The Pride of the South Side

[southsideirish71]

I'm new to the forum, but I've long browsed soxtalk.  I came across this forward, and I thought it'd be great to post up here for some inspiration.  You can copy it into a forward yourself... I'm sending to every single person I know and work with.  Do the same, please. 

 

Last year, some Cardinals fan wrote something like this and in just 5 hours, it generated so much pub that it was being read on air on TV news broadcasts and on radio shows.  It TOTALLY got people jacked up, so I wonder if this will do the same. 

 

I've sent it to a few people, but if everyone sends this forward to the TV, radio, and print press, maybe it can get some pub, too.  I think it's an awesome "article," and would love to see it make the rounds. 

 

Pass it on... and GO SOX. 

 

   

 

********************************************************************

 

It’s wonderful that our White Sox are doing so well, and I thought I’d write a little piece to help other people – Cubs fans, baseball fans anywhere, ESPN, non-Chicagoans – understand why the Sox are so special.  There’s more to Chicago baseball than the northsiders, and there’s much more to Sox fans than their unfair reputation.  There’s more to their history than being the “2nd team of Chicago” and the team that threw the ’19 Series.  White Sox Baseball is unquestionably special. 

 

 

 

1.  The Sox have never choked.  They’ve never blown a 2 or 3 game Series lead, never blown a 10 game division lead to end the season.  Goats and Black Cats are only cheap excuses. 

 

 

2.  The Sox aren’t cursed.  We don’t need some absurd marketing idea to make us more loveable and make losing seem acceptable. 

 

 

3.  We had Harry Carry first.  Jack Brickhouse, Ed Farmer, John Rooney, and – for all his annoyances – Hawk Harrelson have become the standard as legendary and respected broadcasters.

 

 

4.  Our founder, Charles Comiskey, is one of Baseball’s founding fathers. 

 

 

5.  Comiskey Park (US Cellular Field) is a great place to watch a game.  Much credit goes to the namesake for making Sox Park a fun, cozy, and loud place to watch a game.  It may not be old, but it’s still a wonderful place to be. 

 

 

6.  Sox Fans are good people.  Just because one insane, drug addicted family does something stupid doesn’t mean we all mirror such idiocy.  Cubs’ fans have been shot at games, pissed on neighbors’ lawns, and are notorious for getting insanely drunk at games.  Other people’s fans have attacked and jumped into bullpens, have streakers, attack opposing fans, ruin an unlucky fans life for grabbing a foul ball, and jump into backstop netting.  Every fan base has a couple idiots.

 

 

7.  “Na-Na-Na-Na, Na-Na-NaNa, Hey Hey Hey, Gooo-oood Bye!” is one of the greatest homerun celebrations in any stadium.  Certainly better than an Apple announcing the shot or a water fountain display. 

 

 

8.  Oh, and Sox Fans have jobs.  That’s why we’re not getting tanked at a 1:00 game, or packing the place right at 7:00.  Our kids have little league games, we’re working overtime, and we’re driving to the city from our friendly and much more affordable communities around Chicagoland.  Sox fans aren’t college kids, tourists, and bums.  We can’t call in sick or play hooky all the time.  We’re people who work our butts off, and sometimes being a cop, fireman, teacher, dockworker, waitress, business owner, nun, writer, restaurateur, laborer, builder, manager, social worker, or even being a parent prevents us from going to games right away, if at all.  That’s why you see us at on more Mondays and Tuesdays, too.  Their cheaper, and in case people don’t understand math, its much easier to attend a game when it only costs $50 and not $100.  Win or Die Trying... it represents the kind of work ethic that all of us have.  They bust their butt because they're supposed to, regardless of recognition, fame, or selfish pride.  It’s why we love them.

 

 

9.  The White Sox have a storied history.  We are one of the charter American League Franchises, have long played at the corner of 35th and Shields, and our uniforms – like many other well known franchises – have remained true to our history. Well, accepted for a phase in the late 70’s and early 80’s.  Oops!

 

 

10.  We have some of the baseball’s greatest players.  Minnie Minoso and Luis Aparicio set a standard for Latin players, and allowed them to become an irreplaceable part of baseball culture.  Shoeless Joe Jackson never cheated – show me proof – and is the greatest player in the history of our franchise.  Nellie Fox, Harold Baines, Billy Pierce, Early Winn, Luke Appling, Red Faber, and Ted Lyons are the greats that played for the Southside.  Carlton Fisk’s Sox are White, too.  He may be enshrined as Red, but in Chicago, he defined baseball for over 10 years. 

 

 

11.  Bill Veeck – for all his craziness – still influences baseball today.  The giveaways, fireworks, exploding scoreboards, outfield showers, fan-friendly amenities, and broadcasters singing the stretch – yep, he and Harry started that – are ideas that nearly every Ball Club has copied from Veeck, our former Owner.

 

 

12.  We’re diverse.  Unlike most of baseball, you see color and ethnic diversity at our park and in our dugout.  The South Side Irish are here, sure, but so are the Latinos, Chinese, Blacks, Polish, Italians, Japanese, and dozens of other groups.  We all love Sox baseball, and we’re helping it spread to new people.  The Cubs, Red Sox, Cardinals Giants, and Braves certainly don’t do that. 

 

 

13.  White Sox Nation, in fact, exists.  Despite the fact that we aren’t the most obnoxious fanbase, we still check our Blackberry’s during NYC business meetings, pick up the call by Ed Farmer and John Rooney on the way from class in Virginia, sit in the car with our family and listen to a game in Georgia, raise our kids in California as Sox fans, and check out minor league teams in Alabama and North Carolina.  We’re everywhere, whether you bother to look or not.  And you’ll hear from us all… real soon, too.

 

 

14.  Frank Thomas was a great ballplayer and should be a Hall-of-Famer.  If you ignore his attitude that’s quite common, sadly, he’s still a person who’s played 17 years with one team and puts up very good to great numbers over that time.  Respect that please. 

 

 

15.  The White Sox are the Pride of the South Side.  We love our team, and we’re PROUD of it, no matter what you think.  Our fathers, grandmothers, neighbors, friends, and uncles are fans.  We have Sox Pride, and yes, like I said… you’re going to learn that.  Real soon.  We rock the Cell, we throw bags and play catch in the parking lot, and actually believe – not just hope – that this is the year we get to prove that the White Sox don’t just exist, but that we’re the greatest team and the greatest fans in baseball. 

 

 

JRL 10.6.05

 

 

 

GO SOX… FORWARD THIS ON TO LET EVERYONE KNOW JUST HOW GREAT SOX PRIDE IS!

 

Welcome to the Soxtalk, especially with a great handle like that.

[Middle Buffalo]

Oh you youngin's need some history lessons... :headshake

 

The "Kiss Him Goodbye" tradition dates back to the 1977 South Side Hitmen team when Nancy Foust started playing that song during a key series against a rival (I wanna say KC) during the pennant race.  The crowd responded and went nuts singing it at the top of their lungs after every HR.  As a matter of a fact for a long time Nancy used to play "Runaround Sue" after a pitching change, while it has always been Steam for a Sox HR.  It still gets played today, except she only plays the chorus through once, instead of repeatedly like she does for a huge HR.

I asked about the "Runaround Sue" thin yesterday in another topic. Do they still do that?

[South Side Irish]

Welcome to the Soxtalk,  especially with a great handle like that.   

 

 

Thanks... I'll try to change the handle soon.

[Reddy]

Welcome to the Soxtalk,  especially with a great handle like that.   

 

damn nice avatar. who is she? hot as hell

[southsideirish71]

damn nice avatar.  who is she?  hot as hell

 

Have no clue, but for some reason this avatar just caught my eye.

[Reddy]

Have no clue, but for some reason this avatar just caught my eye.

 

hmm i wonder why that is..l

[southsider2k5]

I asked about the "Runaround Sue" thin yesterday in another topic.  Do they still do that?

 

I haven't heard it since I was a kid, that I can remember.

[RockRaines]

gonna have to change your name bud - we've already got an SSI on this board.

 

otherwise, as long as you aint toooo bandwagony, welcome aboard

More than one SSI????