Tag Archives: White Sox

Oct 5

Chasing the Magic of Baseball

“Once you’ve been to more than two or three games in a season, the magic wears off. It’s just not that fun anymore.”

In the spring of 2011, a close friend and avid fan of the San Francisco Giants dispensed that cautionary piece of advice. Still fairly new to baseball, I had notched just two games to date, both embarrassing losses by the 2010 Mariners. More fresh in my mind was the Giants’ World Series championship, and my hankering for a trip to AT&T Park was at its peak.

I carried those words with me for the next several months, avoiding frequent trips to the park and wondering if, like my friend, I would also become numb to the magic of baseball if I didn’t learn to temper my expectations. Was it so easy to become burned out on this sport, even with a championship-winning team?

At the beginning of the 2012 season, I decided to put his words to the test. After making plans for my second annual trip to San Francisco, I focused my efforts on a team within reach: the Seattle Mariners. Ten games, I promised myself. I can probably afford ten games without getting burned out, right? The baseball gods scoffed at my optimism. Within the first week of the season, the Mariners put up four losses and two wins. Already, I had accomplished 60% of my season goal.

I shivered in the 50-degree weather, unable to feel my fingers or toes, unable to stomach Brandon League blowing saves and Chone Figgins batting leadoff. The Cactus League-leading team I warmed up to in spring training dissolved into the players I ran from in my first year of baseball fandom, the ones who couldn’t find their bats, or the strike zone, or home plate.

On April 21, 2012, my seventh game of the year, Philip Humber and the White Sox visited Safeco Field on a beautiful spring afternoon. I tackled the game with my scorecard, incurring the sarcasm of a gentleman who chided me for not using a proper scorebook. Six innings flew by, and I diligently penciled in zero after zero before realizing the magnitude of Humber’s performance. In the seventh inning, murmurs of a perfect game started traveling throughout the crowd. I began rooting for history.

By the time that tenth game rolled around, a 5-2 win immortalized in my Baseball Log with the words, “Brendan Ryan hitting in the #2 spot will never not be weird,” I was hooked. It’s difficult to pinpoint the moment my obsession took flight, but I found myself missing Safeco Field just days after a homestand ended. Instead of feeling burned out on baseball, I couldn’t wait to return to the park: to the King’s Court, the goofy hydro races, and the call of Scooter the Beer Guy as he sprinted up and down Section 139.

2012 had many more unforgettable moments in store, from a glimpse of Felix Hernandez’s perfecto to the Orioles’ 18-inning all-nighter on my 22nd birthday. I learned how to banter with visiting fans, hold my own in classic rock music trivia, and read fly balls without jumping to my feet every time one hit the warning track.

On Wednesday, I walked through the gates of Safeco Field for the forty-third time. Game Ten was a distant memory, but instead of missing the faded novelty of catching a live game, I’d grown to appreciate the deepening connection with players and fans that cannot be developed in one or two games. Sure, the 2012 Mariners didn’t claim a championship title, the AL West, or a winning record. But the memories they allowed me to create this year are invaluable, and will keep me returning for years to come.

Aug 11

The Art of the Second No-Hitter

In over a century of Major League Baseball, you have had 277 chances to witness a no-hitter. Actually, unless you were born in the late 1800s, you’ve probably had closer to 88 chances, even less if your baseball fandom, like mine, began just a few years ago.

Of those 277 no-hitters, 39 have happened in the same ballpark in the same season. It’s kind of like a do-over. If you missed Philip Humber’s perfecto on April 21, 2012, you had the chance to return to Safeco Field on June 8 for the Mariners’ first combined no-hitter in club history.

Limiting the pool of ballparks to those still in use, you might’ve seen as many as 71 no-hitters in 21 parks, 12 of which have recorded more than one. Only four, however, have hosted multiple no-hitters in a single season: Fenway Park (1916, 1917), Wrigley Field (1972), Tropicana Field (2010), and Safeco Field (2012).

Aside from upping your chances of witnessing one, ballpark atmosphere may seem inconsequential in the construction of a no-hitter. However, of the 19 seasons with multiple no-nos in a single park, 25 of 39 games have gone to the home team. From 2001-2012, seasonal park factors indicate a strong tendency towards the most pitcher-friendly parks, with allowed runs ranging from 0.625-0.819 per game and allowed hits from 0.745-0.906.

Back to you for a second. Had you been a fan of the visiting team and missed their first no-hitter, you might’ve had a chance to attend a rematch. Six times, a no-hitter was replayed between the same two teams in the same year: Reds-Phillies in 1971, Reds-Astros in 1969, Giants-Cardinals in 1968, Braves-Phillies in 1960, Browns-White Sox in 1917, and Tigers-Browns in 1912. Most impressively, the St. Louis Browns hosted three no-hitters against the Chicago White Sox in 1917. While the Sox came away with their first win on April 14, the Browns retaliated with back-to-back no-nos on May 5 and 6.

Since then, the only no-hitter to be repeated in the same year was a Braves-Phillies match-up in 1960. The Braves, then situated in Milwaukee County Stadium, took two no-nos against the Phillies on August 18 and September 16. Both were caught by Del Crandall—who, I might add, went 2-for-4 in both games with four base hits—and both featured complete game performances from the losing pitchers, Gene Conley and John Buzhardt.

Given the rarity of no-hitters, it is impossible to project a repeat of, say, the Giants-Astros meeting earlier this season. But, stranger things have happened. Allie Reynolds tossed two no-nos in 1951. Candlestick Park saw consecutive no-hitters between the Giants and Cardinals on September 17 and 18, 1968. Fenway Park has 13 no-hitters notched on its 100-year-old belt.

Hang onto your rally caps, Twins, Cardinals, and Astros fans. Your second no-hitter may be just around the corner.

Follow the jump for the complete list of ballparks that have hosted multiple no-hitters in a single season (mid-June, on partially cloudy Thursdays, during games boasting an attendance of 22,640 or higher):

Continue reading »

Jan 31

Sportswriters Needed!

If you’re a sports blogger, chances are you know about the myriad of blogging sites available for baseball, football, basketball, and hockey fans alike. There’s SB Nation, filled with insight, snark, and a lot of stats that go over my head. There’s Bleacher Report, which has perfected the art of 10-picture slideshows. There’s FanSided, which has just about every bit of breaking news you could ask for. And then there’s Aerys Sports—the only female-run sports network on the web.

As a writer, I know that personally, the biggest two needs I have to fill are 1) finding topics to write about, and 2) getting people to read those thoughts. However, when it comes to applying for blogging networks, I’m finding that the really successful sites also have tight-knit communities where you can bounce ideas off each other, help promote great work, and improve the quality of your own writing.

Back to the point… this great site I write for called Aerys Sports is gearing up for Spring Training, and it’s their goal to cover all these MLB teams by Opening Day. Check out the openings below and see if your favorite team needs a writer!

National League Teams 

American League Teams

Contributing Writer Openings

You can apply if: You love baseball!

Teams: All MLB teams

Who to contact: Click on the website you’re interested in, and contact the Lead Writers through Aerys.

Lead Writers

You can apply if: You’re a girl who loves baseball! (Sorry, guys…)

Teams: Colorado Rockies (hurry, this one might be filled soon!), Pittsburgh Pirates, Minnesota Twins, Cleveland Indians, Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim (this might also be filled soon!)

Who to contact: Reply to us at @AerysSports, @Aerys_MLB, or through Tumblr.

Questions? Leave them in the comments!

Jan 7

Preserving the Hall of Fame

What does the Hall of Fame mean to you? It’s a straightforward question, but as recent voting is beginning to reflect, one that has a variety of answers. Some believe the Hall of Fame should commemorate only the most prestigious, deserving, by-the-book players. For others, the lines fall in grayer areas, where it is impossible to distinguish where raw talent ends and unfair advantage begins.

This year, Cooperstown welcomes Bert Blyleven and Roberto Alomar into its hallowed hall. Both men have patiently waited their turn for induction (in Bert’s case, 14 years), and both are worthy candidates. Alomar, sons of Mets bench coach Sandy Alomar Sr., was born into a family of baseball stars–from his father’s legacy in New York to his brother’s catching career. Over 17 years, Roberto built a batting average of .300, with 210 home runs, 474 stolen bases, and 12 consecutive All-Star games. Between 1991 and 2001, he won 10 Gold Gloves for outstanding work at second base, and 4 Silver Sluggers in only eight years.
Bert Blyleven, on the other hand, made his mark with a killer fastball, ranking 5th in strikeouts at 3,701. His interest in baseball blossomed as a young Dodgers fan, and his major league career began at the age of 19, with a draft by the Minnesota Twins. Over 692 games, Blyleven recorded 287 wins and 250 losses, with 60 shutouts and one no-hitter. Alomar and Blyleven will be joining notables like Willie Mays, Babe Ruth, and Cal Ripken Jr.
There is no doubt in anyone’s mind that those who reach Cooperstown do so on their own merit. However, writers responsible for voting players into the Hall of Fame are not primarily concerned with merit. In two years, famed hitters and pitchers of the Steroids Era will be up for nomination, players whose accomplishments are nearly as publicized as their scandals. I can only imagine writers want to be fair. No one wants to hand even more fame to those who have reached their stardom with the aid of performance-enhancing drugs.

Still, cheating is not limited to this generation of ballplayers, whether through illegal drugs or juiced balls or stolen signs. Since the invention of baseball, teams, players, and umpires have played outside the rule book. Bobby Thomson was accused of stealing signs on his “Shot Heard ‘Round the World.” Eight White Sox members started the Black Sox scandal by trying to throw the 1919 World Series. 104 players are on a blacklist for steroid usage.
This is not to say that taking steroids should be condoned or honored in any way. I fully respect writers whose moral standards prevent them from recognizing players who build their records on talent and growth hormones. In a recent article on Yahoo!Sports, sportswriter Ronald Blum quotes Hall chairman Jane Clark: “In Cooperstown, what we do [...] is preserve the history of the game. We tell the story of the game, and whatever controversy it is [...] we tell the story. We don’t opine about it. We just do it very factually.” If, however, the Hall of Fame focuses more on preserving baseball history than memorializing deserving players, Cooperstown may not be able to shut out the Steroids Era much longer.

Dec 31

A Timeline of 2010

I know it’s the trendy thing to compile a list of the best breakthroughs, scandals, and triumphs at the end of the year, but there’s just too much to choose from this season. Instead, I chose to look back at some of the memorable moments for me this past year.

Life as a Baseball Fan in 2010
June – A baseball fan is born. It’s funny, I can’t remember exactly when I started watching the Giants play on MLB TV, but it just stuck after a while.
July 20 – The first televised Giants game I watch features Bochy schooling the Dodgers over improper mound visits.
July 27 - West Coast Fan[girl] blog begins. I really wanted to drop the “[girl]“, but 49erGiantLakerFan already claimed that name, with a brief post on Zito’s ineffective pitching in April 2008. Also, the White Sox destroy the M’s 11-0, forcing Ryan Rowland-Smith to the minors.
August 27 – To date, the only game I have attended as a baseball fan. The Mariners bite the dust against the Minnesota Twins, 3-6. I cheer for the yellow seaplane, and it wins the race during the seventh inning stretch. Half of Safeco Field ditches the game by the eighth inning.
October 3 – The Giants clinch the NL West! My dad wants to know why I’m not screaming and jumping around the room, but I think I was in shock for the rest of the day.
October 7 - Atlanta gets the first win of the NLDS. Without a TV or internet access, I am helpless to cheer San Francisco to a much-needed win, and spend the weekend waiting for text updates from my family.
October 23 - The NLCS is well under way, and the Giants are looking pretty strong against Philadelphia. For the clinching game, I fly to SF and watch the last half of Game 6 in a sushi bar. Wilson makes the out against Nelson Cruz and my friend and I nearly go deaf in the explosion of happiness from the city and its fans.
November 2 - The Giants win the World Series! This time, I scream and jump around the house. Unfortunately, I am the only one who does so. My friend calls from San Francisco to let me hear just how insane the streets are, so I make a celebratory poster for the rest of the night.
I hope 2010 has been as exciting for you as it was for me! Happy New Year 2011!
Dec 23

Field of Dreams

“If you build it, he will come,” the ethereal voice whispered to bedraggled corn farmer Kevin Costner. “He will come,” my mom repeated, not looking up from her iPad. “He will come,” my dad echoed over a bowl of caramel popcorn. This offseason, I’m doing my best to stay baseball-minded. My family is trying to help, so they’ve filled the Netflix queue with baseball movies, from Eight Men Out to The Rookie. That makes tonight Baseball Movie Night at my house–an event rarer than the occasional ballgame on TV, believe it or not.

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A heralded classic, Field of Dreams follows Ray Kinsella (Kevin Costner), who hears the voice of ages past and builds a baseball field in the middle of his crops, hoping to draw Shoeless Joe Jackson to the field. He ends up drawing a lot more than the infamous player, who was suspended from MLB in 1919 as part of the Black Sox Scandal. A character in itself, the voice draws Ray through both the midwest states and the history of great baseball players.
I have to admit, about half of my motivation to watch this film was to see if I’d fall into the pool of viewers and baseball fans who openly weep during the movie’s more emotional moments. I didn’t. This could be because my family, cynical movie buffs that they are, openly scoffed at the touching final scenes. Then again, perhaps it’s geared more towards long-time fans, or, you know, men (especially with that whole father and son thing).
All in all, it’s a great movie that reinforces the American values we all hold so dear: a love of family, affinity for baseball, and pursuit of impossible dreams. If you consider yourself a baseball fan and still haven’t seen this film, rent it immediately. If you’re well acquainted with it by now, maybe it’s time you picked up that ball and glove and started a game of catch with your own dad.
Dec 12

This Week in Baseball Headlines – December 4-11

While it hasn’t been the slowest news week we’ve seen in the offseason, every story seems to revolve around the one-upmanship between the Yankees and the Rangers over Cliff Lee, or a number of non-Giant trades. Here’s just a sampling of the current goings-on in MLB:

1. Astros pick up Ryan Rowland-Smith for 2011
Well, that settles it. My first favorite Mariner is now an Astro. Left-handed pitcher Ryan Rowland-Smith signed a contract with Houston for one year, $725,000. With all the millions being thrown at big-name players like Jayson Werth and Carl Crawford, this is peanuts by comparison. But for now, I’m more than happy to see Ryan staying in the majors, even if he won’t be playing in the Northwest anytime soon.
2. Ozzie Guillen skips meetings for more important events
According to David Brown’s winter meetings report, Ozzie Guillen played hooky from the last part of the meetings to help flood victims in Venezuela. After heavy rains killed 32 people and displaced around 70,000 more (full story here), most families were moved into vacant hotels. Ozzie opened his home to about 40 refugees and hoped to do even more on his trip back home. It may not have gotten anything accomplished on the White Sox’ behalf, but it certainly was a more important priority this week.
3. Cubs fan lands in jail from inappropriate display of grief
Following the tribute to Ron Santo on Thursday, one grieving Cubs fan landed himself in jail after Sharpie-ing the following message on a CTA platform wall: “Good! Buy! Ron Santo! Cubs Best Cub Thirt-Baseman Forever Love Always God.” The fan, Ron Brakes, was charged with criminal defacement of property and, my favorite, possession of a marker with intent to deface. Still, I don’t know which appalls me more: the decoration of public property with cheap advertising, or the misspelling of the word “third.”
4. List of steroid users is unacceptable, says Justice Department
Steroid-using ballplayers can breathe a collective sigh of relief. On Friday, the Justice Department confirmed that the government held illegal possession of a list of 104 players who tested positive for steroid usage. The list was seized in a drug lab raid in 2004, and the blacklisted players were understandably none too happy about it. Now, investigators have to cut their exploration of steroid usage in baseball short, keeping those 104 in the clear.
5. Seattle pays tribute to broadcasting legend Dave Niehaus
Beloved Seattle broadcaster Dave Niehaus was properly honored at today’s service in Safeco Field. Niehaus began his baseball broadcasting career with the Angels in 1969, and made his first breakthrough in Seattle for the Mariners’ inaugural season of 1977. Fellow broadcaster Rick Rizzs and former Mariner Ken Griffey Jr. both made tribute speeches in Dave’s honor, while family, friends and fans filled Safeco Field to remember this baseball great.
Dec 6

Question Monday: Winter Wish List

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The Winter Meetings are finally underway, and the Nationals went out and spoiled everyone’s fun a day early by signing Jason Werth with a $126 million, 7-year contract. Adrian Gonzalez has also been picked up, making the big switch to the AL for Fenway Park and a Red Sox jersey. In an interview, he said it was his childhood dream to play for the Padres, but the Red Sox were second on his list. Childhood dreams aside, many have pegged him as one of the most valuable players out there right now, so I’m sure he and the Red Sox will make one happy couple.
The Giants have been fairly quiet so far, and things are still looking shaky with Renteria. I don’t have my heart set on having him return in 2011, and I think Sabean and Bochy feel the same way. We also need a left-handed hitter, or just a few more hitters in general.
Today’s question:
Who would you like to see join your team this winter? Are you eyeing Carl Crawford, Cliff Lee, or Paul Konerko? Who do you not want your team to throw money at this week?
As always, leave your answer in the comments below!
Dec 5

Profile: Ron Santo

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Since yesterday, I’ve realized that Ron Santo’s legacy cannot be summed up in a simple paragraph. Let’s take a closer look at the man who was Chicago’s biggest fan and will remain one of its most memorable players.

Where he came from… Ron originally hails from Seattle, but his home was firmly set in Chicago. From his debut in 1960 with the Cubs to his retirement in 1974 with the White Sox, Santo remained faithful to the Windy City for the entirety of his major league career.
What he’s known for… There’s no doubt Santo was a skilled baseball player. As third baseman for the Cubs, Santo ranked #10 among all-time best 3B with 1138 runs, 342 homers, and a .277 career batting average. Defensively, he made 41 double plays in 1961, and broke a league record for assists with 374 in 1963 (thank you, Wikipedia). To top it all off, Ron played in nine All-Star games and won the NL Gold Gloves for five consecutive years, from 1964 to 1968.
Still, what Santo is perhaps most well-known for was his lifelong struggle with type 1 diabetes. At the ripe old age of 18 years, he was given approximately 25 years to live, and concealed this life-threatening disease to prevent an early retirement. As Santo himself put it, “When you’re 18, 25 years seems like forever… What I really heard was, ‘You may not be able to play ball.’” After retiring at only 34 years old, he stayed loyal to both baseball and Chicago and became the Cubs’ beloved commentator in 1990. Unbiased play-by-plays may be preferred protocol, but for a Cubs fan, Santo was the perfect broadcaster with his enthused cheers and loud moans. You always knew how the Cubs were doing and how Ron felt about it.
What you didn’t know… In 1966, Santo became the first major league player to wear a helmet with protective ear flaps. With a consecutive hitting streak of .390, Santo was suddenly sidelined for two weeks after a beaning by Mets’ pitcher Jack Fisher. Although the pitch fractured Santo’s cheekbone and kept him out of games for a couple weeks, he was back the following month to shatter Hack Wilson’s 27 game-hitting record with 28 games.
By statistics alone, Santo was a great baseball player. What makes him legendary, however, is the courage he showed in his years in the majors and beyond. His love for the sport could not be interrupted by anything, even a debilitating disease, and it’s this kind of strength of spirit that will immortalize him in the hearts of Chicago and MLB fans.
Dec 4

This Week in Baseball Headlines – November 27-December 3

It’s been a while since I ventured out of the Giants bubble, so let’s look at what’s happening in the rest of MLB these days.

1. Derek Jeter doesn’t sign with the Yankees, but might.
How long has this been going on now? Here’s a recap for those of you who’ve somehow missed the flashy headlines on an otherwise dead MLB sports page: Jeter (or at least his agent) thinks he’s the Babe Ruth of the modern age. Babe Ruth wants a cut above his $18.9 million a year. The Yankees, on the other hand, are dragging their feet, probably because Jeter won’t sign with any other team and they know an agreement will be reached soon. Until then, I think we’re all supposed to be on pins and needles, crossing our fingers that the superstar shortstop will return to his beloved New York City.
2. Chicago legend Ron Santo passes away.
Seattle native and Chicago icon Ron Santo passed away this week after a 52-year long battle with diabetes. He is fondly remembered as a third baseman for the Cubs and White Sox, and deeply admired for his strength of heart as he played his entire career while struggling against the disease, even concealing it in early years to prevent a quick retirement. Rest in peace, Ron–you are deeply missed and never forgotten.
3. K-Rod’s violent outburst gets settled in court.
Remember this August, when Francisco Rodriguez assaulted his girlfriend’s father after a game at Citi Field? Turns out that drama is still being settled, even after K-Rod spent $3.14 million in fines, a seven-week time out, and months of apologies to the fans. According to Yahoo!Sports, the Mets closer also pled guilty to the charge of harassing his girlfriend (and mother of his twin girl and boy) with 56 variations on “Will you forgive me???” text messages. Now, he can skip jail time if he attends a solid year of weekly anger management classes.
You may think that I’m leaving important stories or trading tidbits out, but really, weed out all the speculation and almost-made-trades and wish-list articles and there’s not a lot of solid action out there. It’s kind of a nice break from the constant barrage of regular season, though–now, you can read three or four stories and be all caught up in MLB! And hey, at least the Winter Meetings next week will give us plenty to talk about, right?