WSC Birth Years: Angel Sanchez

Card #130 - Angel Sanchez

Born: September 20, 1983

Angel was picked up in the Rule V draft from the Angels in December 2012, which marked the first time since 2003 that the Pale Hose selected a player this way.Sanchez made his White Sox debut on April 9, 2013, against the Nationals in Washington D.C. He replaced Gordon Beckham in the third inning, when Beckham felt some nerve irritation in his left wrist after hitting a foul ball in the second.

Angel would go 0-2 in two plate appearances, but that wasn't the only bad luck waiting for him. Sanchez went on the disabled list the next day with lower back strain. In late May 2013, Angel was reinstated and outrighted to AAA Charlotte. With Beckham back from injury and a flux of infielders, April 9th may be Sanchez's only appearance in a White Sox uniform.

WSC Birth Years: Deunte Heath

Card #129 - Deunte Heath

Born: August 8, 1985

On July 4, 2012, Deunte was called up to replace Jesse Crain on the roster. He was sent down a few days later without making an appearance, but would return in September. Heath made his MLB debut with the ChiSox on September 1, 2012, against the Tigers in Detroit. He faced Prince Fielder and got him to ground into an inning ending double play on two pitches.

Deunte looks to get more major league playing time in 2013 and is a good bet to be in the bullpen mix.

The Traveling Box: Pass Three

Every time this box passes through my mailbox, it grows into a larger monster.

There are many cool cards from multiple sports (even some non-sport has slipped in) and I am always tempted to stray from my collecting habits because I see something really cool. This pass was no exception, but I cannot tell you what remains in the box. All I can tell you is what I took. I can't even tell you what I put in, but it did get an enthusiastic reaction from Mike about what I did put in. If you're on the list, then you'll just have to wait and see.

I, of course, took White Sox related stuff that I did not have already.

The first card to catch my eye was a 1968 Laughlin World Series card. It depicts the 1919 World Series. I have always wanted to track this set down, but even I had a hard time paying seller prices for a card that is essentially just a headline, even if that card is forty-five years old. Now, I can pick it up and contribute something back to the card community. The hoopla surrounding the 1919 World Series makes this card probably the most difficult to find of the four White Sox related cards, so I'll gladly take it here.

I also took a 2002 Bowman Signs Of The Future - Kris Honel card. Taken sixteenth overall in the 2001 draft, there were high hopes for this kid. The fact that he came out of New Lenox, IL, makes him a local pick. Sadly, Kris hasn't played since 2011 and has had surgery on his right elbow. As of July 2011, he still hoped to reach the majors someday. I wish him luck.

I am satisfied with this round. May the traveling box be coming soon to a mailbox near you!

WSC Birth Years: Jose Lopez

Card #128 - Jose Lopez

Born: November 24, 1983

At one time, Jose commanded a second tier starting pitcher in return for a proposed trade, but now, his value has plummeted down to "necessity only" player, meaning he only plays if all other options are exhausted. Lopez started off his White Sox career in good fashion. He hit a single and a double in his debut in Baltimore. Lopez also finished off his White Sox career in good fashion, getting two singles in Cleveland. It was the middle that was most worrisome.

Out of fifteen games, Jose had five hits. Four of those hits came in the first and fifteenth game. It was only a six inning single in his seventh game, against Kansas City, that came between those two hit days. Lopez is another case of the ChiSox getting a player well after their apex. The White Sox had many issues at third base in 2012 and Jose Lopez was the last gasp at patching the problem.

2013 Topps Series Two

I'm not exactly sure why, but the Topps design for their flagship set has struck a chord with me. I should dislike it because of the strong resemblance to some recent Bowman designs. I can't put my finger on what, but I like it. In fact, I like it so much, that I started collecting the entire set, not just the White Sox cards. That says a lot about the design. I haven't been inspired to collect an entire set of MLB players since 2008 Topps Heritage. I'm still trying to complete that and the set collecting experience today (with all the short prints and whatnot) leaves a bitter taste in my mouth. I am four or five cards from completing the first series and now the second series is unleashed upon the public. Touché. Time to pick up the last few cards of the previous installment and move on to the new series.

The White Sox have eleven cards in this set.

395 - Alexei Ramirez

437 - Dayan Viciedo

458 - Jake Peavy

474 - Brian Omogrosso

478 - Gavin Floyd

526 - Tyler Flowers

580 - Jordan Danks

583 - Alejandro de Aza

586 - Jose Quintana

620 - Hector Santiago

647 - Adam Dunn 

A good mix of players permeates this latest series. Veterans like Peavy, Floyd, and Dunn co-mingle with newer players like Omogrosso, Quintana, and Danks. Not a bad player selection at all. I'll never get a complete roster out of a flagship series release, but I don't expect to either. A good mix is what I expect and Topps has delivered.

WSC Birth Years: Brett Myers

Card #127 - Brett Myers

Born: August 17, 1980

The Sox picked up Brett in a trade with the Houston Astros on July 21, 2012. The ChiSox were in the thick of the pennant race and needed to bolster their bullpen. Myers had lights out closer stuff, but Chicago used him in more of a setup role, unless rookie Addison Reed would falter in the closer position.

Brett was solid in his role, going 3-4 with a 3.12 ERA to go along with thirty hits and twenty-one strikeouts in thirty-five games. After the 2012 season, Myers had a desire to return to starting. The Sox had no room in their starting rotation for Brett, so he was not re-signed. Myers signed with the division rival Cleveland Indians for the 2013 season.

WSC Birth Years: Hector Gimenez - In Action

Card #126 - Hector Gimenez (In Action)

Born: September 28, 1982

A bonus card from the 1982 set.

WSC Birth Years: Hector Gimenez

Card #125 - Hector Gimenez

Born: September 28, 1982

Hector is the next in a long line of backup catchers for the White Sox, who have hung on successfully in Chicago after bouncing around other organizations. Gimenez made his debut with the Houston Astros in 2006. He made two pinch hitting appearances. Hector next appeared in seven games for the Los Angeles Dodgers in 2011.

Gimemez signed a minor league contract with the ChiSox in 2012. He was called up as a third string catcher in late 2012, appearing in five games. Hector then won the backup catcher position, behind Tyler Flowers in 2013.

WSC Vintage: Butch Henline

Card #45 - Butch Henline

Walter John Henline, better known by his nickname "Butch", broke through the majors with the New York Giants in 1921. On April 13, 1921, Butch made his debut at the Baker Bowl in Philadelphia, against the Phillies, pinch hitting for pitcher Phil Douglas in the fifth inning. Henline struck out in his only appearance in a Giants uniform. He was replaced by pitcher Jesse Barnes in the bottom of the inning.

Butch was traded to the Philadelphia Phillies on July 25, 1921, along with Curt Walker and $30,000 for Irish Muesel. It was with the Phillies that Henline would enjoy the most success. He hit over .300 four different times before being involved in a three team trade, where he ended up on the Brooklyn Robins. Primarily a catcher, Butch did see a little time in the outfield while with the Phillies. In Brooklyn, he was down to being a part-time catcher and no longer moonlighted in the outfield.

Henline wound up with the Chicago White Sox during the 1930 and 1931 seasons. By this time, Butch was a shell of his former self. He only played in three games in 1930 and eleven games in 1931. Only seven of those were in the field. Henline hit a dismal .087 during his two season in Chicago.

Butch retired after the 1934 season, in the minors. He ran a motel in Florida before pursuing a career as an umpire. Working his way through the Southeastern League and International League, he became a National League umpire in 1944. Henline even worked the 1947 All-Star Game. In 1949, Butch took a job as supervisor of umpires in the Florida International League, until it folded in 1954.

WSC Birth Years on YouTube

The first 100 cards of the WSC Birth Years series is now available as a YouTube video, featuring "Bright Lights" by Gary Clark Jr. as background music.

Enjoy!

WSC Birth Years: Francisco Liriano

Card #124 - Francisco Liriano

Born: October 26, 1983

On July 28, 2012, Liriano was part of a rare trade between the Minnesota Twins and the Chicago White Sox. It was the first time the two teams traded with each other since 1986, ending the ChiSox's longest tenure between trades with a single team. The Sox sent Pedro Hernandez and Eduardo Escobar to the Twins in exchange for the southpaw strikeout machine.

The move helped bolster the starting rotation. Francisco started ten games out of eleven appearances in a White Sox uniform, managing three wins and two losses. He gave the Pale Hose four games where he reached one-hundred pitches or more, giving the taxed bullpen a deserved break. Liriano wasn't enough to put the Sox over the top for the division, but he helped keep them in the race until a late September collapse. Francisco singed a deal with the Pittsburgh Pirates for the 2013 season.

WSC Birth Years: Dan Johnson

Card #123 - Dan Johnson

Born: August 10, 1979

Dan signed with the White Sox on February 1, 2012 and made things interesting in spring training. Ultimately, Johnson was cut and sent to the Sox AAA affiliate, where he banged out twenty-eight homers and finished second in the AAA All-Star Home Run Derby.

When the rosters expanded in September 2012, Dan was called up to the Sox. In fourteen games, Johnson mostly appeared as a pinch hitter. He also occasionally took over as designated hitter and at first base during the final weeks of the season. Despite limited action, Dan sported a .364 average in thirty-one plate appearances.

While his home run hitting heroics are remembered on the last day of the 2011 season with the Tampa Bay Rays, Dan saved his home run display for the last day of the 2012 season. Johnson hit three home runs for the White Sox in 2012 and they all came on the last day of the season against the Cleveland Indians, propelling the Pale Hose to a 9-0 victory.

WSC Birth Years: Ray Olmedo

Card #122 - Ray Olmedo

Born: May 31, 1981

Ray signed with the White Sox on November 25, 2011 and remained in AAA Charlotte for the majority of the 2012 season, until Eduardo Escobar was traded to Minnesota in the Francisco Liriano trade. Olmedo made his Pale Hose debut on August 5, 2012, against the Los Angeles Angels in Chicago, pinch running for Paul Konerko, after his single that led off the eighth inning. He would score on Alexei Ramirez's triple later that inning. It would be his first time on playing in a MLB game since September 30, 2007, with the Toronto Blue Jays.

Perhaps his best day with the ChiSox was on August 26, 2012, at home against Seattle, when he went two for three, and scored on a Kevin Youkilis triple in the bottom of the third inning. He only repeated two hits in a game once more in a White Sox uniform, on October 3, 2012, the last day of the season, Ray went two for five with a run scored.

Olmedo played twenty games with the Sox, in various roles. He played third base, shortstop, second base and designated hitter in his short time with the team. After the 2012 season, Ray was option back to AAA, but opted for free agency instead, where he signed with the Minnesota Twins.

1964 Topps

After the candy coated clown colors of the 1963 set, Topps went simplistic. The colors are still there, but more subdued. The subject dominates the card this time around, even popping out slightly from the box he fills.

While it may seem like Topps phoned in the design, the simplistic elements aren't here by accident. A conscious decision to focus on mostly head shots wouldn't have worked if the colors were garish or overbearing.

What people remember most about the 1964 Topps set is the orange backs. The backs of the cards remind me of a Dreamsicle. The orange and white combination shouldn't work, but it weirdly does. Here is where the glaring colors of last year's set have decided to take residence. It's an adjustment for the eyes, but it is a pleasant diversion. Some collectors are divided on the 1964 orange backs. Most people either love them or hate them. Rare is the collector that sees the orange and white backs indifferently.

The backs feature complete MLB stats, a short bio and (if room allows) a trivia question on a player's regular card. Topps suggested to rub a nickel on the back of the card to view the answer to the trivia question, but if the card is angled just right, the answer could be seen without coin rubbing.

The 1964 Topps set has 587 cards. There are thirty-one cards featuring White Sox players.

2 - AL ERA Leaders - Gary Peters, Juan Pizarro (Camilo Pasqual)
13 - Hoyt Wilhelm
31 - Dave Nicholson
66 - Eddie Fisher
81 - All-Star Vets - Nellie Fox (Harmon Killebrew)
85 - Pete Ward
107 -  Bruce Howard, Frank Kreutzer
130 - Gary Peters
148 - J.C. Martin
168 - Al Weis
195 - Floyd Robinson
215 - Ray Herbert
232 - Al Lopez
247 - Dave DeBusschere
264 - Jim Landis
283 - Tommy McCraw
308 - Gene Stephens
323 - John Buzhardt
340 - Joe Cunningham
368 - Fritz Ackley, Don Buford
384 - Ron Hansen
401 - Charlie Maxwell
421 - Camilo Carreon
430 - Juan Pizarro
453 - Frank Baumann
465 - Mike Hershberger
496 - White Sox Team
519 - Charlie Smith (pictured on White Sox, listed on Mets)
538 - Minnie Minoso
564 - Jerry McNertney (McCabe)
584 - Joel Horlen

The 1964 set is one of the underrated sets of the sixties. It has a solid, yet simplistic design, memorable backs and a nice selection of players. Even though Nellie Fox has a regular card on the Colts, he shows up with Harmon Killebrew on a multi-player card while in a White Sox uniform. This set also features the second of three Dave DeBusschere cards. DeBusschere pitched with the White Sox for two seasons in the majors and an additional two seasons in the minors before hanging up his pitching glove to focus of a Hall of Fame career as a power forward in the NBA for the Detroit Pistons and New York Knicks.

WSC Birth Years: Donnie Veal

Card #121 - Donnie Veal

Born: September 18, 1984

Originally drafted in the second round by the Chicago Cubs in 2005, Donnie was taken from the Cubs in the 2008 rule V draft by the Pittsburgh Pirates. It was in Pittsburgh that Veal made his MLB debut on April 7, 2009, against the Cardinals in St. Louis. Donnie worked the fifth inning after Ian Snell got rocked for eight runs (six earned) in the first four. Veal would appear in nineteen games for the Pirates that year. In 2010, Donnie got off to a promising start in the Pittsburgh minor league system before being sidelined by an injury in late May, which required Tommy John surgery.

Veal was signed by the White Sox on November 10, 2011 and made his White Sox debut on July 20, 2012 against the Tigers in Detroit. Donnie retired twenty-six consecutive left-handed batters before Shin-Soo Choo broke the streak with an RBI double on September 24, 2012, in a game which also saw Veal record his first career save. It looks like Donnie has found a comfortable spot in the Sox bullpen. He will definitely be in the mix for a roster spot on the 2013 team.