For a Few Dollars More

You know things are tough when Lenyn Sosa is the sole bright spot during White Sox spring training, but that’s where things stand with a 1-6 team. Better to get my baseball fix elsewhere, provided I don’t turn into a junkie running through his cash. Because my eBay “watchlist” list could be a very dangerous place to visit. I save stuff I have no intention of buying, or so I tell myself. Like the photo of John Montgomery Ward, a long-ago player, manager and early critic of the reserve clause. The seller wants $30,000, give or take. For $365 I can have a team picture of the 1935 White Sox, with 33 player autographs included. A shot of Judge Kenesaw Mountain Landis at Comiskey Park has an asking price of $169.99 while a view of the park being set up for a boxing match is going for $225.45. A wire photo of Moe Berg will set me back a mere $195. Or I could always take the plunge and buy an autographed ball. There are two from the pennant-winning ’59 Sox, one for $937.05 and another at $1,284.99. Both have 26 autographs, so it comes down to condition. You be the judge. When in doubt, consider Frenchy Bordagaray, a goofball outfielder from the 1930s and 1940s who tried to get away with wearing a mustache while a member of the Brooklyn Dodgers. Manager Casey Stengel informed Bordagaray that is there was going to be one clown on the team, “it’s going to be me.” Bordagaray shown twirling his mustache: $112.99. On second thought, I think I’ll check and see if Sosa is in today’s starting lineup against the Mariners.