Month: April 2019

Aloha friends, I am BACK and fresh off a trip to Maui, in which I ate and drank much, moderately crisped my skin and all in all had a bitchin’ time with our island brethren.  While I was gone, some shit went off the rails between our White Sox and them punk bitches, the Kansas City Royals.  Lost in the aftermath of odd ejections and suspensions and usages of colloquialisms was the fact that MLB pitchers, for the better part of 130 years have been able to throw a projectile at their hitting counterparts like a 3 year old throwing a tantrum, without consequence.  This just doesn’t seem right to me.  If your 3 year old were throwing a fucking tantrum, you’d want there to be some consequence, wouldn’t you?  I know I would.  So I thought to myself, I said “Self.  Think of some ways to add consequence to this action.”…..I give you, the 5.

5 – Hitters may charge the mound, with the bat (5 game suspension, just like the pitcher)

I’m not a violent guy, I don’t like honor culture bullshit, but I also don’t like unwritten rules that allow one group a significant upper hand just because.  I’m not even talking Bert Campaneris or Pedro Guerrero shit right here.  I’m talking running out there and smashing the pitcher (or any hero teammate that happens to get in the way) with the bat.  If the pitcher can use his greatest weapon to “get even” with the hitter, then what’s fair is fair.  Truth be told, this kind of action would probably be the bump that good old Rob Manfred is looking for in regards to viewership from da yutes.

4 – Automatic 40 game suspension, WITHOUT PAY for the offending pitcher

You don’t like Jack Parkman’s little shimy and want to make him pay for it, how’s about you open your fucking wallet and put your money where your mouth is.  40 games is roughly 25% of the season.  Could you imagine these fake tough guys in stirrups willingly putting up 25% of their pay to throw at another player?  As if.  I recently listened to Ben Lindbergh’s excellent podcast Effectively Wild in which he had Danny Knobler on to talk about his new book that discusses this subject.  Knobler was great,….except for the part where he didn’t want to give out longer suspensions because he wasn’t sure about if he’d get it right.  Danny, let’s not be probabilistically blind.  If hitter A smashes a big dong, does a Rod Tidwell-esque dance about the field before crossing home plate

and is summarily hit in the neck with a pitch the next time he returns to the plate, well, I don’t think we need to get Columbo in here to figure out this mystery.  I think we know what is going on.

3 – Make the intentional hit by pitch worth a run

The single base seems like too low of a penalty to render.  The pitcher doesn’t care about 1 base, it’s well worth hitting a guy in the throat….I mean, tokhis…..and give up 1 base.  Fuck it!  If it’s some intentional shit, make it worth a run.  Make it the equivalent of another fucking home run.  The pitcher likes giving up taters anyway and doesn’t seem too concerned with getting anyone out.  Make it worth a run.

2 – Make the manager culpable, FINE THE MANAGER

I’ll let yous out there reading this fine piece of bloggerings decide what the fine should be exactly, but something along the lines of the 40 game suspension above.  You want to see this sort of mentality “coached” out of the proverbial baseball bloodstream, make sure the Manager gets themselves all fucked up when it happens.  You know this drill, if your boss has to eat shit for your mistake, well, you are a lot more careful about making those mistakes.  I just want consequences here, that is all.

1 – Offending team loses 3 home games the following season

If all else fails, if you can’t get the idiot pitcher to act in his own financial interest, and if you can’t get the idiot manager to act in his own financial interest, there is undoubtedly one party that will always act in their own financial interest.  OWNERSHIP.  I can just envision the enraged pitcher having to weigh whether he wants to throw his little hissy fit on the field or if he’d enjoy being employed by a major league club.   Just imagine the OWNER only getting 78 home games the next season instead of 81, think of how happy he’ll be to lose all that revenue.

 I for one would love to see any of these consequences figured into the “discussion” about retaliation hitting.  The pitchers just throw too hard for this practice to continue in its current state and there is too much risk to the hitters from these things from ending their careers to potential death.  Enough is enough.

-BeefLoaf

“Long time listener, first time caller!”

Hi everyone, Uncle Rico here with my first blog for the 108.  I met the 108’ers through MSS several years ago. Our love and obsession for bobbleheads and the White Sox is ultimately how we became friends.  This was also around the time when the Section 108 blogs, twitter, Sunday Soaks, etc. started as well. I don’t wanna take credit but…..

During Spring Training, MSS in his infinite quest to exploit everyone associated with the 108, asked me to write a blog on how I got started collecting bobbleheads.  My first thoughts were, “No one is going to read this and I have no idea what to write.” Nonetheless, here goes…

When I was younger I was a huge baseball, basketball and football card collector.  Like most kids growing up in the 80s and 90s, I wasted so much of my allowance on cards.  Looking back on it, we were all duped that these pieces of cardboard would be worth hundreds of dollars when we were older (obviously due to over production, that was not the case).  That future uncertainty is what initially kept me away from the bobble game, not to mention my OCD to complete collections…

Fast forward to May 27, 2007… our White Sox were playing at home vs the Tampa Bay Devil Rays.  My buddies wanted to go to that game because there was an Ozzie Guillen bobblehead giveaway.  At first I didn’t want to keep this “doll” because I knew my history and OCD with collecting things, but sure enough, I kept it.  This would become the first of many bobbleheads that I would collect…

Then came my birthday on September 16, 2007.  My pops joined me for a game that afternoon vs the L.A. Angels of Anaheim, California.  Not only was it my b-day, it was also Jim Thome bobblehead day.  That day became even more special when Senor Thome crushed a walk-off homer to win the game, which was also his 500^th career home run.  Needless to say, that bobblehead will never leave my possession.  

After those two games is when I was hooked and the OCD started kicking in.  I became obsessed with finding all of the older bobbles and started posting on message boards (WSI and “The Bobbleboard” on Yuku).  Unknown to me until many years later, MSS was also on these boards and also following my posts, especially the Sox list I compiled on WSI.  It’s hilarious to me how many White Sox collectors have referred back to that list when trying to complete their collections. I had no idea it would be that helpful.

Posting on message boards morphed into searching on eBay, Facebook groups and thrift stores.  That is around the time MSS and I started chatting on FB and eventually realizing we were both on the old message boards.

One day MSS came into possession of an extra Greg Walker bobble and agreed to sell it to me. As weird as it is, meeting MSS is the first time I met someone in person that I met online LOL.  He was gentle and offered some chicken wings after our transaction, so nice of him. He didn’t even call me a pussy for not drinking a beer.

During my pursuit of a complete collection, I’ve had some ups and downs and big mistake that could’ve been worse.  

• I once got scammed into buying some “prototype” bobbleheads that I later saw at the stadium gift shop for considerably less money. (Fuck that guy. For real.)
• Several times I scored with cheap prices on bobbleheads that I was able to flip for five times of what I paid.
• I once fat fingered an eBay bid by bidding $2000 when I meant to put $200.  Ended up winning the auction for $450. Since then, I have only seen that bobblehead one other time as it is has become a holy grail for White Sox collectors.

All that being said, you need to be careful and smart when collecting anything.  The internet is your friend for researching. Sometimes though, you need to take a chance when an opportunity is there, because you may never see it again. But if you see them all over eBay, just wait it out. Many times the prices will go down.

I eventually found all of the past bobbleheads I was missing and now have a complete set for team-issued White Sox bobbleheads.  No idea how much this collection is worth, but I can tell you it has been very fun collecting and definitely rewarding. Thankfully, Mrs. Rico has been supportive of this obsession and allows me to keep them on display.

If you are a collector and need a check list for Chicago teams, check out this link that the Chicago Bobbleheads FB group put together.  Good Luck and Bobble On!

– Uncle Rico

Thanks to Uncle Rico for this blog! I gave him a quick 10 questions about the bobbleheads!

1. Favorite Bobble You Own 2007 Jim Thome, special day (500th HR and my b-day). 2. Best marker/ paint pen / location to get your bobbles signed. Deco Ultra Fine Point for sure. Typically the side of the helmet, however, I prefer the base if it is flat. Rough surfaces do NOT sign well. 3. Does an autograph devalue the bobble? This is a long time debate from the old Yuku message board. I personally feel it’s “eye of the beholder.”  I like getting them signed because I’m going to display them and don’t have a lot of room for additional baseballs, etc. A lot of the old timers feel it devalues the bobble, but let’s be honest, a lot of them are scammers too and only buy to resell. A wholeother debate is does the original box matter in the value?  I’ve seen $100 swings in prices because of the box being with the bobble or not being with it. 4. Explain the difference between Retail and SGA. “Retail” is a bobble purchased at the store or online. They are massed produced and over priced in my opinion. “SGA” is a stadium giveaway, they are limited and more special in my opinion. Interpretation of SGA can bestretched to “team issued” as well… a.k.a. season ticket holder gifts, SoxFest releases, Kids Club, Fantasy Camp and White Sox Charity Bobbles. 5. What do you think will happen to your collection after you move on? I sure hope they still have some value so my kids can sell them off for some funds. If not, then split up between my kids to remember me. We aremoving to AZ in a few years for work and I’m very hopeful they all make the trip without being broken or lost. It’s crossed my mind to sell them offbefore the move since I won’t be around to get the new ones, but I highlydoubt that will happen. Plus, MSS and Wally$ will be my sources for the ones I miss. Ha. 6. Checklist items to take to a bobblehead game. Pretty simple, get in line early, bring multiple tickets if looking to stock up and a backpack (or Ikea bags if you are MSS). 7. What do you use to display your bobbles? Ikea Billy Bookcase is the only way to go. 8. Save the box or no box? I save the box and have 3 big plastic bins filled with them in my attic. I have 2 bins on reserve for future bobbles. 9. Bobbleheads are a giveaway.  But are they free? Good question! It’s even been debated in the Ohio court systems recently too. They are free, but they aren’t. Sponsors paid to have their logo on the giveaway and therefore, it’s a free item when you enter the park. However, you do need a ticket to get one. Resellers will say that it’s not free because you also have to pay for gas to get to the stadium, parking, ticket, person’s time, etc. I see both arguments, but I’m not typically reselling, unless Mrs Rico joins me for the game. 10. Hardest SGA that you were sure you weren’t gonna get but ended up getting? Well, I’ve never missed out on a SGA that I went to the game for. Partly because I make sure to get there very early. This year I’m pretty nervous about the 50 check in prize as I won’t be there that many games this season. I’ll have to cross my fingers for the twitter machine or a future garage sale.

Hey, it’s your #fat buddy MySoxSummer! From time to time I lament to Beef and Chorizy that it’s “too damn hard to have content available for a podcast, blog and a soak”. So since we won’t do 2 outta 3 this week, I figured I should write up a quick blog on some shit I would have talked about this week on our excellent podcast. Here we go!

1. Opening Weekend

Bros (and bro-ettes) three fucking cheers for showing out and up to the park and numerous events that we as the crew attended. It’s always great to see our fans and friends hanging out in the 108 crushing beers and talking all sorts of bullshit. We shouted out a buncha yous on the Sunday Soak, it was awesome. I know it drives us to continue to put out our content and keep showing up to the park. Baseball aside it was a great weekend! Awesome crowds on Friday and Saturday, let’s keep that up, unless it’s a giveaway I can actually use. That sweatshirt line was a goddamn joke. Big shout out to The ‘Loafs for opening their home to the masses and for my family for helping me watch my girls while my wife was working (and playing) hard down in Florida. I couldn’t have been my best self without that help and I am truly grateful.

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2. The Team

Holy fuck, I wanna reserve my really final thoughts till we get a few division series in before I really jump off the bridge, but woah. There has been some bright spots, but we haven’t had that drive that I expected. Maybe it’s some growing pains as the team is young, or maybe it’s just a lack of talent. Can you blame Ricky Rents? Sure, but if you give a guy 4 broken pencils, it’s hard to expect him to draw a masterpiece. Maybe he could be the next Picasso, but it would take some serious fucking effort and time. I am gonna reserve judgement on some players too,mostly cause I think they are taking enough heat, but come on guys! Maybe it is a really slow start, maybe it’s that these guys can’t hit or pitch. I think there are too many easy plays that get fumbled. A total lack of discipline at the plate. I mean, we shouldn’t be all that surprised but at least catch the fucking ball. I will say this, if the year continues like it did for these first 2 series, we need to make some motherfucking changes from the top down.

3. BallPark Pass

We talked about this on the podcast and I was firmly in belief that the STH holders were kinda screwed by this. Mostly cause it was announced right before the season started there by taking in some money from the die hards and then making a play for the causal fan. Well since then, I have come to see it in a different light. If you get/got the lowest season ticket package you paid about $600. If you get this pass (which excludes 5 big games) you pay about $300 plus fees for 76 games. Now, to me, if you have the means and the desire to attend that many games, you have already bought a season ticket package. To me, if price is an issue, you already bought the cheap tickets. That includes the 5 big games and all sorts of season ticket holder benefits. It will cost ya about $50 more (according to the math that I have seen on the ‘book) which to me is well worth it. Plus you can say you were a season ticket holder from way back.

I tend to stay off the ‘book, but just today I engaged in a lengthy discussion with a fellow season ticket holder that attends all 81 games. He contended that this pass was introduced to attract in new fans, maybe Cub fans that have been priced out up north. #Shook. He was also contending that since this deal has taken effect his tickets have lost their value. Sadly, White Sox tickets aren’t worth the money they’re not printed on. See what I did there? #MoblieTicket. I can understand if you bought the cheapest tickets they had and then they dropped this on ya feeling jipped. But if you bought “premium” tickets, in “premium” areas, well, you knew what you were getting into, in my view. And if you aren’t into the perks of being a season ticket holder but wanna go to 81 games, well, you should know better. There are many ways to skin this cat. Today (4/10) there were $6 tickets on StubHub (including the fee). So do that legwork or wait it out next year. Cause I am not sure in a year this ship will be righted based on what you see on the field.

4. Wrigley Field Visit

My buddy from my hometown Dr. E texted me awhile back and asked if I was interested in going to the Cubs home opener. Dates and times worked out and he came in Saturday night. We hit Antique Taco and a Sox game on Sunday. Then we headed up north Monday to watch the Cubs just destroy the Pirates. A few things. I arrived late, so Dr. E left me a ticket at Will Call. It was as simple as giving them my ID. Took less than 5 minutes. It was #SoChoice. I ran into our beer vendors and they made sure that me and the guys never went dry. It was impressive and even drew the attention to a season ticket holder (both Cubs and Sox) who so graciously allowed us to use his 2 empty seats so we could live the high life. He first wanted to know if I was “somebody” which I (and my friend) assured him I was not. I just said these were guys that serve us hundreds of beers every season so we know each other. Being a guy who always appreciates the kindness of others, I made sure that guy didn’t buy a beer the rest of the game. He then wanted to know how I made my money and if it was legal. I assured him it was and let him know that I was just appreciative of him letting us squat in his seats. Getting in and out of the park was crazy easy, as was the bathroom visits. Only thing that was negative was one vendor who was carrying non-light beer (Dr. E hates the light beer) didn’t even say thanks on a tip. That irked me. $2 on $10 isn’t gonna make ya rich, but Jesus, why you so jaded bro?

5. Promo

So do you like magnetic schedules? OF COURSE YOU FUCKING DO. I have 3 to give away to the next 3 orders of a t-shirt or sweatshirt at our store found here. That’s right! A free magnetic schedule and I will even trow in a pocket one too! It’s crazy awesome. So get over to our store and order some merch!

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-MSS