hose
02-13-2003, 01:28 PM
Early in the 2000 season the Sox got into a nasty brawl with the Detroit Tigers at Comiskey. The Sox starting playing lights out baseball shortly after this fight and were a first place club.
Later in the season the Tigers went into NY for a weekend series. Bobby Higginson came up with a big hit in one of the games which helped beat the Yankees. After the game Higginson was asked about the White Sox. His reply,which made ESPN, was that one of these days the Sox will wake up. This was meant to be a put down of the Sox and Higginson made his feelings clear.
I made a mental note of Bobby's comments and circled Sept 11 on the schedule which was a Monday 7:05 game.
I made sure I got into Comiskey as soon as the gates were opened and went straight to the Tigers batting practice and patiently waited for Higginson.
Higginson went to the hitting tee which was set up behind the batting cage at home plate, I was maybe 5 feet from him when I
yelled at Hippo Hurricane Holler decibels , " HEY HIGGINSON DID YOU READ THE PAPERS WHEN YOU WOKE UP"
Higginson was totally shocked and bugged eyed surprised that I
was in his face, he meakly said, "yeah"
I then yelled, "THE SOX ARE STILL IN FIRST, WHAT PLACE ARE THE TIGERS?"
Higginson then turned and started heading for the outfield. Bill Madlock was at the cage and yelled over at me , "Why don't you go get another hot dog?"
I yelled back, "Looks like you ate them all already" . The Tigers taking batting practice snickered and Madlock glared over at me.
I then added fuel to the fire by yelling, " HEY MADLOCK YOU ARE DOING A GREAT JOB WITH GONZALES"
Now the Tiger players were biting their lips trying not to bust out laughing . Madlock yelled to someone and pointed at me saying I was swearing and they are little kids around. Which I yelled right back, "I HAVEN'T USED ONE SWEAR WORD AND YOU KNOW IT"
Madlock comes over right in front of me as if to intimidate me and starts signing a few autographs, he mumbles something about man to man . I was no more than 6 inches from him and stood my ground till he went back to the cage.
A ball comes rolling up towards me about the same time Roger Bossard walks by. He picks up the ball and tosses it to me.
Madlock sees all this and yells at Bossard, 'I want that ball back, that is our property and THAT guy isn't getting it."
Bossard is totally taken by surprise and can't believe what Madlock is saying.
Madlock again yells at Bossard saying he has no right to give that ball away and that he wants the ball back.
Bossard comes up to me and sheepishly asks for the ball back. I said to Roger that I don't want to make a hard time for him , but how about getting a ball from the Sox dugout to replace it.
Bossard goes into the Sox dugout and gets a ball and walks over to me and we exchange baseballs. I thanked bossard for all his trouble.
Madlock is watching me like a hawk the whole time and gives me a "in your face" when finally I exchanged baseballs.
Using the quick wit of a White Sox fan I held the ball up and yelled over to Madlock, "Frank Thomas's autograph ALLRIGHT"
Madlock turned away and didn't mention another word.
I waited till the Tigers finished batting practice and Bossard walked by me again and I said thanks again, which Bossard replied that he thought Madlock was....well lets leave it at that.
And that wasn't the end of it. Bill Gleason was on the field and I
was able to ask him a few questions about the Sox pitchers. Gleason said Eldrid was finished and that Baldwin couldn't even raise his arm in the clubhouse.
Later in the season the Tigers went into NY for a weekend series. Bobby Higginson came up with a big hit in one of the games which helped beat the Yankees. After the game Higginson was asked about the White Sox. His reply,which made ESPN, was that one of these days the Sox will wake up. This was meant to be a put down of the Sox and Higginson made his feelings clear.
I made a mental note of Bobby's comments and circled Sept 11 on the schedule which was a Monday 7:05 game.
I made sure I got into Comiskey as soon as the gates were opened and went straight to the Tigers batting practice and patiently waited for Higginson.
Higginson went to the hitting tee which was set up behind the batting cage at home plate, I was maybe 5 feet from him when I
yelled at Hippo Hurricane Holler decibels , " HEY HIGGINSON DID YOU READ THE PAPERS WHEN YOU WOKE UP"
Higginson was totally shocked and bugged eyed surprised that I
was in his face, he meakly said, "yeah"
I then yelled, "THE SOX ARE STILL IN FIRST, WHAT PLACE ARE THE TIGERS?"
Higginson then turned and started heading for the outfield. Bill Madlock was at the cage and yelled over at me , "Why don't you go get another hot dog?"
I yelled back, "Looks like you ate them all already" . The Tigers taking batting practice snickered and Madlock glared over at me.
I then added fuel to the fire by yelling, " HEY MADLOCK YOU ARE DOING A GREAT JOB WITH GONZALES"
Now the Tiger players were biting their lips trying not to bust out laughing . Madlock yelled to someone and pointed at me saying I was swearing and they are little kids around. Which I yelled right back, "I HAVEN'T USED ONE SWEAR WORD AND YOU KNOW IT"
Madlock comes over right in front of me as if to intimidate me and starts signing a few autographs, he mumbles something about man to man . I was no more than 6 inches from him and stood my ground till he went back to the cage.
A ball comes rolling up towards me about the same time Roger Bossard walks by. He picks up the ball and tosses it to me.
Madlock sees all this and yells at Bossard, 'I want that ball back, that is our property and THAT guy isn't getting it."
Bossard is totally taken by surprise and can't believe what Madlock is saying.
Madlock again yells at Bossard saying he has no right to give that ball away and that he wants the ball back.
Bossard comes up to me and sheepishly asks for the ball back. I said to Roger that I don't want to make a hard time for him , but how about getting a ball from the Sox dugout to replace it.
Bossard goes into the Sox dugout and gets a ball and walks over to me and we exchange baseballs. I thanked bossard for all his trouble.
Madlock is watching me like a hawk the whole time and gives me a "in your face" when finally I exchanged baseballs.
Using the quick wit of a White Sox fan I held the ball up and yelled over to Madlock, "Frank Thomas's autograph ALLRIGHT"
Madlock turned away and didn't mention another word.
I waited till the Tigers finished batting practice and Bossard walked by me again and I said thanks again, which Bossard replied that he thought Madlock was....well lets leave it at that.
And that wasn't the end of it. Bill Gleason was on the field and I
was able to ask him a few questions about the Sox pitchers. Gleason said Eldrid was finished and that Baldwin couldn't even raise his arm in the clubhouse.