Thank You For Your Service

Thanks for the 2005 World Series. Best of luck in Colorado.

Rooting For A Dodgers World Series Championship

Class. Grace. The gentleman will be missed.

Thome was traded to the Dodgers.

Catching Up

Another reason to follow me on Twitter? You would have known about this awesome contest from Oral Sox. The Out-Bacon Beckham contest was a huge success, even if I didn't win. Even if you're not keen to listening to two hours of White Sox talk and hilarity, this podcast included all the entries for the contest.

The Out-Bacon Beckham contest consisted of listeners suggesting their favorite 80s-ish cheesy song, which would be played after their name was called to bat. Since Beckham chose "Your Love" by The Outfield, it was everybody's task to out cheese him.

I chose "Lovin' Every Minute Of It" by Loverboy. That song is one of my secret shames of the mid eighties. The caveat was that it also had to be a song which you liked and somewhat was appropriate.

The eventual winner? I won't spoil it, but I'll say that there was tough competition and inspirational cheese prevailed.

Today is the debut for Steve Stone's blog. Great idea! I've been following him on Twitter and he has a lot of good gems about the White Sox, the Cubs and baseball in general.

The White Sox death march road trip is currently at 1-6, with the team going into the Metrodome for the very last time for a three game series. I can't wait for Target Field to open up next year. Hopefully, they won't bring the Hefty bags.

The Ex Files: Scott Fletcher

Scott Fletcher's first tenure with the White Sox was from 1983 until 1985. He was dealt to the Texas Rangers as part of a deal that brought pitcher Dave Schmidt and infielder Wayne Tolleson to the South Side.

While his arrival in 1983 helped spark a division title, his departure left a noticeable void in the middle of the infield, starting in 1986.

How did he fare in his first season away from the White Sox? He excelled in his first year in Texas with a career high .300 batting average and Scott was named AL Player of the Month in July 1986.

The void left by Scott was so bad, that in 1989, the White Sox traded for him (along with Wilson Alvarez and Sammy Sosa), dealing Harold Baines and Fred Manrique. With Scott back in the fold, the Sox dragged themselves out of last place and took a shot at the division once again in 1990.

Harold Enters The Orioles Hall Of Fame

We're getting closer here! Tonight Harold was enshrined into the Orioles Hall of Fame. Next stop Cooperstown!

Check out this great post by Kevin, who provides some awesome statistical analysis.

Check out the story on MLB.com.

Congrats, Harold!

Safe Or Out?

Derek Jeter was called safe on this play, when Jayson Nix clearly has possession of the ball, during the pickup, and has his foot on the bag. Not that it played a significant part of a 10-0 loss, but one would hope that the umpires get obvious calls right.

Slip Slidin' Away

Slip slidin' away
Slip slidin' away
You know the nearer the playoffs
The more you're slip slidin' away

Slip slidin' away
Slip slidin' away
You know the nearer the end of the season
The more you're slip slidin' away

Slip slidin' away
Slip slidin' away
You know the nearer your postseason
The more you're slip slidin' away

Slip slidin' away
Slip slidin' away
You know the nearer your October
The more you're slip slidin' away

Slip slidin' away
Slip slidin' away
You know the nearer your destination
The more you're slip slidin' away

Card Spotlight: 8-28-09

1963 Topps #66 - Mike Joyce

In a previous post, a reader left a story about uniform numbers and little league teams. While discussing that, he mentioned that his number was 23 and at the time Mike Joyce was the player who corresponded with that number on the White Sox.

Unfortunately, I was never on any little league teams in my youth. Other activities, like cub scouts, occupied my time away from school. This hasn't stopped me from wondering what number I would have had and if that number would have resulted in a collection of an additional player.

When we are kids, strong bonds are formed through association. Let's say, for the sake of argument, I was given the number 26, if I had played little league. Would I have followed the career of Mark Ryal? He wore the number for the Sox in 1985. Maybe I would have followed Bobby Bonilla or Jose DeLeon. They both wore 26 in 1986.

Mike Joyce only appeared in 31 games over two consecutive seasons for the White Sox before having his contract purchased by the Mets. He never played in the majors after his two seasons in Chicago. That doesn't usually translate into many people remembering you, let alone remembering the uniform number you wore. Somewhere, for whatever reason, someone will always remember the little details like that, due to something connected with their own life. That's just another Major League perk.

The Next New White Sox Player

He could fit right in with that attitude.

Screaming Yellow Theater

There is a tradition in Chicago with low budget, tacky (yet funny) things. For those of you who saw the title of the post and thought it was something different, you must have grown up in or around Chicago and are probably at least forty years old.

While that Screaming Yellow Theater exists in some form today, the same cannot be said for Fleer baseball cards. Fleer has had many ups and downs since its inception. Is it our fault that it has been mostly downs? No!

When I think of Fleer, I think of poorly executed design, with a few gems scattered throughout the years. I thought that 1988's confetti motif was bad, then they topped it in 1989 with the bland pinstriped gangster suit look. 1990 got a little better, then they unleashed the unholy monster that is Screaming Yellow Theater upon the world.

It's not interesting. It's not unique. (1990 Donruss did the design much better. Thanks, Mario!) It's just yellow! I would refer to this set as Screaming Yellow Theater for many years. I still do on occasion. It's yellow. It's blinding. It features ACTION and cheesy posed portraits which cause painful memories of chain reaction vomiting during elementary school Christmas plays.

Sadly, 1991 Fleer is not one low budget thing that this Chicago born guy is ready to embrace. 1991 Fleer is like the drunk relative at a wedding. You have to put up with it because it's technically family, but given the choice, you'd rather it just went away.

I put up with 1991 Fleer because of the White Sox cards. I almost wish that the White Sox were skipped in this set. Almost. I'm glad of this sets existence. It shows the entire world what not to do with a card set.

After enduring the torture that is 1991 Fleer, I'll leave you with a picture of the host of Screaming Yellow Theater. The original Svengoolie!
Is it wrong to think that Jerry G. Bishop looks like he'd be right at home playing a fictional Rob Zombie in one of the director's movies?

Collective Troll 6: Odds N' Ends

You think by now, I would have run out of White Sox materials to pull out of the Collective Troll box. You'd be wrong.

I've debated for two weeks on how exactly I was going to present the odds and ends of the box. The stuff that just couldn't fit with any other post. I decided to just lump them together in a big coverall post.

Pieces of metal and paper and plastic all with their own specific distinction are listed here, simply because they had no place else to be. I will take in these last refugees of the pale hose and give them a decent home, where they will be lovingly displayed for the rest of my life.

The listing that follows was put together with the utmost care. I wish I had the picture space to show everything, but I want to be able to still post pictures next year. This box goes out with not a whimper. Nay! It goes out with a bang!

1976 Isaly's Discs
Carlos May

1981 Donruss
158 - Jim Morrison (autographed)

1982
This Date In Chicago White Sox History
by Art Berke & Paul Schmitt

1983 "1969" MLBPA Pins
Nellie Fox

1983 Topps
362 - Bill Almon (autographed)

1986 Drakes Panels
Harold Baines (Rose, McGee, Murray)

1994 Beckett
106 - Frank Thomas cover
116 - Frank Thomas/Ken Griffey Jr. cover

1995 Tuff Stuff
Sept. '95 - Frank Thomas cover (and Thomas Leaf ad back!)

1996 White Sox Spring Training Program

1997 Donruss Preferred Tin
Albert Belle

1997 Spring Training Schedule & 40 Man Roster List

1997 Starting Lineup Figure
Frank Thomas (mint in package)

A White Sox logo baseball (in package)

Thank you so much!! I cannot begin to express my gratitude for these White Sox treasures! I am officially done with the Collective Troll box. This has been a fun experience and one that I will never forget!

Pondering Peavy

I'm in a Tarantino mood, but as I'm sitting here with my adult beverage, that being a Kahlua White Russian, I feel more like the Dude.

I'm not drowning my sorrows, but I should be after tonight's inexcusable loss to the Red Sox. It figures on the exact night that the offense shows up, the pitching is stuck in transit between Chicago and Boston.

The pitching woes can be summed up in one play. The swinging bunt. If Jose Contreras picked up the ball, at any time, the damage wouldn't have happened. If Contreras let the ball go through to a waiting Konerko, the massacre of that inning would have been nonexistent.

Instead, Contreras opted to swipe unsuccessfully at the ball and fall down in front of Konerko, impeding the ball's natural movement towards Paulie. Everything that can go wrong in an inning, went wrong for the White Sox in that inning. It will be shown for years to freshly signed players, serving as a warning of what could happen if they don't prepare.

Stick a forkball in Contreras. He is done. Jose was sent to the bullpen, after the game. This leaves the door open for an early Sox debut of Jake Peavy on Saturday against the Yankees and C.C. Sabathia. Will Peavy be ready? The answer should be known within 24 hours.

Let's hope that "Big Game" Freddy Garcia shows up. If the Sox need to go to the bullpen early another night, they are finished on the road trip. No matter what happens, expect Garcia to be out there at least six innings. What would be nice would be seven or more innings from Sweaty Freddy.

I'll finish my Dude drink and ponder the fate of the White Sox over the next week. With the Twins winning their game and Detroit close to winning theirs, this week should be very interesting.

Keep The Contests Coming

My very generous friend at The Collective Troll is running a contest. I am declining to enter, since I am still technically sorting through a gigantic box of baseball related goodies that I received from him two weeks ago. If I do have an entry in, it's only because I am a follower. I'd like to give everyone else a better chance at winning fabulous prizes.

The last day to enter is August 30th, so hurry! Winner take all.

The last of the Collective Troll box content should be up sometime tomorrow.

Coolio Contest

Coolio Cards is having a very generous and easy contest. There's not even any math involved, unless you consider picking unpicked numbers to be math.

Plus, it gives me an excuse to put up a picture of Kwanzaa-bot. For those of you still scratching your heads, rap star Coolio voiced Kwanzaa-bot.

Good luck! I hope you win something!

Angels In The E-mail

I get a lot of mail and it seems to be piling up lately. It's probably because of a lot of real life interfering with my leisure time.

Cue the music.

"Thank you, for all your cards and letters..."

We interrupt these moldy oldies to bring you this important message!

In all seriousness, I had an e-mail from someone looking for Angels cards. The original e-mail is buried somewhere in my inbox and I have not been able to find it.

I have Angels set aside, but I have no way (presently) of responding back. I'm embarrassed, because I'm usually better organized, but the original e-mail seems to have fallen through the cracks. Please e-mail back, so I know who and where to potentially send these cards.

We now return you to your regularly scheduled blog.