Game Day: Saturday, June 20th

In yesterday's Game Day post, I made an attempt to name the starting lineups for the 1989 Oakland A's and the 2005 Chicago White Sox.  

I did well with the A's, I had it right for the most part.  Mike Gallego did play some second base that season despite being the primary shortstop.  I missed on Tony Phillips, who was the primary second baseman that season and I forgot Dave Parker at the DH.  He was a big part of that team and that lineup.  I also forgot Mike Moore in the rotation and Moore was the best pitcher on the team that season.  Dave Stewart won 21 games and Moore won 19 games.  Bob Welch won 17 games that season and Storm Davis, a player I don't remember all that well, also won 19 games.  

I was in Illinois, collecting baseball cards, reading the paper, and rooting for the A's as a fan of Jose Canseco and I really loved that team, I collected every A's card I could get my hands on.  I had a Vida Blue / Gene Tenance rookie card.  I had McGwire rookie card, Jose Canseco rookie card, I might of even had at one time had a Rickey Henderson rookie card.  I played third base a kid and Carney Lansford was a player I liked because he was like me, great defense and a so-so hitter at the plate.

Great team.  A's famous General Manager, Billy Beane, was on that ball club and got a ring in 1989, the Battle of the Bay Series with the epic earthquake that collapsed the bridge, the A's swept the Giants in four games.  

I have two rings as a fan.  I've been an earnest fan of two World Series championship teams.  The A's in 1989 and the White Sox in 2005, but it seems my memory of that White Sox team escapes me completely.  I attempted to name the lineup of that and missed completely.  The only two players I got right were AJ Pierzynskin at catcher and Mark Buerhle in the rotation.

I looked up that roster last night, it was Konerko, Iguchi, Uribe and Crede around the diamond.  I named the team from the nineties.  That is the White Sox team that I loved to watch play as a kid.  Big Frank at first base, Darren Jackson at second, Ozzie at shortstop and Robin Ventura at third base.  Lance Johnson and Tim Raines in the outfield.  Bo Jackson played some game with us in the nineties.  I remember Carlton Fisk and Ron Karkovice at catcher.  Wilson Alvarez on the mound.  Carlos Quentin hitting dingers.  I loved those White Sox teams the most, far more than the 2005 World Series team.

I was in Naples, Florida that year.  I had moved to Florida for a job and wasn't in Chicago when the White Sox won the World Series.  I didn't get to see many games that season as a result and it's a big reason why I failed so badly to name that team.  I'm still claiming my ring as a fan of the White Sox.  I was still a fan of that team albeit a laissez-faire fan.  I was more focused on losing my paycheck playing poker in those days.  

I returned to Illinois in 2006, Naples, Florida didn't take.  I didn't like the job and that was the primary reason I went to Florida that year.  I did play some poker at the dog track.  I did have a few Cuban sandwiches but I never made it to Miami for a ballgame.  Florida never sticks for me.  I always yearn to be back in Illinois. 

That's it for Game Day today.  There is a pick on that board and I'm going to try and extract some advantage from the numbers here shortly.  Stay tuned, I'll have the pick up before post time.

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