White Sox Interactive

Read what other Sox fans have posted.

i just keep finding all these cool spots on your sight. my wife has been
yelling at me cause nothing is getting done around the house. just thought i
would add a few memories and my 2 cents sort to speak. i like so many other
sox fans continue to long for old comiskey. i used to love that payback
playback with all the old comisky hilights. i will never forget watching NBC
game of the week and seeing harolds picture up on the screen saying he was
traded to texas. i could not believe it. my first game was in 83. the bull
crushed 2 homeruns one landing on the roof off of oil can boyd. baines hit
one too. sox beat boston 6 to 2. i also remember rushing home from school to
catch the playoffs on t.v. seeing julio do that little jump after the force
out out at second to end game one. the series is ours i thought. and then
watching my hopes get crushed into the uppderdeck off the bat of tito
landrum., it looked like britt was gonna cry. my dad got mad and went out for
a drive. i just sat there on the couch with little tears in my eyes. i don't
think i watched any of the phillie/ oriole series. most games after the 83
season i attended were unlucky for me. it was depressing. but like the rest
of the faithfulls i have a new attitude every spring.

any whitesox fans want to e-mail me please feel free! anybod with early 80'
whitesox footage especially playoffs please let me now. i would be interested
in them.
penny900@aol.com

Thank God for the off season...and a chance to 'recharge the Sox
battery'....after my
36th season as a Sox fan (now in abstentia ....living in Seattle....I think
this qualifies me as a 'die-hard' Sox fan)....it feels good to know that
Schueler and Reinsdorf are not making more 'bonehead' moves....at least for a
while?!  It won't be long until Spring Training 2000 in Tucson (I plan to
attend this year)... Let's get the millennium started right with a
competitive team...and maybe the signing of a few veteran
pitchers?....hint...hint...it's nice to know there's a lot of true 'die-hard'
Sox fans who are baseball savvy ...and living all around the country...dare I
say that maybe the Sox are truly ' America's Team'....naa...that's too
corny...keep the faith Sox fans.

TBONE (Pac NW)

despite the off year for the sox ...there's been some definite improvements in the team with the success of Ordonez, Singleton, Lee, Durham, Fordyce and Konerko...unfortunately the pitching staff has taken another step backwards with all the young pitchers (high ERAs and BBs)....and what can you say about Navorro that hasn't already been said!  Sox need to sign a big-league free agent starter!   A true stopper the likes Kevin Brown or David Cone status. Just do-it Reinsdorf/Schueler before you lose more fans in the stands!   Despite the year the Sox had.....they still beat the Mariners (i'm now living in the Pac NW)....the players are bunch of spoiled, over paid whiners (especially Griffey)....and the Fans are all fair-weather types and that doesn't go over very way in the land of rain and mushroom heads!

true Sox fan

TBone

You should congratulate Ray Durham for making his career high 19th error!  Why is the
second half going so poorly? Highly touted pitchers (and coach) not doing well! Twins have pitched
better than the Sox since the break. Clueless Manuel has yet to refer to the pitching collapse AND
Ray Durham's inability to play defense. Reinsdorf's Sox can sure TRY to BS the fans but  we all
know this team will have the WORST winning percentage of the decade!  BRUTAL! New ownership needed to restore a team that can pitch and field. Sox need a housecleaning from top to bottom! Five point ERA'S and 130 plus errors won't bring in fans.

Palos Al

Thank you very much for this site. It means so much to me to see that other
people care about the Sox as much as I do. I was almost born at Comiskey, Set
29 1967. That is the day the Sox lost the pennant after a heartbreaking
series against Washington. My mother was in the First aid room about to
deliver when they decided to take her to Michael Reese hosp. I later worked
at the old park from 1976-1987, and I miss it every day. Keep up the good
work.
                           Mark McNamara

great website-check it almost every day for your dead on commentary. bitter
after 94,but as u state its a new era and jerry m impresses me more each
day.thanks for the article on keeping the sox in chicago.please update on
changes on the park-didn't know that was happening!

Hey, as you can see by my e-mail address I am a fellow White Sox fan.  I
just wanted to say that your website is the best that I've been to in a long
time.  I like how your site is set up.  Personally I like it more than the
official Sox page.  They don't update it as much as you do.

                     Fellow Sox fan,
                            Jeff

thank you for your web site.
living in florida can't come up
with info like this.
thank you again

don klopack

Keep up the great work......love the site and its content..... do not let up
on the goofballs on the north side!!!!

Mick Rybolt

This year marks my twentieth anniversary as a Sox fan.  Without question the highlight was the Sox winning games three and four of the 1993 playoffs.  Beating the Jays twice at Skydome was heaven on earth.  As for the lowlight, it was the signing of Albert Belle.  It wasn't the ridiculous contract given Belle that irked me, but rather that the team would sign such a jackass.  Albert Belle never was and never will fit my image of Sox gamer.  In other words, I will never mistake him for Harold Baines, Lance Johnson, or Ozzie Guillen.

Regarding this year's team, the likes of Mags, Singleton, Lee, Simmons, and Durham give me reason to believe that better days are ahead for the Sox.  If history repeats every decade then the Sox should be playoff bound in 2003, and several of today's players should be around to sip the bubbly.

Finally, thank you for finally revealing the whereabouts of Ribbie and Roobarb.  I thought that they and the
clown guy had been banished to the Bermuda Triangle.  For whatever it's worth, I vote to bring the three of them back.  I'm sure this trio will provide far more entertainment than Navarro, Norton, and Bozo the Reinsdorf.

Apart from not winning as often as I would like, the Sox have given me twenty great years of thrills and
memories.  I think I made a wise choice in '79 when I turned my back on the Expos--the team most Canadians boosted at the time--and started rooting for the Sox.  Go Sox!

Stephen T.
Calgary, AB

Regarding the Pan Am Games and Sox pitching prospects...

As a fan of minor league sports I felt I should send this letter to the Chicago Times Sports, the Birmingham Barons and the White Sox.  As fans of the Chicago White Sox I think that you should also see the other side of the organization, a side that most sport fans would find disgusting.

I have to admit that I was not surprised to hear that even thought Major League Baseball has urged all organizations to cooperate in releasing players to participate in the Pan Am Games in Winnipeg Canada, the Birmingham Barons, have refused to release Canadian pitchers Aaron Myette and Julien Tucker. According to the Province newspaper published in Vancouver BC,  "Canadian manager Ernie Whitt said he was informed only Tuesday morning that Myette, who was being touted as the ace of the Canadian staff, and Tucker, who was to be a starter wouldn't be joining their countrymen in Winnipeg as previously agreed. Both play in Birmingham on the Double A affiliate of the Chicago White Sox and called Whitt to tell him they'd withdrawn due to pressure they'd been getting from their club not to play at the Games.  How many US players are not reporting to the games because of pressure from their clubs?  What kind of what kind of reaction do you think you would get from fans if US organizations held back top US athletes from international competition?

The support that the government and the fans in the US give their athletes is something that our athletes look upon with envy. We are very under funded and because of this often do not have the facilities or the time for our athletes to practice together. Even with these problems we manage to make a reasonably good showing.

Is it the Chicago White Sox that are putting the pressure on the Barons? Is the US, with a population over 10 times that of Canada, so unsure of their own athletes that they view the Canadian team too large a threat?  Why don't we leave it to the athletes to decide the outcome of the Games?

John White
Surrey BC
Canada

Your website is great - thanks for the effort. My family tried to raise me as
a Cubs fan as I grew up near Chicago, but it didn't work.  By the time I was
ten, my dad and I were placing wagers.  Every year since 1984, we have
wagered a dollar per game difference in the Sox and Cubs won/loss record.
Even though I've made out pretty well at times, the best is yet to come for
the Sox. It is still frustrating to see the majority of baseball attention in
Chicago still focused on the Cubs. I'm finding out that being a persistent,
die hard Sox fan is going to pay off soon, however.  I predict that the Sox
will contend for the World Series in the year 2002.  They have a great base
of young talent, a low payroll, which will allow for some free agent signings
- if Reinsdorf will spend the money, and a great farm system - including a
number of outstanding pitching prospects.

Following your favorite team and being loyal to them means supporting them
when they are down and getting excited on the way up.  Hang in there, Sox
fans - it's almost our turn.  We'll soon be laughing at the drunken Cubs fans
who still could give a care whether or not their team wins, as long as Sosa
homers.

Ultimate Sox Team of the 80's...

Catcher - the Great Carlton Fisk - who should be going in the Hall of Fame
First Base - Gregg Walker
Second Base - Julio Cruz
Third Base - Vance Law
Short - Ozzie Guillen (no doubt)
Outfield - Harold Baines
Outfield - Ron Kittle
Outfield - Ivan Calderon
DH - The great Greg Luzinski
Pitchers - Salome Barojas
               Floyd Bannister
              Jerry Koosman
               Juan Agosto
               Richard Dotson
               Britt Burns
               Lamarr Hoyt

From a Die Hard,

Jeff - Ft. Worth

    I moved from the northwest burbs of Chicago in 1990.  I now live in Ft.
Worth Texas.  Growing up in the northwest burbs as a White Sox fan was tough
- I was surrounded by a sea of Cubbie Fans - enough to make ya sick!!!  I
still remember my first visit to Old Comiskey - that glorious place.  That
Big scoreboard - lighted up - was a beautiful sight to behold!!  The tore
down Old Comiskey after I moved here.  I mourned for the place for months.
My brother in law sent me something that to this day I still take great pride
in - a brick from Old Comiskey.  Haven't been to New Comiskey yet.  The
Ballpark in Arlington is about 25 minutes or less from here.  The Rangers are
a OK team in an incredibly weak division.  I could never get to be a Ranger
"Fan" - heck - I even worked at the Ballpark in 98 for awhile - security.  I
have found out that being a Sox Fan is a way of life - not a seasonal thing
like being a Cubs fan.  We tend to be more hard-core and realistic that Cub
Fans - they seem to live in a dream world during Baseball season.  Well -
anyways - thanks for a terrific web site!!  I love it and will return often
to view it!  And remember - The Kids CAN Play!!

                          Jeff - TGO55@aol.com - Ft. Worth

As long as I can remember I was going to Comiskey Park. I was brought up to
be a Sox fan. I was going to sox games before I could talk. My parents had my
baby pictures taken in a Sox uniform. While most of my friends would go to a
game maybe once or twice a year, I went twenty-something because my dad had
partial season tickets. I remember my heroes were Ron Kittle and Carlton
Fisk. Comiskey Park was my second home. And I was pretty young when they tore
the old park down, but I remember it perfectly. When I heard news of the new
park, I remember I was sort of excited, I was so young so I thought a new
park would be great. And when I finally went to it, I thought the new park
was great, but I missed the old one. As I got older, I began to hate it more.
I was at the last game at the old park. I remember the giant new park
eclipsing the old one. When the last game ended I had to be dragged out. I
knew I'd never see a game there again, it was awful. I was at the first game
at the new one too. The thing I remember most, was when I got to the
unfinished ramp that would lead to the new parking lot once the old park was
torn down. They had it open to people at the game so they could look at
what;s left of old Comiskey. What I saw was terrifying. There was old
Comiskey, my second home, with half of it smashed. I felt like my 80 year old
irreplaceable home, with all its history and memories you can't replace was
just destroyed by an earthquake, or a tornado, and I was forced to live in my
brand new home, which was modern, bright, perfectly symmetrical, and boring,
and could never replace the old one. I remember looking at torn down old
Comiskey like it was yesterday. It was a nightmare. The thing I remember
about it most was that there were about 50 of us standing there looking at
it, and it was totally silent. There was an old man there crying. I got
teary-eyed. There we were, looking at our destroyed home, thinking about the
good times we had there, totally silent. Later my dad explained to me why we
got the new park, because Jerry Reinsdorf would move the team to Florida if
the city of Chicago did not give him money to build a new park (good thing
the mayors a Sox fan!) It was then when I began to totally hate Jerry
Reinsdorf. But one day he will be gone. He will have either moved the team,
no longer be part of the organization, or dead (probably cuz a Sox fan
assassinated him). And most likely he will no longer be part of it, and there
will be new and better management. I know it will be better because it can't
really get much worse. So let's make the most of what we've got. New
Comiskey's going to have lots of memories as time goes by, it's getting older
every day. Already we've won the division in it, Carlton Fisk finished his
career in it, some players who will be hall of famers have played for the sox
in it, and there has been some great games. The traditions will continue,
fathers and sons will go to the game, there will eventually be fathers and
sons who had never been to the old park and this is the only park they know,
and they will think it's just a great place to watch a game.
-Ed Pinsky

Regarding Fixing the Comiskey Mistake...

Maybe more money should be spent in the neighborhood.  Look at all the parking lots surrounding the park.  We can afford to lose some parking to some new attractions such as sports bars, stores, and restaurants. A bit of landscaping would do wonders to the Berlin Wall (RR tracks).

Southern Illinois Sox fan

    Hello, I'm another first-time poster on this terrific site.  It's great
to see so many people so involved in the Sox, because I might be the most
unlucky Sox fan around--I was born a White Sox fan in Milwaukee, where I
lived my first 18 years.  Then I moved on to New Mexico and now Boston,
which is America's most self-indulgent and pitiful baseball city.
    I was at the massacre in Boston this Saturday, and I have to admit,
before this series I thought that if the Sox swept the BoSox, then maybe a
wildcard was possible.  Now what?  Is there any hope? I agree with the guy
who said that Sirotka and Parque are much better than their records show.
No doubt, if Joe Torre were a straight-up guy he'd take Sirotka way before
Clemens in the All-Star game.
    I also have another question--is there anyone out there who has seen two
worse White Sox losses?  It seems like I am cursed--not only did I
personally attend the massacre Saturday, but I was also present for the
oh-so-wonderful first game ever at the new Comiskey.  Anyone else out there
seen two 10 run innings and two 16 run losses?
    If there is any doubt that Red Sox fans are the worst, I give you
this--I was in the bleachers Saturday and they yelled "throw it back" on
that lone White Sox homer.

Mike J.

In this town we are constantly reminded how badly we (Sox's fan's) are being
out drawn by the Cubs faithful followers.  As a lifetime Sox fan who also
cheers for all Chicago teams, including the Cubs, I think the Sox are
missing out on a golden opportunity to capitalize on a media blitz that has
portrayed the Cubs as insensitive and down right shallow.  I listen to the
Huge show on ESPN and have heard the interviews with both Ben Christenson
and Anthony Molina.  Mr. Simmonson asked Anthony Molina if any major league
teams have contacted him since the draft with the opportunity of trying out
with them after he gains his eye sight.  I have also heard Cub fans call in
and say that the signing of Ben Christensen was enough of a disappoint that
the are going to reverse their allegiance and start backing the Sox ( I
doubt that will happen).  If I was a member of the Sox brass I would be the
team that contacted Anthony Molina.  Can you see the media going to town on
this one.  So you take a gamble and say Anthony when you feel conformable
with your eye sight you come see us and we will give you a try out with one
our minor league teams.  It is obvious that the Sox thrashing the Cubs has
not brought any additional fans to the park.   So why not try getting down
and dirty.  I know I am simplifying a situation that is probably more
complicated, but I think it would be great for public relations, and God
know Riesndorf needs help there.  Just a suggestion.  Thank for hearing me
out.

Hey, first time visitor of your website. I feel the White Sox have five
players deserving of an All-Star bid. Although, we all know they'll get only
one, maybe two. First and foremost, Magglio Ordonez. He is simply an awesome
hitter. Second is Frank Thomas. I realize he has just 9 homeruns, but a .333
BA and an impressive OBP shows that he is still a great hitter. Next Ray
Durham, he is batting over .300 now and has good power at second base. Also,
besides Alomar, name a better AL second baseman than Ray. Finally, the Sox
have 2 pitchers worthy of being All-Stars. Mike Sirotka and Jim Parque.
Sirotka has the worst luck, otherwise he'd be like 9-4, but still his ERA is
very low. And Parque with another win or two before the break should make it.
They have 2 of the lowest AL ERA's. So, I'm asking for a little too much, but
3 All-Stars would make me happy.

R.C.

Regarding Fixing the Mistakes at New Comiskey Park...

Counter the nothing-to-do attitude with more of what you suggest- Maybe a McCuddys across the street and a few other places in the endless parking lots adjacent to the park.  Incorporate the oriiginal home plate into a bar/restaurant/entertainment spot.  Set up a speed gun there and let youngsters (like me) buzz one across the plate or even a pitching machine to get the thrill of hitting from this sacred spot.
Fix up that underpass by the railroad tracks.  Maybe landscape it and make it a walking overpass with some baseball themed attractions or decorations there.  Do something to the gates (or walls or fences or whatever) to make it an event when they swing down when a train passes.  That walkway under there scares the bejeeebers out of my kids and keeps the Bridgeport area "away" from the park.  If this is made attractive, people will be more inclined to check out the neighborhood.  Also should spur development of other places in the neighborhood.  Maybe a trolley service to bring folks to some of those bars and restaurants over there.  (Can't help but thinking that I've NEVER heard this nothing-to-do complaint about any other ballpark ANYWHERE.  Guess we suffer only because of comparison to wiggley field.)

In the park, wondering if we can "lower" the upper deck by extending it DOWN over and in front of the highest row of luxury boxes (they're not being used anyway!?!).  Shave the top few rows off the top and presto!- the deck is lower.  I'm no engineer, but this doesn't seem too difficult.  Nuke the ends and do what you say- the kids attractions and so on.

The existing outfield concourse is great- what if we elevate part of it and make a real party/picnic area where fans can actually watch the game.  They TOLD US WE WOULDN'T LOSE THE PICNIC AREA IN THE NEW PARK.  Make it kind of a rootop atmosphere OR get back some of the seats we lose in the upper by double-decking the left and right field stands only MUCH closer to the field than the current upper deck.  Do a Tiger Stadium porch to add the perception of intimacy to the lower and to bring these seats right into the ballpark.  Ever sat in the porch at Tiger Stadium- really cool!

Let me get my checkbook!

I'm really enjoying your website!!

--Mark Winters

the sox have to get rid of that fat idiot who runs around with the microphone doing the YMCA on the
dugouts. he is an embarassment to the whole white sox organization, hes damn annoying, and i dont
think one single person likes him or what he does. if the sox really want a mascot bring ribbie and
rhubarb back.

Very disappointed in your Jaime Navarro information.  You forgot to add
the fact that last season Navarro had the lowest K per 9 IP, highest BB
per 9 IP, worst K to BB ratio, and led the league in wild pitches.  In
addition, I believe that Navarro's ERA was the highest in the league
among all qualified pitchers last season.  Give Navarro some justice -
he REALLY SUCKS!

YES!!!!!!! SWEEPING THE CUBS WAS LIKE WINNING THE WORLD SERIES TO ME!!! THIS IS
THE GREATEST DAY OF MY LIFE!
and i just wanted to say that i visit your site almost every day since i discovered it. it is a great web site
and is very well done! keep up the good work!! i agree with everything youve said on it!
sox for life,
scott armstrong

WOW!! What a unbelievable sweep of the hated Cubs. Now the whole world
knows what we knew all along, "The kids can play." I have had to Cub fans
rant in my ear about the Cubs sweeping us in Wrigley Tavern...oh I mean
field last year. Wait, isn't it just one big wrigleyville bar that just
happens to have a baseball field in the middle? Anyhow, I was there last
year for game three when they whooped us 13-6. They started chanting
"Sweep, sweep, sweep....." over and over again. I heard it in my sleep
for weeks. But I stayed all the way until the end and took a lot of heat
for it. But ahhhhhhh... was it worth it this weekend. My only regret was
that at the end of sundays game most of the fair weather Cubs fans had
already left.
    Now all we have to do is get ALL the Sox fan's to come back. Let's
quit crying about the strike, Reinsdorf and the much maligned upper deck
of Comiskey and support this team of young players who gave us a hell of
an effort this weekend. I hope to see all of you out there!! Go Sox!!
SWEEP!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Now if we could get the Sox fans who are still crying over 94', we could
fill the park again.
SWEEP!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Ahhh...how quickly we forget.  I remember the days when Chet Lemon roamed
the outfield, when Einhorn and Reinsdorf made a gusty move and signed a
catcher named Fisk, and when a young pitcher named LaMarr won 20+ back to
back.  Not too long ago this town was a Sox town, no question.  But what has
happened since?  The Sox move to cable was a disaster, the damn Cubs won in
84, Old Comiskey was torn down, and that stupid strike of 94.  The Sox have
had nothing but PR problems as of late.  People complain about the new park
(obviously they haven't been to Oakland, Candlestick, Minnesota, Houston,
etc.), about the neighborhood (obviously haven't spent any time in
Bridgeport), about parking (see the Northside about this one).  I guess I'm
just fed up with all of the negativity surrounding this club.  The media
can't stand the Sox and will put a negative spin on anything said about
them.  Damn idiotic sportswriters from Texas who have only been here a few
years and work for the paper who owns the the other team, feel they are
somehow qualified to remark on the state of Chicago baseball over the span
of generations.  The park isn't that bad, Wrigley isn't that good, Reinsdorf
isn't that bad of an owner (name another owner in this great city who has
won anything in the last 10 yrs, and soccer doesn't count), and Bridgeport
is a cool nieghborhood, Wrigleyville is full of a bunch of drunk yuppie
^%$&s.  IT IS TIME WE SOX FANS FOUGHT BACK!  Screw the ^&%$& Cubs and their
obnoxious fair-weather fans.  Thanks for letting me rant.  And Yes, I am a
season ticket holder.

Jeff Apa (Sox fan-Cubs hater)

to any southside cubs fan:
youre supposed to like the team that represents where you live, not whatever team you think is good.
youre supposed to like your team even when they really suck. maybe its not cuz you think they are
good, its because your parents didnt know any better and raised you to be stupid cubs fans. or maybe
its that old excuse "i like wrigley field because its older" ok well old comiskey park had to go cuz it was
built out of s*** and was the oldest park around. that place kicked wrigleys ass anyways. the new park
does kinda suck, but i dont go there to look at the park, i go there to watch the sox, and its perfect for
doing that. and years from now when your precious wrigley is torn down because its falling apart like
comiskey did, and more gay bars, gothic stores, and adorable little houses are put up over it, and the
cubs play at some new state of the art piece of s*** in another gay little neighborhood, the sox fans will
be laughing cuz by then we will have the oldest park in baseball with the most history, still right there on 35th and shields right in the middle of the ghetto. and anyway you dont like a team cuz of their park. you live on the southside, you like the sox, northside, cubs, its been that way for 100 years. kind of like how theres tons of people in chicago who like the bears, even though they really suck. they like them because they represent chicago and they live in chicago, not green bay, wisconsin. the only exception for a southside cubs fan is a northsider who moved to the southside.

I think one of the reasons the Sox don't draw as many fans is because Sox fans are true baseball fans. I know this sounds silly, but hear me out. One of the reasons that there are not as many fans at Sox games is because more people go to see the Cubs. Why? The only reason I can think of is that Wrigley is a good place to get drunk. The Cubs have never (or at least within the last 90 years or so) shown in any way to be superior to the Sox, not in winning percentage or number of pennants won, not in anything. So the only thing that draws these people to the Cubs is the beer in the bleachers of Wrigley, where they behave like idiots and throw things at opposing players. I really don't think that most of them know anything about baseball or what place their "favorite" team is in, or anything else. So let them go see the Cubs and although we have fewer fans, I will take Sox fans over these drunken fools anytime.
                                                            Thank You
                                                             Nick Lokshin

If the kids can play, they probably won't stay cause the owner won't pay! Another reason for the fans to stay away!  Ever hear of Jeff Weaver?

Worth mentioning regarding the park, ticket prices are too high.  Outfield seats for $17?  How about $27 for a lower deck seat (could be last row!) between 1st and 3rd? That's what the walk-up fan has to pay! At fan friendly Wrigley Field, the upper rows are not box seats but "terrace reserve."  They cost $17!  Are the White Sox the only team in baseball where the last row costs the same as the first? Check out LOWER DECK prices and compare to other teams!

Hoping for new ownership,

Palos Al.

Great web site from the TRUE Sox Fans' perspective. Keep up the good
work and don't let the revisionists get away with the "Blame the Sox
Fans" line of argument.  We've been the victims of a record of abuse,
ineptitude and treachery unequaled in American sports history (yeah, the
Cubs have gone longer w/o a championship, but at least until the Tribune
Company took over the helm, they could chalk up most of their problems
to sheer, happy-go-lucky incompetence--not the knife-in-the-back
betrayal Sox fans have had to handle from the Black Sox down to our boy
Jerry). I've been a Sox fan ever since the fateful day in 1960 when at
the tender age of 6, this recent immigrant from North Carolina found a
blue plastic Nellie Fox coin in a package of Oscar Meyer hot dogs.
Note, in truest Sox fan fashion, that I found the Sox only AFTER they
had made their appearance in the World Series--so I've been wandering in
the wilderness for 39 years now. And, of course, when the Sox won the
division in '83 I was out of state in grad school so couldn't share in
the Chicagoland craziness of that season. Better yet, I was at the U. of
Maryland--yep, surrounded by Oriole fans as they paddled us in the
ALCS.  Whatcha gonna do?  Go Sox!
I'd be interested in seeing more space devoted to Sox history if'n you
get the notion--particularly those great, now-unheralded "near-miss" Sox
teams of the mid-60s which had the 2nd best pitching staff in the
majors--after that little group the Dodgers had in Koufax, Drysdale,
Osteen, and company.  Keep up the good work.

--Larry Eskridge, Wheaton, IL

Thanks for looking Victor Frazier up for me.  I found a card with some stamps my dad gave me.  It's just him (Vic) in a pitching stance.  Nothing on it but his signature.  Again thank you for your time....

Victor Frazier was the top pitcher for the '31 White Sox.  He pitched 254 innings and won 13 games.  The team finished dead last.

Oh no!  It's the kiss of death. Dan McNeil of the Score thinks the Sox are
going to win a wild card.  That means the season is truly over.
The Sox have been a nice surprise so far, but their fans are starting to
sound like gullible Cub fans.  A good start in 1999 doesn't mean a World
Series is just around the corner.

Dan Helpingstine

Very well-done site. you sound like a TRUE (realistic) Sox fan.
RE: Norton...and we thought he only couldn't throw ! Just watched him kick
away a game for Howry at First base. "No-Hit/ No-Field " Norton. Can't the
Sox find SOMEONE that can field their position.

Re: Schuler...what a disaster. Cameron for Kornerko will be added to his
(considerable) list of blunders.

RE: Navarro...two days of sunshine don't make it Spring...Releasing him is
the only humane thing to do.

Good Job!
-The BBBBAD1@aol.com

Ultimate Sox Team of the 90's...

      First base = Frank Thomas
     Second base = Ray Durham
     Shortstop = Ozzie Guillen (hard choice between him and caruso)
     Third base = Robin Ventura
     Catcher = Carlton Fisk
     Pitcher = Jack Mcdowell
     Pitcher = James Baldwin
     Pitcher = Alex Fernandez
     Pitcher = Kevin Tapani
     Relief Pitcher = Roberto Hernandez
     closer = Bobby Thigpen
     Left field = Albert Belle
     Center Field = Lance Johnson
     Right Field = Magglio Ordonez

Do these goofs in the media really think we're going to go out to Comiskey
park just because they say we should?  Do they think they're our parents and
we're their kids?  Or is the real reason is they need access to Reinsdorf and
the Sox and they need to kiss up?  One thing can be said:  It is no wonder
WSCR-AM hasn't moved a blip in the ratings in years.  Their act is older than
the hoola hoop.

Dan Helpingstine
Highland, Indiana

It could be worse you could have the Phillies. Take away Schilling and
you have the Expos.

This web site is phenomenal.

Like most of your visitors, I have suffered through decades of White Sox futility (o.k., just two, but 22 years of this gets old real quick).

And while I don't necessarily condone all the negativity featured on the site, I certainly can understand if not appreciate it.

Yes this team is young.

No, we will not win a World Series any time soon.

And certainly, yes the cliche sucks, but, fortunately the KIDS can play.

I am 22 years old. This past weekend, me and two buddies made the pilgrimage to KC. One of the "KIDS", Mr. John Snyder, struck up a friendship with us at the last homestand substantial enoguh to drop us some tix for the series. My first reaction was one of "it's about time", an almost rectifying of 22 years of spending paltry lawn-mowing paychecks all for the naught of watching a perenniel 70-win team.

But folks, forgive me if I wax way too philisophical here  beyonf the point of baseball humility and simplicity, but isn't the whole inspiration of being a White Sox fan, or even a baseball fan in general, the inevitable right of spring renewal.

Every year, major league baseball takes on an all-to-forgiving virginity. Every batter is at .000 and reciprocally, every pitcher boasts an ERA  of 0.00. Yes, we sent a shot at a division title to SF a few years back. I will NEVER forgive, much less forget that.

Unfortunately for us fodder-seekers, yet fortunate for Mr. Schuler, the depravity of that trade must now be overlooked. I'm sorry if my companionship with my fellow Sox die-hards stops because I can not admit I am dissatisfied with this year's product.

I love this team. Maybe I am biased because of my young age.

But I can relate to this team, and hopefully, my success in life may parallel an ensuing postseason appearance.

Just as I had to "settle" for Illinois State University and look, with a jealous resentment towards basketball powers at Duke, an-up-and-coming rendition of my childhood favs DePaul, or even media darling U of I, these are my guys.

No one else wanted me. I got a small chance and right now, despite adversity, am making something out of a professional opportunity.

Hope in baseball springs eternal. The team I saw @ Kauffman this weekend shared this spirit, as well as the "give me a chance" driving force.

No, friends, this is by no stretch of the imagination a contender. But I'lltake Snyds and a bunch of overachievers and the under in two years over what the Cubs so-called veteran leadership provides.

Go SOX!

"The Kids Can Play" is the biggest insult to the intelligence of White Sox
fans.  I just got home from the openor and these kids can't play.  Greg
Norton looks terrible at third.  If it's not hit at him, he ain't going to
get it.  He looks equally terrible throwing the ball even when it is a simple
throw to second for a force out.  But then again, I don't remember him saying
he wanted to play third.  Was he moved there just because there was no one
else?
If Sox fans are expecting a .500 team this year, they're as gullible as Cub
fans.  This team has the potential for being as awful as the 106 loss 1970
team.  Other than Thomas, there is no one to drive in runs.  Other than
Durham, there is no power on the left side of the plate.  The pitching has a
long way to go.  The Chicago White Sox  will not contend for years.   It is
truly sad.
Another thing that bothered me about Opening Day:  Sox fans throwing opponent
home run balls back onto the field.  I don't know why this stupid *** Wrigley
Field tradition is being transported south.  I have never caught a ball at
the park.  If I want to keep a homerun ball, I will.  This is ********.
The biggeest accomplice to this fiasco is the media.  We keep lectures on
going to Comiskey for some odd reason.  If a fan wants to go to Comiskey, he
or she has to remember one thing:  You are paying major league prices for a
minor league team.  This once proud franchise has sunk as low as it can get.

Dan Helpingstine
Highland, Indiana

77' Hitmen were something that even
suprised Bill Veeck himself. It was magical.

The biggest trouble with the organization and its apologists is that they
under-estimate the anger that is out there.  They think the only problem is
that Sox fans are disloyal.  The White Sox and baseball are supposed to be
able to do anything they want from squandering a chance to go to the World
Series to dismantling the team, and fans are expected to flock to Comiskey to
see a bunch of minor leaguers.  We are constantly told how loyal and faithful
Cub fans are.  What have the Cub suckers gotten in return for this loyalty?
No World Series championship since 1908, no World Series appearance since
1945, and the team has not put back to back winning seasons since the teams
of 1967-72.  They have a good season in '98 and do next to nothing to get the
team over the top.  White Sox fans wouldn't put up with this crap.  As for
threats that the city may lose the team if fans don't return, I have just one
thing to say:  Don't forget to write!

You hit the nail on the head about SOX fans and Cubs fans. When the Cubs
are atop their divison on June 1st, you get Cub fans clearing thier
calendars for October. Get the in first at that juncture and you get sox
fans who haven't been inside a church since thier First Communion
dropping to their knees and saying "Dear God, pleease let it hold up!"
 Jim Welke,
Springfield, IL

First of all, this web site is great.  It helps to know that others feel my
pain.  I have been a die hard Sox fan since I was eight years old.  My father
and brother took me to my first baseball game in 1983, not a bad time to get
introduced to baseball and the Sox.  A young right fielder, Harold Baines,
hit a home run early in the game.  The scoreboard erupted and the fans went
crazy in old Comiskey.  Baines went on to hit two more home runs that game,
which I believe is the only three homer game of his career (so far). From
that time on, Harold has been my favorite player.  He ALWAYS hits .300 with
20 homers and 80 RBI; consistently amazing.  When he was traded, I was
crushed.  When the Sox acquired him again, I was ecstatic.  I had hoped that
he would finish his career here.  He did manage to give me another thrill
that I will never forget.  During his second trip with the Sox, my father and
I attended a game.  The score was all tied up in the bottom of the ninth with
two outs.  Baines came up to the plate.  The crowd began to chant, "HAR-OLD!
HAR-OLD!   HAR-OLD!" just like in the old days.  Harold lifted that right leg
of his and smashed a pitch toward the fence in left field.  The ball actually
bounced off the the top of the fence and went out for a game winning homer.
That was Harold in a nut shell - he always came through when the Sox needed
him most.  While Harold never put up the kind of numbers that the Big Hurt
puts up, I think Harold was certainly more of a clutch hitter than Thomas.
Just a memory or two I thought I'd share.  Go SOX!

First and foremost, I love your webpage! It's about time we had a fan
that stood up and gave the world the a taste of true Sox fans. I have
sent your link to several of my White Sox friends and I plan to list
your URL on my own White Sox links homepage. Keep up the good work.

                                                       Ann Green, 15
                                                        Frankfort, IL

Rich Blanchette