The next time air raid sirens go off in Chicago, people are going to think, “What’s happening to the White Sox?”
Whoever heard of a fly ball being called a “can of corn?”
If an opposing batter strikes out at U.S. Cellular Field, where does he go, after Ken Harrelson says, “he gone.”
Glenn Groebli (left) and Phil Cody. (Photo provided)
Who said, “I’m going to meet the greatest umpire of all, and he knows I’m innocent.”
Who created the phrase, “Gooooooooo, youuuuuuu White Sox.”
If any Sun Citians don’t know what this report is about yet, you are missing out on one of the greatest local experiences in sports – being a White Sox baseball fan.
How about a White Sox Fan Club in Sun City? It already exists, courtesy of Glenn Groebli, a resident of Sun City and a lifetime Sox fan. Sun City slow pitch softball players know him as President of the Softball Charter Club for the past five years. But for this report, he is a lifetime Chicago White Sox fan. He already has established the club with the Association. On page 40 of your January Lifestyles magazine, the club is listed in the ‘Resident Special Interest Groups’ section in the middle of the publication, along with other sports-related organizations such as the Pinecrest Golf League and the Sun City Mixed Bowling League.
The club will hold its first meeting in the Card or Multi-Purpose Room at Prairie Lodge at 7 p.m. Wednesday, January 30.
The Sun Day met recently with Glenn and his friend and fellow Sox fan, Phil Cody.
“Since the early 1900s, Chicago has been blessed with two major league baseball teams,” Groebli said. “Since the time when the National League (of Major League Baseball) let the White Sox come into Chicago, it was with the agreement that they could go no further north than 35th street.
“Baseball fans that lived north of 35th street generally favored the Cubs,” he continued, “and fans south of 35th favored the White Sox. So for the last 118 ears nothing really has changed as far as the fan base is concerned. Generation after generation of fans of each team followed in the footsteps of their fathers and grandfathers.
“Growing up in the Chicago area, for the most part, you were either for the Cubs or White Sox, never for both. In every neighborhood around Chicago fans would argue which team was better. You could have brother against brother, wife against husband, and so on. Nothing has changed in Chicago, we still have two teams, still have arguments, and most of us live or die with our team.
But enough about history.
“I know by living here in Sun City for 16 years, there are a lot of White Sox fans that live here and in the surrounding area,” Groebli said. “I attended the second to last game in the old Comiskey Park. I had tears in my eyes. It was the first time my wife saw me crying.”
“In 1951, I saw my first Sox game as a youngster,” Cody chimed in. “My dad took us. I saw Jungle Jim Rivera shagging flies, he was my favorite player then. In 1959, when the Sox played the Dodgers in the World Series, it was a thrill to see Ted Kluszewski hit two home runs in the first game.”
“We want to reach out to Sox fans, to come together, share memories and experiences,” Groebli said. “We will hold regular meetings, we will share stories of being a White Sox fan. We will ask fans to do research on the history of the team, and on Sox minor league players, discuss trades that were made and rumors of other trades, review the upcoming season and share expectations, and we hopefully will have White Sox officials and players speak at our meetings.
“We will also attend several games a year as a group.
We need Sox fans to show their loyalty and support by coming to our first meeting on January 30. In this session we will get to know everyone, relive some of our early memories of going to Sox games with our family, friends, and even girlfriends or boyfriends.” He also stressed that the club is open to both men and women. Members can bring Sox memorabilia, pictures of or with players, books covering the White Sox, and baseballs with signed autographs, he added.
“The one thing we all have in common is the love of the Chicago White Sox,” Groebli concluded. “This is a great foundation for our club and each of us will learn more and more about the team we love. Let’s show those north side fans that the south side is not to be taken lightly. This is going to be a load of fun.”
Interested fans should contact Groebli at 847-515-8336 or ggroebli@aol.com to get information or email updates.
