That would change on a warm and humid July afternoon  The matinee matchup between the Rays and White Sox was breezing right along in typical Mark Buerhle fashion, the Sox ahead thanks to a Josh Fields grand slam.  During the fifth inning, I looked up at the scoreboard and realized he had a no-no going and recall thinking “today”? “It’s sooo hot…” The Dog Days of Summer were in full force.

The fifth inning quickly became the seventh as I clicked into “no-hitter” mode, grabbing the lenses I needed, fresh memory cards and batteries from my office, then heading out to locate an empty seat near the home plate side of the Rays dugout in order to put myself in a position to capture Mark’s last pitch with the scoreboard telling the story in the background. I had concerns that the Rays on deck hitter and/or bat boy might interfere with my line of sight, so I spoke with the batboy after the bottom of the eighth to discuss things, hoping that he would somehow keep me in mind. My heart was pounding as Mark delivered pitch after pitch in rapid succession. I could hardly refocus after each pitch!

The transition from being a fan in 1963 to covering the team as their Official Team Photographer has been a thrill I will never forget and cherish forever. When Steve Lyons made the final putout to close out the incredible history of Old Comiskey Park on September 30, 1990, it closed out a chapter in my own life as well. But that next chapter …

I thought I’d start with an image and story featuring a fellow 1985 rookie, Ozzie Guillen.

I like to tell people I broke into “The Show” with the White Sox the same year as a young Venezuelan shortstop who wore #13… Need I say more? Late in September of ’85, I asked Ozzie if he wouldn’t mind posing for a few portraits emulating the poses that the great Chico Carrasquel as captured back in the ‘50s. Early in the morning prior to the last Sunday game of the season, after speaking about my idea with him a day or two prior, out walked Ozzie in his full game uniform.

Having a Major League player do this is a thing of the past.  It just doesn’t happen any longer (well, it did for with other former White Sox player, but that’s for another day…). Everyone is too busy… Times have changed.

Using my trusty Nikon FM, Kodachrome 25 and a CT-45 Metz flash, we made a few images together. Little did anyone know at the time the historical significance these simple portraits would hold.

Today, all four have been inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame, joining Jack Morris and Alan Trammell July 29th in Cooperstown, New York.

Covering baseball as long as I have (2018 is my 33rd year), it sure has been fun observing and, well, chronicling, the careers of these four worthy inductees from start to finish.

Jim Thome, one of the most prolific home run hitters in baseball history, number eight all-time with 612 round-trippers, was a cornerstone of the great Cleveland Indians teams of the mid 1990’s.  Not only a home run threat, “Gentleman Jim” was an incredibly clutch hitter as well.

I had the privilege of watching Jim play on a daily basis for the White Sox from 2006-2009 and to say it was a privilege is an understatement… Jim’s leadership, in the clubhouse and in the community, was second to none.

Congratulations, Jim on an honor well deserved!

Chipper Jones just flat out came to play! As part of the Braves dynasty of the 1990’s, he was a force to be reckoned with, both defensively and offensively. Nestled in a batting order that also contained Andruw Jones, Fred McGriff, Ron Gant, Deion and of course supported by the pitching staff of Maddux, Glavine, Smoltz and Avery… well, you remember… But the one player opposing mangers tried to contain so as to not let him beat you..?

Chipper… and so many times, as hard as the opposition may have tried to prevent it, he’d end up beating you anyway.

Trevor Hoffman, second all-time with 601 saves and a seven-time All-Star, joins baseball’s elite in Cooperstown as one of the greatest relief pitchers to have ever played the game.

When Padres, and late in his career, Brewers fans, heard AC/DC’s “Hell’s Bells”, they knew the game was a good as over as Trevor entered from the bullpen to finish off yet another opponent.

Vladimr Guerrero reminded me at times of the late, great Hall of Famer Roberto Clemente.  He had all the tools, finishing up with a .318 lifetime batting average, 449 home runs and a cannon of an arm.

To his detractors who say he ran himself into too many outs and overthrew the cutoff man more than occasionally, payback will most likely feel sweet as Vladdy joins Jim, Trevor and Chipper in Cooperstown later this summer.

Congratulations to this years Hall of Fame Class of 2018!

theoriginalves

#OTD 20 years ago today… Players, staff and fron to board double decker busses for a journey downtown… Backstory of importance… At the last second, Mayor Daley’s photographer and myself changed busses from the last bus to the second to last bus, realizing we would only get their backs if we road with them. EPIC GREAT MOVE!! Winding thought southside neighborhoods like China Town, and Southport before hitting the drive, across the River then heading up LaSalle Street to a ticker tape reception before ending at LaSalle and Wacker, it was an experience I will NEVER forget!! Afterward, the consensus amongst the players and staff that participated was that the experience rivaled JUST BELOW winning the Series! Exceeded expectations was an understatement! If you were there, leave a comment on your memory from that day!! It was the Championship parade where all others would be compared to. They estimated well over a million were downtown, and by the looks of some of my photos (where the crowds were 6 to 7 BLOCKS deep), I don’t doubt the numbers one bit. What a ride!!! #2005WorldChampions FOREVER!! . . . . #WhiteSox #WorldChampions #2005WorldSeries #MLB#BaseballWillAlwaysBePartOfMyLife #VeselyPhotography #Baseball #VeselyPhotographyArchives #BaseballPhotographer #SportsPhotographer">

20 YEARS AGO TONIGHT! The Chicago White Sox became (and self, wearing a rain suit) for the potential champagne shower ahead. When eventual World Series MVP Jermaine Dye singled with two out in the top of the eighth scoring Willie Harris, I clicked into “tunnel vision mode”, knowing there were 6 outs to go. The Astros threat in the bottom of the eighth came up empty, and after Juan Uribe made a miraculous running catch in foul territory bringing the Pale Hose to within one out of history, my heart was racing... Ground ball to Uribe… OUT! As I made my way into the clubhouse, my only do over I wish I had was to have let the pool photographers (a select few photogs allowed in to record the actual trope presentation… they used to do in all in the same clubhouse area, but learned that wasn’t a good idea with grown men and champagne celebrating wildly… hence the separate areas) take care of the trophy presentation so I could dive into the sea of champagne. Fox was soooo sloooow in getting the trophy presentation on air that by the time I headed to the clubhouse, the very best of the insanity was over. I could HEAR what was going on… but I couldn’t do squat but wait. I felt like the Blues Brothers on the elevator with “The Girl From Ipanama” playing on the Muzak as the Swat team prepared outside… so calm where I was, so nuts just a few feet away! What a night!! Party at the hotel, then the charter flights home to Midway where thousands waited to cheer us all on as we drove from the airport that morning…. A night and morning I’ll never forget!!! But MORE great stuff to come a few days later! Stay tuned! . . . . #WhiteSox #WorldChampions #2005WorldSeries #MLB#BaseballWillAlwaysBePartOfMyLife #VeselyPhotography #Baseball #VeselyPhotographyArchives #BaseballPhotographer #SportsPhotographer">

20 years ago tonight, the scene shifted to Minute I was assigned to a spot in the inside first photo well. Since it’s the World Series, and with space at a premium, they crammed us in “double stacked”… seated in the front, standing behind. In theory, that would have been great, however no one took the time to see if the existing stools would be tall enough that the photographer’s lens would “clear the bar”. Guess what? As the great Bob Uecker might have said, “jusssst a little bit short”. Like unusable short unless I grew 6 inches in the next four hours. So I improvised and found that sitting on my hard travel case would put me just high enough, sitting completely upright, to clear the bar. More on why this ended up leaving a lasting impression later. The Sox came back down 4 with a nice 5 run 5th, led by Joe “Money” Crede’s home run, but the Astros came back to tie it in the bottom of the eighth…. And then the game went on, and on, and on, and on… I believe in the 13th inning it was announced that this game was now the longest ever in World Series history… My ass still has the words “Porter Case” forever tattooed on it!! Then Geoff Blum saved the day when he came up in the 14th inning and hit a dramatic, 2 out home run to give the Pale Hose the lead. We added an insurance run and then Mark Buehrle was called in to record his first and only save of his career to give the Southsiders a victory and a commanding 3 games to none lead as we headed toward Game 4 just a few hours later! First things first that morning… head to Target to purchase PADDED stools! • #2005WorldSeries #MLB #WhiteSox #VeselyPhotographyArchive #MyAssIsStillSore">

20 years ago tonight…a rainy, cold night, Game 2 With all the pomp and circumstance completed the night before, Game 2 was about baseball. Chicago native Lou Rawls sang the national anthem in what was his last public performance before passing away from lung cancer in January, 2006. RIP Mr. Rawls…. White Sox legends Bo Jackson and Robin Ventura tossed the first pitch and it was game time… rainy, damp, misty, cold… The Astros took a 4-2 lead into the seventh inning, and The Cell was quiet, quite unlike the night before. Then… With two outs and the bases loaded in the bottom of the seventh, Paul Konerko woke up the 41,432 fans when he launched the first pitch thrown by Astro’s reliever Brad Qualls into the left field bleachers giving the Sox a 6-4 lead. The good feeling was short lived as the Astros clawed back with two runs in the top of the ninth to tie the game, setting the stage for Scotty Pods, who as EVERY SOX FAN KNOWS, hit a dramatic walk-off game winning home run into the misty night to give the White Sox a 7-6 win, and just as importantly, a 2-0 lead in the Series as it headed back to Houston. I vividly remember everyone working around me saying how miserable the conditions were, but honestly, I was waling like 2 feet above the ground for over an hour after the game adrenaline’d up, not once recalling the rain and cold! ⛆ Sunny and 70 that night for me and I’m sure a few others!! Houston, here we come!! . . . . #WhiteSox #ScottyPods #WalkOff #2005WorldSeries #MLB#BaseballWillAlwaysBePartOfMyLife #VeselyPhotography #Baseball #VeselyPhotographyArchives #BaseballPhotographer #SportsPhotographer">

There was more 20 years ago tonight… @Stev @StevePerry was in the house, his version of “Don’t Stop Believing” became the White Sox rally cry in 05’ thanks to Joe Crede, AJ and Aaron Rowand… he visited the boys pregame in the training room, off limits to all media. Did anybody look tight an hour and a half prior to Game One of the World Series? You tell me… Seeing former Sox manger (and one of my favorite people I’ve ever known)Jeff Torborg with long time White Sox Traveling Secretary Glenn Rosenbaum in Ozzie’s office prior to the game, the legends from 1959 (my they all RIP… each man a great Player in Sox history but more importantly a GREAT man!!) alongside White Sox HOF Luis Aparicio tossing out the first pitch to the one and only Mark Buehrle… Oh yes… the game! Jermaine hit a home run in the second inning (I was running around taking ballpark overall photos). Joe Crede broke at 3-3 tie with a solo blast in the 4th to put us ahead for good. Then, the famous Ozzie call to the pen for the beloved Big Man, Bobby Jenks, to close out a 5-3 White Sox winner Oh man, the memories are still here today (just don’t ask me what I had for supper last night, however…)">

#OTD 20 years ago… I made the most personally si My dream image became reality! @jose.contreras52 I love you my friend!! FOREVER our bond!! . . . . #WhiteSox #JoseContreras #2005WorldSeries #MLB#BaseballWillAlwaysBePartOfMyLife #VeselyPhotography #Baseball #VeselyPhotographyArchives #BaseballPhotographer #SportsPhotographer">

Seems like yesterday! 20 years ago tonight, Octobe . . . . #WhiteSox #Angels #MLB#2005MLBPostseason #BaseballWillAlwaysBePartOfMyLife #VeselyPhotography #Baseball #VeselyPhotographyArchives #BaseballPhotographer #SportsPhotographer">

20 Years ago tonight… could lightning strike twi Why HELL YES! This time around Pauly came up with two men on and one out in the first inning and promptly deposited a 3-2 pitch into the rock garden in left center field. And once again Anaheim Stadium fell silent in the first inning! In the fourth AJ hit an opposite field solo blast to give the @whitesox a 4-1 lead and the route was on. Great defense as usual, additional clutch hitting and yet ANOTHER complete game victory, this time courtesy of Freddy Garcia, moving the Pale Hose within one win of capturing their first American League Title since 1959! Yes!! . . . . #WhiteSox #MLB #MLBPostseason #2005WorldSeriesChamps #BaseballWillAlwaysBePartOfMyLife #VeselyPhotography #Baseball #MakinMagic #VeselyPhotographyArchives #BaseballPhotographer #SportsPhotographer">

#OTD 20 years ago… Paul Konerko was the offensiv lessons which he quickly put to use, taking this photo of yours truly as I pointed out my lucky red White Sox shirt for posterity. • Mark was a quick study but I suggested he stick to his day job… . . . . #WhiteSox #MLB #MLBPostseason #2005WorldSeriesChamps #BaseballWillAlwaysBePartOfMyLife #VeselyPhotography #Baseball #MakinMagic #VeselyPhotographyArchives #BaseballPhotographer #SportsPhotographer">

20 years ago tonight, the “AJ” game etched its way in to White Sox lore as one of the most memorable games, as well as one of THE most important individual plays in the 100 plus years of the franchise! (Gotta give Dewayne Wise equal kudos for “The Catch”… ) • With the sole 2005 Postseason loss the night before in the rear view mirror, Game 2 of the 2005 ALCS featured a pitching duel between Mark Buehrle and the Angels bullpen, UNTIL a 3-2 pitch in the bottom of the ninth inning in a tie game to A.J Pierzynski changed EVERYTHING! • Man, for my money, AJ is one of the most heady players I’ve ever photographed, and it all became clear to the world on the big stage on national TV that night. GRINDER RULES personified!! • Former White Sox catcher Josh Paul failed to securely handle AJ’s swing and a miss (yes, it was recorded as a strikeout) and rolled the ball back out to the mound. • You know who wasted no time in making a beeline to first base without a play. SAFE! Catchers know best they say, much to the dismay of former catcher and Angels manager Mike Sciosocia. • Pablo Osuna came in to run for AJ and promptly stole second to set the stage for Joe Crede’s heroics. My nickname for Joe was “Money ”, cause’ with the game on the line, he ALWAYS delivered. • And yup, on a 0-2 pitch, delivered with a rocket down the left field line for a double, and as John Rooney used to say “A White Sox Winner”!!! • What a game! A complete game for Mark and the Series now tied 1-1 we hopped on the and made our way to the land of Disney for Game 3... . . . . #WhiteSox #MLB #MLBPostseason #2005WorldSeriesChamps #AJPierzynski #JoeCrede #BaseballWillAlwaysBePartOfMyLife #VeselyPhotography #Baseball #MakinMagic #VeselyPhotographyArchives #BaseballPhotographer #SportsPhotographer">

Yet another sad day for baseball as news that Red . . . . #RedSox #MLB#MikeGreenwell #DonBaylor #BaseballWillAlwaysBePartOfMyLife #VeselyPhotography #Baseball #VeselyPhotographyArchives #BaseballPhotographer #SportsPhotographer">

• One of my favorite takeaways after winning on the road was the party at the team hotel that evening, where the late great Roland Hemond spoke to the gathering of players and staff in town. • I’ll never forget the advise he instilled that evening…. make SURE to stop long enough to take it ALL in… you know, smell the roses… We were entering special territory, moments that doesn’t come along often, so make sure not to get “caught up in your job” so much that you miss it. • AMEN Roland!! Miss you and your advise! I’’ll get to things I took in later…. for now… PARTY IN BOSTON!! . . . . #WhiteSox #MLB #MLBPostseason #2005WorldSeriesChamps #BaseballWillAlwaysBePartOfMyLife #VeselyPhotography #Baseball #MakinMagic #VeselyPhotographyArchives #BaseballPhotographer #SportsPhotographer">

#OTD 20 years ago… The White Sox game back from • Mr. Reliable, Mark Buehrle, went 8 innings after struggling a bit early before handing the ball over to the “Big Man”, Bobby Jenks who pitched two scoreless innings to earn his first Postseason save. • Next up…. hopping on the Club Charter and heading to Boston… I must say, flying charter is THE way to travel! We flew into a military base outside of Boston to avoid Logan Airport congestion and breezed right into town. • Could spoil a guy… • Fenway awaits… . . . . #WhiteSox #MLB #MLBPostseason #2005WorldSeriesChamps #BaseballWillAlwaysBePartOfMyLife #VeselyPhotography #Baseball #MakinMagic #VeselyPhotographyArchives #BaseballPhotographer #SportsPhotographer">

20 years ago today… On a beautiful aftern afternoon at US Cellular Field the White Sox trounced the Boston Red Sox 14-2 in Game One of the ALDS! • @aj_pierzynski_ft connected for two dingers, with home runs added by Paul Konerko, Juan Uribe and Scotty Pods. The boys showed up ready for action… • It was SO FREAKIN’ FUN to not only win a postseason game (it had been awhile… October 9th of 1993 in Toronto to be exact), but do it in a • …AJ’s first blast, a three run round tripper in the first inning really set the tone for the day. • Jose Contreras went 7 plus, Cliff Politte finished it up and things felt REAL good on the Southside as we headed home! . . . . #WhiteSox #MLB #MLBPostseason #2005WorldSeriesChamps #BaseballWillAlwaysBePartOfMyLife #VeselyPhotography #Baseball #MakinMagic #VeselyPhotographyArchives #BaseballPhotographer #SportsPhotographer">

20 years ago today… The White Sox clinched the But when it’s YOUR team… Bring it!! 3 more “Champagne Showers” please! . . . . #WhiteSox #MLB #2005WorldSeriesChamps #BaseballWillAlwaysBePartOfMyLife #VeselyPhotography #Baseball #MakinMagic #VeselyPhotographyArchives #BaseballPhotographer #SportsPhotographer">

No words needed... • I made this portrait of Ry • • • #VeselyPhotography #VeselyPhotographyArchive #MLB #Cubs #BaseballPhotographer #chicagogram #RyneSandberg #PortraitPhotographer">

Words cannot describe how I feel right now... sick • May you RIP Big Man... • #P.O.D. #BoomYourWalkinSong . . . . #WhiteSox #MLB #BigBobby #BobbyJenks #2005WorldSeriesChamps #BaseballWillAlwaysBePartOfMyLife #VeselyPhotography #Baseball #VeselyPhotographyArchives #BaseballPhotographer #SportsPhotographer">

The 2005 #WhiteSox finished May with a 35-17 recor . . . . #WhiteSox #MLB #2005WorldSeriesChamps #MakinMagic #BaseballWillAlwaysBePartOfMyLife #VeselyPhotography #Baseball #VeselyPhotographyArchives #BaseballPhotographer #SportsPhotographer">

White Sox 2005… A look back on some more of my A !! Oh yes… July, his first All Star appearance! • AJ… Man, what an acquisition “Dennis the Menace” (… #Hawkism) was for the White Sox! • El Duque… Used in long relief for most of the season, he saved his most epic performance and place in White Sox history for an October game at Fenway! Things might have gone VERY differently had Duque not performed his “Miracle on Yawkey Way”… • Aaron Rowand… what’s not to love about AR! He epitomized the whole “Grinder Rules” front office marketing theme from 2005! • Jermaine Dye… 31 dingers, 86 RBI… BOOM! • 17-7, we’re just gettin’ started! • • • #WhiteSox #MLB #2005WorldSeriesChamps #MakinMagic #BaseballWillAlwaysBePartOfMyLife #VeselyPhotography #Baseball #VeselyPhotographyArchives #BaseballPhotographer #SportsPhotographer">

Sad news to hear today… Former White Sox pitcher . . . . #WhiteSox #MLB #OctavioDotel #Baseball #VeselyPhotographyArchives #BaseballPhotographer #SportsPhotographer">

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The Chicago Cubs ended a 108 year championship drought, defeating the Cleveland Indians 8-7 in ten innings on an unusually warm and sometimes rainy night at Progressive Field in Cleveland.

This Game Seven will most certainly rank up there as one of the most exciting (not necessarily the best played) deciding games in Postseason history.  For me personally, the 2005 White Sox championship will always rank first for obvious reasons, but out of the other 24 World Series I’ve been privileged to cover, the finale between the Cubs and Tribe ranks right up there with Joe Carter’s walk off Series winner.

This game had everything! Huge home runs, great defensive plays, clutch hitting, questionable managerial moves, key errors, and a rain delay that I, along with many, think had a huge impact on the final outcome of the game.

My photo position for Game Seven with located just outside of the Indians dugout, which put me in a great position to possible capture Cubs jubilation should they win. It’s hard to predict exactly who, what and where the best celebration picture will be, but the odds that I might at least get faces in my shot was a plus. Of course, if the Indians pulled it out, my pre-celebraiton strategy would need to change.

The Cubs got on the board right off the bat in the first inning with a long home run by Dexter Fowler, quieting, albeit temporarily, as the Indians tied up the game 1-1 in the third.

Kris Byant scored on fourth on an Addison Russell sacrifice fly to put the Cubs in the lead.

Joe Maddon brought in Cubs Cubs starter Jon Lester in the bottom of the fifth, and immediately the Indians capitalized, plating two runs on a wild pitch by Lester to close the score to 5-3.

But the Cubs came right back the next inning, as David Ross connected for a sixth inning home run off of the Indians seemingly invincible (and ALCS MVP) reliever Andrew Miller, seizing the short lived Tribe momentum and returning it back to the Cubs as they inched toward history.

Progressive Field sounded more like Wrigley Field east rather than the home of the Tribe.

But it wouldn’t be that easy…

With two on and two out in the bottom of the eighth inning, with Aroldis Chapman on the hill, Rajai Davis hit a three-run, game tying home run to even up the deciding game of the 2016 WOrld Series at 6-6. The Indians fans were back.

Cub fans feared the worst. This was familiar territory and the Cubs faithful felt it. I looked over at longtime team photographer Steve Green and his look, that of just staring out onto the field, spoke volumes.

The momentum shifted. Progressive Field now roaring under the vocal forces of the Indians faithful. Would this soon become another chapter in the Cubs book of woes? To come back from a 3 games to 1 deficit, only to let the championship slip out of its grasp, would be sure to be remembered as the worst of the worst. Is this really happening?

But then a miracle happened. The rain came, lightly at first, then working into a fairly heavy rain, coming down just long and hard enough to halt play after the bottom of the ninth.

When the game resumed, the momentum the Indians developed when they tied the game looked like it was left in the clubhouse. Conversely, the Cubs seemed to have re-grouped and came out in the tenth inning swinging, literally, as Kyle Schwarber, (himself a story within a story) led off with a single. Three batters later, eventual World Series MVP Ben Zobrist hit an opposite field double into the left field corner to give the Cubs the lead for good.

The Indians did score one in the tenth to add to the drama, but when Michael Martinez grounded the ball to third and Bryant fired  the ball over to Anthony Rizzo, history was sealed.

The Chicago Cubs were 2016 World Series Champions!

Typically, many of my World Series celebration shots center around the closing pitcher, but with Mike Montgomery in the game, attempting to record his first major league save, I had to revert to plan B. Nothing personal, Mike…

That would be… concentrate on Anthony Rizzo, who would be looking my way.

As Rizzo’s first baseman’s mitt closed around the ball thrown by Bryant to end the 108 years of Cubbieland frustration, I followed Rizzo toward the center of the field to join up with Bryant, Addison Russell and Javier Baez and made my defining frame.

My late call worked, the strategy paid off…

The MLB Photos team of Brad Mangin, Rob Tringali and Alex Trautwig and I were all assigned specific post game responsibilities, mine being photograph the World Series trophy presentation, then move back onto the field to shoot the Series MVP (Ben Zobrist) with a brand new 50th anninversay Chevrolet Camaro. Rob, Alex and Brad headed onto the field and clubhouse to capture the champagne/beer celebration.

Once again, the MLB Photos crew, directed by Jessica Foster and edited by Jim McKenna, kicked ass!

What a World Series!

History!

I find it hard to imagine my 25th World Series could be more any more exciting!

The Cubs struck first off of the Tribe’s Josh Tomlin, with Kris Bryant going yard with two outs in the first inning to get the Cubs on the board.

But after consecutive singles by Anthony Rizzo and Ben Zobrist, it was the double by Addison Russell with two out that produced one of the most exciting plays I’ve seen in recent World Series history.

With Rizzo excitngly waving Zobrist around the bases, Zobrist sprinted home and collided violently with Indians catcher Roberto Perez.

With the “Posey Rule” instituted by Major League Baseball after Posey suffered a severe knee injury during a home plate collision, they (collisions) at home have been quite few and far between. Not on this night!

Perez couldn’t field the throw, and with helmets and Perez’s mask flying, Zobrist scored and the Cubs took the lead, both emotionally and on the scoreboard.

In the third, after the Indians took out Tomlin and replaced him with Dan Otero, Addison Russell connected with a long, 435 foot bomb to center field, the first World Series grand slam since Paul Konerko connected for one in Game Two of the 2005 Fall Classic.

In the meantime, Jake Arrieta seemed to be on cruise control, keeping the Tribe off the board until the fourth. The rout seemed to be on.

Both teams displayed above average defense on the night, not surprisingly led by the Cubs Javy Baez and the Tribes Francisco Lindor…

But the Tribe kept the pressure on enough to force Cubs manager Joe Maddon to call on Aroldis Chapman with two out in the seventh inning, and kept him in the game in a non-save situation until one out in the ninth, raising quite a few eye brows in the process.

Anthony Rizzo added some insurance runs with a two-run home run int the top of the ninth.

It all worked out for the Cubs, as they hung on to win 9-3 to force a one game, do or die Game Seven.

The script couldn’t be written any better as the Cubs and Indians prepare to face off in Game Seven!  I can’t wait to cover what is sure to be one of the classic deciding games in World Series history.

Holy cow!!

It had been 71 years since a World Series game was played at 1060 W. Addison, and with the first pitch of the game by Kyle Hendricks, there seemed to be a sense of relief… Finally, the Fall Classic was back to what many call “The Friendly Confines”.

With the wind blowing out and the temperature in the low 60’s, many anticipated a high scoring game but it was not to be. A pitchers duel was the deal of the day, and when pitchers duel, pictures are few, to the dismay of us photogs.

Addison Russell provided a much needed “photo pop” mid game.

Coco Crisp was a the offensive hero for the night for the Indians, delivering a clutch RBI single in the seventh inning.

With the seemingly invincible Andrew Miller in the game, the Cubs bats stayed dormant.

I will let my pictures tell the story. Bottom line, it had a happy ending for the Tribe as they defeated the Cubs 1-0 in Game 3.

Celebration time in Cleveland as the Cubs looked to re-boot for a must win Game 4.

Ben Zobrist’s wife, Julianna, sang God Bless America to set the stage prior to Game 4, and actor Vince Vaughn was in the house to sing Take Me Out to the Ballgame.  The stage was set for a fun night at the old ballpark!

The Cubs took the lead early in Game 4 and Wrigley was rocking…

But the Tribe came right back and literally took the air out of the sails of the forty one plus thousand in attendance. It was all Cleveland from that point on.

Corey Kluber, Andrew Miller and company kept the Cubs bat in the deep freeze as Jason Kipnis and Carlos Santana were the offensive heroes.

The Indians are one win away from winning their first World Series since 1948.

Will the Cubs make a historic comeback and send the Series back to Cleveland, or will tonight be THE night that Cleveland truly “Rocks” ??

For the first time in 71 years, the Chicago Cubs will be participants, along with the Cleveland Indians. The Tribe, while participants in the Series in 1997, haven’t won the World Series since 1948. And of course, the Cubs, who havn’t won the World Series in 108 years…

Bottom line… SOMEONE is going to finally update their resume!

For me, the most significant aspect of being able to cover the Cubs historic reappearance in the Fall Classic is to enjoy watching my north side counterpart, Steve Green, the Cubs team photographer since 1981, experience the joys I enjoyed while living the dream in 2005 with my beloved Chicago White Sox White Sox!  Such a special time… I’m elated Steve has FINALLY gotten to the “Promised Land” with a chance to earn a ring.

Both clubs seemed loose and ready to go, and it’s no coincidence considering that both clubs league champion status starts at the top with their managers,  Tito Francona and Joe Maddon.  These guys are good…

For the benefit of my many baseball friends, both Cubs and Indians, I’ve decided this year my blogs are going to be very photo heavy with minimal story… Enjoy!

Oh yeah, by the way… The Indians and Corey Kluber dominated the Cubs in Game One.  Kluber struck out 9 in six innings of work.  Back to the photos…

The offensive hero of Game One was Tribe catcher Roberto Perez, who clubbed two home runs in the Indians 6-0 white wash of the Cubs…

With threatening weather in the forecast, which prompted an unprecedented game time first pitch change to try and beat the rain, Game Two was all Cubs.

Game Three is tomorrow night at Wrigley Field, the first World Series game played at Wrigley in 71 years! I’m looking forward to being there to record history. The weather forecast is for unusually warm temps and the wind blowing out.

Here we go!

Dare I say this has been an April to savor on both sides of town. While I tip my hat to the recent successes that the Cubs have enjoyed too, my focus (hah!) is on the team that calls home U.S. Cellular Field, nestled into the southeast corner of 35th and Shields. The White Sox closed April with 17 wins, tying the club record for most wins in the month of April. They also won 17 in April,  2005. I recall quite vividly how that season ended up!

While covering the Sox this spring in Arizona, I could tell things were different. With all the new personalities joining the squad, the team indeed took on a very new personality. One that featured fun, intensity and fundamentally sound baseball, mixed with that age old baseball ingredient that every competitive team requires, solid pitching.

I had a blast photographing many of the boys during a photo day “photo shoot“… no attitudes, just a group of guys who truly seemed to enjoy each others company.

Come April, flipping the switch to “on” didn’t change the equation one bit. Sure, Mother Nature showed up on Opening Day wearing her worst, even tossing in an occasional snow flake onto what turned out to be a very cold and fall like Opener in the Second City.

The weather might have been cold, but the White Sox started hot… Even without the bats of Jose Abreu and Todd Frazier operating at peak efficiency, the Sox found ways to win. Pitching and defense kept the team in nearly every game, and timely hitting got the job done offensively.

Todd Frazier brings his glove and the stick to the ballpark… every day.  I’m really digging his on field leadership too. What’s not to like? He even has a little Sinatra played as his “walk up” music.  My Kind of Town… and my kind of player too!  While his average isn’t yet at its historic norm, Todd’s hits are more often than not big hits.. He’s on pace to hit 40 plus dingers. Nice!

And Chris Sale?  What new?

His 5 and 0 start to the season doesn’t come as much of a surprise, especially to those of us who see him pitch regularly. But having Chris on the bump every 5 days tends to spoil you. You expect to win every game he pitches.

And how about that Mat Latos? Mat, to date, has gone 4 and 0, with an ERA under 1 for most of the month. Matt Albers?  Like a cat!!! And then there’s the revitalized Adam “Spanky” Eaton. Adam has been playing outstanding baseball, both offensively and defensively while patrolling his new lair in right field.

His bunt single against the Orioles with two out in the ninth inning April 30th set the stage for Jose Abreu’s game winning RBI single to take the Pale Hose to a record of 17-8 for the month.

Brett Lawrie’s approach in being prepared to play while having fun shows too.  Speaking of Lawrie, the threesome of Lawrie, Melky Cabrera and Dioner Navarro is one crazy trio… The fun they enjoy seems to be contagious.

You know, it’s funny how good baseball translates into good baseball photos.  No surprise really, but perhaps what made this April so much fun for me is that the winning coincided with many good photo opportunities. Of course it’s up to me to turn those opportunities into something tangible, and the more we played, the more “on” I felt. That, and the occasional April game without dugout heaters wreaking wavy, distorted havoc with my images, has made this April special for me!

Simply stated, this team just plain knows how to have fun… Here’s to hoping that this fun translates all the way though the summer and doesn’t stop until early November!  There, I said it…

Carry on, boys!  #GetErDone

Crushed is an understatement. The Royals did everything right, while the Mets found ways to lose. Even when the Mets were up, as they were for 8 2/3 innings during Game Six, the looked like they were playing “not not lose”.

Should Matt Harvey have started the 9th? Should Terry Collins have lifted Yoenis Cespedes with the bases loaded and nobody out after Cespedes painfully took a foul ball to the shin? Those were only a few of the many situations the Mets found themselves throughout the Series that will have Mr. Met and his faithful scratching their heads and wonder… what the?

What I can tell you with certainly is that you can’t give (or shall I say hand) the Royals opportunities to either keep themselves in the game or put themselves in position to take complete control of the game.

After Lorenzo Cain walked to lead off the 9th, I knew trouble was brewing. Cain stole second base without a problem with the big boys (Hosmer, Moustakas and Perez) due to follow. By then it was too late. Jeurys Familia faced Hosmer with the game on the line and Hosmer promptly hit an opposite field double to score Cain.

Two batters later, where Me the Manager would have considered walking Salvador Perez to enhance a double play chance, Perez grounded to Mets third baseman David Wright.

Wright looked back Hosmer and then all hell broke loose.  The pictures tell the story.

The game was then hijacked by the Royals for good three innings later when Addison Reed and Bartolo Colon faced a relentless and hungry Royals lineup to not only take the lead, but the Series in the 12th inning to bring the World Series trophy back to Kansas City.

With one out in the 9th I went from thinking about barbecue in Kansas City Monday night to my postgame photo assignment(s), which were to cover the trophy presentation in the Royals clubhouse, then perhaps more importantly, race back on the field to shoot an ad for Major League Baseball and corporate sponsor Chevrolet with the World Series MVP posed with his new Chevy Camero.

Salvador Perez was the well deserved MVP and with seconds to spare to size up my “poses” and angles, Perez came out and quickly cooperated as I spent a lengthy 50 seconds taking care of the ad and a shot of Salvi and the Chevrolet representative.

After putting away my gear for the year, I suddenly got bummed… No, it wasn’t the fact that the baseball season was over (although it is a sad day for a baseball guy like myself) but because I realized that for my White Sox to get back to the postseason, it will have to be through Kansas City.

Oh my…