Author: Teddy Ballgame

After Wednesday night’s exciting finish I was on a baseball high and the only way I was going to serve that high was by traveling to Anaheim to see the White Sox play the Angels. It was going to be quite a weekend with three games being played in 85 degree weather at the Big A. But Thursday morning would require some magic as I’d need to arrange for a hotel room near the ballpark, tickets to the games, and SWA to fly me there and back. I found a hotel room one mile from the park, got a ticket through Ticketmaster for $45, and had free airfare. I flew into John Wayne Airport and saw Sox GM Kenny Williams there, it felt like home. Kenny was there picking up his son Tyler who had just flown in from Phoenix. Tyler even helped get my bag off the carousal. After checking in to my room at the Comfort Inn, I hopped a shuttle, and was on my way.

Next thing I’m sitting in the Budweiser Pavillion in rightfield, without my sunglasses! It was 85 degrees & VERY sunny! What was I thinking leaving my sunglasses back at the hotel? So the first three innings I’m squinting so badly I can hardly watch the game. It felt surreal being there. One thing surprised me there was very little vegetarian fare in the park, I ended up eating at Panda Express. Scott Podsednik singled to right, Tadahito Iguchi bunted him up, Jermaine Dye doubled to center, and then Paul Konerko homered to left off John Lackey giving the White Sox a three to nothing lead before I even was settled in my seat. In the 3rd Iguchi singled, Dye walked, Konerko struckout, before Carl Everett singled to left bringing home a fourth run. With one out in the fifth Iguchi doubled, Dye struckout, and then Paulie delivered again with an RBI single, Good Guys were up 5-0. Orlando Cabrera delivered a two run homer in the 6th inning, but Jon Garland settled down for a complete game winner 5-2 Good Guys. All throughout the game Angel fans were crying about Doug Eddings bad call on A.J. Pierzynski the game before. Everytime they’d bring that up I’d scream out, “WAWWW!!! BABY NEEDS ITS DIAPER CHANGED!!!”, or “THERE’S NO CRYING IN BASEBALL!!!”

Leaving for the ballpark the next night I was determined not to leave my sunglasses behind. And before I went to my seat I visited the Knot Hole Club. The Knot Hole Club is where the club box season ticket holders get good food to eat and some watch the game sanitised behind glass. I had a couple of New Castle Brown Ales, some cucumber sushi, and garlic sweet potato fries, the rich people eat well. So I go to my seat wearing my cool shades, realize it’s kind of overcast, and soon it’s very cold! That was the end of summer as far as my baseball trip out west was concerned.

Rookie Ervin Santana was on the bump for the Halos matched up against Freddy Garcia. The rookie Halos righthander walked Scott Podsednik on a 3-2 pitch, hit Tadahito Iguchi with a pitch, the runners tagged & moved on a deep fly by Jermaine Dye to Steve Finley in center. To which I yelled out, “STEVE! RETIRE! YOU’RE TOO OLD! YOU’RE WASHED UP! YOU’RE STEALING MONEY, YOU HASBEEN!!!” Unexplainably the Angels skipper decided to pitch to Paul Konerko. Paulie made him pay sending a blast over the centerfield wall for another quick 3-0 lead. Perhaps DonS didn’t even put Black Magic Woman on the turntable yet, or maybe there was a skip in the vinyl, or maybe this game has more to do with talent rather than superstition. Although I was wearing my lucky White Sox tee just in case. Garcia gave one back in the 2nd when he issued a one out walk to Darrin Erstad, allowed Casey Kotchman to reach on a single to 3rd, which Freddy threw away, putting runners at 2nd & 3rd, Bengie Molina knocked one in with a single, but then Garcia got washed up Steve Finley to hit into a 4-6-3 DP to end the inning. The White Sox got the run right back in the top of the 3rd when Dye reached on a one out error by Orlando Cabrera, Paulie flied out, Jermaine stole 2nd, and scored on a Carl Everett single to center. To the fans dismay A.J. Pierzynski went yard with a solo shot in the 4th making it 5-1, fans had been really booing A.J. LOTS ever since the drop third strike. The Angels got that run back in the bottom of the frame when Garret Anderson singled up the middle with one out, stayed there when Erstad popped to Juan Uribe, but later came home on a Casey Kotchman double. With so little offense Kotchman was still batting 1.000 after two at bats in the ALCS. The Pale Hose got that run back in the top of the 5th when again Santana walked Podsednik on a 3-2 pitch, Scot Shields got Iguchi to fly out, Pods stole second, Dye grounded out, FINALLY the Angels intentionally walked Konerko, only to have Carl Everett come up with an RBI single to left. The Sox tacked on two more runs in the eighth off Esteban Yan when Carl Everett walked on another full count, went to third on an Aaron Rowand double to left, Pierzynski struckout (to the delight of the fans), but then Joe Crede singled to left scoring two making the final 8-2. Freddy Garcia made it three straight complete games, going the distance. It was very cool seeing former White Sox Ace Jack McDowell drinking beers in the Budweiser Pavillion with the fans. I went up to Black Jack, shook his hand, and told him if ever there was a big game for the Sox he was the dude I wanted on the hill. When he asked if I was having a good time, I smiled, and said, “Of course!”

Decided to watch the Bears play the Vikings at a local sports bar. I thought finally there might be as many Chicago fans as opposition fans watching football in Southern California. Boy was I ever wrong! There was a guy in a Dante Culpepper uniform and everybody else there was dressed in Viking purple. Well it turned out Da Bears took a page out of the White Sox book and thoroughly whooped the Vikings 28-3. I watched the game outside even though it was rainy, had some beer & some good bar food (dunno if that’s like Government Intelligence).

I got to the game two hours before game time, optimistic about the outcome, despite the fact it was raining, there was sunshine in my heart. It was very cool that I was actually there with the White Sox on the verge of winning the AL Pennant, first time since 1959 when I was only three. The Angels seemed to finally take the White Sox more seriously. Steve Finley was benched in favor of Juan Rivera starting in left, with Garret Anderson moving to center, and hot hitting Casey Kotchman again was the DH. My good feeling was reinforced seeing Jose Contreras matched up against Paul Byrd. This game was a little different though in that the game was tied at one through four innings. Aaron Rowand doubled in the 2nd, was bunted along by A.J. Pierzynski, and Joe Crede plated Rowand on a sac fly to center, but the Angels tied it with a run in the 3rd. The White Sox took the lead again in the 5th when Juan Uribe doubled with one out, Scott Podsednik drew a full count walk, Tadahito Iguchi flied to left, Jermaine Dye ripped an RBI double to left, Scot Shields was brought on to get Paul Konerko on a fly to left to end the inning. The White Sox had the lead, but not for long as the Angels scored two in the bottom of the 5th. Adam Kennedy opened with a base hit and scored on a Chone Figgins double doubled to right. Figgins moved to third on a ground out by Orlando Cabrera to Iguchi, and scored on a Garret Anderson sac fly to right. It should be noted that the ice cold Vladimir Guerrero was dropped to cleanup, with Anderson moving to the third spot.

The Angel fans were finally getting a bit cocky, thinking they might win this game. The two fans sitting in front of me moved behind me, thundersticks in hand, and started banging them LOUDLY directly into my brain. I, of course, yelled out, “FINALLY! I HEAR ANGEL FANS CHEERING!” and yelled, “YOU DON’T HAVE TO WAIT FOR THE SIGN TO TELL YOU TO MAKE SOME NOISE! THIS ISN’T A LIBRARY! THEY’RE NOT GOING TO SHOOSH YOU!!!” To which I heard the thunderstick fans behind me exclaim, “Maybe we should just whack him over the head.” Joe Crede greeted Kelvim Escobar with a game tying solo shot in the 7th. Aaron Rowand walked again on a 3-2 count, after Paul Konerko & Carl Everett struckout. Contraversial A.J. Pierzynski hit a comebacker to Escobar. Kelvim tagged him with his glove, but the ball was in his throwing hand. Originally he was ruled out, Angel fans thought justice had been served when Ozzie Guillen came out to argue. A fan actually asked, “How I liked it?” He kind of had egg on his face a minute later when A.J. was ruled safe on an error. Crede greeted Francisco Rodriguez with an RBI single to short, White Sox were up 4-3. In the top of the 9th Iguchi walked on another 3-2 walk, was pumped out at 2nd trying to steal, but was allowed to stay at second when the ump realized Adam Kennedy dropped the throw. Dye walked on the umpteenth full count walk of the series, Konerko scored Tadahito with a double to right, Everett struck out, and then the Sox added another insurance run when Rowand sac flied to Guerrero in right, making the final 6-3 Good Guys. Jose Contreras went the distance for the 4th straight complete game. The White Sox could have saved some money by not even having the relievers travel to Anaheim. Vladimir Guerrero batted .050 in the series. I kept asking VERY loudly, “WHERE ARE YOU VLADY? WHERE ARE YOU MVP? WHERE ARE YOU BARTOLO? WHERE ARE YOU CY YOUNG? ISN’T THIS AN IMPORTANT SERIES?” It was an AMAZING TIME IN ANAHEIM! The Chicago White Sox had won the Pennant!!!

After the game I celebrated at Fritz’ Gentlemen’s Club!!! Seven hours in the rain, with a hacking cough, wouldn’t have traded it for anything in the world. All I could say was, “FOUR MORE WINS!”

How exciting it was to actually be there in the stands to witness the battle between the Angels and the White Sox at US Cellular Field before a jam packed house! We got there early enough to grab a dog at the hot dog place two blocks west of the ball park on 35th. Being a vegetarian I bring my own veggie dog from home, they throw it in the steamer, put it on a bun, apply all the fixings, pile on the french fries, and it looks like a regular Chicago style hot dog to all the world. All this for $2.06, can’t beat it! The Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim arrived in Chicago at 6:00 AM after beating the New York Yankees in seven. They were assisted in their contest when a questionable call went their way. Yankee Robinson Cano was ruled out at first base because he didn’t run outside the foul line to first, yet Darrin Erstad was setup outside the foul line, and had Cano done what he was supposed to do there would have been a nasty collision. I’ve seen guys try to interfere with throws and there was no way Cano was trying to, nor did he interfere with this play. Yet the home plate ump called him out when Erstad dropped the throw from Bengie Molina on a dropped third strike, which would have resulted in the bases being loaded for the Bronx Bombers. I belabor this call because of an incident which would occur in the Sox/Angels series. But I’m truly ahead of myself at this point. 40,000+ fans were already writing the Angels off. They were tired AND their best starter Bartolo Colon was left off the playoff roster due to a sore shoulder. But it was the White Sox who appeared to be sleep walking as the Angels went up 1-0 in the 2nd inning when Garret Anderson took a Jose Contreras over the rightfield wall. Then the Angels added a couple of more runs in the 3rd when Steve Finley singled to right, Adam Kennedy singled to left, Chone Figgins bunted them up, Orlando Cabrera knocked one in and one over with an infield single. Vladimir Guerrero stepped to the plate and hit a slow comebacker to the mound (unbelieveably this would be his only RBI of the series). Contreras threw to 2nd in an effort for an inning ending doubleplay, but the relay was late and Kennedy scored, putting the Halos up 3-0. If Jose would have chosen to come home, the 3rd run doesn’t score. No second guessing there, just stating a fact. The White Sox offense woke up in the bottom of the frame when Joe Crede took Paul Byrd yard. With one out in the 4th Carl Everett singled, moved up on an Aaron Rowand ground out, and came home on a single to right by A.J. Pierzynski, making the score 3-2 Bad Guys. That was the way the contest ended. Contreras deserved a better fate, but he did allow the 3rd run to score when he could have prevented it. Jose went 8 1/3 innings before giving way to Neal Cotts in the 9th. Paul Byrd allowed two runs in six innings of work. The final three innings were masterfly worked by Scot Shields (2 innings) & Francisco Rodriguez was brought on for the save. The loss was the sixth without a win at home for the White Sox in ALCS games. Billy Pierce, the winningest pitcher in Sox history and a member of the 1959 AL Pennant White Sox team threw out the first pitch. Unexplanably Al Lopez chose not to start Billy in the World Series versus the Los Angeles Dodgers. Game #2 featured a pitching matchup that looked to be advantage White Sox. Mark Buehrle the AL starting pitcher in this year’s All Star game was matched up against Jarrod Washburn who was fighting off the effects of a viral infection. Washburn’s error allowed the first White Sox batter Scott Podesednik to reach 2nd base, Tadahito Iguchi bunted him to 3rd, and he scored on a Jermaine Dye groundout to short. Robb Quinlan tied the score at one with a leadoff homer in the 5th. There were some incredible plays throughout this game. In the 2nd inning Aaron Rowand doubled to right, went to third when a hobbling Vladimir Guerrero bobbled the ball for an error, and tried to score when the throw went up the thirdbase line. But Quinlan made an outstanding play throwing to Jose Molina who applied the tag to a head first sliding Rowand. In the bottom of the 5th Brendan Donnelly was brought on to thwart a two out bases loaded rally striking out Dye on three pitches. Then in the 7th Joe Crede was doubled off 2nd base on a liner off the bat of Juan Uribe to end the frame. And then in the top of the eighth Scott Podsednik robbed Orlando Cabrera by plucking his ball off the leftfield wall with a runner on 3rd and two outs. With two outs and nobody on for the White Sox the play would occur that would define this series. A.J. Pierzynski struckout, took one step toward the dugout, before high tailing it to first base, as Josh Paul rolled the ball back to the mound. I was sitting in the rightfield stands and after watching the play ten times at home on Tivo I’m still not sure if the ball hit the dirt. What I think happened is this, the ball hit the webbing of Josh Paul’s mitt, and bounced into the pocket. The home plate umpire, the infamous Doug Eddings, heard two sounds and thought it hit the dirt, so did A.J. Pierzynski. Josh Paul felt the ball in his mitt. The only question is, why didn’t Paul tag A.J. out? A.J. said he never heard the umpire call him out and took off for first base. Maybe the Angels should have had a Molina brother behind the plate. Josh Paul used to play for the White Sox and has always had plays like this happen when he’s in the game. He’s a fast catcher and when he used to come in as a pinch runner he’d get thrown out on the bases. Now it was the Angels turn. And Joe Crede didn’t allow reliever Kelvim Escobar off the hook as he delivered a game winning double on an 0-2 pitch off the leftfield wall to score pinch runner Pablo Ozuna from 2nd base, Ozuna had stolen second. Mark Buehrle went the distance allowing only one run for the win. After all of this excitement I couldn’t allow my boys to head out west without me tagging along for the games. Read the exciting conclusion of the White Sox Win the Pennant – Part III.

These words were etched in my brain from the time I was three years old, some 46 years ago. The 1959 Chicago White Sox winning the pennant was like an ancient history lesson. They were the Go Go White Sox led by Luis Aparicio, Nellie Fox, Sherm Lollar, Jungle Jim Rivera, and headed by Senor Al Lopez. For the first time in my life I bet $10 before the season started the White Sox would win the pennant, but it’s much more than the $150 I won that makes me so happy. First off I’m happy for Ozzie Guillen and GM Kenny Williams. When the managerial position opened up I called the Sox to say, “Hire Ozzie!” The previous manager was like a bump on a log and Ozzie is so energetic! I believe that’s why this ballclub is so energetic. It’s a reflection of the manager. While other GMs were going out inking big name players to big contracts Kenny Williams working within a budget spent his boss’ money wisely. Williams decided to let fan favorite Magglio Ordonez and Jose Valentin go, traded Carlos Lee, and then Frank Thomas was injured much of the year. But it was much more about who was brought in rather than who was missing. Tadahito Iguchi was brought over from Japan to play secondbase, which allowed Juan Uribe to move over to his natural position of SS. Scott Podsednik was acquired from the Brewers along with reliever Luis Vizcaino for Carlos Lee. Jermaine Dye was inked to replace Magglio Ordonez in RF. A.J. Pierzynski was picked up to be the regular behind the plate, despite the reputation of being a trouble maker. Another “trouble maker” Carl Everett was on hand as an extra outfielder and a backup DH in the event Frank Thomas should go down. Dustin Hermanson took over from Shingo Takatsu as the closer, and then he gave way to 100 MPH flame thrower Bobby Jenks as the bullpen ace. Jose Contreras & Orlando “El Duque” Hernandez, a couple of Cuban defectors, were brought in to round out the rotation. The naysayers were out in force saying this team didn’t have enough power to compete in today’s game. But then the White Sox jumped out to a big lead and “hung on” with the best record in the American League. The team was playing “Ozzie Ball”, “Smart Ball”, or “Little Ball” according to the scribes. But the White Sox also had power, hitting over 200 home runs, to go along with pitching, speed, & defense. Some said Ozzie was crazy, but I say, “He’s crazy like a fox!”

How lucky was I to be able to be at all the White Sox home playoff games plus the road games in Anaheim? More than that, attending the games with me in Chicago were some of my best friends, which made it all the sweeter. I went to Anaheim by myself, who could ask for better company than that?

We were part of a sellout crowd of 40,717 fans at game #1 on October 4th versus the Boston Red Sox. These were the defending champion Boston Red Sox. Yet there was a sense the White Sox belonged. In fact a fan walking past me as I was going to my seats mentioned a final score of 10-0. Maybe it was the fact that a former Cub hurler Matt Clement was starting for the Bosox that got us all cocky. The White Sox gave starter Jose Contreras all the backing he would need, launching five home runs, on their way to a 14-2 rout. Somebody stated the obvious, if only the Bears offense could score this many points. A.J. Pierzynski hit two homers, Paul Konerko & Juan Uribe hit one each, and Scott Podsednik hit his 1st home run of the season.

The next day was a whole different ballgame as Mark Buehrle allowed Boston to get out to a 4-0 lead after three innings with David Wells dealing for the Red Sox. But then came the 5th inning, Carl Everett led off with a single, was doubled home by Aaron Rowand, A.J. Pierzynski grounded Rowand to 3rd, Aaron scored on a Joe Crede single. Juan Uribe hit a doubleplay grounder to Boston keystone man Tony Graffanino, but Tony allowed the ball to go between the wickets putting runners at 1st & 3rd. It looked like Boomer Wells would pitch around the miscue when he got Podsednik to pop to third. But Tadahito Iguchi wouldn’t let the Red Sox off so easy as a lined a three run shot over the leftfield fence. Unconventionally Ozzie Guillen rode Bobby Jenks the last two innings for the save. In today’s game closers only pitch one inning.

We were due in Champaign to play some APBA right after CLuke got off work, but the allure of watching the White Sox possibly eliminate the Boston Red Sox from the playoffs at Shoeless Joe’s Sports Bar was just too great. Boston tied the score at two when David Ortiz & Manny Ramirez hit back-to-back home runs off Freddy Garcia in the 4th. Then in the 6th the White Sox took a two run lead when Paul Konerko homered over the Monster in left with Jermaine Dye on 1st. Garcia was lifted in favor of Damaso Marte after Manny Ramirez hit a leadoff sixth inning shot off Garcia t cut the lead to one. The wheels came off for Marte as he surrendered a single to Trot Nixon, walked Bill Mueller, and then walked John Olerud, departing the scene with a one run lead, the bases loaded, and a one run lead. It was kind of funny because ESPN announcer Rick Sutcliffe kind of chuckled when he saw Orlando Hernandez warming up in the bullpen, saying he was a starter and was probably just getting some work in. But El Duque was brought on to get out of the jam. And get out of the jam he did! He got pinch hitter Jason Varitek to pop to Konerko, Graffanino to pop to Uribe, before getting Johnny Damon on a check swing 3-2 pitch in the dirt that Damon couldn’t hold up on. Hernandez pitched two more innings before turning the game over to Bobby Jenks in the 9th. The White Sox added an insurance run before Jenks shut the Carmines down in order in the 9th. Final score 5-3 Good Guys. This was the first playoff series win since Shoeless Joe’s 1917 White Sox won the World Series. And how cool was it that we watched it at Shoeless Joe’s Sports Bar?!?!

Next victim the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim. Look for the rest of the story in Part II.