2020 MLB Thread

[CWSooner]

When is the last time the Cubs and Sox were in 1st place on Aug. 31?
Could we finally see the "Red Line World Series" between the loveable losers and the South Side Slammer Bangers?

What's the "Red Line" reference, Hawkinole?

[betarhoalphadelta]

What's the "Red Line" reference, Hawkinole?

Train line which connects the north and south sides of the city. Has stops near both stadiums.

[Hawkinole]

What's the "Red Line" reference, Hawkinole?

The Red Line is a north-south CTA elevated train in Chicago. It is underground downtown. It has stops within about 2-blocks of each baseball stadium. If you stay in a downtown hotel it is a great way to go to a game, as driving in this area can be stressful. As a young guy I was a tour bus driver and drove to Wrigley Field numerous times. I can still handle the driving, but I prefer less stress; I am a White Sox fan.
"The Red Line" featuring Chicago in the back ground, was a dramatic mini-series in 2019 that followed CBS 60-Minutes.



Chicago: Addison St "L" Station
Chicago: Addison St "L" Station by Wally Gobetz, on Flickr



Sox and 35th by Stewart Cutler, on Flickr

[MarqHusker]

That station pretty much sits where the South Side Park II was built for the Chicago Pirates of the failed Players League of 1890.  This was the league formed by mostly former NL'ers that ran off to form their own league (Brotherhood of Professional Base Ball Players) in a failed attempt to...well do a lot of things, they could not do or control as players in the NL.  It was really the birth of the first Baseball players union.     Of course the original Comiskey Park was also located in this immediate area some twenty years later.    Covid has afforded me a lot of time in catching up on my 19th Century baseball reading.    Comiskey btw, was the Manager of the PL Chicago Pirates.

[Hawkinole]

That station pretty much sits where the South Side Park II was built for the Chicago Pirates of the failed Players League of 1890.  This was the league formed by mostly former NL'ers that ran off to form their own league (Brotherhood of Professional Base Ball Players) in a failed attempt to...well do a lot of things, they could not do or control as players in the NL.  It was really the birth of the first Baseball players union.    Of course the original Comiskey Park was also located in this immediate area some twenty years later.    Covid has afforded me a lot of time in catching up on my 19th Century baseball reading.    Comiskey btw, was the Manager of the PL Chicago Pirates.

South Side Park was the home of the Chicago American Giants and was located about 4-blocks south of the old Comiskey Park, if my hx lesson is correct, and continued to serve as the Chicago Negro League Team home at least into the 40s, am I right? South Side Park was the 1st home of the Chicago White Sox, (after they moved to Chicago from Sioux City where they were the Cornhuskers to St. Paul to Chicago).

[FearlessF]

The Red Line is a north-south CTA elevated train in Chicago. It is underground downtown. It has stops within about 2-blocks of each baseball stadium. If you stay in a downtown hotel it is a great way to go to a game, as driving in this area can be stressful.

stayed near the Billy Goat Tavern at a Marriot downtown with my daughters, took the train to Wrigley.
Took a cab back, daughters thought they were going to enjoy their first cab ride.  They did not.

Met Burnt Eyes at the Billy Goat for a few drinks...

another Horn poster we don't see any longer

[ELA]

Well, at this point I guess the Tigers will at least be playing relevant games in September

[MarqHusker]

I like how Vin Scully's first tweet is a one minute video and the cadence is like a game is about to begin.   He's the master of the English language. 

[MarqHusker]

South Side Park was the home of the Chicago American Giants and was located about 4-blocks south of the old Comiskey Park, if my hx lesson is correct, and continued to serve as the Chicago Negro League Team home at least into the 40s, am I right? South Side Park was the 1st home of the Chicago White Sox, (after they moved to Chicago from Sioux City where they were the Cornhuskers to St. Paul to Chicago).

That was actually South Side Park III (which looked awesome to me, at least the photos I remember seeing).  You are right, it was a bit further south (39th St. which I think is Pershing Ave now I believe), but west of the Dan Ryan.   The Negro League Team did play there once the AL White Sox moved to Comiskey in 1910, until 1940, the park burned down on Christmas Day I remember reading.

South Side Park (I) was really short lived, Chicago had a brief Union League team, that didn't even play a full season there. I think the team left town on a road trip and never returned in the summer.  I think they reorganized that team in Pittsburgh or Philly (guessing 1884 which was the league's only season.)  I think that park was a bit further east of the present day Dan Ryan Expressway.

I think it was both South Side II and III which owners of the clubs were trying to build the park closer to Ohio Street downtown, but had fierce opposition from NIMBYs and the hoi polloi of Chicago.  Street car lines were also big motivating factors for where to build.

The NL Chicago White Stockings (later the Cubs) eventually moved out to West Side Park (II) in 1893 I believe, which is where UIC-Med School is today.  Some great stories involving that park in Crazy '08, one of my favorite baseball books.  They played there before moving to Weegman (Wrigley) in 1916.  It was actually the Federal League Chicago club that first played at Weegman the first two seasons.

[ELA]

Well, at this point I guess the Tigers will at least be playing relevant games in September

It's been a minute since I've been pissed at the Tigers for choking.  Kind of feels good

[CWSooner]

The Red Line is a north-south CTA elevated train in Chicago. It is underground downtown. It has stops within about 2-blocks of each baseball stadium. If you stay in a downtown hotel it is a great way to go to a game, as driving in this area can be stressful. As a young guy I was a tour bus driver and drove to Wrigley Field numerous times. I can still handle the driving, but I prefer less stress; I am a White Sox fan.
"The Red Line" featuring Chicago in the back ground, was a dramatic mini-series in 2019 that followed CBS 60-Minutes.

Thanks, Hawkinole.
My problem is that "Sox" made me erroneously think of that team in Boston.  I couldn't think of a red line that connected them.
I spent a summer in Chicago once, so I know about the El.  I didn't remember the lines being color-coded though.

I thought that the White Sox were cool when they were the only team to wear powder blue, rather than grey, road unis.

I didn't care so much for the 19th-century look with the baggy shorts.

[Hawkinole]

Thanks, Hawkinole.
My problem is that "Sox" made me erroneously think of that team in Boston.  I couldn't think of a red line that connected them.
I spent a summer in Chicago once, so I know about the El.  I didn't remember the lines being color-coded though.

I thought that the White Sox were cool when they were the only team to wear powder blue, rather than grey, road unis.

I didn't care so much for the 19th-century look with the baggy shorts.

I wish they'd go back to the powder blue road uniforms. The 1972-75 White Sox uniforms were the best in my lifetime.

[ELA]

We'll see.  Guys won't get the innings, or the wins, but K rates are up.

If Cole hadn't spent the start of his career in a place that taught pitch to contact, he could have done it

Just to get this back into the baseball thread, Kershaw just became the 3rd youngest pitcher (behind Nolan Ryan and Walter Johnson) to get to 2,500 last night

[ELA]

So apparently the Tigers know the Target Field ground rules better than the Twins do?