg, Manitoba. The people of Winnipeg already support their minor league Goldeyes. Another team in Canada is a must. The farther away the team is from the debacle in Montreal, the better off it will be. Vancouver, British Columbia is too close to Seattle. Winnipeg is far enough from Minneapolis to be successful. Saskatoon, Saskatchewan and Edmonton, Alberta are also possibilities.

The second team would be located in a central location between the West Coast and the Midwest. More than likely in Billings, Montana. It has a population over 100,000. It is also located in MLB’s version of the Bermuda Triangle. These two locations would expand the popularity of the MLB without sacrificing the territories of established MLB teams.

The 162 game season would also bring some changes. April and September will be exclusively dedicated to divisional play. Every team will start play within their division and each team will end play within their division. This should create a sense of urgency at the beginning of the season and exciting pennant races at the end. To accomplish a smooth transition, each league will be split into four equal divisions. There will be no wild card team. The winner of each division will enter the playoffs. The existing three tier system will stay in place. Two divisional games and one championship game per league, with each league’s winner meeting in the World Series.

Interleague play will remain, but will be played throughout the months of May and June through mid-July. Eight teams will play interleague games at any given time throughout this time period. The other twenty-four teams will play regular league games. Each team will play six interleague series (three home, three away) during this time. This will ensure that fans of interleague play will have something to watch and fans of regular league play will always have something to watch during the two and a half months leading up to the All-Star Game.

The All-Star Game will no longer determine home field advantage in the World Series. It will be just an exhibition game. Regardless, it will be played until a winner is declared. Each team will be allowed to ask MLB players in good standing (current or retired) watching the game in the stands to enter the game in the event that extra players are needed. Players in the stands have the right to refuse, but will suffer the humiliation of ridicule, unless injured. To help ensure that players take the game seriously without the added implications of home field advantage, the All-Star MVP will also receive a monetary bonus that is equal to one year of his current salary.

The designated hitter position will remain in the American League parks only. Connie Mack originally thought of the DH position back in 1906. That legacy and link to our past will remain.

Now for the off the field changes.

Any lifetime ban will be upheld, without question or discussion. Once a player is deceased, he will be reinstated and will be entitled to any benefits or accolades that a player in good standing would be eligible for. Simply put, this would mean that players like Buck Weaver will be reinstated and could receive legitimate votes towards Hall of Fame consideration. Players such as Pete Rose would not be eligible for this treatment until they are deceased. A lifetime ban should only cover the individual’s lifetime. As long as a banned player is alive, he will receive no acknowledgment from MLB.

A salary cap would be in place, which would be determined during postseason play, and announced at the conclusion of the World Series, for the next year. Each team that exceeds the salary cap will be subject to a luxury tax that is equal to the amount over said salary cap. In addition, each team that exceeds the salary cap will have ticket prices and concessions half the price of the previous season for any amount of time that they are in excess of the salary cap. This will hopefully curb abuse of the salary cap by hitting a team in the pocketbook more than any luxury tax, alone, would be able to do. If a team wants to exceed the cap, it will cost them dearly.

I think these changes, while possibly unpopular at first, will allow the game to naturally grow and thrive into the lexicon of the 21st century. They should allow every team to be more in control of their own destiny and expand MLB into previously untapped territories. It will also allow the population to focus more on the sport itself rather than the questionable decisions past commissioners.

Cards That Never Were #39

1962 Topps - Ted Kluszewski

Klu had a hastily put together Angels card in the 1961 set. He is listed on the Angels, but there was no attempt to cover up his White Sox hat. Ted retired after the 1961 season and Topps saw no reason to grant Kluszewski a final card in the 1962 set.

Ted made Angels history on April 11, 1961, when he hit the first home run of the franchise's existence, in the first inning of the first game. That home run traveled to deep right field. Big Klu followed that up with a home run to deep right field off of another pitcher the following inning.

Despite being a part time player in his last few years, Ted appeared in 107 games for the Angels in their inaugural season. I would think that this would be enough for a final card in the following year's set, but apparently not. This corrects that oversight.

Did You Ever?

Did you ever catch a moment that no one else appears to see? It seems odd to you. You almost dismiss it, but something nags at you. Something sinister is afoot.You can't quite figure it out. Things seem to be going so well. Something in the air is off. You are about to witness something bad.
You finally realize that the odd and unsettling moment is about to happen. You try to warn everyone, but no one can hear you. You beg and plead with everyone, but it's like they can't see or hear you.
As the tragic events unfold, you still hold out hope that your warning will reach someone. Anyone. Someone has to listen, but despite your best efforts, there is nothing you can do. Tragedy is unavoidable.
As you see the horrific events in real time, you can do nothing except watch, slack-jawed, unsure of what can be done. Dumbfounded, you sit down and watch in silence, realizing there was nothing you could do.
You think to speak, but finally realize that no one can hear you through a television set and there is no one to call. Finally, when everything has reached its inevitable conclusion, you walk away and mumble something about the team should hire you as a clairvoyant. It crosses your mind for the briefest of seconds before the absurd thought trails off on its own. You sit down and prepare for tomorrow, when your services will likely be called upon again in a moment of second sight, for no one but yourself.

Card Spotlight: 9-17-10

2010 Allen & Ginter #108 - Paul Konerko

Paul Konerko has come to epitomize what it means to be a White Sox player. You go out everyday and do your job to the best of your ability and try to scratch out a win in any way possible. Bumps and bruises will be obtained along the way, but unless those inhibit your ability to bring an A game, you pick yourself up, dust yourself off, and get back out and give them hell.

There have been many players that have fit that mold in the past 110 seasons. Their names litter White Sox lore and are too numerous to mention here. If you've been following the White Sox for awhile, you develop a keen sense of who these players are. They are embraced by the fan base. They are always brought up when talking about past games. They hold that special balance of moxie, determination and blue collar work ethic that makes them favorites in Chicago.

Last night, Paul Konerko showed White Sox fans exactly why they scream "Paulie" over and over again when he steps to the plate. It's not because the fans are looking for the long ball or awaiting that clutch hit. It's because Paul Konerko is one of our own. He plays with a "no quit" attitude that oozes out of every pore, every fiber of his being.

Last night, Konerko was hit between the nose and lips with an inside pitch by Twins starter Carl Pavano. Lying on the ground, bleeding, after the pitch, Konerko got up and was checked out by the White Sox staff. The opinion was to pull Konerko from the game, but Paul would have nothing to do with that. In his next at-bat, on the first pitch, Konerko hit a monstrous home run that made the statement that he is not afraid and will not back down. This is the type of player that White Sox fans love. They go about their business quietly, but when the time is right, they strike, not with their fists, but with their bat, or with their pitch or with their glove.

What Killed The 2010 White Sox

While there are many culprits in this case, one truly stands out above the rest. Before we get into that, let's take some time to review.

The Sox started off with a horrific April and May, where nothing seemed to go their way. They followed that with a June and July for the ages. August and September have been slightly above average.

I'm not going to pour through statistics. I'll leave that to other sites that do that type of analysis extremely well. How does that line go? You can use statistical science to prove that an elephant can hang off a cliff tied to a daisy. But use your eyes, your common sense. Well, something like that anyway.

Myth #1: The "DH by committee" idea fizzled from the start.

Answer: Not really. A strong finish by Jim Thome has really made the decision not to retain his services stand out. Was it a season killer? Only in the sense that Jim Thome is doing these things right now for the team in first place. Compounding this myth is the fact that Thome will be getting his own sitcom in the offseason, "Everybody Loves Thome". You simply cannot dislike this guy. And that's what hurts the most. The players that have filled out the DH role have been inconsistent at best. Ozzie Guillen seemed to pine for the days where anyone could be the DH. Fred Manrique filled in at DH in the eighties. That's not the type of production you want out of the DH spot. The DH by committee idea had legs, but the wrong people constantly filled its shoes. Next year should see an end to the widespread use of this philosophy, but that's not what killed the Sox.

Myth #2: The bullpen blew the season.

Answer: Not likely. It's maddening to watch your bullpen give up hit after hit and lose games. The truth is that every team goes through streaks like that. These things get amplified during a playoff run. Does is hurt that Sergio Santos, who had been very effective all year, gave up a four run lead in Kansas City? It most certainly does! But Freddy Garcia loaded the bases before Santos came in. After that grand slam pitch, Santos pitched effectively. The negatives always stick out more in your mind. The bullpen has actually been largely effective this year. The stretches where every member of the bullpen seems to go into a funk at the same time isn't pretty, but that's not what killed the Sox.

Myth #3: If it's not the bullpen, certainly it must be Scott Linebrink's fault!

Answer: Nope. Blame Scott Linebrink for many things, including a bloated contract and a tendency to give up the long ball, but he did not kill the Sox. He has had less outings where he has blown a save or jeopardized the lead. Ozzie has been using him sparingly, but he has shown a resilience this year that has never been seen by Scott in a White Sox uniform. I can count more times this season where Scott has come out and pitched a 1-2-3 inning than in any other season on the Southside. Scott Linebrink did not kill the Sox.

Myth #4: Ozzie's circus has poisoned the Sox.

Answer: Hardly. What circus are you referring to? The Twitter controversy? Anything controversial involved his son, not Ozzie. Throwing players under the bus? The last time that happened was when he made Sean Tracey cry, which was four years ago. Ozzie has actually mellowed this year, as he has the past few seasons. Any focus on Ozzie actually benefits the team more in the long term. It takes the heat off of the players, creating a better team environment. Ozzie's circus has not killed the Sox.

Myth #5: The starters can't hold the leads.

Answer: Here's where fact and fiction merge. The starters have had trouble holding leads, but usually that's been happening when the Sox have had little or no runs on the board. It's simply not a good game plan to ask starters to constantly hold a one run lead or not give up any runs. That's a recipe for failure. Runs are going to be given up. If not, then every pitcher on the team would have an ERA of 0.00 and the Sox would have a record of 144-0 coming into game play tonight. That's not only unrealistic, that's impossible! The starters did not kill the Sox.

Myth #6: Injuries have plagued the White Sox this season.

Answer: There have been injuries this year, but show me a team that doesn't have injuries. Jake Peavy's season ending injury could have been a big blow to the Sox, but it hasn't. Other pitchers have stepped up their game to accommodate the loss of Peavy, until the arrival of Edwin Jackson. Other injuries to players are a normal part of any season. Other players step in and figure out how to win while their teammate is on the DL or sitting out a few games. The Twins have been without their closer and their regular first baseman for a good chunk of the year and they are doing fine. Injuries have not killed the Sox this year.

Myth #7: The White Sox can't hit.

Answer: Yes, they can hit just fine. Konerko has had a renaissance season. Averages that were low towards the beginning of the year are evening out and climbing. The hitting is just fine.

Myth #8: The horrific start sealed their doom.

Answer: Nope. If that sealed their doom, why were they in first place as recently as August?

Myth #9: Joe West killed the season.

Answer: No. While there is strong evidence to support that Joe West does not like the White Sox and will do things in and out of his jurisdiction to make it tougher for the White Sox to win, his crew does not umpire every game the Sox play. It only feeds into his gigantic ego to blame him when it's not the case.

It's easy to play the blame game, but the death of the 2010 White Sox season comes down to three things and all three involve the hitters. Like I mentioned in myth #7, the hitters get their hits. There is nothing wrong with getting the players on base. Whether they get a hit or a walk or are hit by a pitch, the batters get on base. The main problem comes when the bases have runners in scoring position, the Sox try to do to much and end up causing one or two outs with each ensuing batter. It is the inability to hit with runners in scoring position that has killed the White Sox this season.

Instead of taking the approach of hitting a fly ball to the right side to advance the runner with less than two outs, possibly scoring a run in the process, the Sox have usually either ground into a double play or popped the ball up in the infield. This has killed more rallies than any other reason this season.

Compound this with popping up or grounding out early in the count during the first time through the order and trying to hit everything out of the park the second time through. It just doesn't work the majority of the time. By the time the Sox get around to the business of hitting effectively, in most games, it's the sixth or seventh inning already. The opposing starter is out (or on his way) and the hitters have to adjust to multiple pitchers from the bullpen, thus throwing away eighteen at-bats.

Ozzie may want to take a cue from his playing days and have his lineup foul off pitch after pitch the first time through. This quickly eats up the pitch count and potentially gives the batters better pitches to hit, while sending the opposing pitcher to the showers early. That would be refreshing.