Meet the Players: Jacki Krestel

Former ace pitcher (don’t crowd the plate on her) and lifelong White Sox fan Jacki Krestel has hopped on with us for the home stretch of the season, in a very late deadline deal we are just able to announce now.

She’s a fun and fresh voice among White Sox fans, and with some writing and journalism in her background, we expect she’ll hop right into some game coverage and features.

If you prefer the audio version of Jacki’s story, be sure to catch her first podcast at SSS, published this morning as well.

Follow Jacki on Twitter @Zombie_Jacki, and please give her a warm welcome to South Side Sox!

Hometown Midlothian

White Sox fan since Birth. I didn’t stand a chance.

First White Sox memory The first team I can remember with any kind of clarity was the 1993 team, with Ellis Burks running in to make the catch that clinched the division, and how he looked over to Lance Johnson in center with his arms raised. My dad recorded the celebration on a blank VHS tape that he labeled, “SOX CLINCH AL WEST - YES!”

Favorite White Sox memory I was in the ballpark for ALCS Game 2 in 2005. It was serendipitous from the beginning. The game had been sold out, but the morning of the game, they announced a small amount of tickets were going to be released. The only catch was that you had to physically get to the box office to get them. So I convinced my boss to let me take a two-hour lunch break, and rode the Red Line to the park. I left with three 500 level tickets.

I’ve literally never heard anything louder than all of us screaming when Joe Crede hit one off the left-field wall to even the series.

Favorite White Sox player Current? Probably Tim Anderson. All-time? Robin Ventura.

Next White Sox statue José Abreu

Next White Sox retired number: Honest to god, if it’s not 79, we riot.

Go-to concession food at Sox Park Normally I’m grabbing some nachos, but have you tried the garlic parmesan fries yet?!

Favorite Baseball Movie Bull Durham. It’s so quotable: “Strikeouts are boring, and besides that, they’re fascist. Throw some ground balls ... more democratic.”

Hall of Fame: Speed Round

Mark Buehrle Yes
Joe Jackson Sure; why not?
Paul Konerko Sorry, y’all, I love Paulie too, but no.
Minnie Miñoso I don’t understand why he’s not there already.
Omar Vizquel No.
Chris Sale If his career is over now, no, but let me see how and if he bounces back from his Tommy John.

South Side Sox on the Field I played fast-pitch softball, and I was a pitcher. Josh Donaldson wouldn’t know what to do with my riseball.

True or false: Every jumbled pile of person has a thinking part that wonders what the part that isn’t thinking isn’t thinking of. Both parts of my brain choose not to think about this.