Name: Kelly Wunsch
Rank: 55
Position: P
Years With White Sox: 2000-2004
Kelly Wunsch signed with the White Sox as a free agent in November of 1999. He made his major league debut on April 3, 2000, pitching a scoreless inning of relief in the White Sox opening day loss to the Rangers in Arlington. Wunsch ended up putting together the best season of his career, with a league high 83 appearances, a 6-3 record, and a 2.93 ERA. He finished 5th in AL Rookie of the Year voting. Wunsch appeared in all 3 games of the ALDS against the Mariners, giving up 2 hits and 1 unearned run in one inning pitched.
2001 was easily the worst season of Wunsch’s career, thanks in part to a June injury that led to rotator cuff surgery. Appearing in only 33 games, he saw his ERA balloon to 7.66.
Wunsch started the 2002 season on the disabled list with continued shoulder soreness. Once he returned to the big leagues, he showed some of the effectiveness he displayed in his rookie season, dropping his ERA to 3.41 in 50 appearances, covering just over 31 innings.
A back injury led to Wunsch missing time during the 2003 season. Despite that, he put up a career-low ERA of 2.75 in 36 innings over 43 games.
Wunsch was back on the disabled list to start the 2004 season. He ended up spending most of the season in Triple A, appearing in only 3 games for the White Sox. Following the season, he became a free agent, ending his White Sox career.
Wunsch’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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 0 | 0 | 2.84 | 0 | 12.667 | 7 | 4 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 1 | 2 | 19 |
| 10 | 5 | 3.64 | 1 | 153.333 | 116 | 66 | 62 | 83 | 123 | 12 | 20 | 212 |