My beloved White Sox are really bad this year. 24 games into the season they had won 3 games and lost 24 for a paltry winning percentage of .125. They have improved somewhat in the past two weeks. Since the they snapped their season high 7 game losing streak and have had 2 3 game winning streaks and 1 2 game winning streak for an 8-7 record. This has more than doubled their winning pct. to a still very meager .282. This is bad enough still for dead last in the American league 3.5 games behind the Astros and the Angels. However, over in the senior circuit, (just one of many colorful monikers for the National League) both the Rockies and the Marlins have so far under performed the underperforming Southsiders.
The Rockies own the worst winning percentage in the majors at .243 and while the Marlins are slightly better percentage wise at .250 they are still a 1/2 game behind Colorado in the standings by virtue of having played 3 more games than the Rockies at this point,
As it stands at 11:00 p.m. central time on May 10th, The White Sox are 1.5 games ahead of the Marlins and 1 game ahead of Colorado. This is a tight margin, and but by the end of play Sunday, the White Sox could again hold the worst record in all of baseball.
One thing the Sox have not been able to do this year about a quarter way through the season is win a game when on a 1 game losing streak. The Sox are 0-6 when on a 1 game losing streak, 1-5 after losing 2 in a row, 0-5 when on a 3 game slide, and just 2-3 the game after losing 4 in a row. If the Sox even want to battle for mediocre they need to eschew losing streaks of more than 3 games. So far the Sox have lost 4 or more in a row on 5 different occasions.
I am not very hopeful that the White Sox can turn things around this year. But for a team that started the season 2-13, an 8-7 run like the one they are on now is definitely a step in the right direction.
For The A to Z Challenge this year, I am focusing on everyday holidays. Each day there are multiple unusual things to celebrate. Every day of the challenge I look for an event taking place that day and pair it with the letter of the day. I have also made up 5 holidays to coincide with the vowel days of the challenge. At the end of each post I will share a special song of the day for that day's letter. At the end of the month, these songs will be assembled in a to z keepsake playlist on Spotify. Every day is a celebration, let's unwrap today's together.
April 22nd 2024 is the 148th anniversary of the first National League baseball game
April 22nd 1876 is a significant date in the history of American sports. The first game in the newly formed National League took place in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The event took place 2 1/2 months before the 100th anniversary of another significant American beginning that also took place in Philadelphia.
The inaugural game took place between the Philadelphia Athletics and the Boston Red Stockings. With Boston winning 6-5 in a game that took 2 hours to play.
The National League started with 8 teams: Boston Braves(1876-Present) , Philadelphia Athletics (1876-1876), Hartford Blues (1876-1877), St. Louis Brown Stockings (1876-1877) Chicago Cubs (1876- Present) New York Mutuals (1876-1876) Louisville Grays (1876-1877), and Cincinnati Reds (1876-1879). Only the Cubs who were known in their first 25 years in the league as the Chicago White Stockings, Chicago Colts and Chicago Orphans and the Braves who were first known in Boston as the Red Stockings, the Red Caps, Beaneaters, the Nationals, The Bees and The Doves before settling on the Braves and then moving to Milwaukee and then Atlanta have survived to the present. The other 6 teams didn't even make it to the 1880s. The American Leauge began in 1901 and the AL and the NL started facing each other in the World Series in 1902. But April 22nd 1876 is when Major League baseball games started being played, something worth being clelebrated.
Photo caption: Delegates to the Schedule Meeting of the National League and American Association of Base Ball Clubs, Held At The Hotel Rennert, Baltimore, February 25th - 27th, 1897
Today's Song of the Day is Say Goodbye to Little Jo by Steve Forbert
I usually don't spend any time introducing the artists of the song of the day. Many of them are lesser know than Steve Forbert, but I'm going to make an exception with him in anyway. My Freshman year in high school (1979-1980) was in the height of my Pop music mastery. I read Billboard magazine every week, focusing on the Hot 100 singles which Casey Kasem culled his American Top 40 radio show from. I would generally listed to AT 40 every week and would listen to WLS AM in Chicago which was at the time a top 40 radio station. As a result to this day I can generally tell you the name of the album that a song from the late mid 70's to the early mid 80's came from. Steve Forbert's only top 40 hit Romeo's Tune for ,example, came from the album Jackrabbit Slim. It barely missed the top 10 reaching 11 in 3/1/1980. Say Goodbye to Little Joe , the 2nd single from Jackrabbit Slim. spent 3 weeks in the top 100 climbing as high as 85 on April 19,1990.
Steve Forbert and Dan Fogelberg were contemporaries and they both scored their most popular hit in March of 80 (Romeo's Tune, and Longer respectively). Fogelberg had the much bigger career until his death in 2007. Forbert still tours and I came this close to seeing him over Spring Break when he was in Madison, Wisconsin.
To go to the home of the A to Z challenge click here, to see the 2024 master list of participating blogs click here. Enjoy the 2024 A to Z challenge, and Happy Holidays!
Bo Jackson was an amazing athlete. He was a three sport star (Football, Baseball and Track) at Auburn. In Football he won the 1985 Heismann Trophy. He played Football for the Oakland Raiders and Baseball for the Kansas City Royals. He played in a Pro Bowl and in A MLB All Star Game. He had to give up football because of a hip injury. Because of the injury , the Royals release Jackson on March 18th, 1991.
16 days later the White Sox gave Bo a 3 year incentive laden contract. He played a handful of games in 1991, spent 1992 rehabbing his knee and on April 9th 1993. Bo came to the plate as a pinch hitter in the White Sox home opener and did this...
On March 13th of this year the Kansas City Royals announced that Bo Jackson had been elected to the Royals Hall of Fame and will be inducted this summer.
The White Sox open at the stadium FKA Comiskey Park this afternoon at 3:10 p.m. The Sox open against Al Central rival Detroit. After losing over 100 games last year and a bit of house cleaning near the end of the season that continued over the winter not very much is expected in GM Chris Getz's first full season in his new position. Pedro Grifol is in his second season as manager for the southsiders and I believe he will be given a long leash this season to get the team back on the winning track.
Opening Day starting line up for the Sox. (Players in Bold are making White Sox Debut)
1 Andrew Bentendi LF
2 Yoan Moncada 3 B
3 Luis Robert Jr CF
4,Eloy Jimenez DH
5. Andrew Vaughn 1B
6. Paul Dejong SS
7. Kevin Pillar RF
8. Martin Maldonado C
9. Nicky Lopez 2B
This is obviously the first starting line-up for the White Sox this year.
The starting pitcher for the White Sox is Garret Crochet. This is Crochet's first major league start. He is only the 2nd White Sox player to ever have their first major league start on Opening Day. The first happened some 123 years ago when Roy Patterson pitched for the Chi Sox in the first ever American League opener. Crochet has been converted into a starter and was named the opening day starter after Dylan Cease, who had already been assigned to start Opening Day was traded to the Padres earlier this month.
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.
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.
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.
Amy gave me some White Sox Ticket vouchers as a Christmas gift and while I am excited for the future of the White Sox, I still love the past of the White Sox. Here are some videos featuring HOF pitcher Jim Kaat, The former White SOx hurler. The first is his induction speech at the Hall if Fame last summer.
The second is an interview he did on the MLB network after the passing of Dick Allen.
I was very glad to see Kaat finally make it to Cooperstown. It's too bad Allen did not make it in his lifetime, I hope that He will make it soon.
Love,
Crazy Uncle Dave
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.
Today is my birthday and a few months ago I noticed that one of my White Sox heroes, Lance Johnson, had a 6 hit 3 triple game against the Minnesota Twins on my birthday back in 1995. Here's the footage ...
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.
My ADD gets in the way of my everyday life but it often leaves a pleasant wake in it's path. Today, right now in fact,I was getting ready to leave the house on what will be a very busy day. I couldn't find my phone and when I found it it was totally uncharged so I needed to charge it. I noticed it had earbuds in it that were not working on my phone last night when I was trying to listen to Moby Dick before I went to bed. So, instead of plugging in the phone and continuing to get ready to leave. I took the earbuds plus the phone to the computer to check if the earbuds worked on the computer, which they did.
I thought the best way to check it, would be to go to YouTube . Instead of going to the video I was going to look up, I got distracted by a Jim Edmonds video and began watching the video of his 8 amazing catches. I liked it so much, I decided to post it here. I also googled Jim Edmonds HOF and found this good article about his qualifications to be voted in by the veteran's committee. I was right about to go back in my archives and see if I voted for him on my mock ballot when he was eligible, when my wife walked by and asked if I found my phone and then reminded me it still needed to be charged. I'm going to go back now to my busy day, which I just made a little busier for myself. Thanks ADD!.
When I post this in a few days, the today referenced at the top of this (6/24/2022) will actually be in the past. How long in the past? Only my ADD can say for sure. For now: enjoy this video of great Edmonds catches that my ADD left in it's wake.
I saw this on Bob Bennet's website just about 30 minutes too late for Father's day. I worked Father's Day at a K.C. COugars game selling concessions. Kids were playing catch with their Dads. I watched them do it and remembered playing catch on that field with my son just a few years ago.
I really enjoyed this new look at one of my favorite songs.
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.
Good Morning and welcome to day 22, the 2nd day of the final 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.
Part I: A to Z Limericks
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
Part II: A to Z Homerun hitters of my lifetime
Speaking of Vladimir our home run hitter under V is Vladimir Guerrero. Vladimir in Russian literally means one who rules the world. Vladimir Guerrero rules the world of Montreal Expo home run hitters with 234 in his 8 years with the team. Ryan Zimmerman now owns the franchise record but all of his 4 baggers came after the team move to D.C>)
over his career The hall of famer hit 449 homers from 1996 to 2011 while maintaining a batting average of .318. From 2000 to 2010 Guerrero hit 357 of those 449 homers. Putting him 17th among the prestigious sluggers of the 1st decade of the 21st century. He was one of only 3 during that era with a batting average of .300 or higher. (The other 2 were Albert Pujols and Miguel Cabrera) and his .318 was the best of the bunch. During that period Vladimir sr. hit 173 of those homers with the Angels, 142 with the Expos and 29 with the Rangers before ending his career in 20011 with the Orioles where he hit an unlucky 13 dingers finishing 1 short of 450 for his career.
I say Vladimir, Sr. because his Son Vladimir, Jr. now plays for the only remaining Canadian team in the MLB, the Toronto Blue Jays where he has hit 77 homers since beginning his career in 2019. Maybe if we revisit this list again in a few years we will have anither world ruler to contend with.
Part III: Wordle Starting Words from A to Z
Note: Correct letters in the correct places will be shown in bold. Correct letters in incorrect places will be shown in italics.
My March 22nd starting word was voice.
V O I C E - The O is in the word but in the wrong place. I removed vice from my next guess.
D R OO P - The only thing I learned in this guess was where the O went.
SHO O T- This was a mistake as I already knew there was only 1 O.
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.
Part I: A to Z Limericks
Yesterday's limerick was pep talk to others in the challenge. This one's more for me.
8 years ago we had a bit of a polar vortex in Illinois. I got myself in a little bit of a Roller Vortex and write a limerick on my Facebook page about the 28 degree difference in temps between the Chicago are and Tupelo, MS.
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
.
Part II: A to Z Homerun hitters of my lifetime
Choosing some players for this list has been more difficult than others. There was absolutely no difficulty in choosing Frank Thomas for this list. I drove from Chicago to upstate New York to see him enshrined in Cooperstown, so it's no trouble at all to reserve a letter for him.
Thomas is tied for 20th all time in homeruns with Ted Williams, and Willie Stargell with 521. He hit 301 of those in the era of 1988 through 1999 all with my beloved White Sox.He hit 448 total dingers with the ChiSox and knocked 73 more between the A's and the Jays at the end of his storied career. Only 8 players hit more homers than the Big Hurt in the 1990's and none of those 8 had a better batting average than his .320 for the decade. He finished his career with over 500 homers and a batting average of .301. Among the 6 other players who have accomplished this areBabe Ruth, Hank Aaron, Ted Williams and Willie Mays. When your career stats match favorably with what could easily be considered the Mount Rushmore of hitting you are in good company indeed.
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Part III: Wordle Starting Words from A to Z
Note: Correct letters in the correct places will be shown in bold. Correct letters in incorrect places will be shown in italics.
My March 20th my starting word was tower. It had been Sears the day prior and this was because I was in Chicago proper running a 1 mile and 5 mile race that weekend and my starters were an homage to the Willis Tower FKA Sears Tower.
T O W E R- My first guess netted 3 letters but none in the right place
S H RE W - Got the EW sorted and still had the r in the wrong place.
R E N E W- For the first time since March 14th I renewed my acquaintance with the feelings of getting a wordle in 3 guesses.
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.
Part I: A to Z Limericks
From the thet can't all be winners department ...
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!"
Part II: A to Z Homerun hitters of my lifetime
Tony Oliva got elected to the Hall of Fame by the veteran's comittee this year receiving 12 of the 16 votes he needed. Oliva played for the Minnesota Twins from 1962 to 1976 and hit all but 1 of his 220 career homers from 1964-1975.
Part III: Wordle Starting Words from A to Z
C
Note: Correct letters in the correct places will be shown in bold. Correct letters in incorrect places will be shown in italics.
My March 15th starting word was overt.
O V E R T - Guessed the E and T the T but not in their proper place.
T E P I D- Got the T and E in their proper spots.
T E A C H- Added a third letter in the right spot.
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.
Part I: A to Z Limericks
I don't mean to go to extremes
But the worst food in the world is lima beans
I do not know who
Thought of those in Peru
But they certainly did not know beans!
Part II: A to Z Homerun hitters of my lifetime
Carlos Lee is definitely in my nick name hall of fame. They call him El Caballo which is spanish for the horse. I loved watching El Caballo play for the White Sox from 1999 to 2004. He got traded to the Brewers and I was glad that we got Scottie Pods in that deal and I know that Podsednik was a major part of our World Series Championship but I was still a little sad that Lee left. Lee played in the MLB from 1999 to 2012. He hit 315 of his 358 career home runs from 2000 to 2010. In that time span, he hit 136 for the White Sox, 110 for the Astros, 60 for the Brewers, and 9 for the Rangers.
Part III: Wordle Starting Words from A to Z
Note: Correct letters in the correct places will be shown in bold. Correct letters in incorrect places will be shown in italics.
Some of my a-z wordle opening guesses have multitudes of meaning to me and my family. Llama is one of the most significant. There was a period of my life when my kids were growing up that I could not keep myself from saying the word llama. It got so bad that I offered to pay the kids a nickel each time I said the word. One night they as before bedked me to read some books to them for bedtime, which was big part of our not time routine so I wasn't suspicious until they pulled out books like Is your Mama a Llama, and Llama Llama Red Pajama. They made some big money that evening!
For the letter K, I opened with Krill and for L I opened with Llama. I find it interesting that I ended one opener with a double L and then came back the very next day to start the word with the very same double L
L
L L A M A - got an a in the wrong place
B R E A K- Placed that A in the right place
SQU A D- Added a D but in the wrong place.
DI V A N - Did not find out anything new.
T O D A Y- 5th guess, added t,o, and y and got the word