Through Hope and Despair: A Fan's Memories of the Chicago White Sox 1967-1997 [Paperback]

Dan Helpingstine (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: September 13, 2001

The book dissects the high and low moments in 30 years of White Sox history that have led to continued disappointment and fan alienation. From injuries to mismanagement to plain bad luck, Hope and Despair ties the elements of the White Sox' past and present that have plagued the team, keeping it out of the World Series for over four decades.

Based on historical facts and interviews, this new book looks at each year from 1967-1997, presenting lost opportunities, bad decisions and Chicago-type basebal luck that has resulted in a struggling ballclub that has lost credibility with its fans. Through Hope and Despair gives an honest look at the beleaguered White Sox through the eyes of a devoted South Side fan, giving the reader a chance to discover how life's little moments can affect the future.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Dan Helpingstine is a free-lance writer living in Highland, Indiana with his wife and five-year old daughter. He has covered high school football and basketball in Northwest Indiana. He has written articles about the JFK assassination for the Post-Tribune of Gary, IN. His short story, "Angel Face" was published in the short story anthology Murder Is My Business. The anthology, published in 1995, was edited by Max Allan Collins and Mickey Spillane.

Product Details

• Paperback: 221 pages
• Publisher: Dan Helpingstine (September 13, 2001)
• ISBN-10: 0971419507
• ISBN-13: 978-0971419506
• Product Dimensions: 8.6 x 5.6 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 12.8 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #3,205,737 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars You can put it on the board (or bookcase)....YES!!!!, April 7, 2004

By 

Jeff J. Franciski "franman72" (Fishers, Indiana United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Through Hope and Despair: A Fan's Memories of the Chicago White Sox 1967-1997 (Paperback)

Being a lifetime Sox fan, I can remember the late 70's chi-sox until the present. With that said, I had no real recollection of the first few years (chapters) covered in the book. The rest of the book brought back many wonderful (and some not so wonderful) memories for me. This book is a must for any White Sox fan who would like a reminder of the good (and not so good) things that have happened to our beloved Sox.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Oh No We'll Never Make it!, August 2, 2005

By 

David C. Roller (United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Through Hope and Despair: A Fan's Memories of the Chicago White Sox 1967-1997 (Paperback)

If Glum the Lilliputian from the animated adventures of Gulliver (featured in the syndicated run of the Banana Splits) was a White Sox historian, he could have well written Through Hope and Despair.

Don't get me wrong, I really Enjoyed Dan Helpingstine's fine tome. It struck me as both fanciful and morose. Each chapter has its share of nostalgia, angst, bitterness, and a fair share of both Cub bashing and disdain for White Sox management (particularly the current ownwership). It is in short written by a well informed, gifted, albeit prototypical White Sox fan.

I am, by way of comparison, an atypical White Sox fan. I was born and raised a Cub fan and as a result have no hatred for the Boys in blue. I made the switch in the Dick Allen Bill Melton era of my youth and never turned back. Yes, I am that, the rarest of all specimens, the optimistic White Sox fan.

I loved all the great information in Mr. Helpingstine's book. It is just hard for me to be bittersweet about the past. I am among my most happy when with loved ones rooting for my Sox! Hopefully the Sox will win it all in 2005 and Helpingstine's despair will be replaced by celebration!

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars The Title is Over the Top, But I Share The Sentiment, July 19, 2005

By 

Joshua M. Levin "White Sox Junkie" (Washington, DC USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Through Hope and Despair: A Fan's Memories of the Chicago White Sox 1967-1997 (Paperback)

"Through Hope and Despair"? Shouldn't that title be reserved for a book about the civil rights movement, or a survivor's struggle with AIDS? It's a bit hyperbolic to use in the context of this story about the Chicago White Sox's perennial woes -- but since no one else claimed the title first, I guess it's Helpingstine's to use as he sees fit. I love the White Sox, passionately, and so I'm partial to any book about the team. Even one which is written in the meandering, "first draft" kind of way which this one is. There are typos, there is flat prose. There is nothing special to remember this book by except that it is one passionate fan's reportage about a team that gets too little credit and attention in the baseball world, but one which stole my heart as a young kid and still clutches it for dear life. Thanks, Dan Helpingstine! I enjoyed your book just fine, warts and all.