[Thomas takes high road in response to Williams]

Bruce Levine made fun of the fact?  What does that say of Bruce Levine?

 

Sorry, but citing Bruce Levine lends no credence to anything in your argument.

 

"Here they come! Here they come! I haven't been this excited in a long time! Here comes Manny Trillo!" Manny Trillo?!

[Thomas takes high road in response to Williams]

Also on Silvy & Carmen they talked about an interview with Greg Walker.  They asked him what he thought of Frank.  He said that Frank was great and easy to work with.  He said he was well respected by his teammates and others.  Why would Greg Walker lie?

 

He's a southerner from Georgia. Georgians are famous for their easy-going nature, pleasant demeanor and Christian upbringing. They also elect corrupt lying murderers like W. Just because Walker is being polite and diplomatic doesn't mean Thomas is loved by everyone. The truth is probably somewhere between Kenny speaking for everyone and Walker speaking for everyone.

[Thomas takes high road in response to Williams]

Phil Arvia, the last guy who Frank said misquoted or twisted his comments, has the entire interview on tape. He says he did not misquote him. Considering its been 3 or 4 stories with the same theme, if Frank is constantly getting misquoted, why would he continue to grant interviews?

 

Maybe Frank is just a poor communicator. Either that or he is so self-absorbed and close-minded that he does realize that you do not need to twist or trim his quotes to make him look like a jackass. Frank puts on the smile and speaks his mind thinking he is totally justified. After there is a backlash against what he says, he feels he is misquoted. I do not buy it. Whether or not he is the greatest hitter in WS history can be debated. The fact that he is also the biggest whiner in WS history can not be debated. I just wish KW would not engage him. The best way to kill this monster is to ignore it until it goes away.

[Thomas takes high road in response to Williams]

He should listen to himself on the WS dvd, "everyone told me to get a ring I would have to get outta here..... I'm glad I stayed and won one here."

 

Thanks for pointing this out. I have watched both DVDs and there were two things that made me cringe a little. One was Carl Everett telling everyone to "shut up". That I could handle though I thought it should have been cut from the video. The other was Thomas giving a backdoor slap to the organization. Maybe I am misinterpreting his intentions, but him saying that all his friends were telling him to leave was another one of his patented comments to make him look like a trooper who suffered so long with the White Sox organization.

 

I agree Frank had a lot of special moments, but he has made more than his share of money for his accomplishments. Frank made some bad investments when he first signed his long term contract (which everyone was praising him for at the time) and ended up working to pay off his debts. His Big Hurt recording sudio went belly up and Frank's dream of being baseball's version of MJ went up in smoke. Meanwhile, he got married and was constantly spotted on the town with women that weren't his wife. She got fed up and divorced him and took him to the cleaners in the process. The aftermath was Frank whined for more money every time he did something good on the field. The fact is, after the strike season Frank was very inconsistent. He had some average and incomplete seasons mixed in with a few great seasons, but never the consistency of his first 6 seasons or so.

[Fox 32 News this morning]

Like when you're having dinner and your dad hits your mom in front of you. Everyone just gets quite and tries to go on with dinner.

 

That actually never happened when I was a kid, but I can only imagine how awkward it can be. Like the time my dad wore white high heels after Labor Day Weekend. Talk about awkward silences. Uncle Joe and his husband Aunt Jimmy could barely contain their horror.

[ESPN Report: Sham-me Sosa Retires]

Clemens threw nothing but high fastballs.  Don't minimize Sammy's abilities -- he had a million different ways of striking out.

 

LMAO!

 

Sammy had some statistically monstrous seasons but I will never give him any credit for his supposed accomplishments. When he came to the Sox he was an incredibly gifted athlete who had every tool possible. He could hit a home run, steal a base, run down a ball in the corner and throw the ball on the fly to home plate. Some even dared to compare him to Clemente. Unfortunately, he also frequently missed the cutoff man and sometimes airmailed it to the fans behind home.

 

He never listened to coaches and swung at everything. He created a handful of cliches that he repeated over and over again and the naive northside fan base ate it up. He is nothing more than an amature street hustler con artist. My lasting image of the true Sammy Sosa will always be a swing and a miss at a curve low and away in the dirt. I just hope that all 30 teams are smart enough to keep their distance and keep this bum retired for good.

[Contreras must rely on own confidence]

I think when Shingo was released, some people were wondering if it would affect Iguchi.  Now, I know that Shingo and Iguchi didn't have the same friendship that Contreras and Duque do, but it's similar with having a fellow countryman around.  The loss of Shingo didn't affect Iguchi, so I hope the same holds true for Contreras.  Besides, plenty of people on the Sox speak Spanish.

 

I have been to Cuba and speak decent Spanish. The Cuban dialect is really tough to pick up. There is also a culture all in itself that does not compare to many other Latin countries. With that said, there can only be 25 players on a roster and each is important to a team's success. The Boston game was great, but El Duque was a drain on the roster at times with his injuries and inconsistency. While do I feel for Contreras, if he does not perform I say trade him to AZ to be with his friend. Maybe we can get Chris Young back. ;-)

[reminiscing]

Thanks again for all the welcomes........

 

I still have my glove from back in the day, which is centerpieced with a Bill Nahorodny autograph!

 

Beltin'Bill......of ALL the things you reminded us of.........when you mentioned Bevington: Remember when his eyes bugged out of his head when he and Garner went at it? Man! What a time!

 

I forgot about his fights with Garner and the Brew Crew. I also remember Bevington's eyes frequently bugging out of his head. Remember when he got into it with a umpire at a bar after the game? Smart move to go after an ump after hours.

[2006 Promo Schedule]

How could they dump Rat Pack night and retain mullet night? What a travesty!

[scott eyre]

how's it not count?  did he turn off the ps2, or take the memory card or controller out while saving his progress?  that's a stupid comment.

 

Remember Scott suffered from terrible ADD for some time. My guess is his brain was somewhere in outer space for much of his time on the south side. It is no wonder he can't remember it. Also, wouldn't you want to forget such a horrendous performance such as Eyre posted during his tenure here?

[reminiscing]

I remembered my first game in the late 1970s when I first heard about Harry Caray, a White Sox announcer. Trading Steve Trout to the Cubs. Salome Barojas and the '82 White Sox that started fast and just fizzled. Sitting in the golden box seats with my dad even though we had upper deck tix. Listening to games (and learning the game of baseball) on the radio when the Sox were on Sportsvision and no one had cable. I also remembered going to a game as a little kid and trying to snag a pop fly off the bat of Jerry Hairston Sr. from a bunch of older teenagers. Also thought about the 12-0 1-hitter Brit Burns threw in '83 against KC when three Sox went back-to-back-to-back early in the game (I think in the first inning). Julio Cruz' game winning run against Seattle to clinch the division. Tito Landrum's shot to ruin Brit Burns gem and the Sox season in 1983. I remembered attending a rally at Addison Trail H.S. gym when the Sox were planning a move. Met Greg Walker that day when he was still a promising first baseman coming off a broken hand injury. The shortstop of the future battle in 1985...Guillen v. Dunston. Bobby Bonilla traded to the Pirates, I believe for Jose Deleon. Waiting for Joel Skinner to become the Sox catcher of the future. Fred Manrique. Trading Baines for Sosa, Alvarez and Fletcher. Watching Alvarez pitch a no-hitter versus Baltimore while I was recovering from Mono in late summer. Trading Sosa for George Bell. The end of the old ballpark in '91. Watching the clincher in '93 with friends at college. The strike in '94. The debacle of the '95 season. Terry Bevington. Ventura versus Nolan Ryan. Trading Alvarez, Hernandez and Darwin in '97. The rebirth of the Sox in 2000. The floundering years of '01, '02, '03, and '04. The near collapse in September. The clincher in Detroit. Watching El Duque's mastery in Boston. Trying to listen to the ALCS on a faded NYC ESPN affliate while on vacation in remote Nova Scotia, Canada. Hearing Rooney's call as Konerko stepped on first for the pennant. Freezing at game 2 only to be rewarded with Konerko and Pods' heroics.

 

Supposedly, the reason you sometimes cry when you are happy is because of all the hardships endured preceeding the joyful moment. I am getting choked up again recounting all the memories of 30+ years following the south siders. Thanks for the trip down memory lane.

[Sox on Oprah today again?]

Anyone know if this story made the Trib? I did not see it anywhere. It is about as good a feel good story to come out of the sports world in some time and I have not seen anything past this thread. Please help if I am mistaken. Thanks.

[Sox visit to White House may be on Monday]

The fact that the main person b****ing about this was the ignorant ass racist Mike North tells me all I need to know about what side of the argument Ozzie is on here.  If he wants to skip leaving his family for what is nothing more than a photo-op, more power to him.

 

Well said. I was looking forward to some baseball talk on the radio this morning but instead I had to listen to a bunch of flag-waving stooges (in particular North and the jokers on after him) pontificate about Ozzie's duty, honor for country, politcial statements and anything else that would rile up listeners. I was amazed at the number of callers who were offended at Ozzie's actions and acted like this was a huge PR debacle for the White Sox. Some tried to point out that Ozzie was recently made a citizen and owes it to his new country to show respect for the White House. They are acting like Ozzie hangs out with Hugo Chavez all off-season plotting the end of US imperialism.

 

Ozzie has taken the majority of the short offseason to be an ambassador for the White Sox. To me that is his real duty. He has been unwavering since taking the reins that family comes first. That goes for his players as well (remember Willie Harris this year?). I do not know why he is obligated to interrupt at least 2 vacation days with his wife and kids to spend 20 minutes with W, who has cancelled this visit on several occassions. People don't realize that a trip to and from the D.R. is not the same as a trip to Atlanta on Southwest Airlines. I say he should enjoy his vacation and get ready for his other obilgation (other than family) which is to win another championship.

[Caption this pic]

 

"Hey Gene, check out my 'O' face!"

[Caption this pic]

LMAO!!!  Thats my winner right there

 

No doubt, hands down winner.

[Rick Morrissey Cubs vs. Sox article]

Not that there is anythig wrong with hitting on cute drunk chicks..right?.

 

Wimpy, I looooove hitting on drunk chicks.

[Rick Morrissey Cubs vs. Sox article]

WTF, the sports section of that paper is a joke.

 

It is not just the Sports section that is lacking. You are giving the rest of that paper way more credit than it deserves.

[CSN Goes Back to the Diamond]

Maybe not as dramatic at the time, but McCarthy's performance on Labor Day against Schilling in Boston was another great win and example of the Sox' road/postseason resilience.

[CSN Goes Back to the Diamond]

IMO the rally crede game was the best just because of when it came.

 

I was at that game and actually caught his first home run ball. The second was just out of reach to my right (I think I injured some people diving for it) but basically in the same spot 20 rows back in left field. Both shots were bombs. Uribe's nab of the grounder in the hole and spectacular throw also a huge season highlight from that game. Definitely one of my top memories/games since I started following the Sox 25 years ago.

[Rick Morrissey Cubs vs. Sox article]

there are other factors which are very important to many fans, which have been in the Cubs' favor in the last few decades.  And those are changing too.  The neighborhood?  IIT just bought a bunch of land to the south of 35th to build a new commercial area, for bars, restaurants, condos, etc.  Metra is putting a stop at 35th right there as well.  Areas to the north of the park (Armour Park) are being bought up, torn down and rebuilt.  The neighborhood is changing.

 

the real war is on the kids and the Sox appear to be winning that one. Better promotions, better advertising, a more kid-friendly park, etc.

 

I couldn't agree more with those two huge points. I would say the whole Cubs movement has been 20-25 years in the making. One of the overriding themes you hear from Cubs fans is the fact that they would come home to the Cubs on WGN. The second thing (which developed a bit later) was the neighborhoods.

 

The Cubs appealed to any kid who liked baseball because they were so accessible on TV. Meanwhile the Sox played most of their games at night and usually on pay TV (thank you Eddie Einhorn). That variable has been neutralized quite a bit with ComCast, the WB, and the dominance of cable TV. Also, as you pointed out, the Sox are really starting to reach Chicagoland youth through various marketing efforts. The WS title will also be huge in molding these kids into Sox fans.

 

On the neighborhood front, Wrigleyville was pretty rotten in the early 80s. It was ruled by the Latin Kings and Cubs attendence wasn't even close to 1.5 million. The Cubs used to close the upper deck sometimes because no one sat up there. The rejuvination of Wrigleyville started in the mid-80s while the Sox neighborhood languished in crime and inconvenience for many more years. As you also noted, a broad scale rejuvination (and overall transformation) is also taking place on the south side. The playoffs and WS made a lot of people wake up to this reality and stop believing the myth of the dangers of the south side of Chicago.

 

I think the Sox are somewhere around year 5 of the 20 years it will take to even the playing field back to north side versus south side, like it used to be. Winning the WS may have accelerated the process with the youth movement but the neighborhood strides will form a foundation strong enough to sustain losing periods as well. I think the Sox, residents and real estate moguls are all doing their part right now.

 

The telling moment will be when the White Sox start selling off parts of their vast parking lots for development. It could happen a lot sooner than many (such as Rick Morrissey) think. I think 10-15 years from now the landscape will have changed both mentally and geographically.

[I drove past the Cell today]

Do you even know who placed the Ivy at Wrigley to begin with?

 

None other than Sox savior Bill Veeck when he was a wee lad.

[Who will win the last outfielder spot?]

I think it is Borchard as well. He is out of options and if he doesn't pan out by June, I am sure Ricky Henderson will be ready.

[Who will win the second lefty reliever job?]

Well after seeing Ozzie comments about Munoz, I would kiss him good-bye.  I have got to imagine that it is between the two new guys, or they wouldn't have brought them in the first place if they though an inhouse guy could handle it.

 

I am not so sure about that. It seems that all of Ozzie's pointed comments are done with more of a purpose than we realize (such as comments about Anderson's defense a couple months ago). I saw what he said about Munoz' heart and I interpreted it as Munoz being the guy Guillen wants to step up and win the job outright. The time to worry about a player is when Guillen starts to rave about him. That is usually followed up with a trade out of town.

[Did the Thome coverage spook you?]

Thanks for these reminders of the bad side of FT.  I've been struck by the extremes on Frank Thomas.  On the one hand, there were those (in the media many, among die-hards few) who despised Frank.  On the other hand, there are many die-hards for whom criticizing Frank Thomas is blasphemy.  The truth about this man lies somewhere in-between.

 

I hope I did not come across as a Frank hater. I sometimes think maybe I just read about him in the Tribune too much. I think you are right that Frank is somewhere between hero and pariah but at this point in his career, Frank just seems out of line to think he is entitled to anything more than he has already received from the White Sox. I also agree with Juggernaut that this could be the story that unifies the White Sox into thinking they have something to prove all over again. Let's just hope Thome, Anderson, Vazquez and the back end of the bullpen step up to the level we desire.

[So I had my ticket draft today]

The eight guys in our group picked Wednesday. With two little kids, weeknights after work were best for me so I will help fill the coffers Tues-Thurs primarily. I made a good pact with another member of the group that if we got first pick we would take opening day and share the game. Worked out great, he got first pick, I got second. So we will be going to both opening day and the first Sox-Cards game together. Trying to work out a deal to go to a Houston game with him as well but he is driving a harder bargain on that one. The only thing I have to offer is closing day against the M's and Elvis night on 8/11 against the Tigers.