WHERE HAVE YOU GONE TEDDY BALLGAME???

Hello all… It has been a long time since I’ve posted anything to the Baseball Zealot. I apologize for my absence and hope I was missed. I did miss writing, but please don’t ask me to account for my time away. All I can say is that I’ve been having fun, living large, and enjoying summertime. Now that it’s after Labor Day, the baseball season is coming to an end, and the playoffs are just around the corner, I’m back at my usual post as the Baseball Zealot’s Wingman, if he’ll have me.

Even though my White Sox have had a terrible season on the Southside, I’ve been out there as a Sox Supporter about 40+ times this year. To be honest, it’s been tough to watch. Maybe that’s why I haven’t been so eager to write about baseball. You know what they say, if you don’t have anything good to say, don’t say anything.

Went to the Cell last night to see the White Sox play the playoff bound Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim, hoping to see Jim Thome hit his 500th home run of his career. It would be the first time a player would hit number 500 representing the Southside Hitmen, but alas this would not be the night.

Was in my usual spot 35 rows behind home plate, right by Nancy Faust’s organ. Nancy only plays during day games, so her organ was silent. Her mother has been ailing and is in my thoughts. It’s too bad baseball has gone to canned music and away from organ music. There’s something about organ music at a baseball game that can’t be beat.

While watching the game last night with CLuke, his daughter, and Tade, we got to talking with Mike the caramel-corn guy. Mike had comprised a list of 14 players gone from the 2005 championship team, we came up with three more. A few innings later an older gentleman said, “that’s my son batting”, turned out to be Jermaine Dye’s Dad. He struck up a conversation with CLuke, Saying 17 players are gone from the 2205 team, he must’ve been talking with caramel-corn Mike, CLuke didn’t have the heart to tell him that he’d helped come up with the 17 names on the list.

Then there was a large gathering of fans in front of us. I asked if they were having a family reunion, turns out 19 people from Scot Shields’ family were on hand to watch the ballgames over the weekend. Scot’s two little girls were there horsing around with their aunts. It really brought it home that these ballplayers are people too. Most of Shields’ family is from Milwaukee, but some folks came from Michigan.

A couple more examples of ballplayers being people too were right there in front of us. Mark Buehrle’s wife was on hand with their four week old son Braden, CUTE! Also in attendance were members of Jim Thome’s family, hoping to be on hand for Jim’s 500th Big Fly, the Thome’s are from Peoria.

If Jim hits his 500th in one of the next two days, I’ll be there to witness the event, and will cover it for the Zealot. DonS might even come out to see his Halos with me on Sunday.