Category: Chicago White Sox (Page 8 of 24)
Sox
For those of you concerned about my last post (#1765), an admission to poor child sitting skills, I have a more positive outlook today. Both girls were very good and the oldest cooked us a pancake and egg breakfast. I was the sous chef and clean-up crew, plus we all had a good time together watching cartoons and playing with the pets. I’m now ready to go back for more, with a little more confidence. I was indeed a good grandpa. Our next outing is the Tom & Jerry outdoor movie on the big screen of the neighborhood Braves stadium, Cool Today Park, next week.
When my son came home from work yesterday to reclaim his children, he had two good stories for me – close encounters of the baseball kind! He had just met the father of new White Sox catcher, Seby Zavala, who make history this past week by hitting his first three major league home runs in the same game, including a grand slam. He played again yesterday, going 2-4 in an extra inning game against the Cubs. Despite the conversation, my son the die-hard Cubs fan was frustrated with me, his father, the White Sox fan, as I continued to text him about the game. He also recently met on the job one of the upcoming Braves, who was suited up for the Rookie Game we went to watch a few weeks ago. This poor son of mine is also going with me to see the Sox play the Rays in a few weeks, so I can continue to give him a hard time about this year’s Sox success and the downfall of the Cubs. Baseball is one of our big bonds.
My granddaughter’s name is Maddux, after Hall of Fame Cub pitcher Greg Maddox and the youngest is Nora Grace, for former Cub first baseman Mark Grace, so you can begin to see my son’s allegiance to his team. Somehow his son, the oldest of the three grandchildren, was named Gavyn. There was not a single baseball player on any team in history I could find with that spelling, although Gavyn his been to a Cubs game every year of his life up until the pandemic. We’re taking him to Pittsburg, along with the girls, in September to watch the Cubs vs. Pirates and fulfill this year’s annual attendance goal, as he enters high school in a few days. He doesn’t care that much about baseball but someday maybe he’ll share the same interest as my son and me. In the meantime, I’ll try to learn more about his technical interests in attempting to be a good grandpa.
After the run and swim this morning, I got back under the covers, taking advantage of my blog-cation. It was dark and quiet, with hours to go before our time with relatives. I thought of how the world of baseball had changed so quickly yesterday. (See Post #1759). Rizzo was now a Yankee as I watched him slug his first homer in pinstripes. Kimbrel got his first save in a White Sox uniform, although his fellow Cub transfer, Ryan Tepera, did not fare as well, giving up a game tying home run. Javy Baez was on his way to New York to join his new Met teammates while Kris Bryant was taking a Giant step to San Francisco. Manager David Ross patched together a new Cubs lineup that fell short of our the Nats. It was supposed to be a D.C. reunion with Kyle Schwarber but he was now in Boston, with the 2016 World Series Champs now scattered all over the country.
The weekend is once again upon us. Here we are at the beach, at the most northern point of Florida. Tally dipped her paw in the Atlantic Ocean for the first time, having already done the same thing on both sides of the Gulf and in the Pacific. She’s a well traveled schnauzer, living her life from coast-to-coast and even seeing the fringes of Canada. We dined on the beach, The Sandbar & Kitchen, and stayed at the Springhill Suites/Courtyard by Marriott, once again paying more for Tally than ourselves. We’ll now venture into Jacksonville and spend some time with the twins, the main purpose of this adventure. Tomorrow, my wife will reunite with long lost Rochester, Indiana neighbors.
I was thinking about some of the travel opportunities that we’ve missed over the last year-and-a-half due to the pandemic. We may now never get to the Prince of Wales Hotel, the Bali or Kauai beaches, Finland, Norway, or the Russian rivers. Egypt can be made good in 2023, but these other destinations may have to be reserved for another lifetime. At least the virus did not take our health or our lives, as has been unfortunately the case for too many others. We live to travel, but the clock is working against us! Tick, Tick, Tick!
It’s time for a short blog-cation, a short break from writing because I don’t want to take my laptop with us to Amelia Island. I’ll either be driving, running, eating, sunning, or sleeping so no time for writing. Before I leave, I just want to say good-bye to Anthony Rizzo. I should have known last night when my wife made risotto that a trade was in the works. I did not expect the Yankees but the short right field porch is ideal for a lefty slugger. He’ll join their Italian-American All Star team that also includes the likes of Lazzeri, Crosetti, DiMaggio, Berra, Pepitone, Giambi, Torrre, Girardi, Rizzuto, Pettitte, Martin, etc. It’s been a great ten years in the Windy City, making me a bigger fan of the Cubs.
I feel especially sorry for my wife’s niece and her husband who named their dog Rizzo. It will be tough to have a Yankee in the house! I’m left with my baseball cards and wine corks from the Rizzo winery that also sadly went out of business. He had a very distinctive swing, but in baseball as in life the rich get richer and the Yankees are in the Wild Card chase despite trailing the Red Sox by 8.5 games while 7 behind the Rays. Tomorrow, I would probably have been writing about Kris Bryant or closer Craig Kimbrel as the dismantlement of the out-of-contention Cubs continues. Last night I watched them fall to the Reds again.
All these trades will make it easier for me to throw all my allegiance to the White Sox, who also benefited from the Cubs yard sale, adding Ryan Tepera to their relief corps. It will be interesting to follow the rebuilding process of a team that last time took over 100 years to achieve success. Another reliever, Andrew Chafin recently went to the A’s, so Wrigley Field will soon never be the same. Hot-headed, defensive magician, Javy Baez could be next. My favorite, Kyle Schwarber was traded to the Nats before the season started and will now be a Red Sox. You need a scorecard to keep track!
Another sore spot of mine in this whirlwind of player trades is that one of my favorites for the White Sox, Nick Madrigal, is out for the season with an injury. Sadly, he may never now find a place back in the lineup since The White Sox acquired Cesar Hernandez from the Indians (Guardians) to take his place. The game is changing quicker than a Max Scherzer fast ball, who was also sent from the Nats to the Dodgers yesterday. The Yanks and the Dodgers are always in the big trade picture at this point of the season. The Rich get Richer and the Cubs get poorer. Farewell Rizzo!
I finished my run this morning all wobbly-legged like those competitors you see at the end of the Boston Marathon just before they collapse. It was eighty degrees and 100% humidity with a light mist. I thought to myself: it’s just a leisurely 5k not a frickin’ marathon. What are you …seventy years old? Just yesterday, I still had a lot in the tank for the last mile, but today was a different story. I thought a lot about a friend of mine anticipating prostate surgery, and how lucky I should feel to just have to worry about another day of running.
There are many familiar markers along the route I take, including a pot hole at the half-mile mark, a Dodge Charger that sits in someone’s driveway, the utility box that sits at one mile, two benches that I think of as benchmarks, and the Venetian bridge at the half-way point. When I pass them all the second time I know “I’m getting closer to my home.” Sometimes, even Grand Funk comes up in the music rotation to perform that very song as I make my way back. I’m a sweaty mess when I finally make my way to the pool – this morning in a light rain. Schnauzer Tally sat under cover rather than perform her normal lifeguard duties.
Tally had a big day at the beach yesterday. We even shared a Chicago dog even though today is technically National Hot Dog Day. The entry to Broward Beach is a dog park with secure fences to protect us all from the alligators that lurk in the surrounding swamp. The exit leads to a wooden walkway and access to the sand. It’s one of two dog-friendly beaches in our area. Tally can sit in the shade of our umbrella or romp with the other dogs, even though many of them actually get in the water. She stays on the fringe area, avoiding the water at all costs, just as she jokingly performs her lifeguard responsibilities with me while swimming in our pool. There was a brief moment where she tried to follow me into warm Gulf, but a wave soon sent her scurrying back to safety.
We were all tired from a day in the sun, even more reason to get in under the covers at the standard 10 p.m. self-imposed curfew. It’s well past the time when most of our neighbors roll up their sidewalks. There isn’t a bedroom light to be seen when I take Tally for her final outing. Back in Portland, I didn’t have to stay up late to watch sports, but here most games don’t even start until 8 or 9p. I usually check the scores before bed time but typically have to wait until morning for the final results. I uncharacteristically took my phone to bed and happened to check it after doing some reading. The Milwaukee Bucks were about to claim their first NBA title in 50 years, so I stayed up for the celebration, monitoring it on the small screen. At the same time, both the Sox and Cubs were pulling off miracle comebacks. It was the most remarkable half-hour of TV sports I’ve witnessed in a long time. The Cubs scored 6 runs in the ninth to stun the rival Cards, the Sox came back to beat the Twins, and Giannis scored 50 to claim the crown. It made for sweet dreams – Grand Funk!
A new Flaviar whisky shipment and the Home Run Derby kept me content last night. I also flipped over to watch the U.S. Men’s Olympic basketball team lose an unprecedented two straight exhibition games. We’re obviously no longer the world basketball power of years past. In fact, my whole perspective of the game has changed in the last twenty years with the demise of I.U. basketball and the rise of the rest of the globe. In some ways, the two are related with the failure to compete on the world stage of recruiting. For example, a team like Nigeria even a few short years ago was a non-factor on the court.
Pete Alonso of the Mets won his second straight Home Run Derby crown last night, after the cancellation of the 2020 All Star Game competition. The #1 seed, Shohei Ohtani, was defeated in the first round. The tournament play-by-play with all the buzzers and whistles is a far cry from my memories the original 1959 duals on television. Hank Aaron made seven appearances, while Mickey Mantle and Willie Mays each competed five times. Wrigley Field in Los Angeles was the site of the broadcast. $2000 was the prize back then compared to the one-million dollars that Alonso raked in last night. As a kid, we’d get out our whiffle balls and bats to belt our own moon shots.
Tonight’s All Star Game will feature Shohei Ohtani in the dual role of starting pitcher and lead-off hitter for the American League. It signals the half-way point of the season with my White Sox leading the AL Central by eight games over the Indians. Other division leaders include the Red Sox, Astros, Mets, Brewers, and Giants. The Cubs were 2-8 down the stretch to fall to third in the NL Central. The Giants also have 57 wins to lead the pack but only a two-game lead over the Dodgers. Games will resume after the four-day break.
The White Sox have prevailed despite a plethora of serious injuries, including Nick Madrigal out for the season. Sluggers Eloy Jimenez and Luis Robert have yet to return. The early sparkplug of the season was Yermin Mercedes whose star has tarnished and was recently sent down to the minors. Andrew Vaughn and Adam Engel have recovered from injuries to recently pick up the slack. Billy Hamilton and Seby Zavala have also filled in admirably. I’m off to see the Sox at Tropicana in August and then to Pittsburgh to cheer on the Cubs. I’m expecting to see the Pale Hose in the post-season mix but have lost some hope for the Cubbies. Trades in the next few months will determine the fate of this year’s World Series Champion.
Last night I stayed up “late” to watch the Oregon State Beavers win their second straight elimination game in the ninth inning to continue their run for another College World Series (CWS) title. They did not have a great 2021 season with 23 losses but managed to eliminate #6 ranked TCU and forced a second game with Dallas Baptist last night in Fort Worth, a team that had put them in the loser’s bracket two days earlier. These two meet again this afternoon to determine who goes to the Super Regionals. Meanwhile, the #10 ranked Oregon Ducks dropped only 15 games this season and face LSU for a second straight day in hometown Eugene, hoping to punch their Super ticket. The Ducks were an unprecedented 5-1 against the Beavers this season and haven’t gone this far in the postseason since 2014, losing then to Vanderbilt. Two years prior they made it to the Super Regionals but no further. 1954 was their only trip to Omaha, while 1957 was their last conference crown.
Watching the CWS brings back great memories of traveling to Omaha in 2018. (See Post #573). My good friend and I were going regardless of the fact that Oregon State might not even be there. Instead, they not only made the field but won the whole enchilada. Since then, I’ve religiously followed the college baseball seasons of both the Beavers and Hoosiers. This year, the Ducks have really stood out, while Indiana baseball faded down the stretch and failed to make the first round of the tournament. The Beavers were fortunate to get the nod, going 6-8 in May to finish the regular season and finishing a disappointing 6th in the conference behind Arizona, Oregon, Stanford, UCLA, and Arizona State. Indiana finished 4th in the BIG at 26-18, while Nebraska, Maryland, and Michigan got into the dance. Last year Covid canceled the event.
Nebraska, the BIG champion knocked off #1 Arkansas (Pig Sooie!) last night. They will play again tonight for the chance to move on. Michigan and Maryland both failed to advance to the Sweet 16. 8 teams will ultimately travel to Omaha and Ameritrade Field. It would be exciting to see both Oregon and Oregon State in the mix. Step one is tonight for both teams with the season on the line, along with the precious opportunity to continue playing in the CWS.
I’m now getting to the end of my chiropractor package, feeling the benefits of proper alignment. Today, I also pick up my car from the repair shop that wouldn’t have had a place in the garage anyways. I finally got enough cardboard packaging out yesterday to get my wife’s car back inside. We’re down to about 25 boxes yet to open – most of those framed pictures. Time has passed quickly with 40 days now of living in our new home – a week with furniture. We’ve been so busy that we didn’t even get to the beach that had been a weekly tradition since our arrival. I’ve been in our pool every day – getting my money’s worth out of that decision. It’s the newest addition to the morning routine of stretching, running, swimming, and writing.
My son and I got the printer hooked up last night. I have some paperwork to complete before my first visit with the new doctor. Her name is Ann Piscitelli, a female first for me, but comes recommended. My oldest granddaughter also turns twelve this week and I have an appointment at the driver’s license bureau to celebrate. The will probably be a family get together this weekend. In addition, I’m looking forward to a Zoom Leadership meeting, where I’ll be able to catch up with my West Coast friends on IU and Oregon sports, the NBA playoffs, baseball, along with updates on home improvement projects. I’ve probably shown the most improvement this past week.
White Sox Manager, Tony La Russa, beat his old team, the Cardinals, last night at Guaranteed Rate Stadium. I watched most of the game, at least to the point where Andrew Vaughn’s 2-run homer put the Sox on the board, but was sound asleep before the start of the Trailblazers vs. Nuggets basketball game. I saw this morning where the Blazers fell well short with no chance of “Dame Time,” and two days off before they meet again to break the 1-1 tie. Baseball wise, game 2 of the series in Chicago is tonight, along with a Cubs vs. Pirates match-up. The Sox win moved the Cubs closer to the first-place Cards in the NL Central Division standings. I’m trying to keep up with my favorite teams, but for me this past week a box score is simply the number of boxes left in the garage to unpack.
It was day #4,530 of the consecutive running streak, with some of the painful stiffness and soreness finally leaving my muscles. It could be the comfortable king size bed that is back in our possession, the visits to the chiropractor, or the extra stretching I’ve been doing. It was as good of a morning that I’ve had in months, after a well-deserved rest from unpacking last night. Instead, I watched 50-year old Phil Mickelson win the PGA Championship, Scott Dixon win the pole at Indy, the White Sox blow another game against the Yankees, and the Cubs eek out a series victory over the Cards. Most of my TV viewing of late has been sports oriented, despite the fact that I’m already missing the early start times of the West Coast.
We’re scheduled for Disney World (my son-in-law has never been) over Christmas week and Tahoe in September. This will be additional time with my wife’s daughters and their husbands this year. We’ll see all of them in San Francisco and Portland in a few weeks, as we start to crank up the travel schedule. My wife is also looking to visit friends in conjunction with a couple nights planned for Florida’s Singer Island in the next few months. Soon, we’ll use our Viking credits to rebook Egypt and other exotic spots that were cancelled during the pandemic.
I’m picking up my grandson from golf practice this afternoon -my grandfatherly duty to start the week. He spends every other week with his mother up in Sarasota, about a half-hour north – so it’s constant back and forth for schoolwork, activities, and family obligations. I’m just trying to help. Tonight, I’ll be back in front of the TV to watch the White Sox and Cardinals. In this case, the Sox can help the Cubs before they eventually meet head-to-head later in the season. I’m also watching Skinwalker Ranch on the History Channel, but I’m not really enthralled with the alien story line. Even in all that time without furniture we’ve had a plethora of TV sets. However, with all the activities in the area it is not my primary go-to entertainment as it was in Portland. Happy Monday (Trash Day)!
It’s day five of unpleasant unpacking, with more than 30 boxes still sitting in the garage. Fortunately, one of our cars has been in the shop all this time for repairs. The Lexus is patiently waiting in the driveway for the space to open up. I borrowed my son’s massive SUV last night to haul boxes and packing materials to the dumpsters. He also installed our living room TV and hung a few brackets, hooks, and racks. He’s been handy to have in the neighborhood.
The Cubs and Sox both lost yesterday, as I also watched the first day of Indy 500 qualifications. These were rare moments of relaxation, as stiff and sore muscles continue to cause discomfort. At least the chilly pool water gives them temporary relief. All the boxes are now open but only digging down will reveal their true contents. The descriptions written on each one have proven to be both vague and deceptive. I’m guessing we have at least three more days of sorting through everything before we get to the actual picture hanging process. That will take another week.
We are taking a travel break in mid-June to celebrate my wife’s birthday. We’ll fly into Oakland for a few days and then head to Portland. This will give her a chance to visit with both daughters. I’m still not sure if we’ll get tickets to the Olympic Track & Field Trials in Eugene, Oregon that was one of my original intents of the trip. We’ve held tickets for two years now, following the rescheduling of the event, but with limited seating capacity they started the process over again. We still haven’t been notified of the results – do we have tickets or not?
The state of Oregon still seems to be in a different world when it comes to Covid planning. First, it was the unavailability of vaccines, followed by indecisiveness regarding occupancy rates, and now mask usage protocol when it comes to those already vaccinated. Their ultra conservative approach does not seem to be generating results any different than those states that are fully open and functioning. I’m glad to be out of there, but am looking forward to the upcoming visit with family and friends.