Lip Man 1

Things may change for the better when new ownership arrives, at least there is a chance it will do so. Until then enjoy what you can and hope to live long enough to see it.

Given the track record of this ownership/franchise it is well deserved.

March 7, 1959 - After the courts ruled in his favor and denied petitions by members of the Comiskey family, Bill Veeck and his partners, including Hall-of-Famer Hank Greenberg, officially bought the White Sox. Veeck owned fifty-four per cent of the team. At the introductory press conference Veeck jokingly told the media that “You can have fifty-four per cent of the coffee!” It would be a remarkable first year for the new owners with the White Sox taking their first pennant in 40 years with a record of 94-60-2.

Given what has happened both on and off the field the last 18 months, the seemingly incompetent, dysfunctional and inept ownership/front office my goals are modest: 1. Play meaningful games in August/September 2. Finish with a winning record Anything over and above that is gravy.

Tim Anderson today told DVS of the Sun-Times he agreed with what Jose said about last year's club.

They are intelligent enough I believe to look that up for themselves if they don't know the historical story. Call it a teaching moment.

March 6, 1914 - The White Sox returned home from their around-the-world series of exhibition games against the New York Giants. The Sox went 24-20-2 on it but the added 46 games took their toll when the regular season began in late April. For the year the Sox would end up in sixth place, 30 games out with a record of 70-84-3. Each of the three previous years, the White Sox were better than .500, at 77 or 78 wins — and 1914 would be just the third losing season in franchise history. Among the players who participated in the exhibition series was Jim Thorpe, regarding as the greatest athlete in the world at that time because of his Olympic success. The ship the Sox returned home on? None other than the Lusitania.

Didn't notice any difference from previous polls myself. Basically I told them to stop verbally bashing the fan base and to put winning over fiscal responsibility in an industry that makes 10 billion a year.

My interview with Dave from 2004: https://www.southsidesox.com/2023/3/5/23626564/dave-wills-shares-his-love-for-the-chicago-white-sox-in-this-2004-interview

March 5, 1967 – In what was believed to be a first, the White Sox got permission from Major League Baseball to try an experimental DH rule in spring training games. If both clubs agreed to it before the contest started, a pinch-hitter would be allowed to hit twice. It’s not known if the Sox ever followed through with this experiment in a game. March 5, 2020 - Coming off of a 25-homer season, Yoan Moncada signed a five-year, $70 million contract extension. The deal followed extensions given to Eloy Jimenez and Luis Robert without either young star ever having played a game in the majors. Moncada’s situation better resembled that of Cuban countryman Robert, in that both were signed to enormous bonuses to leave Cuba, in Moncada’s case $31.5 million by the Red Sox. Moncada struggled to meet his 2019 greatness in 2020, contracting COVID at the start of summer camp and battling fatigue over the 60-game season. However, he bounced back for a very solid season in 2021 holding down third base and providing good offensive numbers…14 home runs, 61 RBI’s, 33 doubles, 74 runs and 84 walks. 2022 was an injury filled year that saw him only play in 104 games and hit .212 putting his career at a crossroads.

Stunned at this news. I knew Dave well, he was always generous with his time and advice. Loved the Sox passionately. Wanted badly to become a permanent part of the Sox broadcasting crew but JR would never give final approval (that according to Dave) and he got tired of waiting. Thinking of his family at this time.

March 4, 1921 - In the wake of the “Black Sox,” owner Charles Comiskey attempted to rebuild his team. One of the first moves he made was to purchase future Hall-of-Famer outfielder Harry Hooper from the Red Sox for two players, John “Shano” Collins and Harry “Nemo” Leibold. Hooper would play five years on the South Side and hit over .300 in three of them. He was also a solid fielder leading the league for example in 1922 with 19 assists and 289 putouts. March 4, 1994 - NBA superstar Michael Jordan, who retired in October 1993 from the Bulls, made his debut in a White Sox uniform in spring training. He played in his first game at the Major League level against the Rangers in Sarasota, Florida grounding out to the pitcher in his first at-bat. He’d collect his first spring training hit on March 14 against the Twins, a single off pitcher Jeff Innes.

https://chicago.suntimes.com/sports-saturday/2023/3/3/23622977/jose-abreu-astros-white-sox-mlb-2023

All I can say is WOW...just wow!

Jeff Agrest of the Sun-Times has the story on the documentary and how it can be found on You Tube tonight: https://chicago.suntimes.com/2023/3/2/23622204/last-comiskey-documentary-chicago-white-sox-nancy-faust-ozzie-guillen-jack-mcdowell-matt-flesch

Just a reminder, tonight a *PM Chicago time, part I of the documentary is available on You Tube. Part II will be on March 9 and Part III on March 16. Enjoy!

Remember fiscal responsibility is more important than winning.

March 1, 2015 - Saturnino Orestes Armas Minoso Arrieta aka “The Cuban Comet” aka “Mr. White Sox” best known as “Minnie”, died in Chicago, of a torn pulmonary artery. Depending on whether you believe “Minnie” or the official records, he was either 92 or 89 years old. Minoso was a six-time All-Star with the White Sox and two-time Gold Glove winner while in Chicago, and also a Negro League World Series winner with the 1947 New York Cubans. In the majors, he started for Cleveland but is best associated with the “Go-Go” White Sox, of which he was the heartbeat. He was a true five-tool player, and was revered by Cubans as their “Jackie Robinson” for the groundbreaking role in integrating the Major Leagues for Latin players. Players such as Roberto Clemente, Tony Perez and future Sox coach Orlando Cepeda sung his praises. In retirement, Minoso remained a beloved member of the White Sox family and worked tirelessly in White Sox P.R. and with charities for the final four decades of his life. Though the honor came too late for him to appreciate it, in 2021 he was voted by Veterans’ Committee into the Baseball Hall of Fame, after nearly two dozen previous tries.

I just heard about this tonight and have put together a story for another site that the write for: Sadly, another member of those terrific White Sox teams of the mid-1960’s has passed away as outfielder Dave Nicholson died Saturday, February 25th at the age of 84. Nicholson came to the White Sox in that huge deal with the Orioles on January 14, 1963. The Sox got Nicholson, Hoyt Wilhelm, Ron Hansen and Pete Ward for Luis Aparicio and Al Smith. The deal completely transformed a club that was getting older and more removed from its “Go-Go” days of the 1950’s. Nicholson had incredible raw power and strength but always had trouble harnessing it. At a time when players simply didn’t strike out that often “Big Nick” was prone to doing so. He struck out 175 times in 1963 to lead the league and followed that up by striking out 126 more times in 1964. But when he connected the baseball went a very long way. That 63’ season Dave slugged 22 home runs, walked 63 times and drove in 70 RBI’s for a White Sox team that won 94 games. He also blasted what may have been the longest home run ever hit in Major League Baseball history. On May 6 in the first game of a double header in the fifth inning, versus the A’s, Nicholson blasted a shot off future Sox pitcher Moe Drabowsky that went over the roof and was found across the street in Armour Square. Some Sox fans claimed they heard the ball hit the top of the roof but White Sox officials said when they found the ball it had no signs of tar on it nor was it scuffed. Long time Chicago baseball reporter Jerome Holtzman was at the game and claimed he saw the ball bounce back up after hitting the roof and then go back out of sight. Nicholson’s shot went over the roof around the 375-foot sign in left center field. It was found 135 feet from the base of the wall. Plus, you have to add in the elevation needed to get the ball over the roof, approximately 70 feet. Hitting a ball on to the roof or over it required a ground-to-ground distance of at least 474 feet. Unofficial estimates place the drive as traveling 573 feet eclipsing Mickey Mantle’s shot at Griffith Stadium in Washington in 1956. That shot went an unofficial 565 feet. For the night Dave would hammer three home runs and drive in five RBI’s in the twin bill as the Sox swept both games, 6-4 and 11-4. So how strong was he? Teammate Jim Landis confirmed a story I had heard that after a particularly frustrating game for Dave, he went into the showers and twisted the knobs for the hot and cold faucets so tight that no other player could get them loose to clean up after the game. The Sox had to call in plumbers to repair things. Dave was involved in another odd episode in that same 1963 season in (where else?) Baltimore. On May 19, 13 days after his titanic home run, Sox starter Ray Herbert’s consecutive scoreless inning streak ended controversially in Memorial Stadium. Herbert, a 20-game winner in 1962 and who passed away this past December, had thrown 38 straight scoreless innings when he faced the Orioles Johnny Orsino in the third inning. Orsino then hit what appeared to be a home run to left field...or did he? Both manager Al Lopez and Nicholson argued that the ball Orsino hit passed between the top of the wall and an iron railing mounted on top of it with support posts to help keep fans from falling over on to the field of play. By going through the gap, it should have been ruled a ground rule double. They lost the argument; Herbert lost his scoreless streak but the Sox won the game 4-3 in 10 innings to get a double header split. In 1964 Nicholson started to see his playing time reduced and he only hit 13 home runs with 52 walks and 39 RBI’s. In 1965 his playing time was cut even more only seeing action in 54 games with two home runs and 12 runs driven in. He was traded that off season to Houston. Landis summed up Nicholson perfectly when I asked him about his former teammate. "Dave fought it too hard. He was a young kid who had high expectations and he just couldn’t handle it. He had tremendous power. I was in awe when he hit that one over the roof.” The White Sox from 1963 through 1965 won a total of 287 games and Nicholson despite his limitations played a part in that success.

Just like so many Sox players this guy has been stealing his money, just an injury waiting to happen. He's had an entire off season to get better and yet the issue is still apparently there. The Sox "crack" medical, training and conditioning staffs strike again. LOL. 🤡

February 28, 1966 - Sox manager Eddie Stanky was part of the cover for Sports Illustrated along with Cubs manager Leo Durocher. The caption read, “The Lip and The Brat Invade Chicago.” Stanky who played for Durocher in New York both with the Dodgers and Giants, would have solid years in his two complete seasons as manager almost winning the pennant in 1967 and he was considered a tactical genius when it came to the game. But his shortcomings as far as his temperament, his ability to deal with the media and some of his players led to his undoing. He was fired 79 games into the 1968 season replaced by the man he originally replaced, Al Lopez.

I think it was Joe McEwing who did those.

February 27, 1973 - Coming off of his 1972 M.V.P. season, Dick Allen signed a three-year, $750,000 contract with the White Sox, making him the highest-paid player in baseball. While contract details for early baseball are sketchy, this is believed to be the first time a White Sox player had been the highest-paid in the game. Allen earned his deal by leading the A.L. in homers (37), RBIs (113), on-base percentage (.420), slugging percentage (.603) and OPS (1.023). It would be 24 years before the White Sox would boast the highest-paid player in the game again, when Albert Belle signed a deal that paid him $11 million for the 1997 season.

How difficult is it to catch a pop up? Double A, Triple A or on the 40 man roster for the big club we're talking about simple fundamental pop up's here. Why do the Sox seem to have issues with something basically any high school or college player does easily? The Sox have been brutal for decades, not just the past few years at fundamentals, it has cost them a lot of games. Fans have seen enough of it so they are sensitive to this area of the game. I use the term "baseball stupid" when talking about the Sox players in general...I mean who else has ever run themselves in an 8-5 triple play before? Compounding things is we've heard for years the same pap nonsense from the organization on 'how defense is important,' 'we're working on stuff in spring training' et al. Yet nothing ever seems to change. Pedro has already talked a lot about how it has to improve. OK...we'll see if it in fact does. So far it looks like more of the same.

DVS of the Sun-Times recaps the first two days and the numerous mistakes: https://chicago.suntimes.com/white-sox/2023/2/26/23615871/careful-what-you-wish-for-white-sox-off-to-sloppy-start-in-cactus-league-play