WSC All-Stars: Luke Appling 1936

Card #6 - Luke Appling

Luke led off the 1936 All-Star game with a walk off St. Louis Cardinals pitcher Dizzy Dean. Appling proceeded to go one for four the rest of the game. His lone hit, a single to right field, came in the top of the seventh inning, off of Chicago Cubs pitcher Curt Davis, scoring Detroit Tigers outfielder Goose Goslin and Boston Red Sox third baseman Jimmie Foxx.

Appling had a chance to get start a rally in the ninth off of Chicago Cubs pitcher Lon Warneke, but ended up grounding out to Cubs second baseman Billy Herman.

Panini Has Announced Three Additional Donruss Rated Rookies

As part of a wrapper redemption program, three additional Rated Rookie cards were announced on Opening Day. This three card set is available by sending twenty-four wrappers to Panini.

The three cards are...

201 - Masahiro Tanaka
202 - Jose Abreu
203 - Yordano Ventura

Another White Sox card to collect is always a good thing.

WSC Birth Years: Jose Abreu

Card #152 - Jose Abreu

Born: January 29, 1987

In October 2013, the White Sox took a risk and signed Cuban defector Abreu to a six year, $68 million dollar contract. Jose will be hitting his prime years while in a White Sox uniform. After hitting monster numbers in Cuba, Abreu will test out MLB pitching in 2014, to see if his talent will translate well in the big leagues.

Jose went two for four in his MLB debut on March 31, 2014, against the Minnesota Twins, in Chicago. He also scored a run and collected his first RBI. He has left a strong impression on teammates and opponents, in the first few months. Abreu will be looking to build on that and continue the tradition of excellent first basemen on the South Side.

Something For Your Wall

 For a very limited time (available only until March 31, 2014), Topps is offering various prints, using a design for a 1967 test sticker set. The effect is simple and striking. Floating heads on a background of red, white and blue. There are twenty prints in the set. It will only cost you $49.99 for each print or $900 for the set. That's a savings of slightly more than one hundred dollars. Not too shabby.

It would be an outrageous price for cards, but these are art. Measuring 11x17 inches, these are meant to be displayed on the wall, not in your albums. It would go perfectly in my office, but the price seems more a luxury than a must have, although it does look nice.

If I had $50 to spare, I might consider the lone White Sox player in the set, Luis Aparicio. Or I might consider another, that is in my player collection, Carlton Fisk, featuring a young floating head in a Boston Red Sox helmet.

This is something definitely interesting coming from Topps. While I'm not sure it's a product I would necessarily want, I like the direction this art is going.

WSC All-Stars: Al Simmons 1935

Card #5 - Al Simmons

For the third straight year, Al started in center field in the All-Star game representing the Chicago White Sox for the American League All-Stars. This time the summer classic was held in Cleveland, Ohio at Municipal Stadium.

Simmons would go two for four at the plate, striking out in the second off of St. Louis Cardinals pitcher Bill Walker. He would single to third base in the fourth, off of New York Giants pitcher Hal Schumacher. Al would get to second base on the throwing error by St. Louis Cardinals third baseman Pepper Martin to New York Giants first baseman Bill Terry. Simmons would strike out again in the sixth, off of Schumacher. Al doubled off of St. Louis pitcher Dizzy Dean in the eighth, but would be out at third base on a fielder's choice. Simmons would be replaced in the ninth by Philadelphia Athletics outfielder Doc Cramer.

WSC All-Stars: Al Simmons 1934

Card #4 - Al Simmons

Al was in the starting lineup and batted sixth, going three for five. In the top of the fifth inning, Simmons singled to the shortstop, which scored the New York Yankees first baseman Lou Gehrig. Al later scored when Cleveland's Earl Averill doubled to right, all coming off of Brooklyn's Van Mungo. Averill pinch hit for Yankees pitcher Lefty Gomez in the fifth.

Simmons doubled off of Cubs pitcher Lon Warneke in the fourth and scored on Washington Senators shortstop Joe Cronin's single to left. Al also doubled to center in the sixth and scored on Cronin's double. The back to back doubles were off of Cardinals pitcher Dizzy Dean.

Silly Temptations At Meijer

While strolling through the aisles at Meijer the other day, I decided to locate the dark recesses of the store where they just moved their card selections. This week the section has moved to the Star Wars toy aisle. A few weeks before, they were against the back wall, near fishing supplies. A few months ago, they were found in the checkout lane of one of the thirty plus lanes. I just had to figure out which one.

Meijer certainly loves to have me search the store for where their cards are. Asking employees rarely gets me answers. Most give e the quizzical puppy dog look, like I just asked them to list all the numbers in pi. Some will say, "When did they start making baseball cards again." When I inform them that they never stopped, I get another confused puppy dog look. Maybe they'll direct me to the bakery for pi.

My second wave of card collecting began in 1990. It wasn't exactly a banner year for most card releases, except for Leaf, but Donruss was one of the more interesting subjects. The red border with black paint drippings was a unique choice that should have paid off, but never quite got there. My freshman year art teacher was unimpressed, since I hawked the design for an art project. If I remember correctly, the design landed me a "C" and a note that I could do better if I applied myself and used my imagination. The critique must have worked because art was my third major in high school.

Even with the overproduction era stigma and the less than stellar design, I have a soft spot for 1990 Donruss. It was better than the previous two years and it would be leaps and bounds better than the next year's effort. Even though Fleer takes the cake for worst card design of 1991, Donruss was not far above that nadir. 1990's design intrigued my teenage brain enough to collect a lot of it. It may have been about collecting the Yaz puzzle or finding the Grand Slammers. Who knows. Maybe it was the feel of opening a cello pack and getting a brick of cards. It was probably a combination of all of those and more.

Part of me was very tempted to pick this up and relive my youth. I came to my senses when I realized that nothing that could possibly come out of that box would be a surprise or an asset to my life. It would be rehashing a memory for ten dollars. A short burst of joy followed by some disappointment, followed by a puppy dog look when I realize that I need to find a home for cards that I already have in abundance.

The thought of breaking a box of 1990 Donruss is more exciting than actually opening it. I found that out the hard way a few years ago in a repack box. I was thrilled when I saw a pack of 1990 Donruss. I found quick, empty joy in the pack opening, then crushing failure when I realized it was a false joy. I wasn't happy opening this pack. I was happy with the memories of a teenage me opening packs before knowing 99.9% of it was overproduced garbage. I already have those memories. Memories when this was a brand new product. I can use the ten dollars to make new memories with card packs that are new to me, not ones that I've rerun more times than Gilligan's Island.

It was tempting and Meijer almost got me. I resisted the urge and I am all the better for it.

2014 Turkey Red

 Another year and another Turkey Red set from Topps. This year, again, the set is an online exclusive through the Topps store website and has a limited run of each base card. The set consists of one hundred base cards and thirty-eight autographs. Only sold by the box for $19.99, each box contains ten base cards and an autograph. Black parallels are numbered to ten. Red parallels are numbered to one. Printing plates are also numbered to one.

As always, the product sold out quickly in the Topps store, so you'll have to get cards on the secondary market.

The cards themselves have a different design than previous years. It looked fine in pictures, but up close, the quality seems to have been drained from this release. The effect was supposed to be shoddy old cardboard (I'm assuming), but the results remind me more of a printer that's nearly out of ink. There is a clear division, where there shouldn't be, right below the black inner border. It's almost as if someone laid a slightly lighter piece of paper on top of the bottom portion of the card. It's not a good look and looks cheaply done. The poorly thought out borders betray the bright and colorful picture, which really pops against the muted colors of the border. It's a shame that the borders look so bad, as the border colors do complement the picture.

The White Sox have one card in this one hundred card set.

14 - Chris Sale

The White Sox also have one autograph in the thirty-eight card autographed set.

TRA-8 - Andre Rienzo (/499)

The inclusion of Rienzo is a nice touch, but this still feels like a sticker dump product. I am happy that Rienzo is there, but I'm disappointed in the feel of the set.

I feel that the set would have benefited from a actual textured cardboard rather than fake printed texture. The thinning stock is also another concern. It's slightly tragic that such nice pictures can find there way onto inferior cards. This is not something I would think of when buying something limited.

Topps had something here and fumbled the ball. I'm glad that I bought my product on the secondary market. Both cards were under $5.00 together, with free shipping. I could live with that. Buying a box or two of this release for $20.00 each, just to get two cards, is not.

Turkey Red needs to retire for a few years and Panini needs to get fully licensed.

WSC All-Stars: Jimmy Dykes 1934

Card #3 - Jimmy Dykes

Jimmy was selected as a backup for the 1934 American League All-Stars, but did not play.

WSC All-Stars: Al Simmons 1933

Card #2 - Al Simmons

The very first All-Star game featured a second White Sox player, Al Simmons. "Bucketfoot Al" batted fifth in the American League lineup, right before fellow Sox A--Star Jimmy Dykes.

Simmons ground into a double play in the third inning and hit a single to left field in the fifth. Al patrolled center field for the American League All-Stars and was in the starting lineup.

Donruss Pastiche

So the Donruss name has been revived this week, after a ten year absence. Was it worth the wait?

Mostly yes.

Different elements from different years of Donruss are represented in an almost retro way. Looking at the design makes me feel warm and fuzzy and nostalgic. Some of the best elements from when I was a kid are present and accounted for, up to and including the back, but something is off about it.

Panini's design department took the first decade of Donruss, put it in a blender, and pureed something awesome. It is ultimately a false sense of security. The backs, which at first glance remind me so much of the mid to late eighties card backs, feature only one year instead of the familiar five. The middle names are prominently placed, but the backs are too sheen. That just feels out of place for the feeling Panini is trying to create.

The pictures on the front seem a little too perfect to be on a card named Donruss. The pictures balance in unison with the design on every card I have feasted my eyes upon. It actually distracts from the lack of logos on the uniforms.

I am happy that Donruss is back on the market. Panini's design team should be applauded. It looks like Donruss, but the little things that are off keep it from feeling like Donruss.

A superb, near classic effort.

WSC All-Stars: Jimmy Dykes 1933

Card #1 - Jimmy Dykes

The inaugural All-Star game, held at Comiskey Park, in 1933, saw the American League win 4-2 over the National League. It was the brainchild of Chicago Tribune's Arch Ward, intended to be a one time event held in conjunction with the 1933 World's Fair.

Jimmy Dykes was the starting third baseman for the AL All-Stars and went two for three. Dykes drew a walk and scored a run off of Cardinals pitcher "Wild Bill" Hallahan in the second inning. It would be the first run scored in All-Star Game history.

RIP Harold Ramis

Time For A Change?

 It's always weird seeing a long time player for the first time in another team's uniform. That's especially true when the player was drafted and groomed in the farm system and became a fan favorite or a genuine superstar when he was with your team.

As a kid, this sad event is devastating. As an adult, it's uncommon if a player stays with the same team for his entire career. Thirty years ago, I would probably would spend a few days sulking and lamenting my favorite teams for being so stupid. What did they ever know? That guy they just traded away for the players I've never even heard of was the best guy on the team. I had one foot stuck in the past and the other planted firmly in the present. I had not the inclination nor the fortitude to see the future.

In a kid's mind, if you traded away a player he liked, you had better get some amazing talent in return. Ron Kittle was a pretty big deal in Chicago in the mid-eighties. Sure, he hadn't duplicated his amazing Rookie of the Year season, but he wasn't the worst player out there. He could still be counted on for a thrill. Kittle was part of a trade that sent Joel Skinner and Wayne Tolleson to the Yankees for Ron Hassey, Carlos Martinez and Bill Lindsey. It wasn't exactly a trade that set the world on fire. Carlos Martinez was the last stop-gap before Frank Thomas and I remember Joel Skinner on the Indians more than I do on the Yankees.

Harold Baines was so loved in Chicago that his uniform number was retired by the White Sox after nine and a half years of a twenty-two year career. People were genuinely mad at the deal. It brought a pitcher that couldn't get anyone out, a strikeout artist (at the plate, not on the mound), and a former Sox infielder. On the plus side, it got rid of milquetoast Fred Manrique. I was actually happy about that part in 1989. That was the ONLY part I was happy about.

A few years later, that pitcher who couldn't get anyone out in his debut, got everyone out in his Sox debut. Wilson Alvarez had an ERA of infinity after two starts, his second career start was a no-hitter. The strikeout artist never learned not to strikeout, but learned to steal and run hard in the outfield. He learned to homer, among other things on the north side of Chicago. Scott Fletcher was at his usual Fletchery self. Harold came back to the White Sox as a player, two different times and is a World Champion coach.

Magglio Ordonez was one of the reasons I came back into baseball's full embrace after the '94 strike. I'll admit that I wasn't 100% committed to the MLB after the best shot for a White Sox/Expos World Series was flushed down the tubes. Seeing Maggs play in 1997 and 1998 convinced me to get on board with baseball again.


If it wasn't for a unfortunate knee injury to Maggs and a broken ankle for Frank Thomas, Ordonez may have had a championship ring with the White Sox in 2004. That season had great consequences for the shape of the team and a little rebuilding was done, some of it questionable. It worked out for the White Sox in 2005 and Maggs made it to the World Series in 2006. Ordonez carved out a nice career in Detroit, and let his hair down a bit. It's still a little weird seeing him in a Tiger uniform, even after all this time.

It's not like Frank Thomas would ever go somewhere else. Oh wait. He totally did. The White Sox got Jim Thome to replace the oft-injured Frank Thomas and Frank went to Oakland, where he revitalized his career and eventually hit his 500th homer with... Toronto, before coming back to Oakland, before joining the White Sox on the analyst side.

If any player was harder to see in another uniform, it was Frank Thomas. The man hit 448 home runs with Chicago. Paul Konerko is only twenty-one homers away from tying Frank, but even with one more season, that may be wishful thinking. Frank had sixteen of nineteen years with the White Sox.It's hard to see him as anything else, even though there were still big moments for Thomas in other uniforms.

Changing teams for some players is like changing underwear. Just ask Octavio Dotel, who holds the record for playing for the most MLB teams. Thirteen teams in all. And he's a free agent, mystery team number fourteen. He snatched it from Mike Morgan, Matt Stairs and Ron Villone.

It's still weird seeing a long time team player with a new franchise. It's not as jarring as it used to be for me. It does make collecting a bit more challenging. I do have to make sure that the Frank Thomas cards I collect are with the White Sox and not the A's or Jays. I saw a recent card of Ron Kittle on the Yankees. Magglio is just as likely to be featured as a Tiger on a card. Harold Baines could be on an Orioles card for all I know. Even an Indian card.

All these possibilities. It's a pretty exciting time to be a collector.

2014 WSC HOF Voting Cards

f you never saw the older players on the field or heard of some of them, here's your chance to put a face to the candidates' names. There is a link to each candidates' Baseball Reference page, so you can check out their stats.

Remember, this voting is meant to reflect the player's impact on the White Sox. Some are fan favorites. Some kept hope alive in dismal seasons. Some had magical seasons. Some set White Sox team records that stood for a long time and/or still stand. Some are even World Series heroes. The point being, that all these players made some type of impact on the team, its fans and team history.

Here are voting cards for each candidate. Enjoy!

George Dickey - C (2nd year)

 Oscar Gamble - DH (4th year)

 Jerry Hairston - OF (2nd year)

 Dummy Hoy - OF (1st year)

Frank Isbell – 1st Base (3rd year)

Fielder Jones – OF (4th year)

Al Lopez – MGR (4th year)

Jorge Orta – 2nd Base (1st year) 

Gary Peters - P (4th year)

Bobby Thigpen - P (3rd year)

Robin Ventura – 3rd Base (4th year)

Buck Weaver - SS (2nd year)

Hoyt Wilhelm – P (3rd year)