Collecting White Sox Autographs Since 1991
I’ve been trying to pick up a nice Sammy Sosa baseball for years. For the longest time, there weren’t many nice, authenticated Sosa baseballs available. And the ones that were available were like $300. I finally found a nice ball for a nice price during Mill Creek’s holiday sale. I’m very happy to finally have this in the collection.
I don’t know if any of these guys are going to blow up, but if they do I’ll be happy that I already have a signed baseball in my collection. I definitely don’t want another Luis Robert situation, where I end up having to get a second mortgage to be able to afford his autographs.
I don’t think Dylan Cease will be a star, but a Jon Garland type career wouldn’t be a shock. Michael Kopech and Andrew Vaughn both have the potential to be legit stars.
I wasn’t thrilled when the White Sox signed Dallas Keuchel. He had been trending downward for a while, and I thought the Sox were going to be stuck with a mediocre pitcher. That could still happen, but Keuchel was pretty damn good in 2020. He definitely would have made the All-Star team had there been one. So I went ahead and picked up a signed rookie.
Mill Creek Sports has had a pretty decent holiday sale going on for the last few days. I’ve picked up several things, including the cards below. Of particular note is the 1978 SSPC Bobby Bonds. It’s the only card that I’m aware of that depicts him in a White Sox uniform. I’ve been looking for one of these for 10+ years, so I’m beyond excited to finally add it to the collection! I’m also very happy about needing one less Calderon for my All-Time Upper Deck project.
George Bell. George freaking Bell. I still can’t believe Ron Schueler traded Sammy Sosa for George freaking Bell. Imagine The Big Hurt and Slammin’ Sammy hitting back to back in their primes. It would have been something to see! Anyway, here are my two BAS authenticated Sammy Sosa rookies. I think they’re a couple of beauts!
I won’t lie, I’m not the biggest Jermaine Dye fan. I’ve met him a few times, and he hasn’t struck me as the friendliest guy. I was actually kind of sad when he won World Series MVP in 2005. I would have loved for a beloved mainstay of the team to win the award. Somebody like Mark Buehrle or Paul Konerko. Still, I can’t deny that he ended up having a pretty good career with the Sox.
I have two copies of his rookie card signed. The one that has been slabbed by PSA has his early full signature, which I think is pretty cool.
Jake didn’t quite live up to expectations during his time with the Sox. He made three great starts in 2009, had a solid 2012, and was otherwise pretty mediocre. But there was never any doubt he was giving his all. I met him during spring training in 2011, and he seemed like a really nice guy. He signed tons of stuff for me. I was thrilled to see him go on to win the World Series in his first two seasons after the Sox traded him.
I’ve been a big believer in Giolito since the Nationals first drafted him. After his first season with the Sox, most people gave up on him. I never did. His last two seasons have justified my faith. I’m still trying to find a decent deal on a no-hitter 16×20, but this baseball will hold me over until then.
Alvarez was on the team during my formative years as a Sox fan. So I’ll always be a fan. I was pretty upset when they traded him in the famous “White Flag” trade, though it ended up working out pretty well.
Tim Anderson has come a long way in his time with the Sox. He won the 2019 AL Batting Title, and nearly won it again in 2020. He would have given Jose Abreu a run for his money for the 2020 AL MVP award if he hadn’t gotten hurt and missed a chunk of the season.
