Three Memories

Top three White Sox moments prior to this month...

3) The meaningless games in September from 1996-1999 (aka high school) where about 3,000 people would show up. Highlights included people cheering more for Belle than Frank and Terry Bevenington's "I'm managing a 8 year old girls softball team right?" managerial style. At least I was able to recognize that not only was this team rudderless, but they stunk too. But there's a badge of honor in attending those games in the drab, characterless, no fun New Comisk.

2) The late 80s and the results of Ken "Hawk" Harrelson: General Manager 1986. I don't remember #72 in left or him running La Russa out of town (though on second thought, that was a good thing, of course it took 20 years to realize this, but if TLR was managing this team, he would have found a way to lose to the Red Sox, no one finds way to lose in the playoffs like Tony La Russa ('83, '88, '90, '92, '96, '00, '01, '02, '04, '05), but I do have vage memories of those late 80s teams, including 1989 when Calderon lead the team with 14 home runs, Melido Perez was our #1 going 11-14 with a 5.01 ERA, Freddy Manrique, and we were in the back yard on Kosner when the news of the Baines trade hit. It was the first time when I had to deal with a trade and that Baines wasn’t coming back. It was also the first time I heard the name Sammy Sosa (incase you care Sosa hit 3 home runs for the Sox in ’89).

1) The Old Park... which started off with a stop at the Mexican stand by the video games, then a few innings of the game, and eventually the long walk around the park with my dad. A stop at the bullpens, a trip to the upper deck where Dad would be encouraged to speak of his first game and the Mick, a peek though the chicken wire fence in right and left. And then back to the seats for the rest of the game, cheering and hoping for home runs to see the fire works. Maybe a little “Run Around Sue” to get the crowd going during a pitching change. Memories I’ll never forget.

Best article or piece I've read of the White Sox winning: