Pants Rowland

QUOTE(NorthSideSox72 @ Mar 7, 2006 -> 05:59 PM) Grieve looked downright lost in RF during the 3/4 game I saw. And worse, he looked like he just didn't care much. I heard an interview with him on the Score (I think) and he did not convey the attitude of a guy looking to make the Sox. Without actually saying it, he basically acknowledged he wanted to play himself into shape and hopefully get a look somewhere in the majors. I was wondering why the Sox would sign a guy like that. I would sooner call Minnie Minoso for another decade under his belt.

QUOTE(WCSox @ Mar 7, 2006 -> 11:36 AM) The WS DVD is great if you're only interested in watching the playoffs. I recommend both of them. I think the Sox Pride is more flawed than the WS DVD but is still more enjoyable. Hawk is his typical stooge self and they put too much emphasis on the series with the Cubs, but the calls by Rooney and the montage at the end make it worthwhile. I have it on DVR as well and have just recently stopped watching at least part of it every night before dozing off.

Lot of good names tossed around here (and a few ???s). I think the two names that stick in my head are Carl Crawford and Johan Santana. Felix looks phenomenal, but unless he is superhuman, he should go through some growing pains like anyone else (physically and mentally). For the type of team and manager the Sox strive to embody, I do not think there are many names out there that stack up to Crawford and Santana. Ichiro is an interesting name too due to his all around play, speed, and ability to play sidekick to Iguchi.

Just looked at the White Sox schedule. The Sox are also doing their independence day fireworks on the 3rd. That game is also against the Baltimore Orioles and starts at 6:05 P.M. The July 4th game says nothing about fireworks so you will just have to hope for a WS home run. I have been to Sox games on the 4th in the past and find it to be a great time even without the fireworks. Have fun at the game and bring us a victory.

QUOTE(sayitaintso @ Feb 28, 2006 -> 07:12 PM) Me too, i remember it exactly, i said to my uncle (who got tickets the day of the game and brought me there) "Wouldn't it be sweet if paulie hits a grand slam." Then i just turned around in time to see Qualls' pitch and Konerko hit it. I was so estatic i couldn't believe that it just happend. I was fortunate enough to be at game 2 as well. I think everyone had the same experience. They turned to their friend and said "wouldn't it be something..." and before you had a chance to finish the thought Konerko connected. We were sitting down the right field line in the corner so everyone would get all excited every time a ball was hit down the left field line on a fly. You could tell most balls were going foul but Konerko's was a no doubter even at the skewed vantage point we had. I still shake my head at the magic of that moment.

QUOTE(NorthSideSox72 @ Feb 27, 2006 -> 05:54 PM) he is indeed the greatest player in Sox history, and he deserves my respect as a fan I am getting a bit tired of hearing this statement. The greatest player in WS history is an overstatement. He is arguably the best hitter in WS history, but there are plenty of others you could make the case for as well. Eddie Collins, Joe Jackson, and Luke Appling (in particular) come to mind. Further, while I think his stats are HOF caliber, he was a DH for a good portion of his career. When he was on the field his defense was below average at best. Let' please stop calling him the best player in WS history just because he was the best hitter we current fans saw in our lifetime. There are plenty of other WS players that contributed on the field and at the plate. Frank had two tools (power and average), not five.

QUOTE(watchtower41 @ Feb 27, 2006 -> 06:03 PM) see WS dvd. "All of my friends always said that I'd have to get outta here if I ever wanted to win a ring, and I am glad that I decided to stay here to win a championship." I lost all respect for him as a player the second I heard that.... on the WS dvd no less. Good riddance should be classified as an understatement coming from KW. I wonder if the Sox deliberately asked MLB productions to include that in the video to reinforce the reasoning for getting rid of Thomas. Another classic example of Frank thinking he is saying something nice and honest but coming across as a self-centered jackass. Good riddance is right.

QUOTE(CWSGuy406 @ Feb 27, 2006 -> 06:00 PM) 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?!

QUOTE(White Sox Josh @ Feb 27, 2006 -> 05:44 PM) 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.

QUOTE(Dick Allen @ Feb 27, 2006 -> 05:22 PM) 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.

QUOTE(watchtower41 @ Feb 27, 2006 -> 05:04 PM) 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.

QUOTE(BigSqwert @ Feb 21, 2006 -> 05:44 PM) 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.

QUOTE(jackie hayes @ Feb 18, 2006 -> 09:26 PM) 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.

QUOTE(Milkman delivers @ Feb 18, 2006 -> 11:18 AM) 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. ;-)

QUOTE(ChisoxJones @ Feb 16, 2006 -> 10:07 PM) 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.

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

QUOTE(TheBlackSox8 @ Feb 16, 2006 -> 08:57 PM) 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?

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.

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.

QUOTE(whitesoxfan101 @ Feb 11, 2006 -> 02:44 AM) 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.

QUOTE(knightni @ Jan 31, 2006 -> 08:04 PM) "Hey Gene, check out my 'O' face!"

QUOTE(kyyle23 @ Feb 1, 2006 -> 05:23 PM) LMAO!!! Thats my winner right there No doubt, hands down winner.

QUOTE(knightni @ Feb 1, 2006 -> 07:33 PM) Not that there is anythig wrong with hitting on cute drunk chicks..right?. Wimpy, I looooove hitting on drunk chicks.

QUOTE(mr_genius @ Jan 31, 2006 -> 03:02 PM) 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.

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.