March 14--GLENDALE, Ariz. -- Watching the bullpen implode last season was hazardous to the health of White Sox fans, and no one took it worse than broadcaster Ken "Hawk" Harrelson.
The long silences after blown games spoke volumes, and the simmering would continue on the 100-mile drive to his Indiana home.
"When we win, I'm happy. I'll listen to my Kindle, about 30 audio books last summer," Harrelson said. "And when we lose, if we beat ourselves the way we've done the last few years, I'm so pissed off that by the time I get over my anger, I'm pulling into my driveway."
The spring air and sunshine in Arizona has a way of calming the nerves. Memories of lost ballgames recede like a college basketball coach's hairline.
It's a new year, a new bullpen and another reason for Hawk to pronounce he's as excited as he ever has been going into a season.
Maybe you've heard that before.
Of course you've heard that before.
But this time Harrelson, 73, is not just selling the product because that's part of his job as the Sox's biggest cheerleader. The offseason changes by general manager Rick Hahn led Harrelson to change his mind about slowing down.
Late last season, Chairman Jerry Reinsdorf asked Harrelson if he wanted to cut down his schedule, as Vin Scully has done with the Dodgers. The immediate response was "no, thanks," but being with his grandchildren led Harrelson to rethink the idea. He decided a 122-game schedule would be enough.
"Jerry said, 'Make your own schedule, do what you want to do,' "" Harrelson said. "I was hoping desperately we'd get (Jeff) Samardzija. He was on my wish list, along with (Tigers DH) Victor Martinez. I figured they'd re-sign Victor, but then we got Samardzija and then started picking up this guy and this guy, got Adam (LaRoche) to protect (Jose) Abreu.
"And after I got up one morning and looked at my iPad and saw we got Melky Cabrera, who is a Sox killer, I told my wife at dinner that night, 'Honey, we're gonna do them all.' I hope that means 174 games."
That would mean going into the postseason, where the Sox haven't been since 2008.
Harrelson believes better chemistry will be one main reason for success, which is why Samardzija was atop his wish list. He had followed the veteran pitcher since the Cubs drafted him, and Harrelson said "what he's going to do on the mound and in the clubhouse" will make a difference.
During a Sox-Cubs series in 2012, Samardzija, who grew up in northwest Indiana, said he enjoyed listening to Harrelson because "you can always get in a good nap during Sox games," referring to the pauses between descriptions of the game. He meant it as a compliment, though some Sox fans took umbrage.
Now Samardzija is psyched about the idea of Harrelson describing his starts.
"It's kind of weird, just because it's something you've listened to all your life and a voice you're so comfortable with hearing, and now the Hawk is calling your games," Samardzija said. "But I'm excited. I guess I'm going to have to get a copy of the broadcasts and go watch them afterward."
Despite his loyalties to the Sox, Harrelson isn't a Cubs hater. He believes both teams will win their divisions and predicted a North Side-South Side World Series.
"It's a battle of bullpens today, and Rick has done the best job of any GM rebuilding ours," he said. "And the best move (Cubs President Theo Epstein) has made since he's been there is hiring (manager Joe) Maddon."
Whether this really is the year, Harrelson is at peace with his decision to go full bore.
He doesn't need the money. He won't change his personality to appease his critics. And he's not going to drive home angry ... well, most days.
"It all boils down to this: Is it fun going to the ballpark?" he said. "You know, 2013, it was the worst season I'd ever experienced in my career as a player or an announcer, and this is my 56th year in the game.
"As a player, when you drive into that (parking) lot, you're either happy or you're not. And when you're on a club that's got a chance to win every game you play, you're happy. That's the biggest thing to me. It's going to be fun going to the ballpark."
