Lip Man 1

Terrific story on Bill's career in the Tribune, including a bunch of photos. https://www.chicagotribune.com/2024/12/05/bill-melton-chicago-white-sox-obit/

Some of Bill's notations from my This Day In White Sox History file. Had the chance to meet him when I co-hosted the 40th Anniversary of the 1972 team in 2012 that was done in association with the Chicago Baseball Museum and the White Sox. Was really a great guy: March 12, 1973 - Sox third baseman and former 1971 A.L. home run champ, Bill Melton, appeared on the cover of Sports Illustrated. The caption read, “Chicago Comes Out Swinging. Slugger Bill Melton.” Melton would have a nice comeback season after missing most of 1972 with a herniated disc. He’d hit .277 with 20 home runs and 87 RBI’s. He’d be traded to the Angels after the 1975 campaign. April 7, 1971 - Charlie Finley, the A’s owner, got the first regularly scheduled opening day double header in history but was stunned when the Sox under manager Chuck Tanner beat them twice 6-5 and 12-4 at the Oakland Coliseum. Tommy John and Bart Johnson were the winning pitchers. The Sox clubbed five home runs on the day, including a grand slam by Bill Melton. It should have been six homers except that Carlos May somehow missed touching home plate on his blast. A’s catcher Gene Tenace picked up on it and tagged him out when he was sitting in the dugout. It went as a triple in the scorebook and two RBI’s. May 31, 1970 - The torpid White Sox, on their way to the worst single season in franchise history annihilated the Red Sox in Boston 22-13. The Sox banged out 24 hits, Luis Aparicio and Walt Williams had five each with Bill Melton knocking in four RBI’s. Williams also scored five runs. The Sox had innings where they scored seven, six, four and three runs. The Sox victim that afternoon? None other than former Sox star pitcher Gary Peters who lasted less than an inning. It was the second most runs ever scored in a single game by the franchise. June 24, 1969 - In the second game of a double header in Seattle, Sox third baseman Bill Melton slugged three home runs in the 7-6 win. All were solo blasts. The Sox took the first game as well winning 6-4 with relief pitcher Wilbur Wood picking up wins in both games allowing only two hits in almost six innings of work. June 24, 1972 - Behind the inspired play of Dick Allen, Wilbur Wood, Stan Bahnsen, Rich “Goose” Gossage, Terry Forster and Carlos May, the Sox were in the middle of a pennant chase when the bizarre injury curse struck again. Third baseman Bill Melton fell off a ladder damaging his back during the previous off season and had been playing in pain ever since. The defending American League home run champion was put on the disabled list and lost for the rest of the year when it was discovered he had a herniated disk. He only played in 57 games with seven home runs and 30 RBI’s. The reason he was on the ladder? His young son was with him as he was re-nailing some patio roof shingles when the boy started to slide towards the edge. Melton caught him but fell backwards on to the ground right on his tailbone. The Sox would finish five and a half games behind the Oakland A’s with a record of 87-67. August 7, 1970 - In the midst of the worst season in franchise history, some smiles were seen after the Sox unveiled the “Big White Machine,” at Comiskey Park. The car was a 1929 Ford, rebuilt and put together by Sox players Ed Herrmann, Bill Melton, Syd O’Brien and the folks at Hawkinson Ford (now known as Hawk Ford). It circled the Comiskey Park warning track every time the Sox won a home game (which wasn’t often!) August 21, 1973 - Sox pitcher Stan Bahnsen took a no-hitter into the ninth inning against Cleveland. After getting the first two outs, former Sox outfielder Walt Williams got a ground single to left past third baseman Bill Melton. Melton inexplicably, was playing in, anticipating a possible bunt from Williams who later said under no circumstances would he try to break up a no-hitter by bunting late in the game. Stan then got the final out finishing with a one-hitter, striking out four, in the 4-0 win. September 21, 1970 - For the first time in 69 seasons, the Sox finally had a 30-home run man. Bill Melton got an upper deck shot off the Royals Aurelio Monteagudo, who pitched for the Sox the year before, for the most Sox home runs in a season at that time. That same day Luis Aparicio got his final hit in a Sox uniform. He had 1,576 of them for the White Sox. Just 672 fans were on hand to see the double header at Comiskey Park as the Sox were closing out the worst season in franchise history. September 30, 1971 - When Bill Melton smashed a home run on the last day of the season off the Brewers Bill Parsons in the third inning, he became the first Sox player to ever win a home run championship. Melton hit three home runs in the final two games to pass former Sox player Norm Cash and Reggie Jackson for the title. Typically, White Sox, he only had 33, the lowest total for a champ since 1965. In an effort to give Melton an additional at bat or two, manager Chuck Tanner had the power hitter leading off in the Sox final two games. His homer was the difference in a 2-1 win. December 11, 1975 – Sox G.M. Roland Hemond sent third baseman Bill Melton, a former A.L. home run champ, and pitcher Steve Dunning to California for first baseman Jim Spencer and outfielder Morris Nettles. Melton had a bad back and had worn out his welcome with the team, getting into a shouting match in a Milwaukee hotel lobby with broadcaster Harry Caray. Spencer meanwhile would win a Gold Glove for his defensive prowess saving many errors. He also had 18 home runs and 69 RBI’s for the “South Side Hit Men”, twice driving in eight runs in a game in 1977. Both came at Comiskey Park against the Indians and then the Twins.

Very sorry to hear that about Bill. Good player and a solid broadcaster.

Interesting speculation. Personally I'd make the move if I was the Bears: https://chicago.suntimes.com/bears/2024/12/03/could-bears-trade-for-49ers-coach-kyle-shanahan

By the Numbers. From a Sun-Times story today: "In fact, in 13-plus seasons of George McCaskey leadership, the Bears’ 93-130 record is 26th in the NFL in that span. Their two playoff berths are tied for 28th. Their single playoff berth with a winning record (12-4 in 2018) is 31st. Their zero playoff wins are tied for last.

Story today at MLB.com says Toronto will be the highest bidder for Soto.

He said he's retiring in four years, not soon enough in my opinion.

All you can do is shake your head and laugh at the lunacy.

https://chicago.suntimes.com/bears/2024/12/02/the-one-enduring-lesson-bears-will-be-bears-warren-poles-eberflus-mccaskey-telander

https://chicago.suntimes.com/bears/2024/12/02/bears-president-kevin-warren-empower-ryan-poles-not-feel-that-way-general-manager-head-coach-hire

Interesting that McCaskey didn't say one word during the presser despite being specifically asked to do so by the Sun-Times. He and his entire family are simply football-stupid. https://chicago.suntimes.com/bears/2024/12/02/ryan-poles-bears-fire-matt-eberflus-coaching-search-kevin-warren-caleb-williams https://chicago.suntimes.com/bears/2024/12/02/bears-kevin-warren-ryan-poles-stay-on-general-manager-be-point-person-hiring-coach-george-mccaskey-nfl https://chicago.suntimes.com/bears/2024/12/02/bears-president-kevin-warren-says-matt-eberflus-friday-news-conference

I imagine the negativity is counter balanced by a nice paycheck every two weeks and knowing that as long as JR is alive those checks will keep coming.

Why should anyone be expecting any other type of signing?

A litany of incompetence: Eberflus was a problem, but he wasn’t the only one. A franchise that has won only six playoff games since its 1985 Super Bowl season has issues that go far deeper. Chairman George McCaskey, president/CEO Kevin Warren and Poles have been entrusted to fix them. That’s troubling, given that they let them fester in the first place. Warren appears no closer to finding a home for the Bears’ new stadium — or anyone to pay for it — than he was when he started in April 2023. Poles is expected to remain in his role next season, but he flubbed his initial hire of Eberflus. And the Bears have yet to win a playoff game in McCaskey’s 13 years as chairman. https://chicago.suntimes.com/bears/2024/12/01/bears-fire-matt-eberflus-caleb-williams-risks-stunting-growth-missteps-shane-waldron-luke-getsy-ryan-poles

Just a few thoughts: TLR on the radio publicly said last month that JR is not moving the franchise. MLB could get up to two billion dollars from an expansion team in Nashville according to a story in Sports Illustrated. If that is true, and I have no idea if it is, they aren't going to kill to Golden Goose by allowing the Sox to move there. I do agree with you, JR hates this fan base because they never really swallowed his BS from the beginning.

True but consider the source, his history and his philosophy of "I win, you lose" (for example the sweetheart lease agreement with the stadium or his demand for more tax payer money for another one) His ego may simply not allow him to want to pay ANY taxes.

I don't know how that may or may not apply all I could do is go by what I was told by the tax consultant that I asked regarding this situation.

https://chicago.suntimes.com/bears/2024/11/29/circus-maximus-matt-eberflus-gets-fired-most-bears-way-ever-george-mcaskey-ryan-poles

From Brad Briggs column tonight at the Tribune: Only six teams have fewer wins since the start of the 2011 season, when George McCaskey became chairman. Even in their meandering quest to find a franchise quarterback, the Bears have mostly avoided direct comparisons to some of the perennial losers in that bunch, such as the New York Jets, Cleveland Browns, Las Vegas Raiders and Jacksonville Jaguars. Then, in the final 32 seconds of Thursday’s nationally televised game in Detroit, they became the butt of jokes around the league and were pilloried by the most even-handed analysts. https://www.chicagotribune.com/2024/11/29/chicago-bears-thomas-brown-matt-eberflus/

As I have explained in stories the capital gains tax hit on a sale of the club while JR is alive could be in the range of 200 million dollars and that is not counting the Illinois state tax hit. JR started his professional career working for the IRS. Those numbers have real meaning to him which is why on the rare occasions he has spoken publicly about it, his message has been the same, he's told his family to keep the Bulls and sell the Sox when he is gone.

Prepping the team for sale makes sense but it won't happen by JR, his family will sell it when he is gone.

Better late than never. So who is the next milquetoast stiff this dysfunctional organization will hire in order to fire two or three years later?

https://soxmachine.com/2024/11/hunting-for-mlb-free-agent-bargains-for-white-sox-on-black-friday/

All true and a salary floor won't stop a bad organization say from overpaying a good player tying up a large portion of the floor and then go out and get 24 other minimum wage deadbeats and stiffs.

There is some truth to that but I'd gladly take what Zisk put up that season in 1977, 30 home runs, 101 RBI's and a .290 batting average.