White Sox 8, Indians 11
1. The history of the White Sox. Prior to the start of the game, the video board ran a five minute mini-documentary on the history of the White Sox, reviling in the championships won, most recently coming in 2005, flaunting the former star players and managers, excluding the 1918 debacle and culminating with highlights of the current White Sox team. When the video ended, the White Sox ran onto the field, making me think that was one of the greatest openings of any game I’ve attended.
2. Every Stadium should have 2 for 1 hot dog special. I can’t be the only person who only eats hot dogs at ballparks. I may add fries to that order (especially if they’re crab fries) but I cannot go to a ballgame without having a hot dog, which made two for one hot dog an amazing special. According to the guy next to us, two for one hot dog is an everyday occurrence if you get to the Stadium early, so why doesn’t every other Stadium offer this?
3. Aaron Rowand is still alive and well in ChiSox fans hearts. I know that jerseys are expensive and even if you’re favorite player gets traded to say the Phillies and moves onto the Giants during free agency, you may not financially be in a place to purchase a Jim Thome or Paul Konerko jersey, but it was nice to see the three Rowand jerseys floating around the Stadium not to mention the tribute to the 2005 team, which he was a member of. Now if only Pat Gillick could have coughed up the cash for him in Philly…
4. Kansas City is your friend. At the time, the White Sox were trailing the Twins by a half game in the NL Central with Minnesota in the midst of their series with Kansas City. The White Sox fans needed the Royals to win if their hopes of a post-season were to remain alive. As it turned out, the Royals pounded the Twins and with each Royal run, the crowd roared and the four Royals fans seated in the section to the left of me stood up and basked in their lowly Kansas City’s glory.
5. Nick Swisher is a man of the people. As some background, I was seated in the final section of the bleachers, closest to the real seats and White Sox bullpen. Nick Swisher was playing left field and everytime he would run out to left, the fans would cheer him. Even as the score turned strongly in the Indians favor, people’s admiration for Swish never swayed. They would comment on the White Sox gloom, “Swish it hurts us too.” But it was never said in a demeaning way. At one point, the crowd cheered Nick and he turned to the crowd and pointed, like he was saying “I love you guys too.” I’ve never seen a group of fans treat a player in such a manor before! Admittedly, it was kind of nice to see.
6. It was not a good night to be a shortstop. Between the Indians and White Sox, Asdrubal Cabrera and Orlando Cabrera, the two shortstops combined for three errors in the game.
7. It was also not a good night to be a White Sox pitcher. At the rate Manager Ozzie Guillen was bringing in relievers, I was thinking that they would soon need to start taking fans from the crowd and bring them in to pitch and that those fans may do a better job than John Danks, D.J. Carrasco, Mike MacDougal and Horacio Ramirez who gave up 11 earned runs in six and a third innings. (Carrasco did not even record an out before giving up two runs in the fifth.)
8. You’re never out of it. When the guy seated next to us was talking about how U.S. Cellular Field was a launching pad, I thought, I’m sure they give up a lot of homeruns, but I’ve been to Citizens Bank Park, a 10 year old could hit a ball out of there. But boy was I wrong, five players including Ryan Garko who hit a grand slam in the fifth, went deep. And a homerun hit by Jermaine Dye ended up falling a row in front of me, making it the closest I’ve ever come to bringing home a baseball. Because of the frequency of long balls, the five run lead the Indians had amassed by the bottom of the fifth did not seem insurmountable.
9. Although if you’re the White Sox, you found ways to give it away. Whether it was wild pitches, balks or hitting batters, the White Sox found unusual ways to get the Indians on base.
10. Fireworks are amazing. After the game ended and the Indians celebrated on the field and then the Stadium went completely dark. I started to think, ok sore loser, way to not even let the fans out before you turn the lights off. But instead I bared witness to the magic that is fireworks night. Our vantage point was fantastic, in the outfield in between the 1906/1917 banner and the 2005 banner. As the fireworks lightened the dark sky, the banners seemed to almost glow.
For more photos from the game click here.
1. The history of the White Sox. Prior to the start of the game, the video board ran a five minute mini-documentary on the history of the White Sox, reviling in the championships won, most recently coming in 2005, flaunting the former star players and managers, excluding the 1918 debacle and culminating with highlights of the current White Sox team. When the video ended, the White Sox ran onto the field, making me think that was one of the greatest openings of any game I’ve attended.
2. Every Stadium should have 2 for 1 hot dog special. I can’t be the only person who only eats hot dogs at ballparks. I may add fries to that order (especially if they’re crab fries) but I cannot go to a ballgame without having a hot dog, which made two for one hot dog an amazing special. According to the guy next to us, two for one hot dog is an everyday occurrence if you get to the Stadium early, so why doesn’t every other Stadium offer this?
3. Aaron Rowand is still alive and well in ChiSox fans hearts. I know that jerseys are expensive and even if you’re favorite player gets traded to say the Phillies and moves onto the Giants during free agency, you may not financially be in a place to purchase a Jim Thome or Paul Konerko jersey, but it was nice to see the three Rowand jerseys floating around the Stadium not to mention the tribute to the 2005 team, which he was a member of. Now if only Pat Gillick could have coughed up the cash for him in Philly…
4. Kansas City is your friend. At the time, the White Sox were trailing the Twins by a half game in the NL Central with Minnesota in the midst of their series with Kansas City. The White Sox fans needed the Royals to win if their hopes of a post-season were to remain alive. As it turned out, the Royals pounded the Twins and with each Royal run, the crowd roared and the four Royals fans seated in the section to the left of me stood up and basked in their lowly Kansas City’s glory.
5. Nick Swisher is a man of the people. As some background, I was seated in the final section of the bleachers, closest to the real seats and White Sox bullpen. Nick Swisher was playing left field and everytime he would run out to left, the fans would cheer him. Even as the score turned strongly in the Indians favor, people’s admiration for Swish never swayed. They would comment on the White Sox gloom, “Swish it hurts us too.” But it was never said in a demeaning way. At one point, the crowd cheered Nick and he turned to the crowd and pointed, like he was saying “I love you guys too.” I’ve never seen a group of fans treat a player in such a manor before! Admittedly, it was kind of nice to see.
6. It was not a good night to be a shortstop. Between the Indians and White Sox, Asdrubal Cabrera and Orlando Cabrera, the two shortstops combined for three errors in the game.
7. It was also not a good night to be a White Sox pitcher. At the rate Manager Ozzie Guillen was bringing in relievers, I was thinking that they would soon need to start taking fans from the crowd and bring them in to pitch and that those fans may do a better job than John Danks, D.J. Carrasco, Mike MacDougal and Horacio Ramirez who gave up 11 earned runs in six and a third innings. (Carrasco did not even record an out before giving up two runs in the fifth.)
8. You’re never out of it. When the guy seated next to us was talking about how U.S. Cellular Field was a launching pad, I thought, I’m sure they give up a lot of homeruns, but I’ve been to Citizens Bank Park, a 10 year old could hit a ball out of there. But boy was I wrong, five players including Ryan Garko who hit a grand slam in the fifth, went deep. And a homerun hit by Jermaine Dye ended up falling a row in front of me, making it the closest I’ve ever come to bringing home a baseball. Because of the frequency of long balls, the five run lead the Indians had amassed by the bottom of the fifth did not seem insurmountable.
9. Although if you’re the White Sox, you found ways to give it away. Whether it was wild pitches, balks or hitting batters, the White Sox found unusual ways to get the Indians on base.
10. Fireworks are amazing. After the game ended and the Indians celebrated on the field and then the Stadium went completely dark. I started to think, ok sore loser, way to not even let the fans out before you turn the lights off. But instead I bared witness to the magic that is fireworks night. Our vantage point was fantastic, in the outfield in between the 1906/1917 banner and the 2005 banner. As the fireworks lightened the dark sky, the banners seemed to almost glow.
For more photos from the game click here.
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