Mark Buehrle's article...

[bjm676]

In between starts, he writes articles and slides on tarps. Who knew.

 

All-Star Game was a great experience

 

By Mark Buehrle / Chicago White Sox

 

Dear White Sox Fans,

First, I want to thank all Chicago White Sox fans for your tremendous support so far this season. I know I speak for all of the guys in the clubhouse when I say your enthusiasm has been a big part of our success so far, and hopefully our on-field success will continue through the regular season and beyond.

 

The All-Star Game is an unbelievably hectic two or three non-stop days of meeting people and media interviews. Since this was my second time making the team, it was a little bit easier for me since I knew what to expect. Being in the clubhouse with some of the guys who have been in the league for so long and are going to be Hall of Famers was an experience I can't describe. At our team meeting, I was looking around and started getting the chills when I thought about the seasons and careers these guys have enjoyed.

 

Having Jon Garland, Paul Konerko and Scott Podsednik in Detroit along with me made the experience even better. It was nice to see our first half rewarded by the managers, coaches and fans. I was honored when Terry Francona picked me to start the game, although Jon was just as deserving -- if not more so -- than I was.

 

There are always a lot of parties going on as part of the event, and one that I went to was for Stuff Magazine. There were tons of celebrities there, which was pretty cool. I was with my fiancée, Jamie, and she wanted us to get a picture with the guy from "Desperate Housewives," who I later found out was from Chicago. I went up and asked if he would mind taking a picture with us, and he said, 'Sure, if you'll sign a ball for me.' It was surprising that he knew who I was.

 

I caught myself hanging out with Garland quite a bit, so I made a point of trying to get to know as many of the guys as possible – like Johnny Damon, Manny Ramirez and Kenny Rogers. At one point I was in the outfield with Kenny, and we ended up talking about Ichiro Suzuki and how to get him out. Ichiro is one guy I can never seem to get out (.500, 12-24). Kenny has had pretty good success against him, so he was giving me advice on how he pitches to him. I know he's been in the news a lot lately, but I was surprised to find out what a good guy Kenny is.

 

Surprisingly, I wasn't nervous at all before the game. When I woke up Tuesday, I was a little jittery, so I thought I still might be for the first pitch. But by the time I was warming up in the bullpen, I was really relaxed. A lot of my friends said they saw me laughing in the bullpen when I was throwing to (catcher) Jason Varitek. What happened is that it sounded to me like they announced, "Warming up in the American League bullpen is Mark Buehrle of the Chicago Red Sox."

 

Once the game started, everything came together for me and the American League. Miguel Tejada (shortstop from Baltimore) made a big play for me to help me out in the first inning, and it was exciting in the second inning to strike out a guy like Derrek Lee, who is having an MVP season.

 

Overall, it was a great experience for everyone involved, and hopefully even more White Sox will have a chance to represent Chicago in 2006.

 

Thanks again for the great support this season,

 

Mark Buehrle

[thelatinoheat_30]

cool

[Texsox]

I hope fans come around to appreciate Buerhle. I think he is about the most underrated, under appreciated, Chicago athlete. I know hard core Sox fans understand his talent, but for the most part people overlook him.

 

Perhaps after he finishes this Cy Young season, that will change.

[retro1983hat]

Brooks Boyer walks up to Mark Buehrle and says, "hey Mark, we're putting this on our website, hope you don't mind we said you wrote it."

 

Buehrle said in response, "I'm going on the slip-n-slide."