Here at Sox On 35th, we boast a talented and passionate group of contributors that provides coverage all year long. To help you get familiar with our staff, we will be rolling out our “Meet the Team” article series throughout the offseason. In this edition, we get to know our Adam Kaplan.
About Me
Hello, all! My name is Adam Kaplan, and I am a Senior Contributor at Sox On 35th. My family is originally from the Boston area, so my parents grew up as Red Sox fans. After my family moved to Illinois when I was a young lad, my Dad gravitated towards rooting for the White Sox stating “he was a fan of the AL.” Despite growing up in the Northwest suburbs, right in the heart of Cubs country, I remained a White Sox fan, though admittedly my fandom was more casual than it is now.
I became a lifelong baseball and White Sox fan during my freshman year of college when two things occurred. The first is reading Michael Lewis’ Moneyball and falling more in love with baseball. The second was that the White Sox won the World Series. I graduated from the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign and then law school from Northern Illinois University College of Law.
I have since moved back to the Northwest suburbs with my wife and two beautiful sons.
Fast Facts
- Page Role: Senior Contributor
- Hometown: Buffalo Grove, IL
- Education/Major: J.D. from NIU-COL and M.A. in Political Science from UIUC
Baseball Fandom
- Favorite White Sox Player: Bobby Jenks
- Favorite non-White Sox Player: Mike Trout
- Favorite Thing About Being a White Sox Fan: The community that fully understands the pain of growing up a White Sox fan.
- Least Favorite Baseball Team: Division Rival: Minnesota Twins, Non-Division Rival: Houston Astros
- Favorite White Sox Uniform: The only correct answer is the Southside City Connect jerseys, but I love the ’83 batterman logo.
- “Mount Rushmore” of White Sox Players: Frank Thomas, Paul Konerko, Mark Buehrle, Minnie Miñoso
- Favorite In-Person White Sox Memory: Chris Sale striking out 14 against the Houston Astros in 2015. It was a rainy Monday night. I had won White Sox tickets so I was at the game with my brother and two of my best friends. The start time was pushed back due to a delay and we were all thinking about just bailing and going home. It’s a good thing we didn’t because when the rain finally let up, I got to witness one of the greatest pitching performances of my life. This was during the seven-start stretch for Sale when he struck out at least 10 batters in a game, and it was glorious to see it with my own eyes.
- Least Favorite In-Person White Sox Memory: Years of seeing the Sox lose in person. I don’t have a specific “worst memory,” but I swear I never saw the White Sox win in person from 2006-2020, even during the years the Sox were surprisingly good. I saw them lose in multiple stadiums. I have a good friend who is a Tigers fan and we would often go to Sox/Tigers games, and the Pale Hose never once won.
- Favorite Baseball Movie: Moneyball (shocking, right?)
- Favorite Baseball Stat: BACON. I don’t 100% know what this stat means, but, come on! It’s called “bacon”!
- Favorite Ballpark Food: Guaranteed Rate has some incredible food that I still need to try, but I’m old-fashioned. Give me a beer and a hot dog and I’m set.
- Favorite Ballpark: Truth be told, it’s probably Oracle Park – all baseball stadiums should be on a body of water – but I absolutely love “The Great American Ballpark” in Cincinnati. Big, comfortable seats that give you an excellent view of the field no matter where you are, an excellent kids’ play area if you’re bringing little ones, an open-air drinking area right next to the park for adults, and it sits right along the Kentucky River. They also have a deal for $25, where you get five hot dogs, and all-you-can-eat/drink popcorn, chips, peanuts, and pop.
- Ballpark You Want to Visit: I’ve been to a handful of what are considered “Baseball’s Meccas” (PNC Park, Oracle Park), so I’ll go with the Orioles Park at Camden Yards.
- All-time Favorite Broadcaster Call: “And the White Sox have won the World Series!”
Personal Questions
- Who Would Play You in a Movie: Jonah Hill
- If you could only eat one meal for the rest of your life, what would it be?: It’s a bit of a cheat, but Chinese food.
- Favorite Fast-Food: Portillo’s cheeseburger
- Favorite TV Show: Breaking Bad. It’s the greatest television program ever made.
- Favorite Movie: The Dark Knight
- Favorite Hobbies: Playing catch with my son
- Dream Vacation: Road trip visiting every MLB stadium
- Favorite Band/Artist: Nirvana
- Favorite Professional Team Aside from Baseball: Chicago Bears
- What Instrument Do You Play?: Drums
Follow Me
Twitter: @MillennialSox