The 108 Interview Series – Laurence Holmes

I recently got the opportunity to ask a few of our favorite questions to our favorite person on the radio.  And even though he’s down on my guy James Shields and I want to know a ton more about this Marquis Grissom incident, this is a great interview.  If you’re not familiar with Laurence Holmes, he’s the host of the Laurence Holmes Show on 670 the Score and he also has a fantastic podcast called House of L.  You should check out both, but as a Sox fan, I would definitely recommend checking out the Benetti episode of the podcast.  If you’re a fan of sports radio in general, the George Ofman episode is basically a history of Chicago sports radio.  I can go on for days about Laurence, but why not just check out his answers to our questions:

Likes

Favorite game that you were at? Blackout Game.

Favorite all-time player that does not have a statue on the concourse? Jermaine Dye.

Favorite drink and dinner at the park? I don’t really drink that often. Churros, street tacos, charred premium dog.

Favorite place to sit at Sox Park? Gold Club.

Favorite Sox uniform? Black Tops, Pinstripe Pant.

Favorite Sox giveaway? Hawk Alarm Clock.

Favorite Sox theme night? House Music Night.

Dislikes

What irks you the most about White Sox fans? Them worrying about what the Cubs are doing, when it isn’t a head-to-head series.

What is the worst part of being a Sox fan? Having to defend the South Side of Chicago to people who’ve never spent any time there.

Worst part of the game day experience? The lines on $1 dog day.

What really grinds your gears? Adult autograph seekers.

Least favorite White Sox player of all time? James Shields (although, professionally, he was great to deal with).

Worst opposing fans? Red Sox fans.

Game Day

Most memorable experience as a White Sox fan? Being on the World Series parade bus, turning down King Drive at 35th and seeing school children waving white socks at the parade as it went by. I choke up thinking about it every time.

Ballpark experience, how could it be better? I’ve never really had an issue that’s worthy of speaking of. I always walk away having had a great time.

Best Sox Park hack? Take the Green Line. Less crowded from downtown.

What brings you back for every game? I love baseball and Sox fans are lucky to have such a great park.

Feelings on the wave? Live your life, but I’m not participating.

Which gate is your favorite to enter the park from? 5. I like walking up the ramp and seeing the skyline.

How early do you get to games? If I’m working, 3:30 hours before the game. 10 minutes before first pitch if I’m just being a fan.

What do you bring to games? Whichever cap I feel like sporting that day.

How many games do you go to each year? 20-30.

Section 108 Questions

What is your favorite baseball word? “Filthy”

What is your least favorite baseball word? “unwritten rules”

What gets you excited about the White Sox?  The attempt at a full-fledged rebuild.

What makes you sad about the White Sox? All the injuries that have happened to the prospects.

What sound or noise at the ballpark do you love? Pop of the catcher’s mitt in the bullpen.

What sound or noise at the ballpark do you hate? The “make noise” thing.

What is your favorite Hawkism? Get on back there.

The Mets have Thor, what superhero or superheroes do the Sox have? Yolmer is kind of like Rocket Raccoon…

What comic book character would be your #1 pick as a baseball player? Captain America.

What comic book movie would you remake? Green Lantern.

What comic book character deserves a movie that has not yet had one? Black Adam.

Which two guys from your A Team would you pick to go against the 108ers in 3 on 3 basketball (we got a lot of girth)? Tony Gill & Melissa Rokaitis

Gimme an “Uncle Rico” moment from your sports playing past.  I once pitched 5 2/3 of relief in the first game of a doubleheader (we were getting blown out) against Northwestern. My curve ball got more effective as my arm tired out and I started the 2nd game because I was having success. I struck out 7. Back then I could throw 80 mph. I was a catcher. I couldn’t lift my arm for a week after that.

You vs Siera Santos in a hot dog eating contest..What is the line? Who wins? I got Crohn’s disease. No eating contests for me.

The White Sox want to add a doughnut stand in the park, what local establishment should it be? Huck Finn. It makes too much sense.

Favorite cut of steak? Prepared? Filet. Medium Well.

You seem to be comfortable in all forms of media: radio, tv, pod, social media. Is there any type of media you dislike? Nope.

Mitch walks in and says you have to take on a co-host, but it can be anyone you want. Who are you on the air with the next day? Goff.

You seem to work hard to get your producers involved with your on air show (Herb, Joe O, etc) with great success over time, how are you able to do that and why is that important to you? The show is loosely based on what Dan Patrick and Dan LeBatard are doing. Yeah, I’m the center of it, but I work with a lot of talented people. I think it’s important to let them shine. My job is to help them get to the next place, whether it’s another time slot as a producer or helping them develop their on-air style. I believe in the theory of “lift as you climb.”

When should we expect the release of the other 2 hours of the Jason Goff interview we all know is out there? It’s my highest rated episode of the podcast. Why would I horde extra sound?

What is your greatest fear about the “rebuild”? That injuries will derail the vision.

What is there about this team that excites you the most? Not lot to be excited about right now. Just want to see what their approach is to the offseason, with free agency and how they’re managing prospect development.

Give us a #HotTake about the rebuild. I don’t do #HotTake.

What was your go-to DePaul bar? I think State has really good food.

Would you rather see a DePaul football program or Demon Dogs reopen?  DePaul having a football team would raise my salary as a professor, so that…

What is your favorite alcoholic drink? Be specific and feel free to go with more than one if you need to. My wife was a bartender for 20 years. She makes a killer margarita on the rocks with kosher salt on the rim.

You’re coming to a FromThe108 tailgate, other than Herb Lawrence, what are you bringing? Whatever you guys need me to bring.

Best #108ing story (that you can tell us) I’m pretty boring. Other than Jonathon Hood and I relentlessly mocking Marquis Grissom, I got nothing.

Who do you hate more Jim Belushi or John Cusack? Belushi.

Happy Ending

What other Chicago teams do you enjoy? All of them, but I’m only emotionally attached to DePaul.

Favorite Chicago sports history moment? Jackie Robinson breaking the color barrier.

Favorite all-time Sox broadcaster? Jason Benetti.

Any stories about running into or meeting White Sox players? Other Chicago athletes? I convinced Charles Tillman to run the Shamrock Shuffle. He beat me by 25 minutes without training.

Favorite band? The Roots.

What is your favorite song? “As” by Stevie Wonder

Favorite TV Show (or Netflix or HBO or whatever)? Star Trek: Next Generation.

Do you remember your first Sox game? Nope. They all blend together from when I was kid.

What player had the greatest impact on you? Paul Konerko. Best interview in town.

What was the happiest day watching the Sox? The end of game 3 of the 2005 World Series. I finally felt like they were going to win.

What was the saddest day watching the Sox? End of the 2012 season. They had gotten the magic number down to 11 and then collapsed.

If you could live in any other time, when might that be? There’s not really a time in the past where things get easier for people of color. I’d be interested in checking out the future as long as I had the choice to come back to now.

If you could have dinner with five White Sox players/broadcasters, past and present, who would they be? Not to brag, but I’ve had a meal with: Hawk, Stone, DJ, Ed, and Benetti, so I’m pretty much covered.

If you could change one thing in your past, what might that be? I would’ve gone to Law School.

What are you most proud of? Being the GOAT of uncles and teaching my students.

How would you like to be remembered? As someone who worked hard and was a great teammate.

What is the one thing about you few people know? I’m uncomfortable in crowds.

What do you dislike most about yourself? I don’t say no enough.

What do you dislike most in others? Being inauthentic.

What were your best/worst subjects in school? I have a degree in History. I’ve always hated math.

What do you like doing in your spare time? Strangely enough, watching sports.

Who is your celebrity crush? J-Lo.

What is your favorite movie? Training Day.

What is your favorite baseball movie? Sugar.

What is your biggest/weirdest fear? Failure.

What would be your one super power? Physical regeneration.

What would you change your name to? I love my name.

What pet would you love to have? I don’t have time to take care of a pet properly.

What is your one biggest pet peeve? Talent that isn’t matched by drive.

What is your one annoying habit? Forgetting where I put my keys.

What would be a good theme song for your life? “Til I Collapse” by Eminem

What ballpark would you like to visit? Dodger Stadium.