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Sox haven't stopped 'Believin''


greasywheels121

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A.J. Pierzynski, Joe Crede and Aaron Rowand were together one night when Crede first requested 'Don't Stop Believin'.

 

http://whitesox.mlb.com/NASApp/mlb/news/ar...t=.jsp&c_id=cws

 

Sox hope journey doesn't stop

Song requested one night turns into theme of season

By Scott Merkin / MLB.com

 

CHICAGO -- It started as a joke, just three friends having a little light-hearted fun at a bar in Baltimore.

 

But in the matter of one week, the golden oldie "Don't Stop Believin'" by Journey has transformed from a song producing smiles around the White Sox clubhouse to the unofficial anthem for the South Siders' push to their first World Series title since 1917.

 

This story began when catcher A.J. Pierzynski, center fielder Aaron Rowand and third baseman Joe Crede visited a local establishment on the East Coast featuring a lounge singer. Crede started yelling for the singer to "play some Journey," according to Pierzynski, and when "Don't Stop Believin'" was selected, it became a standard request throughout the rest of the season whenever White Sox players went out together en masse.

 

"We seem to be able to get them to play it wherever we go," Pierzynski said Thursday with a smile.

 

By virtue of the White Sox needing just five games to wrap up the American League pennant, not to mention the magnitude of the franchise's first trip to the World Series since 1959, anything and everything seemingly has become newsworthy over the past two workout days. Pierzynski, who often chimes in with his own acerbic take on the media's collective actions and reactions, found the interest in the Journey tune funnier than a player tripping while rounding second and coming up with a face full of dirt.

 

He even caught a few television man-on-the-street segments, where reporters were trying to get average people to sing the classic Journey tale of hope and despair.

 

"It started out as a big joke, but you guys somehow found out about it and it's this big media thing," said Pierzynski, taking a quick detour Thursday from the baseball news at hand. "Now, it's even a bigger joke, which makes it even better."

 

In looking at the song's powerful lyrics, "Don't Stop Believin'" might actually fit the White Sox current quest in more ways than simply the title.

Just a small town girl, livin' in a lonely world

She took the midnight train goin' anywhere

Just a city boy, born and raised in south Detroit

He took the midnight train goin' anywhere

 

Let's see, nothing much there aside from the White Sox clinching their first American League Central title since 2000 at Comerica Park in Detroit. Moving on to the next verse.

A singer in a smokey room

A smell of wine and cheap perfume

For a smile they can share the night

It goes on and on and on and on

 

No, nothing very inspirational to be taken from there. But much like the White Sox, we can't give up yet.

 

Working hard to get my fill,

Everybody wants a thrill

Payin' anything to roll the dice,

Just one more time

Some will win, some will lose

Some were born to sing the blues

Oh, the movie never ends

It goes on and on and on and on

 

And there you have it, the story of the White Sox memorable 2005 season. Well, not quite completely, but where the South Siders and the World Series are concerned, some will win and some will lose. And they are working hard to get their fill of victories so as not be singing the blues when this movie finally does come to an end.

 

Of course, this deep analysis was rendered useless when Pierzynski mentioned that the song really didn't matter, at the time. It caught on because a number of the players knew the words.

 

Now, Pierzynski is hoping Steve Perry, formerly the lead singer of the group who gave the world "Who's Crying Now," "Open Arms," "Separate Ways" and other memorable ballads that once filled roller rinks all over the country, will perform at U.S. Cellular Field during the World Series. In the interim, Pierzynski didn't quite get the last laugh where the media is concerned over this suddenly raging news story.

 

He had to explain Thursday why the players picked Journey over Bruce Springsteen, Billy Joel or any other "more manly" songwriters, according to one Chicago columnist.

 

"That's manly. Journey is manly," Pierzynski said with a laugh. "Why is Journey not manly? I heard Joe Theismann say on the radio that Journey was his favorite group, and Theismann was pretty manly, wasn't he?

 

"It's a great song, isn't it? It's okay. It's fun. It was meant to be a joke and never meant to get as big as it did. They whole team sort of bought into it."

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QUOTE(Kalapse @ Oct 20, 2005 -> 09:05 PM)
Actually Crede yelled "Play some f***in' Journey!"

 

Which changes the amount of cool points awarded to the Stooges for this story.

 

Man, I friggen' love that guy. You would not expect that with the way he presents himself to the media, etc. So awesome :lolhitting .

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QUOTE(greasywheels121 @ Oct 20, 2005 -> 09:07 PM)
Man, I friggen' love that guy.  You would not expect that with the way he presents himself to the media, etc.  So awesome :lolhitting .

'05 Crede's personality is a complete 180 from what I saw out of '04 Crede.

 

f*** Bill Mueller, I never liked the idea of signing him next offseason and I sure as hell don't now, I wanna see Crede at the hot corner next year and there's a damn good chance I will.

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QUOTE(Kalapse @ Oct 20, 2005 -> 09:15 PM)
'05 Crede's personality is a complete 180 from what I saw out of '04 Crede.

 

f*** Bill Mueller, I never liked the idea of signing him next offseason and I sure as hell don't now, I wanna see Crede at the hot corner next year and there's a damn good chance I will.

 

It's not just because of recent events, but I've been defending Crede all year, and he's somehow become my 2nd favorite player this season. I'd love to see him for awhile.

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QUOTE(Kalapse @ Oct 20, 2005 -> 09:15 PM)
'05 Crede's personality is a complete 180 from what I saw out of '04 Crede.

 

that's definitely a correct statement, i'm thinking it has alot to do w/ AJ being on the team. AJ, Joe and arow really seem to be realy close, it's really good to see.

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You know what's really great? The fact that the national media picked up on this story. It was all over the Dan Patrick Show today, and this story just shows off the great personality of the players on this team.

 

Something tells me Manny Ramirez would not sing along...

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QUOTE(Steve9347 @ Oct 20, 2005 -> 09:19 PM)
You know what's really great?  The fact that the national media picked up on this story.  It was all over the Dan Patrick Show today, and this story just shows off the great personality of the players on this team.

 

Something tells me Manny Ramirez would not sing along...

 

20468_512.jpg

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QUOTE(Balta1701 @ Oct 20, 2005 -> 09:25 PM)
I didn't realize it was the same song that they used in the family guy episode until now.  That just multiplies my amusement.

 

yeah. that songs' been around for awhile. some people even recognize it as Journey, and not "that Family Guy" song. :lolhitting

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QUOTE(letsgoarow @ Oct 20, 2005 -> 11:49 PM)
STEVE PERRY IS A GOLDEN GOD......all their songs are great...too bad he is scared of the government and hasnt shown his face in like ten years

You're delusional, Journey is one of the most pathetically horrible bands in the history of sound, not even music, sound itself. IMHO of course.

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QUOTE(redandwhite @ Oct 20, 2005 -> 11:55 PM)
Please explain.

I haven't heard AJ, Joe or Aaron come out and say that they are the "3 Stooges", it's not a self proclaimed title like the "idiots" tag applied to the Bo Sox. AJ, Joe and Aaron are good friends and hangout with eachother, one day someone called them the "3 Stooges" and it stuck, that's all.

 

And with the whole song thing, that started in a bar by Crede yelling to a lounge singer, and now has grown to point where they play it in the clubhouse. It isn't a very big deal, just as AJ has said, it's not much of a story.

 

I highly doubt we'll see any of the 3 writing a book about the three of them or any s*** like that, where as Damon wrote a damn book about the '04 Bo Sox.

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QUOTE(Kalapse @ Oct 21, 2005 -> 01:04 AM)
:puke

 

whatever.........

 

if aj says he heard theisman say the song is manly, and since aj, being manly, views theisman as being manly, well damnit....journey is manly.

 

i can just see it now- 2 people in that booth behind home plate - nancy and steve perry. all summer long. every summer.

 

we can dream, can't we?

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