Name: Keith Foulke
Rank: 54
Position: P
Years With White Sox: 1997-2002
Keith Foulke was acquired by the White Sox, along with Brian Manning, Lorenzo Barcelo, Mike Caruso, Bob Howry, and Ken Vining, on July 31, 1997 as part of the White Flag trade that sent Wilson Alvarez, Danny Darwin, and Roberto Hernandez to the Giants. He appeared in one game for Triple A Nashville before joining the White Sox bullpen for the remainder of the season, putting up a 3.45 ERA in 16 games and earning his first 3 career saves.
1998 saw Foulke serve as the set-up man for closers Matt Karchner and Bill Simas. He appeared in 54 games, putting up a 3-2 record and a 4.13 ERA.
Foulke returned to the set-up role in 1999 and had an excellent season. Working over 105 innings spread across 67 games, Foulke was 3-3 with 9 saves, a 2.22 ERA, and a WHIP of 0.883. His work earned him a tie for 10th place in the Cy Young Award voting.
With Bob Howry struggling as closer in 2000, Foulke stepped in and, saving 34 games, helped the young White Sox win their first division title since 1993. Appearing in 72 games, he went 3-1 with a 2.97 ERA during the regular season. Unfortunately, the ALDS did not go as well. Foulke pitched in 2 of the 3 games against the Mariners, giving up 3 earned runs in 2 and 1/3 innings pitched.
Foulke remained as closer in 2001 and continued to excel. He lead the AL by finishing 67 games and set a career high with 42 saves while lowering his ERA to 2.33. Manager Jerry Manuel lost faith in Foulke during 2002 and he finished the year with only 11 saves, one of 3 White Sox pitchers in double digits. He went 2-4 with an outlandish 2.90 ERA.
On December 3, Foulke, along with Mark Johnson, Joe Valentine, and cash, was traded to the A’s for Billy Koch, Neal Cotts, and Daylan Holt.
Foulke’s numbers in a White Sox uniform, both for games I attended and overall, were:
| Wins | Losses | ERA | Saves | IP | Hits | Runs | ER | Walks | Strike Outs | HR | HBP | Appearances |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4 | 3 | 2.51 | 3 | 32.333 | 19 | 9 | 9 | 6 | 31 | 4 | 1 | 23 |
| 18 | 19 | 2.87 | 100 | 446 | 339 | 148 | 142 | 103 | 425 | 43 | 19 | 346 |