Happy Opening Day Everybody! It’s a fun day full of optimism and even though we fight alot, we are all united in the Sox Twitterverse because of our love of baseball. There are plenty of folks out there giving you the rah rah speeches, but that’s not me. I, MSS, am always thinking. And this tweet from Josh Nelson really got my brain smoking this AM. Give it a read….

I read this thread, which was excellent and brought about alot of feels, and some things stood out. This quote especially –

Next was the 1993 team. Then Frank Thomas getting his own shoes and video game. I was set for life.

Josh Nelson

I remember Frank Thomas’ rise in Chicago. I remember his endorsements. I had this Costacos Brothers poster on my wall (along with many others).

And It got me to question what is being done to market this game that we love to the younger generation. How is the MLB / Sox making sure there is another MSS or Josh Nelson years down the road? Like, do kids even have posters anymore? Is there a poster out there with Luis Robert dressed like the Black Panther? Or shirtless, with his bling, flanked by black panthers? I HAVE NO IDEA, but I am guessing NO. And why is that?

That is concerning to me. You have a player in Luis Robert that should be marketed to kids. I’m not sure what is being done to get these kids interested in the players and the game. Josh brings up the Thomas cleats (that EVERYONE wanted) and the video games. That 1993 White Sox team featured one of the biggest marketed MLB star EVER in my view, Bo Jackson. His legacy STILL lives on and he was a fucking superman back then. Bo Knows. I was a HUGE Bo fan and had the shirts, the cards, the book, Raiders gear and when he was picked up by the Sox I nearly lost my mind. My first Sox game featured Bo hitting his 2nd HR at New Comiskey in 1991. I watched it from maybe 10 rows from the top of the upper deck what that ridiculous 70 degree angle.

Remember that poster? Even an angst filled MSS kept this poster up and framed through high school. Where is the 2021 version featuring Luis or Moncada? Why aren’t these players marketed like a Bo Jackson? And who’s responsibility is it to make them marketable? If you look at Tim Anderson, he took the lead and started his own brand building. Back when he was a fresh faced kid wearing #12, I was on the TA bandwagon. I called it. Read that below.

Tim has since hired his own personal photographer Chris Tejeda because he understands the value in crafting that image. Controlling his brand. He knows that he can use his image to sell products to thousands of Sox fans. And maybe that is how it is gonna work from now on, which is kinda sad. I wish the kids were looking at these players like we looked at them back in the day, like the superheroes that they were. It seemed more fun growing up than it is now. The NBA is full of flash. Why can’t we do that in the MLB too?

-MSS