No glitter: Drive showed Cotts essence of Buehrle

 

April 20, 2007

 

ATLANTA -- Watching the highlights and talking about White Sox pitcher Mark Buehrle's no-hitter brought back Neal Cotts' favorite story about his old friend and teammate.

 

The Cubs reliever was in his rookie year with the Sox in 2004, heading home to southern Illinois for the All-Star break, and Buehrle, who lives near St. Louis, rode most of the way with him.

 

Buehrle's fiancee was supposed to meet them where the highways diverged in the directions of their homes, but she wasn't there when they got to the meeting point.

 

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''I was like, 'I'll drive you,''' Cotts said Thursday. ''He was like, 'No, no. I'll just stay here.'

 

''I'm like, 'Dude, we're in the middle of nowhere.' There's nothing. A gas station and nothing around it. Nothing else -- no city, nothing.''

 

But Buehrle, already a former All-Star who would win 16 games that year, insisted. He handed Cotts a couple of beers off his freshly purchased six-pack and said, ''Go.''

 

''So I'm pulling out of there,'' Cotts said, ''and there he goes with his White Sox gear and everything that he had from the ballpark. And he's sitting there on the corner, just sitting on the curb, right in the middle of nowhere, with a beer.''

 

That might make Buehrle the most regular-guy All-Star ever to pitch a no-hitter.

 

''I got home and told my buddies, 'I just left a guy that's worth millions and millions of dollars, an ace on a major-league baseball staff, sitting on a curb waiting for his fiancee,''' Cotts said. ''And he made me leave. He wouldn't let me stay. It just kind of describes him.''

 

Gordon Wittenmyer

Mark Buehrle's the best. I'll miss him.

Haha, that's an awesome story.

Mark Buehrle's the best. I'll miss him.

 

settle down, you'll have him for another 6 months

Yeah, I heard Cotts tell that story before. It's really a cool story and shows who Mark really is. He is so down to earth and humble. I think that's why most fans really like him. I mean there's players on the Sox that I root for, but I could really give two s***s about. Mark ain't one of those players. I want him to do good and I feel bad for him when he doesn't. I was so happy for him when he tossed the no no. It's like a friend doing something good except I don't even know the dude.

That's a hilarious story. I love Buehrle... my favorite Sox player most definitely!

Cotts lives in southern Illinois? how did I miss that?

Cotts lives in southern Illinois? how did I miss that?

Went to ISU if I remember correctly.

Went to ISU if I remember correctly.

I believe the writer assumed central Illinois was the same as southern Il.

Went to ISU if I remember correctly.

He did.

 

Buehrle is the best, btw.

I believe the writer assumed central Illinois was the same as southern Il.

Bah it is...anything south of I80 is southern Illinois to me.

Bah it is...anything south of I80 is southern Illinois to me.

Me too, but Central people will disagree with the opinion most of the time.

Bah it is...anything south of I80 is southern Illinois to me.

 

Neal is from Lebanon, Illinois. Yes, he was a star for the Redbirds,

 

Also, I love how they exlain that our guys were drinking road-sodies on the way home after a game...niiice

I believe Cotts went to ISU but is from further south than that and Buerhle is basically west of ISU and a tad south.

 

I think the thought on Buerhle is the reverse of Scottie Pippin, be fair to yourself and get an offer. If it is beyond what we can do have fun. If we are close welcome back.

 

Remember Pippin signed a deal that Reinsdorf told him was bad for him but he wanted it anyway.

 

If Buerhle is as good a guy as he appears something will get done.

That story is awesome...

 

Yeah Cotts is an ISU guy, he was there at the same time I was. Actually, after he joined the team in '04, he was at a bar with the rest of them in Boston and I got a chance to talk ISU stuff with him (Bars, etc.). Really nice guy.

 

As much as I know its almost inevitable that he goes, I really hope they can work something out and Mark can stay here. He is such a great face of this organization.

Can we say hometown discount?

Go Neal. Nice story, I had forgotten about that one.

 

 

Can we say hometown discount?

 

For Cotts?

How can anyone not be a fan of Mark Buehrle?

How can anyone not be a fan of Mark Buehrle?

 

He has more fun than any guy in baseball. I think he wouldn't change if he was playing for the kind of money they pay College Professors or Texans with MBAs He'd still be out there with a smile. That was one thing that bugs me about some of these guys. You're getting paid huge amounts to play a frickin' game. Enjoy it.

I will shed a tear when if Buehrle goes. I'm man enough to admit that. He's by far my favorite pitcher, probably one of my favorite players besides Frank.

Edited April 20, 200718 yr by TitoMB345

Don't give up on Buehrle for '08 and beyond folks. I'm not saying he's coming back for sure, but if the Sox don't re-sign Dye...I think Iguchi and Buehrle are coming back.

 

Players like playing in Chicago...and it seems they generally like to play for Ozzie and Coop and each other, etc. This team looks to have the most fun of any team in the league (except for last year, when they were pressing). Now that the pressure is off again, they are having fun again.

 

Either way, I love the guy and no matter where he goes, he will always be a White Sox to me.

 

PS...Think they have a ride board in the clubhouse?

That story tells me a few things:

1) Mark is just a regular Joe. Nothing pretentious about him and hopefully KW will do everything in his power to keep him on this team...even if he reinstates tarp sliding!

 

2) Neal Cotts drives and drives.

While I know it's unrealistic, I do hope a little that the Sox will fight for him more now that he's gone and pitched a no-hitter. The man's been elevated to mythical status now in the eyes of many Chicagoans, and letting him go will probably result in negative public perception of the organization. So I hope they think about that in their negotiations w/him, though I'm not going to get my hopes up too high.

my i would say st charles, mo is a tad west and a lot south of bloomington, il.

my i would say st charles, mo is a tad west and a lot south of bloomington, il.

its really not that far... only a couple hours