Jesse Chavez the most traded player in the history of Major League Baseball has made his way to White Sox Spring training by signing a minor league contract with the Chicago American League team, While not officially with the Sox yet, the 40 year old pitcher talked about all his former teams in this video.
Crazy Uncle Dave's Sports Pages
A Quote to Start Things Off
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These Blogs Are So Last Year
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Two-Seater Ride2 months ago
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Recognition for My Poetry4 months ago
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Does Grief Last Forever?11 months ago
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Growing Up1 year ago
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Friday, February 23, 2024
Thursday, February 22, 2024
Tim Anderson Signs With Miami Marlins
On June 10th 2016 Tim Anderson made his Major League Debut for the Chicago White Sox. Last year On As of September 30th 2023 TA batted .288 with a .317 while playing home games for the South Siders. On the road he batted .276 with a .308 OBA. For his career so far Anderson has a .282 Batting average, an OBA of .312 and a slugging percentage of .422.
2023 was a regrettable/forgettable year for bot the White Sox and Anderson in particular. Anderson In 123 games Anderson hit only.245 lowering his career batting average 6 points from the end of 2022. Anderson only hit 21 extra base hits last year with only 1 home run, dropping his career slugging percentage 20 points in the process.
At The end of the dismal season the White Sox, declined on Anderson's 14 million dollar contract option for the 2024 season, buying it out instead for $1,000,000.00. After becoming a free agent in November of 2023 Anderson was signed in February by The Miami Marlins and have agreed on a 5 million dollar contract for the season.
Monday, October 16, 2023
Monday, May 22, 2023
Reason To Be (Somewhat) Optimistic On The South Side
Happy Monday Baseball Fans.
The White Sox are 19-29 after 48 games and are in 4th place in the A.L central 6.5 games out of first place. This is not great news for a team that was expected to compete for the division this year and possibly cash in on their World Series window.
But if you look at the stats there are some gleams of optimism shining through an otherwise storm start to the year.
The White Sox are 10 games below .500 but they were also 10 games below .500 (an unimpressive 7-17) 24 games ago. This means that the White Sox have gone 12-12 in their last 24 games. They have also won 6 of their last 8 games. In essence they have stopped the bleeding and perhaps have made themselves a stepping stone for success.
After their successful homestand the Sox are just one game below 500 at the former U.S. Cellular Field which used to be called Comiskey Park prior to that. They now go on a very important road trip with 7 games against the 2nd and 3rd place teams in their division (Cleveland Guardians and Detroit Tigers ). The Sox are a lowly 7-16 on the road and only 9-7 against their division so they have their work cut out for them if they want to inch their way back into contention.
Sunday, May 14, 2023
Wednesday, January 18, 2023
Jim Kaat Full Baseball Hall of Fame Enshrinement Speech and Jim Kaat on Dick Allen
Thursday, January 5, 2023
Spiritual Thursdays: One Little Word .
I am trying to get into the New Year blogging. So I have decided to participate in Spiritual Journey Thursdays. It's a first Thursday blog hop that is being hosted this month by Margaret at Reflections on the Teche. Margaret is part of the Poetry Friday community. Her theme this month is One Little Word.
Given the theme I immediately went into full Martin Luther mode and started belting out the third verse of A Mighty Fortress is Our God. For future reference 10:45 on a weeknight is not the best time for belting out reformation hymns. At least that's what my wife tells me. Click here to have it belted out for you by the good folks at Hymnary.
1 A mighty fortress is our God,
a bulwark never failing;
our helper he, amid the flood
of mortal ills prevailing.
For still our ancient foe
does seek to work us woe;
his craft and power are great,
and armed with cruel hate,
on earth is not his equal.
2 Did we in our own strength confide,
our striving would be losing,
were not the right Man on our side,
the Man of God's own choosing.
You ask who that may be?
Christ Jesus, it is he;
Lord Sabaoth his name,
from age to age the same;
and he must win the battle.
3 And though this world, with devils filled,
should threaten to undo us,
we will not fear, for God has willed
his truth to triumph through us.
The prince of darkness grim,
we tremble not for him;
his rage we can endure,
for lo! his doom is sure;
one little word shall fell him.
4 That Word above all earthly powers
no thanks to them abideth;
the Spirit and the gifts are ours
through him who with us sideth.
Let goods and kindred go,
this mortal life also;
the body they may kill:
God's truth abideth still;
his kingdom is forever!
Psalter Hymnal, (Gray), 1987
There is an excellent article from Desiringgod.org entitled 'What "One Little Word" will fell Satan?' In it, the author speculates what Luther may have meant by what word is being referred to at the end of verse 3. He states that Luther wrote that the word he meant was "liar." Or at least the German word for liar.
I can tell you that this makes perfect sense to me.
Many times in the course of my life I have told myself and believed lies. The past few months have been a particularly difficult season in what has been a very difficult series of years for me and my family.
These past months as I alluded to in my Last Poetry Friday submission have been some of my most challenging in my work life. They have also been extremely taxing in almost every aspect of my life.
In September my family left a church we had been at for 10 years that never really felt like our home. We have spent the fall and early winter looking for a new church which has brought both comforts and challenges to us.
In September on my wife's birthday, I went to visit my Dad in the hospital and was told that day that his leg needed to be amputated. His foot was amputated on that very day. On my birthday a few weeks later my Mom and I had a phone appointment with a neuropsychologist who diagnosed her of having some type of dementia, perhaps Alzheimer's. We cancelled birthdays for a while after that.
Somewhere in that time a part of me snapped. I didn't notice it at first, but my wife did. I still did all the things you do to get from one day to the other. I'd been in full on crisis mode before but this was different. I tell you that even right now I can hardly function at work or anywhere.
But I think I am beginning to figure it out. I've been believing lies. I've been believing that I am powerless in the train wreck season I've been going through and in reality I've tied myself to the track with those lies. I have two daughters who both have mental health issues. My wife and I continually tell them to stop believing lies and tell themselves the truth, As Tom Hanks's character Jimmy Dugan (sp?) said in A League of Their Own. "That's good advice!
John 8:31 through 8:36 says (in the NIV),
So Jesus was saying to those Jews who had believed Him, “If you continue in My word, then you are truly disciples of Mine; 32and you will know the truth, and the truth will make you free.” 33They answered Him, “We are Abraham’s descendants and have never yet been enslaved to anyone; how is it that You say, ‘ You will become free’?” 34Jesus answered them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, everyone who commits sin is the slave of sin. 35“The slave does not remain in the house forever; . the son does remain forever. 36“So if the Son makes you free, you will be free indeed.
The truth is that God has been with me every step of this journey. Today I received what I perceived to be a body blow but when I told that perception to my wife, she told me the truth and I decided to believe that truth, then act upon that truth, and pray that truth. This evening what can usually be a very stress filled event was pleasant. When I got home instead of being in a zombie like stupor I was ready for the next thing. I know I'm still many miles away from a new normal but I'm closer than I even imagined I could be on New Years Eve.
Love, Dave
For more SJT click HERE
Friday, September 23, 2022
27 years ago today ... Lance Johnson Triples Three Times in Six-Hit Game
Wednesday, June 29, 2022
Down to the Last Strike: A Six Sentence Story
I am participating today in the Six Sentence Story Thursday Link Up at Girlie on the Edge's blog.
The basic idea is to write a story consisting of six sentences only. Each week a word prompt is given to base the story on. This week's prompt was: strike.
Down to the Last Strike.
Frank only understood one thing in his life, baseball; everything else was like watching a movie in one unintelligible language with subtitles in another unintelligble language.
Baseball had absorbed his life for too long now: obsessed with it as a kid, endowed with an incredible gift to play his favorite game on a high level, and then lucky enough to get drafted by his favorite team.
His luck and his signing bonus-grubbing wife ran out nearly simultaneously after a career-ending injury before his professional career really even started.
He stumbled at first but soon, Frank was making the transition from player to scout; until he got the news about his Dad's cancer.
Frank only understood one thing in his life, and that was baseball - everything he knew, his Dad had taught him; the greatest of those lessons was you play the game down to your last strike.
Frank knew that life wasn't all peanuts and Cracker Jacks, and was now absorbed with something more than baseball: rooting for the home team.
For more six-sentence stories, click here.
Monday, June 27, 2022
What Jim Edmonds Greatest Career Catches has to do with my ADD
Monday, June 20, 2022
"A Song About Baseball"
Tuesday, May 10, 2022
Streaks are over! White Sox Lose to Guardians in 11, Cubs beat Padres .
I've been waiting for the last few hours for the White Sox to win their 7th game in a row. It did not happen after having a comfortable 4 run lead the Sox allowed 11 of the 12 Cleveland Guardian Runs after the 9th inning and failed to score winning runs in the 9th and the 10th. Losses like this at home are always hard to take, but when ever you are on a plus 5 game winning streak you know it has to end at sometime. It is frustrating that this is the 4th loss in a row to the Cleveland Guardians. They have not beat Cleveland since they changed team names. The best thing to do in this situation is shake it off and come back the next game and start a new winning streak.
While the Sox were losing in extra's the Cubs stopped a 5 game losing streak by shutting out the Padres 6-0. Jason Heyward put 20 points on his batting average by going 2 for 4 tonight bringing it to .232. Even so, his average at the end of April was .270 and previous to tonight's performance, he had only 1 hit in 17 at bats in the month of May. Hopefully the Cubs and Heyward will enjoy tonight's success and build on itf
At the beginning of the Cubs Sox series last week they both owned a record 9 wins and 13 losses. The Sox went 5-1 since then and are now 14-14. The Cubs went the other way with 1 win and 5 losses putting them at 10-18. The Cubs next 5 games are on the road with the Padres and Diamondbacks. The White Sox play 6 more games on their current homestand, 2 more with the Guardians and 4 against the Yankees.
Tuesday, April 26, 2022
V is for Vladimir, Vladimir and Voice
I know this guy Vladimir
He is a true friend ,very dear
His name in Russian means swan
I would like to go on
But a limerick's lengths very clear
For more A to Z challenge click here.
Saturday, April 23, 2022
T is for Tupelo, Thomas & Tower
Good evening and welcome to day 20 of the A to Z challenge. This year I chose 3 themes for the challenge: Limericks, MLB sluggers in my lifetime, and A to Z wordles. For more information about these themes click here.
If I spent the day in Tupelo
Where it's 14 above not below
While water would still freeze
28 more degrees
Would increase by old get up and go
From my Facebook account in the winter of 2014
.
I
Monday, April 18, 2022
O is for Orange, Oliva, and Overt
Good morning and welcome to day 15 of the A to Z challenge. This year I chose 3 themes for the challenge: Limericks, MLB sluggers in my lifetime, and A to Z wordles. For more information about these themes click here.
Orange, is a wonderful fruit.
And has vitamin C to boot.
While it's no crime,
That it has no good rhyme.
It does make me want to say "shoot!"
Thursday, April 14, 2022
L is for Lima Beans, (E)L Caballo and Llama
Good morning and welcome to day 12 of the A to Z challenge. This year I chose 3 themes for the challenge: Limericks, MLB sluggers in my lifetime, and A to Z wordles. For more information about these themes click here.
Wednesday, April 13, 2022
K is for Kilometer , King Kong and Krill
Good Evening and welcome to day 11 of the A-to-Z challenge. This year I chose 3 themes for the challenge: Limericks, MLB sluggers in my lifetime, and A to Z wordles. For more information about these themes click here. Due to the incredible busyness of my week I am posting more than 16 hours late today. Usually I would post at 4:13 a.m to coincide with the date 4/13. Speaking of 4/13 stay tuned and I will have a special 17th birthday shout out for someone who was born today.
Monday, April 11, 2022
I is for Illinois, Ibanez and Imago
Good morning and welcome to a new week of the A to Z challenge. This year I chose 3 themes for the challenge: Limericks, MLB sluggers in my lifetime, and A to Z wordles. For more information about these themes click here.
Saturday, April 9, 2022
H is for Hammer, Hank, and Hairy
Good morning and welcome to Day 8 of the A to Z challenge. This year I chose 3 themes for the challenge: Limericks, MLB sluggers in my lifetime, and A to Z wordles. For more information about these themes click here.
I was born in 1964. I was 9 years old when Aaaron broke Ruth's record. Aaronhit his first homer in 1954 and his last in 1976. From 1954 to1963 Hank hit 342 home runs. This was 5th most of all players over that time period and only 40 less than Willie Mays who hit the most in that time period.
Friday, April 8, 2022
G is for Grief , Griffey, and Geode
Good morning and welcome to Day 7 of the A to Z challenge. This year I chose 3 themes for the challenge: Limericks, MLB sluggers in my lifetime, and A to Z wordles. For more information about these themes click here.