Let’s turn the Beer into Wine

Posted on by mysoxsummer

Many of us enjoy wine.  Most of us whom enjoy wine, do not think about consuming wine at the ball park.

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Why?  I have a couple theories…

Theory one – no one talks about having a chardonnay and a polish.  You just don’t equate wine and encased meats, as a pair.

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Theory two – there aren’t good wine options at the park, so it isn’t worth it.  Let’s dive into this theory a bit more…

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In my travels throughout the ballpark this summer, with Quernzy (Chorizy-E’s lady,) we discovered there were plenty of food and beverage stands that offered “wine”.  Why the quotes?  Let’s be real, on a hot summer day, or any day for that matter, I am not going to reach for Barefoot® Merlot.  Ever.

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The only spot that had a decent selection was the Xfinity bar (located directly behind Section 108).  They had brands like Mark West® (fairly consistent Pinot Noir, inexpensive retail price,) Estancia® and Mirassou® – three varietals – as well as several other brands.

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Why should we care about wine at the ballpark?

  1. More people are drinking wine than ever before. According to the Wine Institute, in 2000, the U.S. population consumed 568 million gallons of wine.  In 2015, that number was up to 913 million gallons consumed.
  2. It’s a moneymaker! Restaurants and bars charge $10-$15 dollars per glass of wine.  Since the ballpark charges $9 for a glass of wine at the Xfinity bar, think of all the sales they could have by selling better wine?
  3. With all the new gourmet food offerings, wine would be a great pairing with some of these foods.

 

Here are some inexpensive favorites I would like to put forth for consideration:

  • Pine Ridge Chenin Blanc Viongier – Cool, crisp and very refreshing during the hot, summer baseball months.
  • Laetitia Pinot Noir – Can drink it with anything! Yes, the polish would go nicely with this choice.  It is a medium bodied red, so if you are wanting to switch from a white wine to a red, start here.
  • Educated Guess Cabernet Sauvignon – as we head into the Sox final weeks and the weather is a little cooler, this delicious red will add a little warmth as you are huddled in the stands. And hey, if we make it to the post season next year, there are bound to be some cold games where a beer doesn’t seem as popular.

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What are your favorite wine brands 108 fans?  We’d love to hear from you!

Mrs. Beefloaf is an avid wine drinker, traveler, animal lover, business owner, wife and mom.  You can follow Mrs. Beefloaf on Twitter @KRamos25

Bandwagon Cubs Fans, Repent!

Posted on by mysoxsummer
Folks, its your old buddy BeefLoaf…………this is a special post, a playoff baseball post.  This is a post that should help you and more importantly, your Cubs fan friends, enjoy baseball this time of year.  A recent series of discussions between the 108ers helped us identify that most of OUR friends that claim their fandom to the Northside team, are very, very casual fans and few, if any, actually attended, or even so much as watched or listened to games during their extended hiatus from playoff baseball.  Now, this isn’t a sin in the biblical sense, but it is a sin of fandom if you intend to sport your Cubbie blue all over the goddamn place and choose to be obnoxious to your fellow Southsider that has been living and dying with an awful team for 8 years.  So upon further review (no worries, Mike Carey isn’t advising us), I decided to create a list of things that the bandwagon Cubs fans can do to repent and feel full enjoyment for this current playoff run.  White Sox fans, please pass this list on to your Cubs fan friends and together we can live in harmony, like ebony and ivory.
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– Re-embrace Sammy Sosa………..I’m tired of it, as Cubs fans, you love Sammy Sosa, so I want you to bring him back in to your life….I think hanging an 8×11 photo of him in your den should do the trick.  Extra credit for hanging a picture of “White” Sammy Sosa
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– Buy an old school shirsey………….I’d suggest EITHER something from your childhood, whatever era that might be (I’m in my late 30’s so a Manny Trillo shirsey might be fun)………..OR a guy that none of the other bandwagon fans know who the fuck they are…….like 2012 All Star Bryan LaHair
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– Drink nothing but Old Style for an entire playoff game.  It used to be the main beer at the park on Sheffield and Addison, so go nostalgic and knock back some Old Style
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– Rewatch Glenallen Hill’s May 11, 2000 monster fucking home run.  It’s seriously the longest fucking home run I have ever seen (I don’t care what the record books say).  And it’s so easy to find in the YouTube era, so go check it out.  If it is your first time viewing it, please watch it in private, because it’s NSFW
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7wDrw76ieTs
– Adopt some vintage Cubs styles to your personal ensemble……I’ll leave this to your imagination, but a couple of things that would really endear you to the hard core Cubs fans and your White Sox brethren as well would be getting a perm like 80’s closer Lee Smith, or possibly an I ❤️ Sandy Sandberg tattoo, you know, something really classy
– Say it out loud, so all can hear…”FUCK RYAN DEMPSTER AND HIS STUPID FUCKING IMPRESSION OF WILL FARRELL DOING HARRY CARAY!!!!” We all know this sucks, and I’m still not sure why this is allowed to be on TV.  You’ll be considered part of the die-hards if you say this blows

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– Make sure others know that you blame Alex Gonzalez and Dusty Baker’s over usage of Mark Prior in game 2, for the 2003 team’s NLCS collapse, and NOT Steve Bartman.
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– Create a macaroni statue of your favorite current player or coach, I’d suggest Chris Bosio as it would take the most possible macaroni of any person in the dugout.   Don’t let him near your statue though, I doubt he could resist, as it appears his self control around the table is in question.
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– Get into a bar fight with Kyle Farnsworth.  To be honest, most of you  have probably already done this, or if you are woman, you have been sloppily hit on by him, so this is probably the least necessary one on the list, but I’ll leave it on here for those that were incarcerated or underage during those years.

Godspeed.

 – BeefLoaf

The 5 – Players that RV will waste playing time on in a lost September

Posted on by mysoxsummer
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I don’t trust grown men who wear rubber bracelets.
When it gets to September the last several years, it is almost certain that our White Sox are just playing out the string.  That doesn’t mean that this time of year can’t be valuable in some way shape or form even if that doesn’t have anything to due with the Win/Loss columns in the 2016 standings.  Smarter writers than those here at the 108 have noted that PA (Plate Appearances) are a commodity to be used wisely.  Alas, we still have Robin Ventura at the helm and he’s guaranteed to hurt the White Sox down the stretch even when the standings don’t matter, by giving those valuable PA to players that don’t matter and leaving on the bench players we’d like to see, to determine if they can be someone on the big club……….the list below…in no particular order, will make me cry when it actually occurs.
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James, don’t go away mad. James, just go away. #crue #wallymoney
5. James Shields – Wasting even one more start this season on this dumpster fire is terrible team management top to bottom.   I understand he’s likely to exercise his option and be under contract for two more seasons, but running him out there as a starter in 2016 for the White Sox or Padres has been downright dreadful.  Alternative –  Carson Fulmer Anthony Raunado  I know Raunado hasn’t been too hot since his first start at Wrigley, but giving him a little run is worth a lot more than watching James Shields get to 20 losses (sorry Biguns). Other ideas – Bullpen game or use the Rays 5th starter idea (this is when the Rays would start a high leverage reliever for the 1st inning and then bring in a starter in the 2nd inning and have them face roughly 18 batters to avoid the 3rd time through the lineup penalty)
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Playing Edward Mc 40 Hands? F Yeah.
4. Brett Lawrie – If he recovers we don’t really need to see him again, we know what he is……………high energy, meh production, major injury risk.  Alternative – Carlos Sanchez I know his OPS is lower than the weight of some of our fellow Sox fans, but he’s still young, hasn’t had a lot of PA’s in MLB and could possibly show something that either the White Sox or some other team in trade may find valuable.  The glove has been there, but I’d like to see some more PA’s to determine if he can be passable with the bat.  Other ideas – Tyler Saladino is clearly still a bench player on this team next year so no harm in him getting the PAs
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Love my friend. Love his wife more.

 

3. Avisail Garcia – He’s received nearly 1500 PA, for a slash line of .259/.310/.384, that’s right folks, he’s Dayan Viciedo with even less power.  Suffice to say, he shouldn’t be on this roster next year unless full scale rebuild is occurring and you are just looking for warm bodies to help you gather up a top 5 draft pick.  Alternatives – Jason Coats has done nothing but hit at the top levels of the minors, so there isn’t a good reason not to give him as many PA’s in September as possible.  Let’s see if he can actually hit in the majors and determine from there his best use (probably in a trade, or in LF after trading Melky).   Other Ideas – Tyler Saladino could get worked out in a corner OF spot just to give him reps for emergencies in the future.  Again, this isn’t a minors loaded with ready OF’s or hitters (RIP Charlie Tilson).  Other Other Ideas – Jacob May it truly could not hurt to see Jacob May man CF a few times during September, I just want to put an eye on him even if he’s not really a player.  If JB Shuck absorbs any of this playing time, you know we’re fucked.
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Might be the last time we ever post this picture. EL NINO!
2. Matt Albers – His career is probably over so there is no upside here other than tanking for a protected draft pick.  There was a time in April of this vary season (when the White Sox were the best team EVAR) that Albers was a fan favorite of the 108, El Nino…………now, he’s basically become Chris Farley in Beverly Hills Ninja, once beloved, but now just playing out the string and close to the end.  Alternatives – Zach Burdi Anything Other Ideas – Release him tomorrow
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Dollar Shave Club brah. 
1.  Alex Avila – I see no point in playing anyone at catcher other than Omar Narvaez, with a sprinkling of Kevan Smith.     Let’s see an extended look and determine if Narvaez is your #1 catcher next year in a rebuild or your #2 catcher next year on a team making another (sigh) run.  Alternatives – Omar Narvaez  Other Ideas – Omar Narvaez………just fucking play him everyday and twice on Sunday!!!!

– BeefLoaf