knightni

5. Harold Baines (19 of 27 lists - 338 points - highest ranking #2 Texsox) bio by Texsox - For most of the past forty years, White Sox seasons were over before they started. Oh sure, there was some marketing driven spring training excitement that this would be the year, but it quickly evaporated as other teams rose to the top. Sox fans, when they came to a game, cheered players. It helped if the player had some skills, a great personality, and worked his butt off without complaining. We might not have a winning team, but we had championship humans in the uniform. And no athlete in Chicago sports carried himself with more class then Harold Baines. His baseball career was stellar. A series of knee ailments kept him off the outfield grass, but he continued to thrive as a designated hitter. He has the most RBIs and hits of anyone not in the Hall of Fame. He is near the top (and surrounded by household names) in most every offensive category. One stat I find compelling is he is 17th in intentional walks. He was so versatile opponents would not want to pitch around him, preferring to give him a pass. He could smash line drive homeruns that sent knowledgeable fans diving for cover, then lay down a perfect sacrifice bunt. He was so smooth it was like watching ice cream poetry. But what distinguishes Baines for me is his poise and class. Working in a profession where many of the players never seem to grow up, he showed maturity from an early age. Where many of his peers adopted a Hollywood lifestyle, he is raising his family in his hometown, with his four children attending the same school he attended. Let the fans of other teams apologize and rationalize the behaviors of their stars, Sox fans can point with pride to players like Baines who have distinguished themselves both on and off the field. Next time you are at US Cellular, stop by the Baines statue with your kids. Here is a star athlete they can actually look up to, much like our grandfathers could look up to Ted Williams or Lou Gehrig and best of all, he is ours. Baines never complained when the Sox traded him away, always smiling, and later happy to return, and with the same smile. To the guys in the front office, this had to be a marketing dream. He has been in and out of a Sox uniform four times, three times as a player and now as a coach. Just over 5% of the baseball writers voted yes for his induction into the Baseball Hall of Fame, assuring his spot on future ballots. If somehow the baseball writers overlook Baines, perhaps the veteran committee with someday pick up his cause.

Go Irish! Now you know how ND was last year, Michigan.

QUOTE (Brian @ Sep 13, 2008 -> 06:17 PM) I bet they overuse "Thunderstruck" Is that possible?

They need to learn how to drive better in Latin America.

6. Bobby Jenks (24 of 27 lists - 329 points - highest ranking #5 ChWRoCk2, ChiSox_Sonix, whitesoxbrian) bio by ChiSox_Sonix - It’s easy to like a flame throwing closer who hits triple digits when he bursts on to the major league scene, and that’s just what Bobby Jenks did when he first came up with the White Sox. I immediately took a liking to him when the Sox called him up. He quickly supplanted Dustin Hermanson as the closer and was on the mound when the Sox clinched the World Series in Houston. As a rookie, Bobby Jenks was an integral part of the World Series winning team and became one of the faces of that championship. Not many rookies can make that claim. Jenks just appears to really appreciate the game and from his 100mph fastball when he first arrived to Ozzie’s “wide and tall” gesture to the ‘pen to summon him, it has been a joy to watch him pitch the past few years. He’s already made the all-star team, closed out a World Series clincher and tied the major league record for consecutive batters retired. He’s taken the White Sox fans on a nice little ride and that is why I have enjoyed watching him pitch so much and taking a liking to him. He battled back from serious arm problems in the minors, making his emergence in the majors the way he did all the more unlikely. As a Sox fan, how can you not like the guy?

QUOTE (2nd_city_saint787 @ Sep 13, 2008 -> 02:36 PM) really??? i sure didnt/dont see him on the list Whoops! You're right. He missed #50 by a few votes.

http://chicago.whitesox.mlb.com/news/press...sp&c_id=cws Very awesome of JD. Truly a super guy and a great humanitarian.

Thome's already there.

http://www.thedeadballera.com/Obits/DeSa.Joe.Obit.html Sad.

QUOTE (FlaSoxxJim @ Sep 13, 2008 -> 11:41 AM) If I can find the time.

QUOTE (Texsox @ Sep 13, 2008 -> 12:35 AM) My favorite Ozzie moment from his playing days. I worked for a company headquartered in Milwaukee that leased many Lexus from Selig leasing. ... What year was it?

That has to be one of the best Guillen stories ever.

7. Joe Crede (21 of 27 lists - 325 points - highest ranking #2 southsider2k5, smalls2598) bio by smalls2598 - “Joooooooooooooooe Creeeeeede!” Joe Crede made his major league debut in 2000, went on to become an everyday starter in the 2003 season, and was a key player in the 2005 World Series Championship season. While not much of an average hitter, Crede does have moderate power, and even took home a Silver Slugger Award in the 2006 season after hitting .283 with career highs of 30 homeruns and 94 RBI. Crede is best known for his clutch hitting (hello Rally Crede) and stellar defense at the hot corner, both of which were well on display during the World Series run. While Joe may not go down as the best third baseman in Sox history, he did play a few Gold Glove worthy seasons, was an All Star in 2008, and has produced many memories which I will never forget. Some of these memories were the game winning blast late in September 2005 vs the Indians. Or the game winning hit in the ALCS after AJ “stole” first base. Or his MVP like World Series performance. Thanks to that magical season, Joe will always be one of my favorite Sox players of all time.

8. Ozzie Guillen (23 of 27 lists - 320 points - highest ranking #2 The Bones) bio by The Bones - What makes Ozzie Guillen one of my favorite White Sox players of all-time? He was never an exceptionally talented hitter. He never batted over .300 for the season. He did make 3 All-Star teams and win Rookie of the Year as well as one Gold Glove. However, none of that really matters much to me when it comes to Ozzie. The main reason he came to be so well liked by me, along with many others, was the way he played the game. I was just a kid when Ozzie was with the Sox and he was the reason I always wanted to play shortstop in Little League. Ozzie had fun and played with passion and a love for the game. Today's sports stars too often get caught up in the business side of things and forget to have fun. Those that do have fun seem to only seek individual attention and acclaim but Ozzie played to win. He was a team player who wore his emotions on his sleeve. Ozzie won't go down as the greatest to ever wear the Sox uniform but he will forever be a Chicago icon. Of course, now he is the manager of our beloved Sox and nothing has changed. Still the same Ozzie, still speaking his mind, and still playing to win. You can argue his talent as a manager and his abilities to handle a pitching staff all you want but Ozzie was the manager of the first White Sox World Series Championship in 88 years. For that alone, I believe he deserves to be here as long as he wants. This is what he loves to do and that is why we love him.

QUOTE (Benchwarmerjim @ Sep 12, 2008 -> 09:41 PM) fyi: Twins-O's rained out tonight. A doublehead will start Saturday. 4:05pm central is Game 1, Game 2 will follow You do understand that if the Sox blow this thing that you will be unwanted for a few days...

I'd like the new President to slow down the outsourcing of work that's been happening. Any item imported into the US that comes from a company based in the US but produced overseas should have a tariff put on it. Any fraud involving the circumnavigating of the tariff would involve high fines and penalties.

The next Sox park will be when we are all significantly older people - at least 40 years from now. Can you believe that this park is heading towards 20 years already?

Our house was struck by lightning once and I was a room over from where it hit. We also survived the winter of '77-78. Snow was up to our roof. We were almost trapped inside. Oh. I forgot. My car was "totaled" by hail stones the size of golf balls this summer.

9. A.J. Pierzynski (18 of 27 lists - 313 points - highest ranking #1 Steve9347) bio by Steve9347 - It was easy selecting AJ Pierzynski as my favorite White Sox player of all-time. Not only was he a huge reason we won the ALCS against the Angels, but AJ also caught the best White Sox pitching staff ever, which sometimes I feel is overlooked. His ability to speak fluent Spanish no-doubt was a reason that Jose Contreras came to such great form for that brief, ever important period in White Sox history, and I feel he continues to be a mentor for the two youngsters who have been so important to 2008 in Floyd and Danks. However, it's his attitude and ability to hit that truly makes AJ great. Having to watch catchers such as Jorge Fabregas, Chad Kreuter, Mark Johnson, Brook Fordyce, Charles Johnson, Sandy Alomar, and Miguel Olivo create nothing but a black hole in our lineups, it was a breath of fresh air to hear that the White Sox had signed AJ to a cheap deal after he had a nasty divorce from the San Francisco Giants. He proved himself to be a great leader, a member of the three stooges, a friend to Steve Perry, a remarkably good singer, a Cross-Town Brawl enthusiast, and of course, a master of trickery (see the 3rd strike in the dirt in 2005 and the rundown interference just this year, thanks Doug Eddings!). AJ will forever be one of my favorites, and he'll forever be hated by opposing teams and beloved by his own. I adore his attitude, his mental game, his ability to call a game, and of course his exceptionally good bat. AJ Pierzynski is the man, and I'm proud to say I had the honor of watching him play for the White Sox. There's some pretty top-heavy competition (a certain Hall of Famer), but I'm going to go out on a limb and say AJ is the best catcher the White Sox have ever had, and he's got the ring to prove it.

QUOTE (kjshoe04 @ Sep 11, 2008 -> 09:30 PM) Ozzie is going to get tossed. Sure, the team's short-handed, might as well be manager short-handed as well.

"Slam Tex"? I hope for Texsox's sake it's wearing a condom.

QUOTE (Milkman delivers @ Sep 11, 2008 -> 09:07 PM) I find it funny that they just gave a breakdown of Thome's "hits to the OF." Has Thome had an infield hit all year? He's rolled a few down the 3B line when they do the Thome defensive shift.

Two pop outs to LF?

QUOTE (kjshoe04 @ Sep 11, 2008 -> 08:55 PM) OC down on strikes. two outs. He'd call the scorer on the K if it was possible.