White Sox Fans

When Chicago sports are mentioned in the mainstream media and elsewhere, the teams that come to mind often include the Bears, Bulls, Blackhawks and Cubs.  The White Sox are often the forgotten team that gets overlooked for their accomplishments.  Despite being 2005 World Series Champions and always putting a solid team on the ball field, the Chicago Cubs reign in as Chicago’s number one baseball team.  Just as teams like the New York Yankees and the Los Angeles Clippers get overlooked by their crosstown rivals, so do the White Sox.  Due to larger fan bases, seemingly endless bank accounts of team owners and media bias, certain teams  are viewed as more valuable than others.  Chicago Cubs fans often support their team no matter how terrible their season is going.  Therefore, they still sell out for games and create revenue for a team that is not producing wins.  Teams such as the White Sox on the other hand often see drastic decreases in attendance when their team is underperforming.  This creates incentive for players and management to deliver wins.  When performance on the field is down, so is performance in the rest of the stadium.  Although teams such as the Cubs and Yankees can always expect fans in their stands no matter the weather or time of year, they cannot always say those fans are satisfied.  When U.S. Cellular Field is sold out, things are going in the right direction.  It’s alright if the Cubs are viewed as Chicago’s baseball team, because real fans know where to find a team that is supported by true fans.

Hawk

Although this post is not going to focus on any current White Sox players or coaches, it will still deal with someone who plays a very important role in who the Chicago White Sox really are.  Many people have criticized the Ken “Hawk” Harrelson, the voice of the Chicago White Sox, for his announcing abilities.  Every team has an announcer who is honored by the fans but critiqued by others.  Just as the Chicago Cubs loved Harry Caray, White Sox fans love Hawk.  From his crazy sayings before the game of “sit back, relax and strap it down” to his high pitched screaming of “YOU CAN PUT IT ON THE BOARD, YES!” Hawk is both loved and scrutinized.  Many critique Hawk for his long silences during White Sox games.   These moments often occur when the Sox are not performing well and Hawk is obviously upset.  Even though Hawk is not alone in the booth, Steve Stone is also broadcasting, these moments of silence occur quite regularly.  Another issue that critics find particularly is the long rants that Hawk seems to go on when something does not go in favor of the White Sox.  We all love our teams and believe that close calls tend to go in favor of the opposing team.   Hawk gets very emotional and passionate about these types of issues and many criticize his rants.  He is very knowledgeable and aware of what the rules of the game and when he sees a blown call, he makes sure everyone knows about it. Hawk is just as important to the White Sox as any player on the team. 

Important Series in 2012

Throughout the season, there are a number of series that draw more fans than usual to the ballpark.  These series usually include teams in big cities or teams that create an intense rivalry with the White Sox. The stands are usually packed and tensions are high.  The closer the game and the closer the season’s standings, the more exciting the game will be.  For the 2012 season, the White Sox are likely to draw a larger than normal crowd for a few series.  Those series include:

- Minnesota Twins at Chicago White Sox May 22-24

- Chicago Cubs at Chicago White Sox June 18-20 * this series is normally played on the weekend so crowds could be smaller than normal.  Attendance levels should still be significantly higher than normal series during the week.

- New York Yankees at Chicago White Sox August 20-22 * although the Yankees and the White Sox do not have the biggest rivalry, their franchises and hometown markets create a larger than normal appeal to fans.

- Minnesota Twins at Chicago White Sox August 3-5

- Detroit Tigers at Chicago White Sox August 10-13

- Cleveland Indians at Chicago White Sox August 24-26

Majority of the series at the end of the regular season have a significant impact on teams competing for the playoffs.  Other series that could be important include matchups against the Royals.  If competing for the playoffs, almost of all the series in September can expect increases in attendance.  On the other hand, if the White Sox are struggling at the end of the season, their attendance levels are likely to go down. 

Southside Chicago Baseball

This blog focuses on the Chicago White Sox and current issues surrounding the organization.  I try and post on issues that fans find most important because majority of the individuals who routinely read this blog and other similar blogs are true White Sox fans and want the most up to date information on their favorite players.  Along with this blog, I have created a website called “Southside Chicago Baseball” that is also solely dedicated to the Chicago White Sox.  It features articles on the White Sox including the best ways to get to the ballpark, and what to do when you are there.  It also offers a number of Southside baseball fan memorabilia.  This memorabilia is available for purchase at a reasonable price to fans.  It also offers a great number of links to other sites that focus either solely on the Chicago White Sox or have a strong focus on Major League Baseball.  Although the website is less opinionated than this blog, it still provides White Sox fans and baseball enthusiasts with a plethora of information and resources for staying up-to-date with the Sox. 

The site is still under construction and is expected to include a store with a greater variety of products available for sale.  There will also be extra articles and readings available to provide information on the 2012 White Sox, their players, coaches and organization as a whole.  Please feel free to visit the site and visit the “Contact” page with questions or comments.  Also, feel free to donate to the funding of the website.  The link for the website is http://southsidebaseball.webs.com/

Danks to start on Opening Day 2012

When the White Sox take on the Texas Rangers for Opening Day 2012 at the Ballpark at Arlington, John Danks will take the mound for the south siders.  With the departure of White Sox Ace, Mark Buehrle, who normally fills the opening day spot, the White Sox were in need of a new leader of the rotation.  Danks has proved himself over the past few years and has earned the opening day position. In an article by Scott Merkin on whitesox.com, titled Danks honored to receive Opening Day nod, Danks said “Hopefully I throw well and don't embarrass myself. It's a different game than any other game we play all year because of the hype surrounding it, but I'm going to try like heck to approach it like any other game. I think once the game starts, it will feel like just another game."  Taking on the position of opening day starter also brings on new expectations from the organization and from fans.  Although Danks has not many problems on the mound in the past, if he struggles in Texas, Robin Ventura may look to someone else on the pitching staff to lead the rotation.  When asked about Danks, Ventura said, "He's the guy we want to lead off with and count on. And he's willing to take that on. I like when I look in his eyes what I see back."  Hopefully with support from Ventura and other teammates Danks is able to overcome any obstacles and have a successful opening day.  More of this article can be found at http://chicago.whitesox.mlb.com/news/article.jsp?ymd=20120326&content_id=27641492&vkey=news_cws&c_id=cws