Dick Allen: Sights and Sounds

This post is a supplement to a post in my sports blog, Crazy Uncle Dave's Sports Blog. Video about Allen and the 1972 White Sox.

1967 All Star Game: Allen homers for National League

Allen was a front man for a do-wop band in the 60's

Vote for "PaulStar"

Not sure why he didn't make it the first time.

But you can still vote Paul Konerko into the all star game by clicking here and voting him in in the final vote.

Catching Up

Things Fortnightly time once again.

This week's theme is catching up.

Thing 1. Dropping in.

Sometimes we catch up with people when they drop in for a visit.

These paratroopers were a highlight of a wonderful visit to Cantigni park in Wheaton for Scout-A-Rama. Been meaning to post these pictures for a while and am just catching up to it now.



Thing 2. Has it really been that long?



I recently had the opportunity to catch up with several friends that I knew in my high school days. We got together last weekend, sang some of the old songs and had a great time visiting with each other. What's really odd with seeing people that you've known for pushing 30 years is that some of the things that you remember the person for, they have forgotten and vice versa.



Thing 3: Catching up on Labels



A few months ago when this blog celebrated 300 posts. I decided to write 25 tribute posts to my 25 most used labels up to that time. This has proved to be a little more difficult than I first anticipated. I've decided to give it another go.



Here is today's installment



#20 (7 way tie) Russia



From 1992 to 1994 I served as a missionary to Russia for the Southern Baptist Convention. In many ways it was the best time of my life. At least it was the best time of my life up to that point. From time to time it comes up in the blog.



Someday I'd like to take my whole family back to Russia. One of the books I am reading about now, is a memoir about a woman from Russia. It reminds me of the time that I spent there.



Thing 4: Speaking of Catching up.



On the June 4th installment of Things Fortnightly I mentioned the White Sox and my passion for them. I mentioned how they had lost the game the night before that I took my son to and how I was taking my youngest daughter to the game that day. The Sox had a record of 22-30 at the time. They were 8 games below .500 and 8.5 games behind the division leading Minnesota Twins. They were 5 games behind the Second Place Detroit Tigers.



Since then The Sox have turned their season around. They beat the Rangers when Lucy and I saw them which was the beginning of a 23-8 run they are currently on. They have gone from 8 games below the .500 mark to seven games above and with tonight's victory over the Angels they are in second place in their division only 1 game behinf the Tigers and have just pulled a half game ahead of the Twins.



Thing 5: Vote Pauly, Vote Often.



A big reason the Sox are doing so well is the monster season Paul Konerko has been having for them. He is one of 5 AL players who can be voted to next week's all star game. In tonight's victory he doubled twice. Click here to vote for him. He is currently in third and needs to catch up (you knew I'd have it somewhere) to make it to the game.

Perfection

Mark Buehrle is my daughter's favorite player on the White Sox. When she was 3 in 2003 we went to a minor league baseball game in Burlington, IA. Emma really enjoyed the game the entire game we cheered "Go Bees Buzz!" The next time we were at a White Sox Game, I mentioned to Emma that Buerhle played for the Bees when he was in the minor leagues. She has been a big fan ever since. Every time he pitches she gets very excited when he wins. In 2004, I went to Sox Fest, and Buerhle was kind enough to sign a baseball card for Emma and wrote Go Bees!



Today Buerhle pitched a perfect game against the Tampa Bay Rays. Josh Fields' grand slam was the only offense the Sox needed as they defeated the Rays 5-0. A perfect game is a no hit game without anyone getting on base for any reason. It is possible and common to pitch a no-hitter and walk someone or hit someone with a pitch or have a batter reach base on an error. Before today there have only been 16 perfect games in the regular season and 1 in the post season.

If you are unsure what a perfect game looks like you can view each one of the 27 outs by clicking here and then pressing the play bar on the video.

Buehrle is a fan favorite for the White Sox. Earlier this summer he hit his first home run for the team. (American League pitchers only bat at inter league games in National League Parks.) Last week he pitched a perfect inning for the American League in the All Star Game in St. Louis. It was a homecoming of sorts for Buerhle who grew up in a St. Louis suburb. Buerhle met with President Obama at the All Star Game as he was in town to throw out the first pitch. Today he received a congratulatory phone call from the President.

Congratulations to Mark on his special feat.

Next Time: Garden Update

Steal bases not cameras.

Yesterday I took my son and two of his friends to U.S. cellular field for the second Double Duty Classic. This game is a celebration of the negro leagues specifically the east-west all star games played at Comiskey Park, The classic is name after the late negro league star Ted "Double Duty" Radcliffe, who received his nickname by commonly pitching the first half of a double header and catching the second half.

U.S. Cellular Field opened in 1990 as New Comiskey Park and was built right next to Old Comiskey. The Sox destroyed the old building and constructed parking lots where it had stood. In what I thought was a cool touch, they maintained the old home plate and situated it outside one of the entrances to the new park. I took a picture of all 3 boys standing at home plate on our digital camera. The camera was on it's last legs. Motor problems were causing it to lose power much quicker and often not even open. Fixing the camera, I was told, would cost more than getting a new one. So, I was planning on buying a new one later in the summer.

I took the pictures and I absently put the camera in our lunch bag rather than putting it in my pocket which is where I planned to keep it. The game was free, and we had our choice of sitting anywhere we wanted. So we chose behind the players dugout on third base in the first row. I did not want to lose those seats so we draped jackets bags and gloves on them when we went to the wash room. Now I have left bags at seats countless times in the past and have never had anything stolen before. Until this time.

Instead of just describing to you what happened, I have decided to relate it in a different way. You see just recently I heard the song by Dave Carroll called United breaks guitars. I like how he took what happened to him and turned it into a song. So this morning inspiration hit and I wrote a song about what happened to me. Here is the blog premiere of Steal bases not cameras.

It was raining on the south side, when we got into the park
Put our jackets and our lunch bags in our seats
Off to the boys room our foursome did embark
When we came back we were greeted with a treat.

Some boys from the athletics were handling my glove
I said I'm glad you like it boys that's mine
You can have the front row, I said to them with love
They said "No thanks sir we'll be fine."

Well it just kept on raining and I said to my boys
Grab your stuff will come back when it's dry
I couldn't find my Sox bag and then I made a noise.
"My camera was in there!" was my cry.

Now jumping to conclusions can get you out of shape
So I glanced behind me with an open mind.
I wish they were all eating pizza or maybe just a grape.
They were munching on our peanuts at the time.

Chorus:
Steal bases not cameras my friends
Bases is where thievery should end
Hope you liked our peanuts and our chips
Glad I took your mitts off of our mitts.

Drago from security caught the kids in their lie
How do you buy peanuts at two stores?
The thief he did admit it but would not give me my prize
He said "he dropped and left it on the floor."

Their coach was less than helpful; wouldn't look me in the eye
Seemed to think the whole ting was just a joke
Me I'm not disheartened, a new camera I will buy
Had to anyway, the one they took was broke

Repeat Chorus

Now life can get real stormy, then out will come the sun
As it did, we remembered why we came
We shared the food they left us and we had a lot of fun
Chasing foul balls and watching a good game

I feel more like a fan than a victim of a crime
I'll curb my propensity for lectures
But I'd tell those young Athletics if they'd give me the time
That is not what is meant by taking pictures

Repeat Chorus

If you want to know how the song goes musically. Think Johnny Cash meets Willie Nelsen. As far as Amy is concerned, the real crime is I made her listen to a country song.

Next Time: Unbelievable! You want me to do what?