Tag: White Sox

Buck O’Neil & Black Baseball in Chicago

Last night while watching the Blackhawks win big over Calgary, I was flipping the channel to my TV, and what should I see, but baseball! Needless to say, I stopped flipping, and my eyes became transfixed on the images on the screen. Channel 20 in Chicago was airing the premiere of Buck O’Neil & Black Baseball in Chicago, an encore showing will air November 13th at 7:30 PM, again on channel 20.

The late, great, Buck O’Neil talked about his days in the Negro Leagues and becoming the first African American baseball coach in the major leagues with the Chicago Cubs. O’Neil said, he never really resented not being allowed to play in the big leagues, because the best ballplayers of the day were in the Negro Leagues. Bob Kendrick, the Director of the Negro Leagues Museum in Kansas City, stated how upset he was when Buck didn’t make it into the Hall of Fame in Cooperstown before his death. Seventeen former Negro Leaguers were inducted in the last induction before O’Neil’s death. Buck didn’t feel sorry for himself at not getting in, but rather was thrilled 17 others had made it, according to Kendrick.

The documentary brings the past to life. It talked about the Double Duty Classic, which features the best young high school African American ballplayers competing in this East/West Classic, named after Ted “Double Duty” Radcliffe. It also shows the statue of Buck O’Neil that resides in the HOF, and there’s a lifetime achievement award named after O’Neil. Buck was the first winner of this award. Back in the day, the East/West Classic was the Negro Leagues All Star Game, was played at Comiskey Park in Chicago, would draw 50,000 fans, and featured the best African American ballplayers playing all out.

The show talks about how O’Neil managed Ernie Banks for the Kansas City Monarchs and then coached Banks with the Cubs. Buck also talked Billy Williams out of quitting after experiencing racism in Texas before coming up to the Cubs. Jermaine Dye, of the Chicago White Sox, came up with the Kansas City Royals, commented how fortunate he was to have met Buck O’Neil, while coming up to the big leagues.

There is also mention of the Chicago Baseball Museum, a work in progress, that can be checked out at www.chicagobaseballmuseum.org Also, if you can, checkout Buck O’Neil & Black Baseball in Chicago when its encore performance airs on Thursday the 13th on channel 20.

Sox invite Obama to the Cell for ’09

Sox GM Kenny Williams seemed quite moved by the election of Barack Obama.  And guess what?  He talked to the press about it. 

“It was a surreal moment,” said Williams, one of baseball’s two African-American general managers and a friend of Obama’s. “It was overwhelming and just a tremendous feeling of pride.

“The fact that Barack is biracial can bring us together in a much greater way than we can imagine.”

Williams’ Obama-fever moved him to extended an invite to Obama, who is a Sox fan, to throw out the first pitch in the opening game of the 2009 season. 

It won’t be the first time.  The president-elect was handed the ball for Game 2 of the 2005 ALCS against the Angels. 

“They were 0-1 at the time, but they won eight straight,” Obama told the Chicago Tribune in 2005. “I’m not saying there is a correlation, but I e-mailed [White Sox chairman Jerry] Reinsdorf and said if they start getting in a jam, my arm was rested. I was ready to go.”

Don’t expect to see any Barack action in Wrigley, though.  He’s made it clear he’s no Cub fan. 

The White Sox have left the CELL-ding

The White Sox were forced into a do or die situation by losing the first two games in Tampa versus the Rays in Florida. They came back home Monday behind John Danks to win, putting the series at a 2-1 deficit. But on Tuesday the baseball in Chicago came to an end, the White Sox were eliminated.

Like I’ve stated before I enjoy going to the last game of the season, this one was different, everybody was there, it still mattered, till it was over, then it was over. There would be no game tomorrow, wait’ll next year.

The response from the crowd was much different on the southside of Chicago than it was on the northside of the city when the Cubbies were eliminated. The expectations were different. The Cubs were expected to win, they had won their division last year, this was the year to win it all, ending a century of frustration. While the White Sox gave up last year, traded away one of their pitchers from their rotation, didn’t get Torii Hunter, and looked to be going nowhere. As fate would have it both teams won their respective Central Division crowns.

“It’s Gonna Happen” was the rallying cry for the Cubbies. Kosuke Fukudome was brought on to play rightfield, one of the Cardinal devils Jim Edmonds was brought on to play center, Geovany Soto was ready to take over behind the plate, and Rich Harden was brought in down the stretch to anchor the rotation. While the White Sox brought on Alexei Ramirez for only $1,000,000 per year for four years because nobody thought the Cuban star could play, missed out on getting Hunter (as I mentioned before) & Miguel Cabrera, instead adding Orlando Cabrera, nobody knew whether Joe Crede could rebound from his bad back, Carlos Quentin was a talent who always got hurt, and adding Ken Griffey, Jr. down the stretch at the expense of trading a relief pitcher, this team’s chances were suspect at best.

I rode to, what would be, the last game of the year with Rob & CLuke’s daughter Kate. Inside the ballpark, next to Nancy, were the usual subjects, Tade, Steve, Dick & Bea, Caramel Corn Mike & his brothers, George & Debbie & Debbie’s son, Terry, & Phil. But Al & his son Anthony were nowhere in sight, so I called Anthony’s Cell in the 3rd inning, they were in the upperdeck, security wouldn’t let them downstairs, even though they were season ticket holders, seems upperdeck season ticket holders only had first level access during the regular season. After Al almost got arrested for debating this position with an off duty police officer, Tade went upstairs, bringing down Al & Anthony, now we were all where we belonged.

Gavin Floyd was a little off, B.J. Upton was a little on, and soon the baseball season in Chicago was over. We all said our goodbyes, promising to stay in touch in the offseason, we’re going to get together to watch a Bulls, Hawks, or Bears game from a Wings. Nancy said she’d come and she even gave me a kiss goodbye, till next year.

Two other notes…

Minnie Minoso was watching the ballgame from the concourse behind homeplate, so I approached him. I’d ordered three teeshirts from www.minoso.com about one month ago, but never got them, the check never cleared either. Minnie told me, he’d look into it, and give me a call.

The next baseball I’ll see in person will be in about one month in Arizona at the Arizona Fall League. I love prospects and really enjoy seeing youngsters before they become stars. One youngster I saw last year was a middle infielder for the Boston Red Sox with some pop in his bat, he ripped a game winning homer in an AFL game, so it was kind of a full circle moment when Jed Lowrie ripped a game winning single to advance the BoSox past the Halos in last night’s ballgame.

WHITE SOX: ONE WIN AT A TIME

Was out at the Cell yesterday for the Sox/Rays playoff game, it was the 4th straight do or die game, and the Good Guys prevailed. A full house of fans dressed in black, not attending a funeral, but showing support for the Good Guys, who wear black, and possibly Johnny Cash. Drove down there in the rain with Rob, CLuke & his daughter Kate, others by Nancy were Rob’s daughter Kim, her friend Mel, Al & his sons Anthony & Dan, Dick & Bea, Steve, George & Debbie & her son, Caramel Corn Mike & his brothers, and Bill & his best friend TADE! Hope I’m not forgetting anybody, sheesh, the grief I put up with!

John Danks was in control, the White Sox played little ball (all three runners tagged on a bases loaded sac fly (Thome, Konerko, & Griffey), blazing speed, and the Good Guys won without the benefit of a longball. Getting ready for a Monday afternoon must win game at the Cell, I’ll be in black, having a vodka lemonade & a pretzel before the game, and screaming, “LET’S GO WHITE SOX!”, as loud as I can with my annual death cough.

Was talking with Caramel Corn Mike’s cousin before the game, her son was a freshman starting pitcher for Eastern Illinois. They went to the College World Series in Omaha.

Another note, I taught my four year old nephew Braden, Take Me Out to the Ballgame, he’s singing it all the time. Even though my niece Amanda & her brother Braden are in Wisconsin, they are root, root, rooting for the White Sox.

I DIDN’T KNOW DonS WAS A WHITE SOX FAN

DonS didn’t get into his brother’s postseason baseball pool, because three of his favorite teams were in the playoffs (Angels, Brewers, Cubs), and he thought the Phillies & Red Sox would be in the World Series. Not wanting to go against his heart, he decided to skip the pool. Both the Brewers & Cubs are down two games to none, the Halos are down one game to none, and four to one after one inning in game #2. But what I didn’t know was that DonS is a closet White Sox fan, what else could explain the rough start my team is off to?

Actually I believe starting Javier Vazquez in game #1 set up the Rays, got them the confidence they needed to compete, just in case they needed momentum. Today Chicago jumped out to a 2-0 lead, but could not put Scott Kazmir away. We had runners on base all night long, leaving them stranded, and eventually Tampa scored more than enough to win, winning by four.

Last night I bid $180 on an upper deck ticket on stubhub for Sunday’s playoff game at the Cell. I won’t find out if I won(?) until 11:00 AM on Sunday. Not sure if I want to show up, especially seeing the Sox haven’t shown up thus far.

I bought three tee shirts on www.minoso.com over a month ago, but they still haven’t arrived. So I called a cell phone number Dick gave me, he said it used to be Minnie’s, but that was a couple of years ago. To my surprise, Minnie answered my afternoon call, said he was in Florida for the game, and would talk with me at the game on Sunday. I urged him to, just win, I guess his urging didn’t help, as now we’re down 2-0.

Just like the regular season, our backs are against the wall, and we need to win three in a row to keep our playoff life alive. This one’s for DonS, “LETS’S GO WHITE SOX!”

THE LAST GAME WON’T BE THE LAST GAME

I’ve always enjoyed attending the last home game of the season. Most fans like going to the opener, I like going to the closer. When I was a kid I went to the closer alot, about five years in a row. I was there when Bill Melton became the first White Sox slugger to win a home run crown. I still have the button with Home Run King Bill Melton on it. For the most part there’s alot less hoopla surrounding the closer than the opener.

This closer was a sellout, with everything on the line, the winner would go on, the loser would go home. Ozzie Guillen proclaimed, “Twins starter Nick Blackburn was lucky to get us once, but wouldn’t be as fortunate here”. While the Twins claimed, they were glad to be playing the playoff game in Chicago rather than in Minnesota, because they wanted to win in our house, celebrate on our field, and rub it in on our fans.

Well neither got what they wanted. Blackburn pitched masterfully, but John Danks pitched better. I should say Jim Thome put a BIG FLY on the Twinkies, 461 feet! Meanwhile Ken Griffey, Jr. took a flyball in medium centerfield, with a runner on 3rd, one out, and fired a strike to a waiting A.J. Pierzynski. A.J. tagged the runner out, hanging on to the baseball, and not breaking his arm. Another big play was made by defensive replacement Brian Anderson. Anderson made a diving catch with two outs in the 9th preserving a 1-0 save by Bobby Jenks, with Joe Mauer licking his chops in the ondeck circle.

Rob & I bought 15 tickets in the rain after Monday’s game. It was a full house on hand to see the Good Guys win the AL Central. Behind the plate, next to Nancy Faust, was overflowing. Tade & Tom (it’s been a looong time since former regular Tom was in the house), Dick & Bea, CLuke & his son Tom, Al & his sons Anthony & Dan, George & Debbie & her son, Steve, Phil, Songkwon, Matt, Caramel Corn Mike, & me were crowded together rooting for the White Sox. Rob & Vicky & family were in section 101, in centerfield. The game was electric from first pitch to last out.

Now on to the postseason, I was wrong when I stated, the Sox would play four different opponents on four successive days, they actually were rewarded with an off day before starting up their best of five game series with the Rays. I thought about going to St. Petersburg to see the Sox battle the Rays, but I’ll just work on getting tickets for home playoff games.

All I can say right now is, LET’S GO WHITE SOX!!!

RAINY DAYS & MONDAYS ALWAYS PICK ME UP

The White Sox needed to play the last game of the regular season Monday to determine whether a one game playoff was needed against Minnesota. Meanwhile the Twinkies were in their clubhouse watching the game on TV, waiting to pop their champagne cork. But instead of toasting themselves they needed to hop on an Chicago bound airplane for a Tuesday night do or die ballgame.

First there was a game to be played on Monday between the Tigers & the White Sox, we were all there to watch the afternoon game. The rain was falling down as Rob & I drove to the Cell, stopping along the way at Hero’s for a delicious sub sandwich. We brought them to the ballpark, even sharing our booty with Tade & Caramel Corn Mike. Steve, Al, & Anthony go there about 4:00 PM, first pitch was postponed from 1:05 PM. There was also a baseball geek named Joe from Michigan hanging with us, he was a great guy, even pulled for Chicago.

Although Joe was hoping Gary Sheffield would hit his 500th homer, so maybe he’d retire. Joe thinks the Tigers are going to be down for some time, stating some of their moves were racially motivated, like being in love with Nate Robertson (he sucks) & Brandon Inge (he’s at the Mendoza line).

Former Sox starter Freddy Garcia was matched up against Gavin Floyd. Although Gracia was only hitting 88 MPH on the radar gun, he was keeping our hitters in check. Halfway through this tight game, Freddy grabbed his shoulder and was done. The faithful at the Cell gave Freddy a standing ovation, it was kind of surreal watching yesterday’s hero walking off into the sunset, wearing enemy colors.

Jim Leyland tried everything, even bringing on a starter, Galarraga into the contest, but that backfired as he threw two wild pitches, and walking the only batter he faced. Rookie Alexei broke the game open with his 4th grand slam of the season.

So there will be baseball Tuesday as the Twins come to town. After the game Rob & I stood in line and bought 15 tickets for the next game, EVERYBODY will be there! After Chicago defeats Minnesota it’s on to Tampa Bay to take on the Rays. I still haven’t ruled out a trip to the sunshine state to watch my boys in action. The White Sox played the Indians on Sunday, the Tigers on Monday, will play the Twins on Tuesday, and if they win, the Rays on Wednesday. This might be the first time in MLB history that a team played four different teams in four consecutive days.

THANK YOU SIR, MAY WE PLAY ANOTHER?

Mark Buehrle & the Chicago White Sox rose up to take the finale of a three game series with the Indians, which means there will be baseball Monday. The season for the underachieving Detroit Tigers is not over. They will be coming to Chicago to play game #162, if the Sox win then the Sox will host the Twinkies on Tuesday to determine the AL Central Division Champions.

Cleveland started an inexperienced rookie rather than this year’s AL Cy Young Award winner, Cliff Lee. Lee had a stiff neck, so the kid got his shot, with his family sitting right in front of us. He didn’t pitch poorly, maybe didn’t deserve a loss, but got one none the less. The runs off the kid were a solo Paulie Konerko rip just inside the leftfield foul pole, a bases loaded error on doubleplay ball, and a sac fly, not bad at all.

Rob, Al & his son Anthony, Steve, Dick & Bea, Debbie & George, Adele & Mary, me, and Caramel Corn Mike were all in the house. Tomorrow we’ll do it again. LET’S GO WHITE SOX!

WHITE SOX YELL, FIRE!!!

The Chicago White Sox have a losing streak going at the worst time ever! Losing three straight at the Metrodome was bad enough, but then we came back to Chicago, without a lead, trailing the Twinkies. And we lost against the Indians, this is the same Tribe that threw in the towel by dumping C.C. Sabathia to the Brewers. So now the losing streak had reached four, but Minnesota also lost, to the lowly Royals. Kansas City’s 20 games below .500, but has played ten games above .500 in September. Even though the Twins were losing to KC, I didn’t feel comfortable watching the White Sox games on my laptop, something wasn’t sitting well, maybe it was a cheese overload. Rather than hopping on my pontoon boat in Waupaca and cruising around the beautiful Chain O’ Lakes on a sunny Saturday, I felt compelled to drive four hours to Chicago, get on the Blue Line, take a shuttle bus, to the Red Line, over to the Cell. My team needed me!

I was told once, when in trouble, YELL, FIRE!, not HELP! My team was yelling, FIRE!, loud & clear. Despite the fact there might have been a huge piece of steak in the White Sox throat, the Heimlich was needed. I was coming to town, to save the day, on to the Playoffs! After watching Javier Vazquez try not giving in to Indian batters, it didn’t start out that way, as he struckout the first two hitters on three pitches, before surrendering a solo home run to (Ahhh) Choo, but then in the 5th the Old Javy showed up. This was the same Vazquez with a record below .500, with great stuff, but no faith in his great stuff. The Tribe posted six runs in the 5th to take a 7-1 lead.

My team didn’t just need me there, they needed a bailout! If the Government can swoop in with a 700 billion bailout for the banks & the insurance companies, couldn’t they really come in here and stop this losing streak? I’ve often said, if you wanna screwup, do it on your own. If you REALLY wanna screwup, get the government involved. Maybe this losing streak is too big for the government to do anything here. But I must say, the government enabled the financial giants to make their boo-boos, and now are bailing them out, with our money.

I do recognize my team on the Southside of Chicago has gotten itself into this mess, and now must get itself out! Today might be the last game of the season for the Good Guys. There are many reasons we might not make it to the Playoffs. It’s not the umpires, injuries, or any other available excuses. Here are some downfalls of the team; 1) an overworked bullpen, 2) dealing a relief pitcher, when the setup man went down, for a HOF outfielder with nothing left in the tank, 3) falling in love with a minorleague outfielder who’s come through a few times throughout the year, while a gold glove caliber outfielder rots on the pines, 4) Vazquez has no balls, 5) two young starters who’ve never gone as many innings as they have, 6) allowing Detroit to sign a former member of our championship rotation, he’s even a shirt tail relative of Ozzie, & going to a four man rotation, but the #1 reason for the team’s failure IMHO is reason #7, 7) not being able to play fundamental baseball, can’t bunt, never move runners along, and cannot win without the longball, this strategy is working less since losing Quentin & Crede. All this said & done, Chicago still has a magic number of three. I know the Twinkies have a magic number of two. But the White Sox still have their destiny in their hands, win three straight games, and they’re in! Of course, first we’ve got to stop our losing streak, which has now reached five. BTW, KC rose up again to beat the Twinkies again in the Metrodome.

I’ll go out there again today, with Rob T & his family, maybe we can turn it around. It didn’t workout so well last night, with Al & his sons and Steve in the house. Honestly though, even if we make the playoffs, how far will we get? I know, just get in, but seriously, I’m not buying it.

I was chatting with former Bulls superstar Norm Van Lier on the Red Line on the way to the Cell. He had free tickets he needed to pickup, but none of his buddies showed up to join him. I guess it wasn’t exciting enough to watch a fledgling team struggle for their playoff lives, not nearly as exciting as Norm’s previous night out, listening to & partying with the Eagles. Van Lier did tell me how he was recruited out of Pittsburgh by the University of Alabama to play QB, and how the coach said, way back in ’65, “I didn’t know you were a Negro”. Needless to say, Stormin Norman decided to pass on the Bama QB experience.

Crede gone from the Sox?

The downside of having Boras as an agent?  Or just a side effect? 

His locker has been cleared out… nameplate been taken down.  Joe who? 

"He’s not going be here for a little while," manager Ozzie Guillen said. "I don’t expect him to be back soon, at least playing. He’s not going to miss [time] playing and all of a sudden come here and play. That’s not fair for him, that’s not fair for the ballclub."

Dang, I bet Mariotti would have had something poignant to write about it.

It’s one of situations where even though it IS his free agent season, you still don’t want things to end this way.