LOTD: Deep Thoughts (and Brain Farts) by Gordon Beckham

Today’s Link of the Day comes from Chicago White Sox Spring Training camp, where rookie shortstop Gordon Beckham has his own blog on MLBlogs.com. The blog is called “Deep Thoughts by Gordon Beckham”, with title being an homage to one of his favorite SNL skits.

We will be doing a more in-depth analysis of Gordon Beckham later this Spring, but clearly he is a middle infielder of the future for the Chicago White Sox. Assuming Alexei Ramirez has 5-10 more years in him like season, Beckham will most likely find a permanent home at 2nd base. The White Sox will probably have to resist the temptation start Beckham right off the bat this season — but I don’t expect him to be in the minors long.

Anyway, there was a funny story from earlier this Spring in which Beckham had a bit of a brain fart and asked “Who’s Harold?” in response to a question by AJ Pierzynski about legendary White Sox OF Harold Baines. The story, which Beckham has apparently had to recant on numerous occasions, has provided a good bit of comic relief during camp.

Here is an excerpt from one of Beckham’s blog posts in which he discusses the now infamous Harold Baines story, then a link to the Beckham blog:

AJ: So Beckham, why in the world would they give you number 80?

#80: Not sure man, it’s my first spring, what number do you think I should have been given?

AJ: Well I figured they were just going to un-retire and give you Harold’s number.

#80: Who’s Harold?

Now I would like to stop right there and clarify. I was fully aware who Harold Baines was. I had met him earlier that week. I will admit that I did not realize the magnitude of the player he was in MLB history. What I meant to ask AJ was “What’s his number?”

LOTD: Deep Thoughts with Gordon Beckham — (Gordon Beckham Blog at MLBlogs.com)

It has been a while since a White Sox draft pick has made this big of an impression this early in his career. Remember, Beckham was the White Sox #1 pick just last year. Ozzie Guillen has already compared him to Ryne Sandberg, and while that might make White Sox fans shudder, despite Sandberg’s associated with the Cubs I think we would all have loved to have him on the South Side. If Beckham truly warrants that kind of comparison, and Alexei Ramirez proves to be more than a one-year wonder (which he will) the White Sox will have one of the top 5 middle infields in baseball well into the next decade.

Some more White Sox links for you:

Eight Men In: White Sox pitching staff looking good — (Joe Cowley, Sun-Times)

Sox, Cubs not cutting ticket prices — (Kevin Allen, Sun-Times)

Hold off on that Gordon Beckham White Sox T-shirt jersey until 2010 — (Tremendous Upside Potential)

Wait a second on Beckham hype — (Sox Machine)

Viva La Revolucion! White Sox Cubano news with a Bullet — (South Side Sox)

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And now we move onto other links:

Blog of Dreams — (Josh Q. Public)

It was a pretty good season for Michigan State — (Sparty and Friends)

10-year great ensembles of the Big East – Last 15 years — (Hugging Harold Reynolds)

Nothing takes away the pain of being slaughtered like a nice dance in the outfield — (Sharapova’s Thigh)

Lesser known nicknames of the NBA — (Hoop Heads North)

Bert Blyleven offers more proof that he belongs in the Hall of Fame and that he loves to fart — (Babes Love Baseball)

Gordon Beckham photo credit: AP Photo/Paul Connors

Tags: Chicago White Sox, gordon beckham, lotd, MLB

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