UHHH-REEE-BAAY

Sunday, March 6, 2011

Only In Spring Training

Dressed like a tourist in shorts, t-shirt, sun glasses and baseball cap, former White Sox shortstop and World Series star Juan Uribe stopped by today’s game to visit with Ozzie Guillen and his friends in the Sox dugout.

Uribe walked down the aisle to the dugout and we greeted warmly.

White Sox general manager Ken Williams saw Uribe and offered a shout of “Uhh-reee-bay” in welcome.

Pitcher Mark Buehrle spotted Uribe from the mound.  He asked the umpire for a change of baseballs and threw a ball to Uribe in the stands.  He handled the chance flawlessly.

Brings to mind another classic Uribe story.

When the Sox celebrated a game in 2009 with a Nick Swisher bobblehead, the outfielder showed it off in the clubhouse to his teammates.

Uribe, you ever have a bobblehead? Swisher supposedly asked.

Without missing a beat, Uribe is said to have responded … Did you see that monument out front? I don’t need a bobblehead.

Uribe, as any Sox fan knows, turned the final two outs of Game 4 of the World Series with dramatic plays, first going into the stands to make a catch and then charging in and firing across the diamond to record the last out of the World Series.

That second out of the inning is recorded forever in bronze as part of the Championship Moments sculpture in front of U.S. Cellular Field.

(Note: these quotes are certainly paraphrased)