Name: Matt Merullo
Rank: 147
Position: C
Years With White Sox: 1989, 1991-1993
Matt Merullo was selected by the White Sox in the 7th round of the 1986 draft. When Carlton Fisk broke his hand days in to the 1989 season, Merullo got his chance with the big league club. He made his major league debut on April 12, 1989, going hitless in one at bat against the Mariners. 2 days later, he made his first start in the White Sox home opener, and notched his first hit, his first home run, and his first caught stealing behind the plate. He got in to 31 games total that season, hitting .222 in 81 at bats with that lone home run.
A knee injury, plus the continued presence of Fisk and Ron Karkovice, kept Merullo in Birmingham in 1990. He split the 1991 season between Double A and the big leagues, appearing in a career high 80 games despite hitting only .229.
1992 saw Merullo splitting time between Triple A and the White Sox, and he only made it in to 24 games with the big league club. He spent the majority of 1993 back in Triple A, playing only 8 games with the White Sox, hitting an anemic .050.
With spring training winding down in 1994, Merullo was dealt to the Indians.
Merullo’s numbers in a White Sox uniform, both for games I attended and overall, were:
Career Batting
| BA | At Bats | Runs | Hits | RBI | Walks | Strike Outs | Doubles | Triples | HR | SB | GIDP | Errors | Games |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 0.667 | 3 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 |
| 0.206 | 291 | 17 | 60 | 32 | 16 | 41 | 3 | 1 | 6 | 0 | 4 | 7 | 143 |
