The One Hitter – Chicago Sports Depot

Posted on by mysoxsummer

As you may have noticed the last few days have been rather cool.  Yesterday my daughter and I took advantage of those temps and ventured down to the Chicago Sports Depot. I had noticed that they had a tent set up last homestand and I wanted to take advantage of their killer clearance prices.  If you are not familiar with the Depot, it is attached to the park and offer a bunch of very expensive Sox gear.  So expensive that in 2012 they advertised lower prices trying to get people to come in and look around.  Still isn’t working, but their clearance prices are bomb.  I have bought several things from them, usually at SoxFest when they offer half off their clearance prices, great deals for jerseys.  Well, if you don’t mind wearing an ex player.

Thursday I picked up a nice fitted hat for $10, hell of a score.  But while I was looking for more stuff something caught my eye.  Take a look –

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One of the things is not like the other (shout out to my boys on Sesame Street) guess which ones?  Now I am all for capitalizing on recent successes by a player.  Or even a new player.  So no big deal that they made these Delmonico and Giolito shirseys, but why so cheaply?  At least make them look like the others.  I walked over to see how much these official knockoffs were and was floored when I saw they were charging $29.99, same as the others.  That’s wrong on so many levels.

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I know it’s been a hard row to hoe for the Sports Depot.  Last season they sold all of their Southpaw “Bobblehead of the Month” bobbles for $10 each.  They were originally $79.99, then $35, and finally $10 and they had cases of them left.  At SoxFest this year one of the managers told me (after I told him that I really appreciated the low prices) that it was “great to run a non-profit business”.  I felt bad, but seeing this doesn’t make me feel better.  Maybe they need to sell reasonably priced merch?  Fitted hats there run you $40 to $50.  A hat! I used to buy tons, but now I wait it out, buy them on clearance for $10.

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I know they are trying to capitalize on a captive market that Jerry has created with his parking lots, but we got the internet on our phones now buddy!  We can order that hat and get it shipped for lower than your offering price.  So maybe you go for volume over big sales?  Just a thought.

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I am sure someone smarter than me has run the numbers and they might make more money with the initial sales being so high rather than a slow burn with a midlevel price. That is usually the first mistake I make, trusting people are qualified to be in the position they are in. It has been rather eye opening in recent years, as I have been downright disappointed with some people that I have met out there in the world that have gotten to levels in life and have no idea what they are doing.

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So if you are in a pinch and need a Sox hat or jersey and have extra money to spend, hit up the Sports Depot.  They are very nice and very helpful.  I have given them a bunch of money, but usually when they mark the merch way down.  Maybe it is time to reform the business plan, maybe it is working for them.  If you wanna chat, email me at mysoxsummer@gmail.com for the cheap fan perspective.

Hope you enjoyed your holiday weekend fam! Hope to see you at the park this week!

-MSS

The Good, The Bad, The Ugly #62forQ

Posted on by mysoxsummer

Friends, it’s your buddy BeefLoaf……I’m here to round up the weekend with, “the Good, the Bad, the Ugly”……..a little snippet of what the 108ers see when attending games for a Sox homestand…………..

The Good

#62forQ – On Thursday the White Sox traded Jose Quintana to the Cubs for Eloy Jimenez, Dylan Cease and two other prospects that are likely to be working at Chipotle by the end of the season.  This trade has fully cemented the White Sox rebuild as he is the last high profile player to be traded.  This trade also inspired the 108ers to start a campaign for the White Sox Friday Night game, the first game since the All-Star break  to celebrate Jose Quintana’s White Sox career, “Irish Wake Style”, by drinking 62 beers during the pre, game and post.  Of course, we crushed this goal and had a great time doing so…..special thanks to @Pete_Hand for buying the 108ers a round to help accomplish this.

 

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Avi Garcia – 2 Homers on Sunday and a pretty decent weekend at the plate in total show me that the White Sox lone All-Star is back on track.  He even kept his sock game strong as usual.  I’m not sure if he’ll be here past August 1st but he sure has been fun to watch this year.
6PM Saturday Games –  I, MSS, will admit that I wasn’t a huge fan of these late Saturday games at first.  But I LOVE THEM. I can get chores done, which Mrs. MSS LOVES, and THEN go get drunk with the boys.  I feel accomplished and I still get my fun time.  Plus it seems to do well with the crowds.  Lotta drunks though, which is good for business, bad for the security guys.

The Bad

Derek Holland – He looks cooked, he looks finished.  Everyone is hitting the ball hard off of him and to all fields.  I’d be in shock if he could have even 1 start the rest of the season in which he goes 7 innings.  Chorizy-E was mentioning that he as a $2M bonus if he hits 150 IP for the season.  He’s at 97 Innings right now, so maybe the Sox just make him go away John Danks style before long and we won’t have to watch him much more.  Bring on Reynaldo Lopez.

 

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“Kids Run The Bases!” Line – MSS took a piss in the 9th, d-hy-drate-d, and he could barely get into the bathroom because of this line.  Then while exiting, the goddamn line took up half of the concourse.  Teachers, parents always yell at kids to get in single file lines, time to take that advice yourself folks! Seems like this could be done better, but it’s the Sox, so who knows.

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The Ugly

Tim Anderson‘s Defense – We’ve written previously about Anderson’s struggles and the effects that some things in his personal life might be having on his performance.  He is struggling mightily this year and it is getting harder and harder to watch.  It seems that basically every game  he is making a major defensive gaff.  This year, I guess it’s fine because the more losses that pile up the better it is for the future, but goddamn is it tough to watch.  He could probably use a mental health day every so often, especially once Moncada is here.

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Sink Water Temp – Listen, we get it, the park and what goes on at the park can get messy and disgusting.  But 175 degree water in the bathroom by the 108 is insane yo! MSS made his way out slowly on Saturday, and stopped by a different bathroom and the water was a reasonable temp, so it can be done.  Poor BeefLoaf lost 2 layers of skin on his gnarly paws and MSS couldn’t keep his hand under there that long at all.  It’s nuts and dangerous.  Dangerous for your nuts too, just ask Slumpbuster.

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– BeefLoaf (and a few hits by MySoxSummer)

Remember what happened last year on 7/23/16? Of course you do! Matt “El Nino” Albers made his first start for the Chicago White Sox!  Because we couldn’t fit “El Nino” on a t shirt, we decided to commemorate the reason why he was on the mound: Chris Sale, his trusting hunting knife and some uncomfortable retro jerseys.  Have you seen the shirt yet?  God I hope so.  On 7/23/17 they will be $5 off, just go to our store and order one!  We have other shirts available too!  Plus any money we make goes towards new shirts that will make you proud to be a White Sox fan!
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My Once A Year* Rant About Bobbleheads.

Posted on by mysoxsummer

“Get a life and grow up.”

These words were uttered by Dave Kaplan. He was referring to this. Take a gander, it’s great.  We had a similar situation with the Hawk Clock on the southside. So yearly, I seem to make this same kind of post about SGA’s (stadium give aways), but teams don’t really change it up.  Why you ask?  Cause it works for them.  How?  Let me tell ya.

 

For the Cubs “Final Out” bobblehead it was destined to fail.  In our bobble circles, it was hyped (as most Cubs releases) and the cost of tix to the Cubs aren’t the cheapest.  Now, the original date is was to be given out the Cubs called the game right before the gates were to open due to “threat of rain”, and it never rained.  People were pissed, some had flown into town for the release (and I am hoping a Chicago vacation). It spawned a video from a fellow collector that had a guy screaming “Just give me my FREAKIN’ bobblehead!”.  It was lovely and sad all rolled up like a big loser burrito.

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If you aren’t a collector you don’t understand. These things make people mad, for reals.  The secondary market exploding doesn’t make it any easier either.  As they say in the video, they were up on Ebay for $80.  Many sold for over $100.  That is straight cash homie! Minus 13% that Ebay and it’s step-sister PayPal takes from the total.  Y’all know I collect these guys and I have spent a ton of money to get my collection. I own every bobblehead the Sox have ever released, and a bunch of retail ones too. It was a labor of love, fun to complete but left me with nothing to search for (or buy).

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Teams, although they say they don’t, fucking love this.  At the “Final Out” release people lined up at 8am to get in the gate first.  Those people got in early and of course they had to eat, drink, buy more shit and they had plenty of time to do that.  The guy who missed out on that one, will be sure to get there earlier next time which makes it even harder to get there early enough.  If you didn’t get your Sox sweatshirt, or Hawk clock, I bet you showed up early enough to get that sweet hawaiian shirt didn’t you?  Of course you did!  And you drank an extra Modelo and crushed a nacho helmet cause that is what you have to do when you get to a Sox game early.  So more money makes up for the promo cost (word is bobbles cost about $3 each to produce, which could be high) cause what do you think they make off a $9.75 beer?  We pay about a buck per beer for Modelo, so the Sox might pay 75¢ to make $9.  In the 108 alone, they make bank!  In fact, I am sure we paid for a part of Tim Anderson‘s contract extension.

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There is a group of guys (I might or might not be one of them) who procure extra bobbles for trading or selling purposes.  They might see it as a service to fans that can’t be there.  They might see it as it is, an opportunity to make some extra cash.  Many haters like to remind these people that the bobblehead is “free”, you are paying for the game after all. They deploy this theory in hopes to get a bobblehead from you for cheaper, with no work. I’d like to set the record straight, ain’t nothing free brah.  Gotta get the ticket.  Gotta get the parking. Gotta get the beers.  Gotta get the food.  Gotta drive there. Gotta drive home. Let’s say you live in Southern Illinois.  You gotta drive up to Sox park.  Gas ain’t free.  Let’s say $20 in gas.  Parking is $20.  Tickets, let’s say you get $7 tickets, with fees those are like $13.  Right now you are in for $53 to get your bobble, and you are thirsty and hungry.  But’s it’s free right?!?!?  Many Sox releases go for much less shipped on Ebay.  For most releases it is more cost effective to buy than it is to go.  Think about it like that.  Stop the hate. Especially you Double Agent James Duda.  Just kidding playa.

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So how can teams make this better?  Simple, up at Wrigley North (although soon enough Wrigley could be known as Miller Park South, Brew Crew Risin’) they have it all figured out.  Bobbleheads are “ALL FAN RELEASES”. If you are gonna buy 10k bobbles, buy 40k instead. If CostCo has taught me anything, you save if you buy in bulk. Over in Cleveland, you can pay $5 with your ticket to get the giveaway, called a promo pass.  On the web it says this –

“Promo Pass tickets are only available online for the featured games and can be added to the purchase of your game ticket for an additional $5. Passes ensure you get the promotional item even if all the items have been given out at the game. Any promotional items allocated to the Promo Pass program will be in addition to those already available at the ballpark gates.”

Guess what else?  As an Indians season ticket holder, you can cash in points to get promo items you might have missed.  You listening White Sox?  Points! I want points! If I had the option to buy a promo pass on a $7 ticket to get my bobbleheads, I would spend the extra money for a no stress life.  Sox have been doing “Special Ticket” bobblehead releases the past 3 years, they are fucking brilliant.  With this year being the exception. They did one on a Yankees game.  Why oh why do you need to reward people for going to a Yankees game?  Ugh.  Last year they did a Superhero Lawrie Bobblehead and it ended up being a slight cost upgrade on the ticket, it was great.  The Yanks tix are already overpriced and then they added in this fee for the bobblehead.  Bastards.

That’s it.  That is how you solve this issue and shut Dave Kaplan the fuck up.  He don’t give a fuck cause he get’s whatever he wants anyways.  Many people also pointed out that Dave hosts a show where they show off high end sports memorabilia.  That Jordan game used jersey only cost the Bulls a couple hundred, that should be the price right?  You can order it online right? GTFO Dave.

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Problem is that some teams don’t wanna do that, cause they want that extra money that bad.  Some local minor league teams don’t give them out till the 5th inning! You get the voucher at the gate, have to stay there for 5 innings, THEN they give you a bobblehead.  Just raking in that dough.  In the 108, I am about the only guy who really cares about the promo items.  The boys are good for a few a year, but mostly it’s about getting as much beer as possible in before we walk than it is to get the promo.  I stopped asking them soon after I met them if they could come early and help a buddy out.  I hit that line early with Bobble Jim and #WallyMoney.

In conclusion, if you want everyone to be happy, give away more.  No fights. No secondary market. No problems.  But that isn’t what a promo is supposed to do right?

*I am sure I am not done of this subject yet and expect an in depth article about it before the end of the year.  BeefLoaf has been cracking the whip, needed to get some content out.  Love ya buddy.

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-MSS

 

UPDATE! As I am sure you saw, last night we drank 62 beers (spoiler, we drank more) to honor Jose Quintana.  It was called #62forQ.  Check out our Twitter to see the pics, @fromthe108

Avi Garcia – Trade, Extend or Nothing….

Posted on by mysoxsummer
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In the 15 months or so that we have been writing in this space, I think we have probably written about Avi Garcia too much.  Whether it be to talk about WHY the White Sox continue to give him chances, or to make fun of him for sneaking under 260 lbs as a playing weight.  The 108ers are intrigued by Avisail Garcia.  The other night, I ran a Twitter poll of our followers and there isn’t a general consensus on what the White Sox should do with Avi Garcia

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So, I figured, as any blogger with a mediocre offering might do, I would breakdown the potential actions….

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TRADE

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The whole thought that Avi could be traded was kicked off via a rumor, of course, it was a Cafardo, so it is likely to have no basis in reality.  I remember when Sam Smith used to write for the Bulls and he would make up trade scenarios, at least he wrote them in a way in which, you knew he was just making something up and it was fun.  Nowadays these fucking guys make up shit and then blasted it out there like it is reality.  It’s a bunch of BS.  Anywho, so, Cafardo noted that the Cardinals were looking at Garcia and a few other power hitting RF’s.  I looked up and down the rest of the playoff contenders and pretenders and truthfully didn’t see much in the way of a team that really needs a RF.  The only other team that looked appetizing to me, were the Mets, but not for this year, they’ll start clearing off the Granderson and Bruce contracts at the end of the year, they could probably use a young controllable (at least for 2 years) RF to help out in their competitive window.  Besides those two teams, you got me.

Truthfully though, I don’t need to find a suitor, if Avi is to be traded, someone will emerge. I am just in need of finding a prospective value back in trade.  Avi is tough to compare given that he’s had 3 pretty blech seasons and now 3 pretty excellent months.  He’s still not walking a lot, but the “walking a lot” folks need to go fuck off, you can be a plenty valuable player with power and high contact rate.  The two most comparable trades from last deadline are the Mets trading for Bruce and the Rangers trading for Beltran.  The Bruce deal netted the Reds Dilson Herrera who was a top 10 prospect in the Mets system, but graduated from his prospect status and a lottery ticket.  The Beltran deal, which required the Yanks to toss some cash in the nap sack that went along with Carlos to Texas included a top 5 prospect in the Rangers system (Dillon Tate) and top 100 overall and two lesser prospects that were top 10 round picks in the 2014 amateur draft.

In other words, it isn’t likely that an Avisail Garcia trade ends up with much star power included in it.  It is possible that his control with 2 arb years remaining would boost the haul, but it is likely you would just be adding more assets and setting the clock back on those assets.  It is doubtful you line up something with as much promise as say, I dunno, 2013 Avisail Garcia.  If trade is the answer, it may be a signal that the competitive window is a little further away (say, starting in 2020) and that the White Sox need more assets that start arriving then.

EXTEND

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This is a tough one, as Garcia has 2 arb years left.  For the 2017 season he netted a 1 yr $3M deal before going to arbitration.  Truthfully, he was pretty terrible heading into his 1st arbitration year and still got $3M.  Arbitration is pretty kind to giving raises if someone could, oh, I dunno, put up a .900 OPS season.  You might expect Avi to pick up a $3M to $4M raise in 2018 and a similar one in 2019.  Which would put Avi’s salaries at say $7M in 2018 and $11M in 2019, the White Sox would need to buy those out and then buy out some portion of free agency.

I think the closest thing to Avi in estimated value might be someone like Mark Trumbo who got 3 yrs 37.5M.  Truthfully, if you think Avi is actually this Avi, he’s much better than Mark Trumbo, so maybe Ian Desmond‘s 5yrs $70M is closer to accurate.  Let’s assume if you extend Avi (and the extension would have to occur around now or at least before he puts in an entire season of being a 3 to 4 win player) that the extension would be for 5 yrs and $75M (buying out arb years 2018 & 2019) and then signing him through  2022 (his age 31 season).  Avi might feel some loyalty towards the White Sox and get something like this done.  Or, he might realize that he goes to free agency at 28 and could make more money than this when he does.

NOTHING

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This is the best action in my opinion.  I don’t think the market yet believes in the new Avi, making trades tougher and I think it is pretty cost prohibitive to the future competing White Sox teams to possibly fuck up this extension.  I think you let Avi play this out and then in 2018 you re-evaluate.  Maybe he finds his level as a 2 WAR RF and then you decide that he’ll be cheap enough to extend or a valuable enough commodity to trade for a real chip.  With the current expiring assets on the roster, I think Rick Hahn has his hands full trying to unload everything that isn’t nailed down for something of future value.

 

– BeefLoaf

The Good, The Bad & The Ugly #MB56

Posted on by mysoxsummer

Friends, it’s your buddy BeefLoaf……I’m here to round up the weekend with a new column called, “the Good, the Bad, the Ugly”……..a little snippet of what the 108ers see when attending games for a Sox homestand…………..

The Good

White Sox Operations – By some fucking miracle of God the White Sox Operations got their shit together and did a fabulous job getting people into the ballpark quickly on both Saturday and Sunday.  You didn’t see mile long lines close to the start of the event like you seem to see every year on Opening Day, nope, the crew had their shit together and got people into the ballpark on Saturday timely for the Mark Buehrle event and as well on Sunday for SouthPaw’s bday.  Gotta give credit where credit is due.

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Mark Buehrle – It was great to see an all-time White Sox get to have his day in the sun.  Wonderful job by the White Sox staff and it was very cool to see some of the old players there to support Mark on his big day.  Truthfully though, his family stole the show, his son with an excellent rendition of the National Anthem, his daughter throwing out the first pitch and of course, the lovely Mrs. Buehrle who is aging like a fine wine.

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Ricky Renteria – This is a bad team and not likely to get better anytime soon, but at least we have a decent manager this year.  Ricky “gets it” including supporting his players, getting thrown out on Friday night and Saturday in support of Tim Anderson and Todd Frazier.  I could go long form on how important that sort of thing is for any sort of organization, but for now, let’s just say that I think this ball club is in good hands for the future.

Chicago White Sox manager Rick Renteria, right, slams his cap to the ground as he argues with first base umpire Paul Emmel, after Emmel signaled that Avisail Garcia committed his swing on a pitch for a strike out during the fifth inning of a baseball game against the Baltimore Orioles, Thursday, June 15, 2017, in Chicago. (AP Photo/Charles Rex Arbogast) ORG XMIT: CXS110

The Bad

White Sox Offense – I could pick on lots of guys here, but the bottom line is that the offense stunk this weekend.  5 runs in 3 games ain’t gonna get it done.  It was a team effort in being a big steaming pile, so I won’t jump on anyone in particular.  Bad, Bad, bad….

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People Dressed in Cubs gear at Sox Games – This shit HAS to stop.    I understand if you don’t have a lot of dough and your Cubs stuff is your only stuff for going to the ballgame, but most of the Cubs vs. Sox shit talk is about how us Sox fans are all poors and how our stadium is in the ghetto and what not.  People doing this, please stop, you look like morans.

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Pabst Blue Ribbon – This was an epic fail, I saw almost nobody drinking this beer.  A couple of the 108ers bought one, but weren’t really feeling it.  I get the PBR thing, I’m not personally a fan, but when PBR started coming back into vogue it was the cheapest beer at your local saloon and you were getting a deal to drink some nostalgia.  This beer is not meant to retail for $8.75.  LOL!

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The Ugly

Jerry Reinsdorf – Such a great day on Saturday and Jerry has to take two side swipes at the fans during his talk.  I guess even when you are in your 80’s you still don’t get over yourself.  It was bad form any way you slice it.  The 108ers are in no way shape or form Jerry haters, he just acted like an ass to the fans and it shouldn’t be ignored.

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The Umpiring – I’m not really one to give much of a shit about the Umps, sometimes they are good, sometimes they are bad, oh well.  But if players and coaches are getting thrown out every game and we are watching countless close (read blown) calls on replay that they don’t get right, we gotta call it out.  Get your shit together Umps!

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Big Game James – Picking up where he left off last year, James was VERY HITTABLE in his debut back from the DL on Saturday.  The bullpen is shot, they are soooo tired already and we aren’t even to the all star break, so our starters really need to start shouldering some of the load.  Saturday Shields gets crushed, pitching to only 2 batters in the 4th inning and logging 85 pitches.  We’ll give him a mulligan here since he was just coming off of the DL, but this was ugly.

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– BeefLoaf

What’s in your bag? A Plea to Giants- Bring Back Spicy Garlic Seeds. ##UPDATED##

Posted on by mysoxsummer

New for 2017, MySoxSummer will open the drawstrings on his “ballpark backpack” and show you what he carries into the games. 

 

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Man, a lot of shit going down today.  The Cavs are a game away from getting swept, which I am sure the NBA will NOT let happen.  Game 7 = More $.  Some political bullshit is streaming live across the country. And the rebuild is going swimmingly on the southside!  But let’s talk about the important stuff.

Back in 2015, I think, Giants stopped producing their most excellent seed Spicy Garlic.  Which, really bummed me the fuck out.  I was in love from first taste.  The wife and I stopped at the World’s Largest Truckstop (which if you haven’t been, you should go if you are close by) and I was looking for a new seed for the 2014 season.  Most stores have a few bags to choose from, usually BBQ, Ranch, Dill and Salted.  But at this truckstop they had a HUGE selection.  This bag jumped out to me as 1) I love garlic and 2) I love spice.  I bought on a whim, but goddamn they were delish. I am sure I annoyed my wife as we were driving me telling her how delish they were. I also was kinda pissed she wasn’t as excited as me with this new discovery.  I ordered a whole case later in the season.  Life was good.

But then, in 2016, which I went to place an order for the season, Spicy Garlic had been removed as an option.  Wut? I was advised that there might be some left at a local Mendards, but my lazy ass didn’t want to go out there.  So, last season, I was without the seeds that I love.

Now, in 2017, I was on a mission to find some new seeds.  A Google search turned up a place called Gerbs which featured a few flavors that enticed me.  Chipotle, Habanero and Toasted Onion & Garlic.  Goddamn.  I made my order, which was shipped quick as fuck, and was ready for flavor country.  The Onion Garlic seeds were not as flavorful as I had hoped, but were ok.  The Chipotle has a great flavor, but is lacking in lasting power.  The Habanero is no fucking joke.  My eyes watered up like a mofo the first dip I took.  Holy hell.  Delish.  So, I would recommend the Chipotle seeds, but man my Spicy Garlic seeds would win MVP over those bad boys any day.

So, writing a blog isn’t always the fastest, things happen, you jump to different topics quickly (like when Todd Frazier get’s a Jersey Demolition shirt (available here)) or you wanna talk about something that is topical.  So, oddly, we had bigger things to say than a plea to bring back my favorite sunflower seeds.  I had started this blog a week before opening day, and let it sit in our queue since then.  I went back to it recently and doing some research found out that GIANTS BROUGHT BACK SPICY GARLIC FOR A LIMITED TIME! Many people would scrap their article, but here in the 108 we don’t scrap ANYTHING. So I ordered my case and then decided to finish out this blog with this letter to Giants.

 

Dear Giants Seed Company –

Bless you.  Seriously, bless you.  In 2015, I tweeted and FB’d you about missing Spicy Garlic seeds and how I wished you would bring them back. I was told to check out Menards cause they might have some left, but alas, I didn’t make the trip. 2016, I was so upset with not having them, I boycotted seeds the whole year. In 2017, I went outside of your seed family (after checking your site in the hopes of a return of the Spicy Garlic seeds) to find a new seed for 2017.  I cheated on you.  I bought tons of seeds from another company, and for that I am sorry.  I just wish I had known what you had planned earlier.

Whole doing research for this blog, I like to link sites to our readers, I went back to your site and saw the most beautiful thing I have seen today (besides my lovely wife and daughter) SPICY GARLIC SEEDS HAVE RETURNED! THANK YOU! THANK YOU! THANK YOU! THANK YOU! THANK YOU! THANK YOU! THANK YOU! THANK YOU! THANK YOU!

I clicked on the link, cause I thought maybe it was a carry over from the olden days and was just a place holder that would tell me you no longer produce the best seed of all time.  BUT IT WASN’T.  BACK FOR A LIMITED TIME.  HECK YEAH.  I couldn’t order my 12pk fast enough. Thank you so much for giving me back my seeds.  If even only for a limited time, it makes me so happy.

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I will continue to support your brand and let others know that the Spicy Garlic seeds have returned.  You rock Giants, you rock.

 

Your pal –

MSS

@mysoxsummer

 

Extra stuff –  If you order 2 Jersey Demolition shirts (or just 2 items, limited sizes remain in M and L), I will toss a 16oz bag of one of the Gerbs flavors listed above.  Not interested in seeds? We have multiple SGA’s that will will send out to you with the order of any two items in our store.  We have hats, 108 OG shirts, 2016 Hot Stove Champs Shirts.  I have bobbleheads, shirts, hats, blankets, ect.  So make an order this weekend and you will get something extra in your package.  Trust me, it’s worth it.  Order here!

 

 

The Power Of A Shirt.

Posted on by mysoxsummer

On May 30th, besides the amazing (on paper) matchup of Q and Sale, our good buddy #WallyMoney (you can follow him on Twitter here) was tossing the first pitch.  Doing us an extreme solid, his clothing for the night was our Jersey Demolition shirt.  Yes, he rocks.  Yes, he even paid for it.  See his pic below –

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Was #WallyMoney the ultimate Sale troll?  I say yes.  Did it rattle Sale’s cage?  I doubt it, but it was really awesome to see a shirt you designed on the field, on the board. Here is another pic –

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Pretty cool right? Well, after the first pitch, #WallyMoney came and joined us.  During the discussion on who threw a worst first pitch, #WM told us that Frazier, Todd Frazier, told him that he had on an “great” shirt. So, being the enterprising kids we are, we decide that we need to make sure that Todd get’s a shirt.  Just one slight problem……@fromthe108 is blocked by The Toddfather a.ka. The Blockfather.

We aren’t exactly sure when we were blocked, but the first time I tweeted at him with the 108 account, it was before he even played an inning for the CWS.  He was at SoxFest, meeting someone at Kitty O’Sheas, and I tweeted at him that we’d buy him a drink.  Later BeefLoaf tweeted “something” at him and we were for sure blocked after that.  So our good friend Bobble Jim tweeted at him and with my MSS account I responded with this –

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As I was walking down to the park, I got the message and a few texts too, so we were set to make the hand off.  I know where to go to get limited access to these guys, you look for the kids and go there.  So me, with a bunch of kids, waiting, for Todd.  After he did his warm ups, he came over and signed about 75 autographs.  That is pretty damn amazing.  The Sox were shooting video (and thank God my fat ass didn’t end up on that video creeping on Frazer with my bad ass shirt), but I know he does it every game, the guy is the real deal.  So, I wait for my chance, and let him know I have his shirt.  He laughs and says “Thanks!”, tucks it under his arm, signs a few more caps, and walks off the field with his new shirt.

 

 

Pretty awesome.  But then something magical happened….

It didn’t start right away, but after getting his Jersey Demolition shirt, Todd Frazier has been on fire.  Legit fire.  Up until last night, which he singled, he is slashing .333/.379/.741, which according to most is ridiculous.  So why is the sudden turn around?  MONEY! IT’S GOTTA BE THE SHIRT. 

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So if you need to improve your stats, your sales, your side chick game, ability to shotgun beers, shoot Jagermeister, talk to girls, talk to guys, eat hot dogs, jump higher, run faster, make more money, swim faster, fly further, wake up early, pick up a new hobby, quit a bad habit, meditate, start a journal, start a weekly exercise routine, read a book weekly, reduce social media use (take a break for a week or a month), start a blog, begin a new healthy habit, ask for feedback, get out of your comfort zone, learn something new, avoid negative people, call a loved one that you have not spoken to in while, sign up for a class, try a DIY project, start a savings account, take a trip by yourself, schedule a spa day, overcome your fears, take a break, learn a new language, reach out to a potential mentor or volunteer in your community THE SHIRT CAN HELP.  As Todd Frazier has shown, our shirt has magical powers that surpass the almighty Jobu!

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Plus, you can drink the rum! Shirts don’t need rum! We’ll even help drink the rum!

So maybe you want to buy a shirt eh?  Go here – http://fromthe108.bigcartel.com/

We got hats and everything!  We even have the OG 108 shirt that is worn by everyone in the 108.  And what besides magical powers can we offer you?  A SPECIAL GIFT IF YOU ORDER TWO PRODUCTS THIS WEEKEND!  As you may or may not know, I, MSS, am a big hoarder of all things White Sox.  If you purchase two items, this weekend, I will throw in a special White Sox SGA that lives in my basement.  I have all sorts of hats, shirts, blankets, bobbleheads, all that swag that we all love.  So place that order in the next 48 hours and you will get a free gift with your order!  And as always, know that the money you spend goes towards a new t-shirt release.  Or we’ll drink it away. Only time will tell.

So you REALLY want to buy a shirt now!  Go here – http://fromthe108.bigcartel.com/

So thanks for your support and we’ll be out there next week crushing Modelos like Addison Russell did his hot ass wife, allegedly.  I knew the Cubs were gonna have to fill big shoes with Chapman being gone, didn’t expect they would cover this aspect too. Jeesh.

Peeeeeeeeace, I’m out.

-MSS

 

The 5 – We need a HERO! Who will fill the void of Matt “El Nino” Albers

Posted on by mysoxsummer

Two months into the season, the 108’ers are still looking for someone to fill the void of our group favorite from 2016, Matt “El Nino” Albers.  It is hard to replace a man with such passion for the game and with such an amoebic frame.   Let’s take a look at the early candidates………..

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R.I.P. Big Buddy.

Tyler Saladino – Truth be told, last year’s utility man and friend of the 108 #southsidestachemen would be the no brainer choice here, but then a few things happened.  1) His bat got cold a few weeks into the season. Even though he was still the steady glove man at every position, he was in and out of the lineup more. Thus we didn’t get to #raisethestache for him as much.  2) He fucked up his back and landed on the DL.  Now, if you are really super colorful and insane, we can still cheer for Tyler on the DL, but it doesn’t always work out.  We still have HIGH HOPES for Tyler, but we’ll just have to wait and see.  Get well soon buddy.

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Derek Holland – I would say he’s the leader in the clubhouse right now. He acts the fool all the time and has been producing on the field.  Look, this is a rebuild and as long as Derek takes the ball every 5 days, he can have a James Shields start every so often and it won’t hurt his status as a 108 fave.  Just look at Matt Albers track record last year from about May 15th on (save for that faithful day in Flushing Meadows).

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Tommy Kahnle – This fella right here has been disgustingly good, but that’s not why he’s on this list.  A few weeks ago, another former Colorado Rockies player LaTroy Hawkins deemed him “the worst teammate EVER”.  Now, when you take a look at Mr. Kahnle, I can’t help but agree with Paul Sporer that he has a very punchable face, but let’s walk this comment back to it’s source for a minute.  LaTroy Hawkins, I remember LaToya when he was here in Chicago, with the Cubs and boy did this mutherfucker cry about every goddamn thing.  I immediately thought to myself any player who would want to punch LaToya in the face is fine by me and deserves consideration for 108 fave.

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Avisail Garcia – Everyone’s favorite this year (so far) but was roundly hated every single year before that. Much like the kid with an undiagnosed learning disability, Avi seems to have fixed the issue and is making up for lost time.  Location is great for the 108 (our front porch if you will) and love of the BBW women makes it a no brainer. However, his increasing batting average and popularity is something to consider, but he’ll always be our eskimo brother, like Prince. 

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Yolmer Sanchez – Now here’s a guy who already has quite a bit of love from White Sox twitter, but needs to be in the running.  Not only has he  been stroking the ball on the field, but he’s an incredulous goof off of the field.  You can’t be on White Sox twitter for 5 mins without seeing a crazy gif of him.  He’s probably a little more in the Melky Cabrera camp in that we can’t claim him for our own, but when he’s going good, boy is he fun to watch.

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BONUS EXTRA CONTENT!!!

Melky Cabrera – Truth be told….we can’t include Melky here.  He’s everyone’s favorite. It would be unfair for us to choose him, plus he plays LF and is basically is far away from the 108 as any player on the diamond.  That being said, we are going to miss him when he ends up on a contender in August.

Let us know who you think should be the new FAVE of the 108. Tweet it at us at @fromthe108.

– BeefLoaf & MSS (kinda, the ‘Loaf did all the heavy lifting)

 

Also a quick PSA for those who don’t follow us on Twitter. We are running low on the small sizes for the Jersey Demolition shirt.  If you wear something other than a XL or 2XL, you might wanna order soon.  Todd Frazier wears an XL, just FYI.  He is the proud owner of this shirt, which as we have discussed either means he has a excellent sense of humor or maybe he and Sale weren’t the best of friends. 

Order your shirt here –  http://fromthe108.bigcartel.com/

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Holiday Weekend Round Up!

Posted on by mysoxsummer

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It’s MSS and here is your Weekend Round-Up! My original idea was to live blog this weekend, but I decided that I needed to be fully engaged to enjoy this long homestand.  A homestand that includes a daytime double header, #WallyMoney tossing a first pitch, the return of Chris Sale and excessive drinking!

FRIDAY

It was supposed to be a double header but the weather gods had other plans.  Slumpbuster showed up EARLY and had a fancy mexican lunch with BeefLoaf at local fave Antique Taco.  They had margaritas and presumably talked about baseball and making that money yo!

The rest of the crew (Chorizy – E, BigUns, Slim Mick and #WallyMoney) showed up at Beefloaf’s place and got their drink on.  I took my sweet ass time getting to the 108 Drinking Patio but I was crushing beers at home like they were gonna expire.  After eating some dinner, I made the walk with my red solo cup with a fresh High Life.

Of course the clouds opened up on me during my walk, so I was wet and buzzed by the time I got there.  There was a pile of beer cans on the table already, and we just kept adding to them.  Crushing beers, talking baseball and bullshit, watching Intervention waiting for the rain to stop.  Slumpbuster spilled BigUns beer, then not to be left out #WallyMoney spilled his ‘drank all over hizself. For reals.  He even soaked his socks.

 

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Pretty sure we were all feeling no pain when we filled that roadie cup, and made our way over to the game which was slated to start at 7:45, then 8:30, and it seemed like they got the field ready as fast as fuck, but we got there in the 1st.  One thing that always confuses me on delay games is they still run the show like it started on time.  Now, I know most normal fans had been there for hours, but when you live up the street you see shit different.  The auction booth was closed in the 1st.  Last call was in the 3rd, but like all good drunks, we just backed ourselves up enough to make sure we made it till the end.  #squadgoals

Trivia was going, Chorizy was killing my peanut bag (trying to take the edge off his buzz no doubt) and we even got a visit from Pete! The Sox were playing great, Modelos were going down smooth, great night all around.  Then shit got weird….

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In the 8th, BigUns and Slumpbuster got up and left.  So we walked over to ChiSox to get our maple wing fix!  We were informed by our waitress that the kitchen was closed.  Classic Sox behavior.  So we drank our 24oz Pacifico, and walked back to BeefLoaf’s pad.  While walking, we discovered that #WallyMoney drives a #bangbus and we all could get in to go get a pizza at Freddies.  Which we did.  But they were out of slices.  DA FAQ! So while debating ordering a full pizza, we were chanted into ordering a JUMBO by the staff.  AND WE CRUSHED THAT SHIT.

I had severe trouble navigating the #bangbus back area, which had plenty of room for activities. I was army crawling, barrel rolling like a mofo.  Chorizy didn’t pass out holding our pizza and fries (which is a tradition with these guys that I will never understand. Who eats fries with pizza? BeefLoaf and Chorizy).  Somehow we were quite enough to not wake Ms. ‘Loaf or Bonita Steakie, which was amazing.  I got a lift in the #bangbus home and since I had already eaten, I didn’t pass out in the chair, but found my way to bed and passed the F out.

SATURDAY

Friday nights seem to be the crazy drinking nights, so like clockwork, I woke up with a slight headache and some acid reflux.  A few pills later I was back to bed and feeling fine.  BeefLoaf was in the same boat, but fancy ass Chorizy-E said he felt like death.  The deck opened at noon, so after I crushed some hot dogs, downed a few beers I started out my walk to the deck.  My wife and kid decided to hit the DH too, so they walked down with me.  This would be the time that my body decided that we needed to sweat out all the poison that was in my system.  Thanks to Polish With Extra Onions for pointing out that I was pretty sweaty.  Which was very obvious.

Because the 108 is in the shade for a majority of day games, our section seems to fill up with randos that are afraid of the sun.  So it makes for less room for our buds to come by and talk some shit.  But the beer was flowing, and the game was a good one.  We would have enjoyed the announcement of Luis Robert, had we been there on time, but sometimes you gotta show up late to crush a few cheaper beers on the deck.  New addition to the weekend was the 99¢ 4-Pack Kul.

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So for less than the price of 2 Modelos in the park, you can get 3 CASES! Insane.  I seem to be the only one who doesn’t mind this beer, but I will say that it isn’t much worse than the Kirky Lights, maybe slightly more flavor.  Maybe.  Another tip, drink as fast as possible as while it warms up, unlike a fine stout or porter, it does NOT taste good.

The deck was in full swing with all the guests including Slumpbuster and BigUns back for the 2nd day!  Impressive gents.  While I am dripping getting an awkward sunburn, I look over and see Chorizy dressed like it is an early April game.

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Like fries with pizza, these guys are always fucking confusing me.  Yes, that is a koozie.  No, Chorizy isn’t drinking refried beans.  He has, but not this time.  That is a refreshing Tecate.  I seem to recall in a drunken state Chorizy telling me he was dying of the heat later, but I cannot confirm that.  Lotta family and friends at that first game.

 

And there was this guy too…..

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This guy is awesome.  Even drunk as hell, he is STILL paying more attention to the game than the Cubs fans he came with.  #ThatsCub.

The first game the Sox just tore it up to get the W #FlyTheArrow.  The sweat hadn’t dried yet, and almost half the park was gone before the 2nd game even started.  It was a ghost town.  Once again they stopped serving beer in the 1st!  The 1st!  So again, we backed up till the cows came home.  We bought so much Modelo, that we are pretty sure that our beer guy can buy a boat.  And not a cheap boat, but rather a fancy ass boat with hoes included.

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So we drank and drank and watched some baseball.  MF and her crew came down to the seats and partied it up.  Then, all of a sudden, like the 7th, the crew decided that the game was over.  It was a mad dash to the gates, leaving my head spinning, and we walked home.  I noted then that my head was spinning cause I was HAMMERED so I walked my drunk ass home.  Got some great sleep and wasn’t even hung over the following morning.  #thelittlethings

SUNDAY

Ok, Game 4.  Sox have taken 2 of 3, so we were excited as it was anyways.  Early morning texts from BeefLoaf confirmed that we’d do it all again, and we had some special guests.  For the 3rd straight day, Slumpbuster and BigUns made it out to ye ol ballpark.  So what does that mean?  Another drunken day.  The beer went down smooth, so smooth even #WallyMoney was crushing Coors Lights.  It was awesome.

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Slim Mick and his family were living the high life is a suite due to his daughter writing a great essay about how great of a father he is.  Even included that despite being a Cubs fan, he was still pretty awesome.  Which the 108 agrees. Especially when he rocks a Jersey Demolition shirt in the suite.  And matching 108 Trucker Cap!   Both available here for the low price of $25!

Modelos and pretzels. The shortest rain delay in history happened, but the weather even got better.  It was nuts.  the Sox played hella good ball, Pete stopped by, and the post game was on the deck.  Quick beer for the Indiana fellas, but after they left, we hit the hot tub to talk about the weekend and think up new ideas for the blog.  We popped some bottles and enjoyed the hot tub getting all the stress out of our lives.  I ended the day with with my lovely wife and daughter eating cheap pizza and drinking water.  Which is a good thing cause for the 2nd day in a row I woke up with a 0% hangover.

So overall it was an EXCELLENT homestand with the company of friends and fans. And foes.  The Tiger fans also enjoyed the 108 with us, and winning 3 outta 4 put us in rare form.  Despite the fact that many of you seemed to have missed our article on how to use the bathroom properly (read that here) and the 109 trying to start the wave (watch this) we all had a great time.  Stories were shared, memories were made, and we killed it again Fam.

It’s not over yet and we expect to see many smiling faces out today for the arrival of Chris Sale and the Bo Sox.  And don’t forget #WallyMoney will be bouncing one in on Tuesday night so be sure to make that.  Oh and Sale is tossing against Q.  Big whup.

If you still need your Jersey Demolition shirt, hit us up on Twitter and I will bring it to the game today or Tuesday!  $25 for the best shirt money can buy!  Original content, only 100 made, be the hit at your next Sox gathering.

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The 108 Learning Annex – Bathroom Etiquette at the Ballpark.

Posted on by mysoxsummer

Even though we don’t wanna do this, we feel like the hot mess that took place on April 22nd, 2017 has deemed it necessary that we go over this.  Usually this takes place on Opening Day, but a 32k crowd on that “Sweatshirt Saturday” blew it out of the water. Some of y’all have NO FUCKING IDEA ON HOW TO USE THE RESTROOMS AT G-RATE. NO IDEA. NOT A CLUE.

Let’s take a look at the diagram –

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So most of you know to enter in the A area.  Some of you go backdoor and hit the C area, which I understand, but you are still a cunt when you do so.  So much so that I won’t tuck my wide shoulders when going out the exit in hopes that I give you a stinger. So you go in A.  Now, if you gotta shit (and I will say that in hundreds of games that I have attended I have done it twice) you can stay in the A area, but move to the side so other guys can get past. If you are using the stall to piss, you gotta reevaluate your life, for reals.  The last thing anyone is looking at is your dick size at the ballpark.  If you have a kid and are using the stall, hey, thank you for bringing the ‘yutes to the game. One time I saw a guy drinking a beer, taking a piss with his kid in a baby carrier. It was amazing.

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When you enter the bathroom, and you just have to piss, walk right by the people in the A area, and head to the B area.  Simple right? You’d think. Why do this you ask? This will prevent a big bunch of people blocking the entrance while ONE FUCKING GUY is just sitting there waiting for the next open urinal.  Right now, huge lines ensue just so “First In Line” Fred can get his pisser before anyone else does. We in the 108 LOSE OUR FUCKING MINDS when this happens.  But how can it be avoided?  Oh, we’d thought you’d never ask!

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Now, here is where it get’s tricky. We all like to gamble right?  Well, now is the time (as Slumpbuster put it) to “pick your horse”.  You line up behind a guy taking a piss, so there is no bunching in area A, which allows for people to get access to the next open urinal.   Now, several things can happen. Your “horse” might win before the guy who might have gotten in line before you. It is your urinal, you won, piss away. But you can do the, “Go ahead” movement if you wanna be a nice guy.  But ultimately, it is yours to use. Just following this little suggestion, will make things go so much smoother, and Chorizy – E won’t wanna kill you.

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I know all you guys are all about being “fair”, well except you cunts that go in the exit and think it’s hilarious. But honestly, this first come, next served bullshit has to end.  When there are less people in the bathroom, I stay in an “area” of a few urinals. If a guy who was waiting longer than me picked a bad horse (depending on how bad I gotta piss) I usually will offer up my spot to that guy.  I try to be fair, but sometimes, especially when the bathrooms are full, you gotta make a decision and deal with it. It sucks, but it’s the best we can do.  This one guy waiting for the next available one has gotta end.  I am gonna have a fucking aneurysm the next time I get in line only to find out we are waiting for “Next In Line” Ned to get his properly deserved urinal.

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Now, you don’t have to be right on the guy taking a piss, give him some space and don’t rush the guy.  Usually I am pretty drunk, so I don’t give a fuck how close you are, but some guys that might give them stage fright.  What actually will give most guys stage fright is when you don’t leave a one urinal buffer in an empty bathroom.  I know we are a group orientated type of society, don’t like to be alone, but one spot, is public bathrooms.  Stay the fuck away.

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I am sure I have pissed off a bunch of people, but IDGAF. This madness needs to end.  Seriously.  I am tired of waiting in lines so one person can be treated fairly.  We are in a  group situation and what works best for the group, not than the individual, should rule. So when you see a guy walk by you, cause you are living in “It’s My Turn” Ted’s dumb world, waiting in the A area, don’t freak out, but rather follow him to the future.  We in the 108 will be there, and we’ll have fancy future beer. Wanna join us?

 

-MSS

 

Big thanks to all the 108’ers that came out last night to support my first lofty and slow pitch.  Miguel Gonzalez called it an ultra slow change-up, awesome guy by the way. It was a wonderful experience that I am very appreciative of.  Having my wife, daughter and all you jagaloons there meant more to me than you will even know.  The shit talking after the pitch was pretty light, I think because I was holding my daughter.  I am sure it will continue tonight.  Extra special thanks to Mike from the Sox (an avid 108 reader) for his hospitality. Can’t wait to do it again.

 

And then this –

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So our new t-shirt idea is available in our BRAND NEW SPANKING STORE! In this store you can get our brand spanking new “Jersey Demolition” shirt and OG 108 Trucker cap that all the fellas wear. Available also is our original OG 108 shirt (Chicago colorway, black and white) in limited numbers.  In very limited numbers we have the 2016 Hot Stove Champions shirt.  The money we get from these shirts goes to fund more funny t-shirt ideas.  If there is money left after that, we promise to drink it away.  

So visit our store here – http://fromthe108.bigcartel.com/

Take a quick look at our merch and buy something!  Please and thank you!