Bill Melton, former White Sox 3B, dies at age 79

The White Sox family mourns the loss of former third baseman Bill Melton, who died Thursday in Phoenix after a short illness. He was 79.

Melton played with the Sox from 1968 to 1975, with his peak years being 1970 and 1971. He blasted 33 home runs in each of those seasons, with that total leading the league in 1971. That was also the year when Melton made his only All-Star appearance.

During his tenure on the South Side, he batted .258/.340/.432 with 154 home runs, 134 doubles and 535 RBIs. That total of 154 home runs ranks ninth in team history. 

In fact, Melton was the franchise's all-tiime home run leader when he left the team in 1975, and that record stood until Harold Baines passed him in 1987.

I never saw Melton play with the Sox, as I was born in 1976. But for my generation, we remember "Beltin' Bill" for his work as a TV commentator on pre- and postgame shows over a period of two decades. He worked for WGN, Comcast SportsNet and NBC Sports Chicago from 1998 until his retirement in 2020.

Melton was funny, relatable and candid, and his passion for the Sox and the game of baseball was always evident. I'll remember Melton for being a truth-teller on the air. He praised the Sox when they played well, and when the team was terrible, he would indicate that they were terrible.

That seems like an obvious thing to do, but we've seen plenty of people come through the White Sox universe who are full of it. Melton was not full of it. He was honest, and Sox fans appreciate that. 

Our sympathies go out to Melton's wife and his family and friends. He will be remembered fondly.

Can't the White Sox celebrate 1983 from a different angle?

The White Sox excessively celebrate the 1983 AL West Division championship, don't they?

On Sunday, the team marked the 40th anniversary of the division-clinching game. Social media accounts featured a picture of manager Tony La Russa and outfielders Daryl Boston, Harold Baines and Ron Kittle.

You might be asking yourself why Boston was in the photo. Good question. He didn't make his debut with the Sox until 1984. At least La Russa and Baines are in the Hall of Fame, and in case you haven't heard (LOL), Kittle won AL Rookie of the Year in 1983. Boston just doesn't fit here.

On the Sox Machine podcast this week, they asked why the 1983 team is celebrated for every anniversary, while the 1993 AL West Division champion Sox are mostly lost to history.

Great question. I don't have a good answer. 

Me personally, I loved the 1983 team. I was 7 years old at the time, and that was the team that helped spark my love of baseball and the White Sox. That being said, I agree that the nostalgia for that team has gotten excessive. Do we really need to see those 1983 uniforms for every Sunday home game? Not in my world.

But, if we must continue to celebrate the 1983 team, couldn't we at least hear from some different players?

Kittle doesn't have a story to tell that I haven't already heard. He won Rookie of the Year and hit homers onto the roof at Comiskey Park. Yeah, we know.

And Baines is well-known as a quiet man, despite being an exceptional player during his day. He just doesn't have much to say.

I realize some of the players from the 1983 squad have passed now -- LaMarr Hoyt, Julio Cruz and Dick Tidrow come to mind as some guys who are no longer with us. 

But you know who's still alive? Greg Luzinski. And Rudy Law. And Richard Dotson. And Vance Law. And Jerry Dybzinski. And Jerry Hairston. And Tom Paciorek. And Floyd Bannister. Heck, Jerry Koosman turns 81 in December, but he's still around! I could go on.

Why not bring back some of these former players? We haven't heard much from any of them over the years. That would be more interesting than hearing Kittle talk about that season for the 1,000th time.

Party like it's 1983! Tony La Russa named White Sox manager

This offseason, the White Sox need a manager, a designated hitter and a right fielder, preferably one that can swing from the left side of the plate.

Hey, maybe the answers are all right here on a shelf in my man cave! (See picture at right.)

OK, so maybe Harold Baines isn't coming back to play right field, and Greg Luzinski probably can't handle the DH role anymore. The question is whether Tony La Russa can still manage at a championship level.

We're going to find out, because the Sox hired him Thursday in a controversial move, to say the least. I'm not sure I know one single Sox fan who is happy with this decision, and I am no different. 

You can't knock La Russa's credentials. He's in the Hall of Fame as a manager. He's won three World Series and six pennants. He ranks third all-time with 2,728 wins -- and he only needs 36 wins to move into second place.

Thing is, La Russa is 76 years old, and he hasn't managed since he led the St. Louis Cardinals to a World Series championship in 2011. Sox general manager Rick Hahn is on the record as having said the ideal managerial candidate would be someone who has "experience with a championship organization in recent years."

La Russa checks the box on experience with a championship organization. The recent years part, not so much. I do not consider 2011 to be recent. Maybe others do, but I don't. The game has changed a lot in the past 10 years. 

The worst part of this hire, for me, is that the Sox didn't seem to conduct anything resembling a thorough search. They fixated on one guy and, of course, it's La Russa, a longtime favorite of owner Jerry Reinsdorf. 

La Russa managed the Sox from 1979-86. That's a long time ago, folks. We're going back to my childhood, and I'm a 44-year-old man now. La Russa was the Sox manager when I attended my first game at old Comiskey Park ... 39 years ago.

Reinsdorf is on the record as saying his biggest mistake was firing La Russa ... in 1986. So apparently, the big priority here is righting a wrong that happened in 1986. That's a shame, because I thought the big priority here was for the Sox to win a World Series in 2021.

Maybe La Russa can do that, but color me skeptical that a 76-year-old man who has been out of the game for nine years is going to relate well to players who are 50 years younger than he is. 

I actually have no doubt that La Russa is a smart enough man to combine new-school and old-school thoughts on the game. I think he'll pay attention to analytics, but he won't be a slave to it. Both the old school and the new school have their place in my view. The in-game management itself, I think La Russa can do that part.

The problem here is, will guys want to play for him? I'm not sure.

But I think the thing that pisses fans off most is that this is another "insular" hire. Jeff Passan's tweet from earlier today summed it up. Here's the tweet:

"The hiring of Tony La Russa has ruffled feathers in the White Sox organization. A number of employees have concerns about his ability to connect with younger players and how he will adapt to the field after being away 9 years. .... This was a Jerry Reinsdorf decision. Simple as that."

Yes, this was not a decision by baseball operations, as it should have been. It was a decision by a weird, octogenarian billionaire owner whose main interest has always been to surround himself with friends and loyal soldiers.

Sure, Reinsdorf wants to win, but he wants to win his way. And I don't think his way is going to work.

Here is the 2020 Hall of Fame ballot

Paul Konerko

Below is a list of every player on the 2020 Hall of Fame ballot. Names are listed alphabetically:

Bobby Abreu, Josh Beckett, Heath Bell, Barry Bonds, Eric Chávez, Roger Clemens, Adam Dunn, Chone Figgins, Rafael Furcal, Jason Giambi, Todd Helton, Raúl Ibañez, Derek Jeter, Andruw Jones, Jeff Kent, Paul Konerko, Cliff Lee, Carlos Peña, Brad Penny, Andy Pettitte, J.J. Putz, Manny Ramírez, Brian Roberts, Scott Rolen, Curt Schilling, Gary Sheffield, Alfonso Soriano, Sammy Sosa, José Valverde, Omar Vizquel, Billy Wagner, Larry Walker.

Of note for White Sox fans, Konerko is on the ballot for the first time. I do not expect Konerko to make the Hall this year or any other year, but hey, I didn't expect Harold Baines to get in either, but he did.

Jeter is the only sure bet to get in among the other first-timers. Other notables making their first appearance on the ballot include Soriano, Giambi, Dunn, Lee and Abreu.

Me personally, I hope Giambi doesn't get in. He's a steroids guy, and I hold a grudge against him for cheating to win the 2000 American League MVP award. (Frank Thomas was more deserving.)

Walker is on the ballot for the final time, and we'll see if he can get the votes necessary for induction on his last kick at the can, much like Edgar Martinez did last year.

Players must appear on 75% of the ballots in order to be inducted. Last year, there were 425 ballots cast, so 319 votes were necessary to cross the 75% threshold.

Hall voters are required to submit their votes by the end of the calendar year, and this year's class will be announced Jan 21 on MLB Network. The 2020 induction will be July 26.

Harold Baines Day at Guaranteed Rate Field

In the American League, a team needs good production from its designated hitter. The 2019 White Sox don't get anything from their DHs, who have combined to post a .178/.264/.301 slash line this season.

That makes you appreciate the career of Harold Baines a little more, doesn't it? Baines was elected to the National Baseball Hall of Fame this year, and the Sox honored him for his achievement this past Sunday before a game against the Oakland A's.

Baines prepares to speak at Guaranteed Rate Field.

Humble as always, Baines spoke softly, for four minutes and 43 seconds, thanking his family, former teammates, the Sox organization and its fans.

The ceremony also featured speeches by Hall of Fame manager Tony La Russa and two of Baines' closest friends and former teammates, Ron Kittle and Ozzie Guillen.

Other Sox Hall of Famers were on hand, including Frank Thomas, Tim Raines, Jim Thome and Carlton Fisk.

Among the other former Sox players present were Robin Ventura, Dan Pasqua, Ron Karkovice and John Cangelosi.

I was pleased to have the opportunity to attend this game, because the highlights of Baines' career shown on the scoreboard took me back to my childhood in the 1980s. Baines' best years with the Sox were from 1982-89, when he made four All-Star teams. Sure, the Sox weren't very good in those years -- except for 1983 -- but Baines was the best player on the team during the days when I was becoming a Sox fan and learning about baseball.

Baines' election to the Hall has been shrouded in controversy. Some people don't think he belongs, and to be honest, if I had a vote, I'm not sure I would have voted for him. That said, as a Sox fan, I refuse to apologize for being happy for Baines and his family. He was an outstanding player, and he's well-respected by any person he has ever been around.

And when I went to the Hall of Fame this summer, I enjoyed some of the Baines memorabilia on display. Take this locker of stuff:

Here's the bat Baines used to hit that famous home run in the 25th inning on May 9, 1984, against the Milwaukee Brewers:

Check out this old-school edition of Baseball Digest. I subscribe to this magazine, and did so when I was a kid, as well. I'm pretty sure I received this edition in the mail as a youngster:

Here's the poster next to the Baines' locker, detailing his career highlights:

And, of course, here's the plaque that will hang in Cooperstown, N.Y., forever. Not a replica, folks:

Congrats, Harold, and thanks for the memories!

Reason to celebrate: White Sox don't play Oakland again this season

Mike Fiers

The White Sox played six games against the Oakland Athletics this season, and they were outscored 32-8. Yes, that's right: The Sox scored only eight runs in six games against Oakland pitching. In that context, it's a miracle they won one -- and that came Saturday night.

Here's a look back at the weekend series at Guaranteed Rate Field, during which the A's won two out of three games.

Friday, Aug. 9
A's 7, White Sox 0: Friday was one of those days when I looked at the pitching matchup and said, "The Sox have no chance today." They've never hit Mike Fiers well, and I never have high expectations for any Ross Detwiler start.

In fairness to Detwiler (1-3), there's was nothing wrong with his outing -- even though he took the loss. He went 5.2 innings and allowed two earned runs (both on solo home runs) on four hits. Matt Chapman homered in the first inning. Stephen Piscotty homered in the second.

That was plenty for Fiers (11-3), who struck out eight, walked nobody and allowed only three hits over seven shutout innings. The Sox finished the game with four hits, all singles.

The game got out of hand in the eighth inning, when the A's scored five runs off the combination of Jace Fry and Josh Osich. Fry failed to retire a hitter and was charged with four runs after he allowed two walks and two hits, including a home run by Chad Pinder.

Good job, good effort.

Saturday, Aug. 10
White Sox 3, A's 2: It was Eloy Jimenez bobblehead night, and the rookie left fielder marked the occasion by hitting his 19th home run of the season. The Sox scored their other two runs with speed. Leury Garcia stole third base and scored a run when the throw by Oakland catcher Chris Herrmann squirted away into shallow left field. Tim Anderson, while running on a 3-2 pitch, scored from first base on a single by Welington Castillo.

That backed a nice effort from Reynaldo Lopez (7-9), who navigated around six hits allowed and three walks to toss 6.1 shutout innings. Lopez did not have swing-and-miss stuff -- he struck out only three, but he benefited from three double plays.

The Sox bullpen was shaky, as Oakland stranded eight runners over the last three innings. The A's loaded the bases with two outs in the seventh, when Jon Jay made a nice running catch in right field to save a potential bases-clearing double off Pinder's bat.

Oakland placed runners on first and second with two out in the eighth, and Anderson made a nice play to his left to throw out Piscotty for the third out.

The Sox led, 3-0, going into the ninth, but the A's scored two unearned runs against Alex Colome, who struck out Khris Davis with two outs and the bases loaded to earn his 23rd save of the season.

Sunday, Aug. 11
A's 2, White Sox 0: The Sox honored newly inducted Hall of Famer Harold Baines with a ceremony before the game (more on that later), and frankly, the team might as well have allowed the 60-year-old Baines to take an at-bat -- he couldn't have done any worse than the current Sox hitters did against Chris Bassitt (8-5) and three Oakland relievers.

The South Siders managed only five hits (four of them singles) and didn't have a man reach third base after the second inning.

Too bad because Lucas Giolito (12-6) struck out a career high 13 and walked only one in six innings pitched. Unfortunately, he had one bad inning where he allowed a two-run homer to Oakland's Matt Olson, and given the way Sox hitters handle Oakland pitching, that was enough to get him beat on this day.

In Giolito's previous outing, he wasn't sharp at all in allowing three runs over six innings to the lowly Detroit Tigers. But, he won that start. On Sunday, I thought he was impressive, but he lost. That's baseball for you; it's a funny game.

And we can only speculate why Oakland has seemingly owned the Sox for decades.

Swag from my recent trip to the National Baseball Hall of Fame

Yes, I left the National Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown with a shopping bag. I won't apologize for it, because I bought some stuff that I didn't think I could find closer to home.

For example, this Harold Baines Hall of Fame T-shirt:

In fact, the Hall gift shop had a section for each of the 2019 inductees, and I picked this shirt off the shelf dedicated to Baines.

I also thought this shirt was cool; it lists every member of the Hall of Fame affiliated with the White Sox;

And, of course, no trip to the Hall would be complete without the standard T-shirt and hat combination:

I also cleaned out the book shop of anything White Sox-related:

And, of course, the program and yearbook from the Hall induction ceremony:

I bought the yearbook; I won program playing a trivia game, but that's a blog entry for another day.

Some other photos from SoxFest 2019

I mentioned in Monday's blog that I didn't get a great shot of the five Hall of Fame players on stage, but my girlfriend, Jen, did capture Harold Baines, Tim Raines and Frank Thomas together after that seminar.

Me with Manny Machado's brother-in-law (Yonder Alonso). I told him he would like Chicago better than Cleveland. (Who wouldn't?)

I tried to get in line to meet Ken Harrelson. That didn't work out. I was person No. 126, and he was only taking 125 photos. So, I got in the back of the line for Bo Jackson instead. Too bad Bo doesn't know Yaz.

Proof that SoxFest photographers aren't the best. I zoomed my phone in for this woman, and apparently, she zoomed it back out to take this photo of me and Jace Fry.

And then there is this very zoomed in photo of me with Reynaldo Lopez ...

Ozzie Guillen was at SoxFest for the first time since his last year as manager in 2011. Even though the feud between Guillen and former GM Ken Williams cost the Sox an opportunity to contend in that season, eight years probably is long enough to say that's water under the bridge.

I joked that I should try getting a haircut like Daniel Palka's. OK, maybe that's not such a good idea.

Sure, more than 13 years has passed, but the 2005 World Series trophy still is being displayed. Maybe the Sox should think about winning another one these sometime soon, huh?

5 takeways from SoxFest 2019

After months of anticipation (I booked my hotel package in September), SoxFest 2019 has come and gone in the blink of an eye.

A few thoughts and opinions from the three-day event at the Chicago Hilton.

1. 5 Hall-of-Fame members on one stage: Easily the coolest moment of the weekend for me came Friday night when the White Sox had a seminar featuring five Hall-of-Famers and a Cy Young award winner on the same stage.

I wish I could have gotten a little closer for a better picture, but you can see Harold Baines, Jim Thome, moderator Steve Stone, Frank Thomas, Tim Raines and Carlton Fisk in the picture above.

I wonder how many organizations in baseball could put together a star-studded panel such as this for their fans. That's more of a rhetorical question than anything. ... I'm sure there are a few other teams that could, but credit the Sox for getting all these guys in the same room.

It had been a couple years since I had seen Thome at SoxFest, even though he works for the organization. A recorded message was shown last year at SoxFest, with Thome thanking Chicago fans for their support on the occasion of his election to the Hall. It was good to see the man in person this time.

2. The Machado pursuit is real: Not surprisingly, GM Rick Hahn fielded a lot of questions about the team's pursuit of superstar free agent Manny Machado. Hahn can't speak specifically about negotiations, of course, but in a rare moment of candor, he said he would be personally disappointed if the Sox fail to bring Machado into the fold.

I remain skeptical, and I'll award Hahn no points unless he gets Machado to sign on the dotted line. Trying isn't enough, but it's quite clear that the Sox are really trying. Hahn went out of his way to detail the organization's top-to-bottom effort to get Machado on the South Side of Chicago. Everyone is involved from the front office to players to community relations staff.

At a seminar Sunday, players were asked whether they were involved in the Machado recruitment. Michael Kopech answered first and said he was not. But right after that, Yoan Moncada raised his microphone to his mouth and immediately began speaking rapid-fire Spanish. Through an interpreter, the second baseman noted that he and teammate Yonder Alonso had face-timed Machado right before the start of SoxFest opening ceremonies Friday, and they basically told him that he needs to get up here and join the Sox.

The saga continues.

3. Fifth starter? The Sox don't have one: Are you ready for Manny Banuelos to be a member of the 2019 starting rotation? I asked Hahn about it Friday night. I said the Sox have four starters: Carlos Rodon, Reynaldo Lopez, Lucas Giolito and Ivan Nova. I don't see a fifth. Who might it be?

Hahn did not rule out an acquisition from outside the organization. Thank goodness, because I think they need one. He said right now the competition for the job would be between Banuelos and Dylan Covey, who failed in the role last season.

It was quite clear from Hahn's answer that Banuelos, who was a top-30 prospect seven years ago before injuries curtailed his career, has the inside track. Apparently, some scout "pounded the table" and told Hahn that Banuelos could help the Sox win right now, so they acquired him in a swap of minor-leaguers with the Los Angeles Dodgers three months ago.

Personally, I think it will take a lot more than Banuelos to cover the 204.2 innings that James Shields pitched as a member of the Sox's rotation last season.

4. Moncada's struggles: On Saturday, I asked manager Rick Renteria about Moncada. The "Jason from Wheeling" in the first sentence of this Chicago Tribune story? Yep, that was me.

I want Moncada to continue taking his walks. I don't want him to swing wildly at bad pitches, but he needs to be more aggressive. He needs to put the ball in play more often. He makes hard contact, so there's every reason to believe his production will go up if his strikeouts come down.

Renteria told me that Moncada was working with him and hitting coach Todd Steverson in Arizona a few weeks after the season ended. They are making a physical adjustment in the way Moncada grips the bat. Previously, his grip apparently limited his plate coverage, making it difficult for him to get to pitches on the outer half as both a left-handed and right-handed hitter. Renteria also wants Moncada to accept the idea that a productive out every now and then isn't the worst thing. They've been going over situations to try to improve his mental approach to hitting.

I also asked whether Moncada might be moved down in the lineup, with the arrival of veteran outfielder Jon Jay. It sounds as though the answer to that is no, because Moncada wants to bat leadoff and told Renteria so. But, the manager did acknowledge that Jay's presence on the roster gives him another option for the top spot in the batting order.

5. Don't worry about Madrigal: There's a Baseball America article out that made note of Nick Madrigal's struggles in hitting the ball to the pull side of the field during his professional debut last season.

I wasn't real concerned about it, given the small sample size, and when Madrigal was asked about it, he didn't express concern either. But since it's being talked about, I decided to ask player development director Chris Getz and amateur scouting director Nick Hostetler about it during a Sunday seminar.

Hostetler noted that Madrigal suffered a broken wrist during his season at Oregon State last year, and that he had seen the 2018 top draft pick the day before the injury. And, Madrigal had turned on a fastball and cranked it over the left-field bullpen. So, maybe that wrist wasn't 100 percent at the end of 2018, and maybe that was sapping him of pull-side power.

Getz made note of Madrigal's consistent approach and elite bat-to-ball skills, and it's expected that he'll make adjustments to the inside pitch as we go along.

Mariano Rivera, Roy Halladay, Edgar Martinez, Mike Mussina elected to Hall of Fame

Mariano Rivera

Here's your fun fact of the day: Edgar Martinez has a .579 career batting average against Mariano Rivera.

With that kind of track record against the greatest closer of all-time, it makes you wonder how in the world it took Martinez 10 years to get elected to Baseball Hall of Fame, doesn't it?

Regardless, Rivera and Martinez both were elected to Cooperstown on Tuesday, along with Roy Halladay and Mike Mussina.

Rivera became the first player in history to earn unanimous election, appearing on all 425 ballots. Previously, Ken Griffey Jr. had the record for highest vote percentage (99.3 percent) after he was named on 437 of 440 ballots in 2016.

Frankly, I'm surprised Rivera got 100 percent of the vote -- not that he isn't deserving. The former Yankees closer has 652 career saves and five World series championships -- and an 8-1 record with a 0.70 ERA and 42 saves in 96 postseason appearances.

I just didn't think a closer would be the first guy to break down the barrier and appear on every ballot. Think about it: Greg Maddux threw more than 5,000 innings in his impeccable career as a starting pitcher, but not even he got 100 percent of the vote. Rivera, however, did, despite only pitching 1,283 innings in his career.

It's an interesting argument, but ultimately it doesn't matter much, since Rivera is no-doubt Hall of Famer regardless of what percent of the vote he received -- as are Maddux, Griffey Jr. and dozens of others.

I've long been an advocate for Martinez as a Hall of Famer, and I'm glad to see him receive 85.4 percent of the vote (75 percent is required for induction). The former Seattle designated hitter is one of only six players who began their career after World War II to retire with a .300 batting average, .400 on-base percentage and .500 slugging percentage. Martinez won two batting titles and retired with a .312 batting average and 309 home runs in 18 seasons.

Halladay is going to the Hall posthumously, after his tragic death in November 2017 when a plane he was piloting crashed into the Gulf of Mexico off the Florida coast. The right-hander totaled 203 wins and a 3.38 ERA in 16 seasons -- 12 with the Toronto Blue Jays and four with the Philadelphia Phillies. He won a Cy Young award in both leagues and finished second on two other occasions. He threw a perfect game and is best-known for the no-hitter he threw for the Phillies in the 2010 NLDS against the Cincinnati Reds. From 2003 to 2011, he threw 61 complete games -- more than twice as many as the next-closest pitcher during those years (CC Sabathia had 30).

As for Mussina, will he go into the Hall as a Baltimore Oriole, or as a Yankee? I hope he goes in as an Oriole, but it will be close. Mussina pitched 18 seasons, 10 in Baltimore, eight in New York. He won 270 games, 147 with the Orioles, 123 with the Yankees. Mussina won seven Gold Gloves and totaled 2,813 strikeouts. He never won the Cy Young award, coming close in 1999, when he finished second to Pedro Martinez.

These four players will join Harold Baines and Lee Smith in the Class of 2019. Baines and Smith were elected in December by a Hall of Fame veterans committee. This year's induction is July 22.

Early list of 2019 SoxFest attendees released

Dewayne Wise

SoxFest 2019 will take place from Jan. 25 to 27 at the Chicago Hilton, and believe it or not, that's only about a month away.

I've already got my hotel package booked, so I got an email this week with an early list of players scheduled to attend the event. Let's have a look:

Current players:
Jose Abreu, Tim Anderson, Nicky Delmonico, Adam Engel, Jace Fry, Lucas Giolito, Leury Garcia, Michael Kopech, Reynaldo Lopez, Yoan Moncada, Daniel Palka, Yolmer Sanchez.

Prospects:
Micker Adolfo, Luis Alexander Basabe, Dylan Cease, Zack Collins, Eloy Jimenez, Nick Madrigal, Luis Robert.

Coaches:
Rick Renteria, Daryl Boston, Nick Capra, Don Cooper, Curt Hasler, Joe McEwing, Greg Sparks, Todd Steverson.

Alumni:
Harold Baines, Carlton Fisk, Ken Harrelson, Carlos May, Bill Melton, Tim Raines, Jim Thome, Dewayne Wise.

Broadcasters:
Jason Benetti, Steve Stone, Ed Farmer Darrin Jackson.

A few thoughts:

1. Props to Giolito for showing up. Usually, when a guy has a bad season he doesn't want anything to do with the fans at SoxFest the following winter.

2. Early favorite for most crowded autograph line: Jimenez. They probably will pare him with someone that few fans will be interested in, such as Delmonico.

3. I'm not sure Baines and Fisk have any stories left to tell that I haven't already heard. Of course, Baines is a team ambassador, and he was just elected to the Hall of Fame, so I'm sure the Sox will try to capitalize on that with a seminar of some sort.

4. Wise is an unusual name to appear on the guest list. I guess 2019 is the 10-year anniversary of Mark Buehrle's perfect game -- and Wise's spectacular catch to preserve that achievement -- but reflecting on that day isn't worth much if Buehrle isn't around to share in it.

5. What, no Ron Kittle?

White Sox great Harold Baines elected to National Baseball Hall of Fame

Harold Baines at the plate in 1986

Here's a surprise: Former White Sox outfielder and designated hitter Harold Baines was elected to the National Baseball Hall of Fame on Sunday.

Baines received the required 12 out of a possible 16 votes from the Today's Game Era Committee to earn enshrinement. Former Cubs relief pitcher Lee Smith also was voted in by the committee and will join Baines in the 2019 Hall of Fame class.

I have to admit that I wasn't expecting Baines to get elected. He played 22 seasons (1980-2001) in the major leagues, including three stints with the Sox (1980-89, 1996-97 and 2000-01), and he was a good hitter for a long time. However, he played 1,643 games as a designated hitter, and "only" 1,061 games as an outfielder, which I figured would be a huge strike against him for the purists.

Plus, Baines was not a lifetime .300 hitter. He did not hit 500 career home runs, nor did he collect 3,000 career hits. So, he didn't reach any of the "counting statistics" milestones that we normally associate with Hall of Fame-caliber hitters.

Baines was a career .289 hitter, with .356 on-base percentage and a .465 slugging percentage. He totaled 2,866 hits, 384 home runs, 1,628 RBIs, 488 doubles, 49 triples and 1,299 runs scored.

There's nothing wrong with these numbers. That's a helluva career, in fact, but Baines only led the league in a category once in the 22 years he played. He topped the American League in 1984 with a .541 slugging percentage as a member of the Sox. He never won an MVP award, and never finished higher than ninth (1985). He had little or no defensive utility after he hurt his knee, and heck, he never got more than 6.1 percent of the vote on any Hall ballot before this.

Here's the one case I can make for Baines: He probably would have reached that 3,000-hit plateau if work stoppages hadn't cost him games in three seasons of his career -- 1981, 1994 and 1995.

Is that a good case? Ehhh ... probably not. I'm happy for Baines, but really surprised at his election.