One group resented the more straitlaced players (later called the "Clean Sox"), a group that included players like second baseman Eddie Collins, a graduate of Columbia College of Columbia University catcher Ray Schalk, and pitchers Red Faber and Dickey Kerr. The White Sox clubhouse was divided into two factions. In the era of the reserve clause, gamblers could find players on many teams looking for extra cash-and they did. In fact, Chicago had the largest team payroll in 1919. Comiskey was probably no worse than most owners. Comiskey, who as a player had taken part in the Players' League labor rebellion in 1890, long had a reputation for underpaying his players, even though they were one of the top teams in the league and had already won the 1917 World Series.īecause of baseball's reserve clause, any player who refused to accept a contract was prohibited from playing baseball on any other professional team under the auspices of "Organized Baseball." Players could not change teams without permission from their current team, and without a union the players had no bargaining power. “We cannot really talk about socks and take it serious for 10 years.White Sox club owner Charles Comiskey, himself a prominent MLB player from 1882–1894, was widely disliked by the players and was resented for his miserliness. “We market one of the most boring products available,” Liechti said. It’s just such a thing that tickles the founder. Wolfowitz sent the company a personal letter of thanks. Wolfowitz is a Blacksocks customer, thanks to an observant friend, Liechti said. Both his gray socks had holes that revealed his big toes. He was photographed taking off his shoes at a Turkish mosque in 2007. Just look at what happened to former World Bank President Paul Wolfowitz. Yet there are ample situations when new socks can save you a lot of grief. “I strongly believe there are moments in life where it’s better where you don’t wear socks,” he said. Who would wear these? People who wear socks with sandals? Even Liechti believes that fashion statement “is awful.” The short ones – the ankle-highs – remain in the box. They were sleek and cool, but supportive. One pair, the knee-highs, were the longest socks I’ve seen since Michael Cooper played for the Los Angeles Lakers. Two sample pairs I received made me laugh. “Often they have too many socks and they decide to quit the brand,” Liechti acknowledged. Without years of wear, it’s hard to fully test this system.īlacksocks has 50,000 active customers, and 100,000 former customers. He boasts about Blacksocks’ yarn-testing methods in northern Italy, says Blacksocks are cheaper than other brand-name socks, and notes that delivery is included in the price. Liechti’s rebuttal is that many people can also buy cheap watches but they spend thousands of dollars for quality. If all your socks are exactly the same, matching them won’t be a problem.īut with charging about $10 a pair, I could save money with a do-it-myself solution: Buying dozens of identical socks at once at the local mall, even accounting for the cost of gas. And one delivery frequency: three times a year.Ĭould this simplicity relieve me of a tedious chore? They come in three sizes: calf socks (medium), knee socks (long) and ankle-high ones (shortys). Longer socks and cashmere silk socks cost more, and there are trial pairs and starter kits for the uninitiated. Founder Samy Liechti’s promise: “Men never have to worry about misplacing or matching socks again.”ī says it will deliver three pairs of identical socks every four months for an annual “sockscription” of $89. After 10 years in Europe, where it sold its millionth calf sock in September, the company began marketing in the U.S. So when sock subscription service came calling, I answered, intrigued. Sometimes I find loners and socks with holes – and I don’t even bother to throw them out. Elastics stretch and break differently, and I am regularly bamboozled by multiple fabrics and lengths. The toughest ones are the black ones, because they’re not all alike. LOS ANGELES (AP) – Every week or so I undertake a rigorous mental challenge: matching my socks.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |