Soxman
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Soxman | |
 Soxman and the "Original Batboy" at a game.
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| Born | Date Unknown The "Shadows" of Chicago |
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| Nationality | American |
| Occupation | #1 Chicago White Sox Fan |
| Website www.thesoxman.com |
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Soxman is a super hero "Super Fan" of sorts that first appeared in the Chicago area in 2005 as the Chicago White Sox made their first World Series appearance in 88 years and won the Championship. He attends several games each year dressed in costume and acts like somewhat of a cheer leader or unofficial mascot. Soxman's costume is very similar to that of Batman, but with socks as ears. He even wears a sock utility belt dedicated to various players on the team. Soxman has also been referred to as "Chicago White Sox Man," "White Sox Man," "Captain White Sock" or “Sox Guy.”
Soxman claims to have rose "from the shadows" in a baseball city long-known for it's team's tradition of losing. His evolution is somewhat mysterious but his initial camera appearance occurred before Game 1 of the 2005 World Series. He was first introduced to White Sox fans as "White Sox Man"[1] by anchors Mark Suppelsa and Robin Robertson on Chicago Fox News before game one. Following the on-air appearance Soxman was called the #1 White Sox Fan in the City of Chicago next to Mayor Richard Daley.
Throughout the rest of the 2005 World Series Soxman appeared several times on local Chicago News segments and posed for pictures with hundreds of fans who admired his character and team spirit.
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[edit] Soxman's Myth or Legend
During the 2005 MLB season, it was alleged by some White Sox fans that Soxman truly had super powers, as he predicted a World Series sweep by the White Sox and also correctly called the Scott Podsednik walk-off home run in Game 2. Coincidentally, Podsednik’s homer landed a mere three rows in front of where Soxman was sitting.[2] In a sports town known for believing in curses and superstitions, Sox fans embraced one of their own getting long overdue attention, rather than the much-pubbed fans of “the other” baseball team on the north side of Chicago. Soxman also appeared at the Chicago White Sox World Series Parade and was again interviewed on live television and publicly thanked for “bringing magic” to an already magical season. Soxman also appeared in the official Major League Baseball World Series DVD. Soxman had planned on retiring after the World Series banner raising ceremony in 2006, but a public outcry motivated him to stick around.
[edit] Soxman's Chicago Celebrity Status
Since 2005, Soxman has appeared at countless games and various events around Chicago in one of the five different costumes he wears to games. He never turns down requests for pictures or autographs and fans seem to appreciate his spirit, sending photos they took with him for posting on his fan site. He also posts regular blogs and answers fan mail.
Soxman and Batboy do not consider themselves celebrities but they have supported various charitable causes in the Chicago area. In 2008, Soxman signed on with Heartland Blood Centers, agreeing to make appearances at blood drives to help increase donations. In 2007, he ran in the Veterans Day 5K along the Illinois 355 Tollway to raise money for veterans groups. Not much is known about the “man behind the mask,” nor his sidekick, although they both are believed to keep their private lives very separate from the characters they portray, much like any comic book hero would. In 2006, Soxman proved he was more than just an insane fan when he started doing correspondence writing for the Chicago Red Eye[3]. Then in 2008, he also signed on with thesportsbank.net, a sports and pop culture “webzine” as a White Sox feature and baseball writer [4]. In January 2008, he was one of only two Chicago Celebrities along with Mike Ditka to predict that the New York Giants would defeat the New England Patriots in Super Bowl XLII. He even predicted the exact margin of victory at 3 points.
[edit] Batboy and the American League of Justice
Soxman's sidekick Batboy often accompanies him to appearances. Think a stocky Robin dressed in black and white. Three different Batboys have accompanied Soxman to games. The first Batboy, featured in the MLB World Series DVD, retired after game one of the World Series. Fans found it funny that he was named Batboy, as he looked to be about 50 years old. The most frequently seen Batboy has a stocky frame with sandy blond hair. Many fans refer to him as “the original” Batboy. He has also been referred to as "Batboy North." Some fans have credited Batboy with giving his hero, Sox pitcher Bobby Jenks, his patented “Boom” song when he takes the mound. The American League of Justice consists of Soxman, Batboy, Sports Ace, and the Bat Girls, who appeared with Soxman at the World Series Parade, where local media referred to them as the Sox Super Heroes. The Soxman Nation is the term given to the thousands of fans who visit Soxman’s web site each day, and to those who follow White Sox baseball with passion and pride.
[edit] Media credits
Soxman has appeared on several local news and radio broadcasts in the Chicago area. He has also appeared in several city newspapers. On a national scale he is credited with appearances in: The 2005 MLB World Series DVD, ESPN SportsCenter[5], ESPN Baseball Tonight, Fox Sports Best Damn Sports Show Period, Super Fan (Pilot Episode). In 2006, Soxman appeared with Chicago Cubs Super Fan Ronnie Woo Woo on the nationally syndicated super station, WGN’s morning news, where they promoted Chicago unity for the love of baseball.[6]
In 2006, Soxman participated in the Chicago Red Eye’s Celebrity Fantasy Football Challenge, a publicized fantasy football league consisting of Chicago celebrities. He took second place.
[edit] External Links
Soxman's page[7]
The Sports Bank[8]
Red Eye Chicago[9]
Sox and the City[[10]
