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With the state of this team and with the state of this franchise, I figured we should devote a post to some of our most personal favorite memories related to the Chicago White Sox. I’ll start… Back in 2012 my Dad had a health scare. We thought he may only be around for a couple more months and I was living out of state. We’re from California. I flew Dad out to Chicago and flew in from Washington to meet him. Booked us a room for a week near Navy Pier and got us seats for two series, seven games in total. Being born in the early 80’s and growing up in Southern California you’d expect me to be a Dodgers or Angels fan… but as a really young boy I saw the Sox on WGN. It was my introduction to the game and I latched onto the Sox. Something about the logo or the colors just grabbed me and for all my flaws, I’m a loyal guy. A couple of years into my first obsession, Frank Thomas came around and I was sold. Every year whenever Chicago came to town, Dad would take a few days off work, take us to Anaheim, and we would see the entire series. Not only that but we would go about 5 hours before gates opened to meet players on their way into the field, we’d watch batting practice, and after the game we would wait another 2 hours for more autographs. Each game was a full day affair that lasted at least 10 hours. My pops has had life long health complications that affected his feet and legs. By the time 2012 rolled around I was about to start a family of my own and had understood more the depth of the sacrifice he made to me in supporting my fandom for what was a nearly two decade tradition between us. While in Chicago, I reached out to Brooks Boyer - explaining what was happening and I asked him if there was anything special we could do for my Dad. He instructed me to arrive three hours before the game at gate 4. We did so, my Dad suspecting nothing even as we entered with members of the press and where then escorted to the front offices. Sitting by a display of the World Series trophy, Brooks came out and introduced himself before ushering us on a tour of the executive suites. He then took us down to where the club houses are and we entered the field through the umpires tunnel. He took pictures of us in the on deck circle and we watched the team take batting practice from the cage. It was a moment for the books and one picture in particular you can see how touched my Dad is, emotion in his eyes and hand reaching for his heart. The best part of the story is that my pops health turned around. He’s still with us and is doing better now that he was 12 years back. So while we suck and it’s easy to get discouraged, let’s bring about some good memories and relive what this team really means to us. Poop.

Incredibly weird gimmick you've got going on about him.

I think he’s gone before the deadline. We have seen a pretty big change in the way teams value prospects and I feel like it takes both a legit playoff race and the limited supply that comes with the trade deadline to get many GMs to go outside their comfort zone. Right now, there are a ton of potential buyers and very few sellers that potentially creates a very favorable environment to move Robert. And I’m not sure that the buyer pool will be radically different come this offseason, but the sense of urgency to trade a ton of prospects for Robert could very well be less. I think you sell now if you can get 90% of fair value.

I am grateful for all of the freetime the 2024 team has given me back by watching them so much less than normal

I’ve been a fan since 1952 and have so many memories so I have to start with my boyhood heroes of the 1950s, the GO GO SOX years which led to the Sox winning the 1959 American League Pennant and as a 13 year old I was lucky to attend game 2 of the World Series with my favorite uncle and my mother, we lost a 4-3 heartbreaker after winning game 1, 11-0, the Dodgers went on to beat us in 6 games and what still pisses me off is manager Al Lopez not giving Billy Pierce a start in the Series. Lopez IMHO was the best Sox manager of all time but he screwed up with not giving Pierce a start. The last 64 years have brought some wonderful memories starting with 1962 when at 16 years old I snagged a job as a vendor at Comiskey and Wrigley, the Cubs were horrible in those days and couldn’t draw flies to Wrigley so I made all my money at Sox Park. I stopped working Cub games in early July and was still able to go back to my Caddy job at Edgewater Golf Club in Rogers Park when the Cubs were in town. The Sox continued playing winning baseball in the 60s and we came close to winning the 1967 Pennant with amazing pitching but horrible hitting. Things went south in 68 as I experienced my first losing season as a Sox fan, 16 years of winning exciting baseball, it was a rude awakening for me and things got worse in 69 and 70. Roland Hemond and Chuck Tanner came aboard in 1971 and things started to turn around. In 1972 Dick Allen came to the Sox and the team fought pretty hard but came up short against the A’s, if Bill Melton hadn’t hurt his back in June, I think the Sox probably would have won the Division. The next few years were tough but then the 1977 Southside Hitmen brought us the most fun filled summer that I can remember but we came up short again. If I had to pick the best game I ever went at Comiskey I’d have to pick the first game of a Sunday DH against the Royals on July 31, 1977, It was a 4 game series and the Sox won on Friday and Saturday, on Sunday old Comiskey was packed to the rafters with over 50,000 on hand, the game was tied after 9 at 2-2, the Royals took the lead 4-2 in the top of the 10th but with the fans cheering them on, the Sox as they were never out of a game with the offense like something we have never seen before came back and won the game 5-4 with single by Ralph Garr in the bottom of the 10th. I’ve been to hundreds of games at old Comiskey but never were the fans so delirious with joy as we were that day, the Old Palace was literally shaking from the rafters from the all the cheering, screaming and yelling going on, I thought the old ballpark was going to come tumbling down, never experienced anything like that at a ballgame, it was unbelievable with the cheering going on for over 10 minutes. I attended many Blackhawk games at the great Chicago Stadium and that place was as loud as it got but for that one Sox game in 1977, it was louder. lm pretty sure the Sox now had a 6.5 game lead on the Royals and Twins but unfortunately the Royals came back and won the nightcap and the Sox came back to earth and only played around .500 the last 2 months of the season as the Royals won the Division and we wound up 3rd but that summer was amazing while it lasted. The 80s and 90s gave us a couple of post season trips with the 83 team playing the best 4 months of baseball I’ve ever seen the Sox play, they were just unbeatable from late May to seasons end and they won the division by 20 games only to lose to the Orioles in the playoff series, I will never forget Britt Burns pitching his heart out in game 4 only to lose on a homer by Tito Landrum in the 10th inning, Burns was in tears as he left the mound after being relieved. We finally put it all together in the great season of 2005 with a World Championship with an unbelievable post season as the Sox went 11-1. Another division win in 2008 was exciting with the Blackout Game. Since then the Sox have been pretty bad with this season being an absolute nightmare. I could be here all day with memories but with a lot more heartache so I’ll stop now. EDIT: Sorry about the gaps as I kept hitting the return button on my I Pad. I started my post early this morning but had a 7:15 tee time so I posted some memories but after lunch I added a few more.

Baldwin looks like the before/Lopez looks like the after in one of those anti-meth ads.

Imagine there's no offense....it's easy if you try.

Are you sure? I thought 11 plate appearances sealed his fate.

I don't understand why they would do this. Tigers actually have a chance to compete in the division next year. If you aren't by this time next year, then you move him. I'd be livid as a Tigers fan if they traded him this year.

Rare, but not as rare as Jerry Reinsdorf signing players at market value I guess haha

Maybe they are cutting bait.

I think the teams that line up the best are: SEA for Robert. Emerson, Montes, and maybe Peete and Morales. BAL for Crochet. Basallo, Norby, and Fabian. MIL for Fedde. Pratt and Letson. I think Kopech to PHI makes a lot of sense too. Maybe Rincones. Of course I doubt all that happens though.

Really? I don’t feel this way at all. They’ll kill these trades or they won’t make them in my opinion. They didn’t want to incur the risk on keeping Cease but that was a good deal and by far their best offer. I believe he did this with Cease already so I don’t see why not.

And then crazy amount of pointless roster churning this year, and losing players in the process for nothing is another strike.

I probably would not trade Fedde if a top 100 prospect doesn't come back for him, and one who's arrow is pointing up, not a faller. It can be near the bottom of the top 100 - but that's my thought.

@hi8is thank you for that beautiful story. And pictures! My mom and dad were both diehard Sox fans before I was born. Even when we lived in Michigan, we'd take the Borman or the South Shore and go to a bunch of games. I remember seeing Chet Lemon headed to the press box after the game as a small child. (I also had a lit cigarette and a chicken bucket thrown at me as a ten year-old. Can't beat fun at the old ballgame.) My brother and I drove up to Milwaukee for Frank Thomas/Alex Fernandez's first game. When things were toughest between me and my dad during adolescence, we could always talk about the Sox. There have been a lot of horrendous Sox teams, the last few years being some of the worst, but I'm grateful to be a fan. And I've met so many great fellow Sox fans, especially on this board. You guys help make it fun, even when it really isn't. Thanks.

From my interview with Roland (God rest his soul...) Roland Hemond’s Best Trades: (in chronological order...) 1. November 30, 1971: White Sox send Ken Berry, Syd O’Brien and Billy Wynne to California for catcher Tom Egan, starting pitcher Tom Bradley and outfielder Jay Johnstone. (Author’s Note: Bradley would win 15 games with a sub three ERA in both 1971 and 1972. Egan served as a very good backup to Ed Herrmann and Johnstone added speed, pinch hitting abilities and a crazy character to keep the clubhouse relaxed.) 2. December 2, 1971: White Sox send Tommy John and Steve Huntz to Los Angeles for first baseman Dick Allen. (Author’s Note: The trade that saved the franchise. Allen won the M.V.P. award in 1972 leading the Sox to a near division championship. His ability to hit for power and average was unmatched on the South Side for years. Named to three All-Star teams.) 3. December 2, 1971: White Sox send Rich McKinney to the Yankees for starting pitcher Stan Bahnsen. (Author’s Note: Bahnsen would win 54 games in three and a half seasons in Chicago including 21 in 1972.) 4. November 19, 1972: White Sox send Tom Bradley to San Francisco for outfielder Ken Henderson and pitcher Steve Stone. (Author’s Note: Henderson was a Gold Glove winning, power hitting center fielder while Stone added depth to the pitching staff. Bradley never regained the form that he showed with the Sox and was out of baseball by 1975.) 5. August 14, 1973: White Sox acquire starting pitcher Jim Kaat on waivers from Minnesota. (Author’s Note: Kaat was a two time 20 game winner for the Sox in 1974 and 1975. Made the All-Star team in 1975. Won 45 games in two and a quarter years in Chicago.) 6. June 15, 1975: White Sox send pitchers Stan Bahnsen and “Skip” Pitlock to Oakland for outfielder Chet Lemon and pitcher Dave Hamilton. (Author’s Note: Lemon would turn into one of the top center fielders in baseball with the Sox making the All-Star team twice. Hamilton was a regular contributor to the 1977 White Sox team with four wins and nine saves.) 7. December 11, 1975: White Sox send third baseman Bill Melton and pitcher Steve Dunning to California for first baseman Jim Spencer and outfielder Morris Nettles. (Author’s Note: Melton had a bad back and had worn out his welcome getting into a shouting match in a Milwaukee hotel lobby with broadcaster Harry Caray. Spencer meanwhile won a Gold Glove for his defensive prowess in 1977 saving many errors. He also had 18 home runs and 69 RBI’s for the “South Side Hit Men”, twice driving in eight runs in a game.) 8. April 4, 1977: White Sox send shortstop “Bucky” Dent to the Yankees for outfielder Oscar Gamble, pitchers LaMarr Hoyt and Bob Polinsky and cash. (Author’s Note: The deal was made because the Sox could not afford to resign Dent. Gamble blasted 31 home runs for the “South Side Hit Men.” Hoyt would become a very good starting pitcher winning the Cy Young Award after going 24-10 in 1983.) 9. July 10, 1979: White Sox send pitcher Jack Kucek to the Phillies for infielder Jim Morrison. (Author’s Note: When the Sox were being rebuilt in the early 80's Morrison provided stability and power at either second or third base. Had three seasons of double figure home run totals.) 10. December 12, 1980: White Sox send pitcher “Tex” Wortham to Montreal for second baseman Tony Bernazard. (Author’s Note: Bernazard was a switch hitter with speed and the ability to hit to all fields. He was a good second baseman in his two and a half years with the Sox. Hemond then sent him to Seattle for Julio Cruz a move that crystalized the 1983 team.) 11. January 25, 1983: White Sox send pitchers Steve Trout and Warren Brusstar to the Cubs for infielders Scott Fletcher and Pat Tabler along with pitchers Dick Tidrow and Randy Martz. (Author’s Note: Perhaps Hemond’s greatest deal. Roland used the free agent compensation rules that were in use at the time to inquire about getting Cubs future Hall of Fame pitcher Ferguson Jenkins whom they left unprotected. Cubs G.M. Dallas Green got word of it and quickly made this deal. Part of it was the promise by Hemond that the Sox would not take Jenkins. Fletcher and Tidrow were important parts of the 1983 team. Tabler was then traded to Cleveland for Jerry Dybzinski adding another part to the club.) 12. January 20, 1984: White Sox select starting pitcher Tom Seaver from the free agent compensation pool. (Author’s Note: The future Hall of Famer would win 32 games in two years with the Sox including his 300th beating the Yankees 4-1 on August 4, 1985.) 13. December 6, 1984: White Sox send pitcher LaMarr Hoyt and two minor leaguers to San Diego for pitchers Tim Lollar and Bill Long along with infielder/outfielder Luis Salazar and shortstop Ozzie Guillen. (Author’s Note: Hoyt would see his career quickly end after the 1985 season due to substance abuse. Lollar and Salazar helped the 1985 team to a winning record but Guillen would become the Rookie of the Year in 1985 and win a Gold Glove in 1990 along with becoming a three time All-Star.) Roland Hemond’s Best Deal That Never Happened: As part of the major rebuilding effort after the disaster of 1970, Hemond had worked out a trade with the Washington Senators that would have sent left handed relief specialist Darold Knowles to the White Sox for relief pitcher Wilbur Wood. However Wood was holding out and never signed a 1971 contract. Therefore the Sox couldn’t deal him until he did. By the time Wood signed the Senators were no longer interested. It turned out to be a major blessing for the Sox. Wood would blossom into one of the top starting pitchers of the decade, winning 20 or more games four times and being named to the All-Star team three times. He would be named a member of the Sox Team of the Century in 1999. Sometimes the best deals are the ones you never make!

Thats as bad an AB you will see. Really hope they move Robert and Crochet.

Not for me.

It's not the spikes it a bad slide step yip trying to keep the runner from stealing.

Again, the discussion isn't to downplay his accomplishments. As Ray Ray said he is having a season that few other pitchers have ever done. It great and great to watch. However, for the success of the team going forward, what is the best move for the team.

That's not the point. The point isn't that he isn't having a great year or isn't a great talent. Or that it isn't fun to watch. The point is that is with his injury history and use this year: 1. What is his value in a trade 2. Is he worth giving a long term contract to.

If you are looking for something that predicts 100% it will always happen, you will never find it in relation to the human body. It is just too variable. However, you are wrong that one opinon is just as good as the next. Research has shown that a previous injury predict around 81% of the time another injury will occur. With Crochet, he had a shoulder injury followed up by a UCL. The prediction was 100% accurate. Research as also shown that as a pitcher increases the volume the likelihood of injury also increases. Is it 100%? No, buts it's a significant risk. Does smoking cause cancer 100% of the time? No, but is a significant risk. Now you can guess all you want but the daya shows the risk/likelihood. If you were going to sink 10s of miilions of dollars into an a pitcher that has this history and has had the wear this year that has never been done before? As I said previously, you may be right but you are taking an awful major risk.

There’s no reason they can’t try to sign Crochet when he is a free agent. This team will not be very good the next 2 years. He seems to want to bet on himself. Unless he’s taking a team friendly deal now (he’s not) cash in on him now and try to get some long term help. Maybe their philosophy (aka possible new owner haha) on signing pitchers will be different then.

I actually originally had Vaughn in the post but then compared him to France and realized he’s not really an upgrade so I took him out lol

Seattle is the best fit by far. Other than Logan Evans, all of their top guys are position players. They have 8 guys in BA's top 100, 7 of them are position players.

It’s just so funny how you can so quickly and easily spot the BS with this team, and they don’t even attempt to hide it.

Half a season of durability does not a career make. He is currently in uncharted waters. I would not take the chance with a pitcher of his talent. You may be right but it's taking a massive risk for his career going forward.

He's already had Tommy John though. I don't think he's an injury risk right now more than any other pitcher would be from being a pitcher.

He has pitched more innings in this one season than he had in 2020, 2021, 2022, and 2023 combined, even including his college innings. The fact that anyone would see it weird to question a guys health history in this circumstance is bizarre. He is the definition of an injury history.

The Dodgers don't even have enough to get crochet alone imo. They just don't match up well.

I don't post too often , but am on here many times a day celebrating and suffering with all of you. This topic is one I have thought often to bring to the group to hear some of your 'stories" of how the Sox have effected our lives. My dad was a moderate Sox fan, but his best friend seemingly had an Encyclopedic knowledge of Sox and baseball history. He took me on as an apt pupil and I have never looked back. Going to games in the 1980s and 90s with him meant hearing tales of Minoso and Allen. He passed away in 2002, I hated that he did not live to see the World Series year as so many of our older loved ones deserved that. I went straight from being a pall bearer at his funeral to a tattoo parlor to get a Sox tattoo with his name encompassed on it. I look forward to hearing some of your Sox stories.

He looks to be in great shape to me.

Oh see I don’t. There was risk that Cease wouldn’t pitch well. Crochet is healthy and awesome. I don’t really see much risk with him outside of the innings load, shutdown etc.

Apparently not. Schriffen probably bows to Brooks every day.

We’re eight days from the deadline…I’m sure a few more will enter but a few bubble teams seem to be leaning towards buying now.

I haven't seen anything to tell me that Getz has the stones to wait out a proper deal.

So the Sox were upset that Benetti wanted to do games outside of White Sox baseball but now have no problem with Schriffen doing the very same thing?

Plus I think Getz will jsut take whatever the best offer is to have him gone and assume no risk.. Similar to what I believe he did for Cease

Best memories: Taking Dad to the 2003 All Star game. Taking Dad, brothers, and brother-in-law to Game 2 2005 against the Angels. Going to all the 2005 playoffs and WS at the Cell. Most fun season: 1972 Greatest ballplayer memories: Dick Allen's MVP season was the greatest single season I have witnessed by a White Sox or Cub.

Wonderful memories from the Mite. My favorite memories come from the 70's and 80's going to games at Comiskey. Always loved Opening Day starting usually at Shinnick's meeting friends for a beer then heading down Lowe past sis' Daley's house to 35th and then down to MCuddy's for another. In those days you could park throughout the Bridgeport neighborhoods or pay to park at pop-up lots for cash. We loved walking around the park including on the cat walk behind the scoreboard where we could smoke.... the 77 SSide Hitmen was one of the best summers as a Sox fan. That season left us feeling that Sox fans would always respond to teams that could smash home runs. The next time we saw anything like that was Fisk, Luzinski and Kittle, the latter two hitting roof shots, which left us in awe. The new Stadium was horrible initially because of the color combination and the upper deck. After those items were addressed (for hundreds of thousands of dollars) we came back for a lot of games again. The great thing abut GR is the way you can walk around the entire park and of course, meet friends in the outfield concourse areas where there are great concessions, etc. Of course tailgating has been a great enjoyment on Opening Day and other occasions were I fire up my Weber Q for my Italian sausage and peppers. Winning and losing never mattered much to us. It was pretty much everything else about the experience of going - good friends, good food and drink, the sights and sounds of the ballpark, and the White Sox players. More recently. I loved sitting in the GRate club and a few games in the Scout seats.

Your story was great. That reminded me of the time my grandfather fell as we were going to the car after a lightly attended night game and was bleeding and the Sox people helped us get an ambulance. That was gracious of everybody. Sox security was great. He was OK. Other memories: Being on the field on banner day between games of a doubleheader. If you had a banner you could go on the field for a parade. Fun. My friend made us a banner. Only bad part was you had to go to the left field lower concourse in the sixth or seventh inning, way too early. We were into the game. ... All the memories are from old Comiskey, quite a ballpark. Haven't been to many in GRate, but a few. Always will be fond memories of Sox park food. ... And of course the exploding scoreboard after home runs mesmerized me as a kid. Other memories. Sad the Sox are such a woebegone organization now. Really a pathetic excuse for an organization.

Do the Dodgers have any middle relievers or old utility guys? Asking for an unnamed GM.

I’m pretty sure they overslotted Burke, Cannon and Keener in round 3. They definitely overslotted Calvin Harris in round 4, Oppor in 5 and Wolkow in 7. They saved $600K on their first rounder last year though. Doesn’t appear that they did that this year.

I don’t know enough about the players. BP had Saucke at 53 overall and Sox scouts felt he really unlocked something with a swing change this year. McLain is a tweener but he’ll definitely hit. I don’t think they absolutely overpaid. I just think players have leverage now and the team wanted these players so they paid them.

The Sox were a 101-loss team last year but had a #6-rated broadcast booth, per this same study / metric. I think there might be more to this than just the on-field product.

Jason away from Steve is about as good as it gets.

Jason is really, really, really good at what he does. It took me hearing him with other guys and some time to really appreciate his style, but he is one of the best there is.

Remember all the fools that celebrated Jason being gone? Idiots.