A/V Room: A 1991 vintage Hawk Harrelson rant

by Jim Margalus on Dec 29, 2011 6:00 AM CST in White Sox History

On Twitter, Chuck Garfien linked to a fun, fascinating video from the early 1990s featuring the White Sox and -- who else? -- the Texas Rangers. Seriously, did the Sox play any other teams before the strike?

The game in question is Sept. 8, 1991. Not only did the White Sox give up four unearned runs in the ninth to lose the game, but they also ended up wronged by the umpire crew, with Harrelson targeting apparent waffling by umpire Joe Brinkman.

I went to the archives for the postgame reaction, and here's what I found from the Chicago Sun-Times the next day:

The ending to the game Sunday was disputed. Manager Jeff Torborg thought only two of three runs should have been allowed when a fan touched the ball on pinch hitter Monty Fariss' two-out double down the third-base line.

In fact, that's what second-base umpire Rick Reed called - interference.

But plate ump Derryl Cousins waved everyone home.

"That's one of the worst calls I've ever seen," Torborg said. "(Relay man) Ozzie (Guillen) had the ball before the guy was around second. He (Cousins) had the nerve to tell me that guy would have scored. That's ridiculous. We worked to get that far, and he does that to us."

Left fielder Rodney McCray was surprised, too.

"He saw it, and I saw it," McCray said of Cousins. "He said the guy would have scored. I don't think he would have."

Rodney McCray! With all the mileage I log on Baseball-Reference.com, there are very few New Comiskey-era White Sox who make me think, "Wow, I hadn't thought of that guy in years." McCray is one of them. At least Rodney Bolton and I are well-acquainted.

Christian Marrero Reading Room

Chicago White Sox Preliminary Prospect List - Minor League Ball

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Scott Merkin, Doug Padilla and J.J. offer up the five biggest and/or best storylines from 2011, which kind of goes to show you how hollow the season was. I'd probably put Brent Lillibridge's various defensive heroics high on my list, because when I try to think of high-fivingly terrific moments from 2011, he had a disproportionate share of them.

James tries to lift our spirits by looking at the other American League teams being dragged down by dead weight on the balance sheets, and also ponders the differences between Gavin Floyd and John Danks.

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In case you missed it in the comments yesterday, this should put a glide in your stride.

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Comments

McCray and Bolton

With a .227/.367/.299 minor league line it’s amazing that Rodney McCray actually made it to the major leagues. The guy could run and would take a walk but that was it for his skill set. There were two seasons where he committed 10+ errors at an OF position.

Bolton is a little more believable as a prospect because he never had an ERA above 3.00 during his time in the White Sox system. Bolton didn’t have a season where he had allowed more hits than innings pitched and didn’t have a problem throwing strikes, he just was AAAA. Was Don Cooper in the system at the same time Bolton was around? Maybe all the guy needed was a cutter.

by Cliff Poncier on Dec 29, 2011 8:25 AM CST reply actions

dude ran through a wall

and you criticize his defense?

http://www.oregonlive.com/sports/oregonian/video/index.ssf?SP_11BLOO113

and minor league error totals are not a particularly good way to measure a guy’s defense.

by larry on Dec 29, 2011 11:02 AM CST up reply actions 3 recs

I remember that on George Michael's Sports Machine

being played like 10 times on a consecutive loop. Hysterical.

We're all here because we're not all there.

by winningugly on Dec 29, 2011 11:42 AM CST via mobile up reply actions

give the assist to the amply proportioned fan along the left-field line

she was singing- game over

White Sox 2012: Helplessly rebuilding?

by greenlight on Dec 29, 2011 8:27 AM CST reply actions

Ventura!

Ozzie! Thiggy! And a pre-steroid Palmeiro. Ah, memories.

I absolutely love Hawk’s “MAKES THE DAMN CALL!”. Good to hear Wimpy, too. Miss him behind the mic.

We're all here because we're not all there.

by winningugly on Dec 29, 2011 9:00 AM CST reply actions

I approve this message

miss Wimpy also.

by southsideirish on Dec 29, 2011 10:01 AM CST up reply actions

I f'ing love this

Hawk was all of 50 back then. A child, really.

What?! I ain't no Professor Pickles!

by 67WMAQ on Dec 29, 2011 10:55 AM CST up reply actions 2 recs

Thank you for that.

We're all here because we're not all there.

by winningugly on Dec 29, 2011 11:42 AM CST via mobile up reply actions

yup. great call. BUT

come on thiggy. i could have hit that pitch out of the park

Kenwo4life=ratings. Just call me Mr. USA Today.

by KenWo4LiFe on Dec 29, 2011 1:04 PM CST up reply actions

And pre-RIODS Gonzalez

or was it?

by JPSoprano80 on Dec 30, 2011 11:01 AM CST up reply actions

Looks skinny there,

just like everyone else. Doubt 1991 included big steroid use by Juan Gone.

We're all here because we're not all there.

by winningugly on Dec 30, 2011 12:15 PM CST via mobile up reply actions

sickel's top 20 list.

http://www.minorleagueball.com/2011/12/29/2668142/chicago-white-sox-top-20-prospects-for-2012

nice to see the santiago trend continue. nothing really odd on the list. sickels perhaps overrates kevan smith a bit because he thinks smith has been playing baseball full-time since 2010 instead of 2009.

by larry on Dec 29, 2011 10:56 AM CST reply actions

Law, a senior baseball writer for ESPN.com, interviewed last week for a number of front-office roles with the Houston Astros, including the job of scouting director, according to major-league sources.

Law met with both new club president George Postolos and general manager Jeff Luhnow, but the team has yet to offer him a position, sources say.

Easy chief
We’re a community - Tdogg

by Jack M on Dec 29, 2011 11:30 AM CST reply actions