Welcoming the Newest White Sox fans

This is from chicagotribune.com. This is a great example of why Brooks Boyer taking over as the Public Relations VP of the Sox is a stroke of genius. This is a really cool story.

Every baseball team is searching for the best free agents available, so Mike Wallin figured now was a good time to become one.

Before wondering if Wallin has any pop in his bat or a 95 m.p.h. fastball, realize this: Wallin isn't a player. He's a fan.

"I just decided to solicit for a team," Wallin said. "So I sent an e-mail to every Major League team and basically just told them we're looking for a team."

Mike grew up in Buffalo and has lived in Indianapolis for 7½ years with his wife, Stephanie, and daughters, Leah, 8, and Lael, 6. They're baseball fans and made frequent trips to Cincinnati to see the Reds, but grew disillusioned.

"They weren't, in my opinion, trying to win and make it the best family atmosphere possible," he said.

Last month, in search of a team for his family, Wallin sent out a brief note to each of the 30 MLB teams that read, in part: "To the team we vote to cheer for, we promise our allegiance through good and bad times. We will purchase and wear only our team's merchandise and will attend as many games as possible each and every season."

The response to the Wallin family's free agency was hardly overwhelming. Just seven teams responded, and one, the Philadelphia Phillies, actually wrote back to tell him they weren't interested.

"They basically told me it's not their place to tell me who to root for or what team to pick," Wallin said.

No problem. The Phillies didn't want him; he didn't want the Phillies. So he directed his attention to the teams that did respond, which were the San Diego Padres, Anaheim Angels, Cleveland Indians, Toronto Blue Jays, New York Yankees and the White Sox. He's still waiting to hear from the Cubs.

The Indians and Blue Jays sent what seemed to be form letters, the Yankees merely directed him to their fan message boards, and although the Padres and Angels sent nice personalized letters, the decision wasn't even close.

The White Sox blew everybody else away.

"When I showed [their response] to my wife, I didn't say anything beforehand, just let her look it over," Wallin said. "She was like, 'Oh, my God. Eleven people responded.' "

One employee wrote to the Wallins about the "South Side family tradition." Another mentioned the Dog Day promotion, where a few hundred fans can bring their dogs to a game.

The best, and most honest, may have been from the employee who argued that they should pick the White Sox because, "It would be too unbearable to be a Cubs fan."

The Wallins were given 47 separate reasons to become Sox fans. White Sox director of public relations Katie Kirby, who spearheaded the drive to bring the Wallins into the fold, said hundreds more have come in from other staffers.

And that's how the White Sox picked up four new fans. The Wallins plan to buy White Sox gear, visit U.S. Cellular Field several times a season and also watch them play on the road. Mike Wallin knows a bit about the team and thinks he'll probably become a Joe Crede or Paul Konerko fan.

"I've never hated (the Cubs), but I can see that's probably the direction I'm going to go if I'm going to be a White Sox fan," Wallin said. "You can't have them both."

Especially if only one of them writes you back.