As the calendar turns to April, Michael takes center stage as he prepares to turn 12. In celebration of his upcoming birthday, we have a shot of him trying to do some magic tricks, while Danny looks on, in Diagon Alley last summer at Universal Studios and the Wizarding World of Harry Potter.
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Active Pitching Leaders – Through 2016
Last week, we looked at the active leaders in games I’ve attended through 2016 on the offensive side of the ball. With spring training winding down and opening day less than a week away, let’s take a look at the defensive side of the ball and the active pitching leaders, which will be losing a certain lefthander who, while yet to officially retire, has made no effort to continue his career in over a year.
Wins
| Name | Total |
|---|---|
| Gavin Floyd | 24 |
| Chris Sale | 20 |
| John Danks | 19 |
| Jake Peavy | 11 |
| Jose Quintana | 7 |
Losses
| Name | Total |
|---|---|
| John Danks | 16 |
| Gavin Floyd | 15 |
| Chris Sale | 12 |
| Jose Quintana | 10 |
| Jake Peavy | 9 |
ERA (> 35 IP)
| Name | Total |
|---|---|
| Nate Jones | 2.08 |
| Zach Duke | 2.38 |
| Johnny Cueto | 2.43 |
| Hector Santiago | 2.43 |
| Jon Lester | 2.61 |
ERA (> 70 IP)
| Name | Total |
|---|---|
| Jon Lester | 2.61 |
| Chris Sale Continue reading → |
And Then There Were 4
Yeah, I’m pretty much toast. Better luck next year.
New South Side Food Stuffs
The name on the front of the building isn’t the only new thing that will be waiting for the White Sox and their fans when the 2017 season opens on Monday. Earlier today, they announced the new food offerings that will be available at Guaranteed Rate Field.
Things to look forward to are smoked brisket and BBQ pulled pork, which will be available on all levels of the ballpark. The Beggars Pizza pub in left field will offer a deep dish option. Mini donuts, topped with either cinnamon or powdered sugar, along with a caramel praline ice cream bar highlight the new dessert choices.
With the change in beer sponsorships, the former Bullpen Sports Bar will now be known as the Craft Kave, featuring 75 different beer choices. A new bar area on the left field concourse will be named Casa Modelo, as part of a new marketing agreement with Modelo Especial.
Fitbit III: Week 8
A tremendous week, as I broke 70,000 steps for the first time since I went to Universal last June and for the first time ever in the state of Illinois. Things got off to a good start on Sunday, as trips to a few different grocery stores contributed to just surpassing 8500 steps, my lowest total of the week. Monday was my first 10,000 step day of the week, thanks to extra walking at work for the Jiff steps challenge. Tuesday was the highlight of the week, clocking in over 13,000 steps thanks to extra work walking and then a neighborhood stroll once I got home. Wednesday and Thursday fell back down under 10,000 steps, but were still strong entries. Friday set record high temperatures, which enabled me to get outside for a walk at work plus a coffee run to get back over 10,000 steps. Saturday again featured multiple trips to the store plus some in-home pacing to surpass 10,000 steps for the fourth time and guarantee an average of over 10,000 steps for the week.
Total steps: 70,147
Daily average: 10,021
iTunes Top 200 Artists: #91-97
3 years ago, we first counted down the then Top 100 artists in my iTunes library. Since that time, I’ve successfully managed to migrate my music collection to a new PC with the stats intact. So, I figured it was time to take another look, expanding out the field to the top 200 artists, based on number of plays from late 2007 through January 1, 2017.
We break in to the second half of the list today with a diverse mix of musical genres.
#97: Smash Mouth
iTunes stats: 46 plays
Previous ranking: #72
A scant 13 new listens over the past 3 years led to a 25 spot drop for the NorCal band.
#97: Oblivion
iTunes stats: 46 plays
Previous ranking: N/A
The local punk band, fronted by a co-worker, uses the 10 tracks from their final album to make up this total.
#97: Oasis
iTunes stats: 46 plays
Previous ranking: #84
The British band, who at one point claimed to be bigger than Jesus, drop 13 slots thanks to 18 new listens to their 3 songs.
#97: Arrested Development
iTunes stats: 46 plays
Previous ranking: #80
The Atlanta-based new age rap band drops 17 slots thanks to 16 new listens to their 3 songs in the past 3 years.
#96: Jewel
iTunes stats: 47 plays
Previous ranking: N/A
The chanteuse debuts on the chart thanks to 8 different tracks.
#95: Roxette
iTunes stats: 48 plays
Previous ranking: #88
The Swedish duo drop 7 spots despite 21 additional listens to their 5 tunes.
#94: The Beach Boys
Continue reading →
Team Stats: Home Run
With 1 week until baseball in Chicago returns, I thought it would be interesting to look at the all time rankings in both offensive and defensive categories for all iterations of the current 30 teams for the 833 games I’ve identified that I have attended. We finish up today on the offensive side of the ball with home runs.
As you might expect by this point, the White Sox and Cubs, based on the raw numbers, are far and away the leaders in this category, as they are the teams I’ve seen the most. When you adjust the numbers per game, the California incarnation of the Angels and the Diamondbacks are the only teams at or above 2 home runs per game. The Nationals and the Anaheim version of the Angels are the only teams with less than a home run every other game.
| Team Name | Home Runs |
|---|---|
| Chicago White Sox | 605 |
| Chicago Cubs | 437 |
| Cleveland Indians | 53 |
| Kansas City Royals | 48 |
| Detroit Tigers | 45 |
| Minnesota Twins | 44 |
| Houston Astros | 40 |
| Texas Rangers | 40 |
| Milwaukee Brewers | 39 |
| Seattle Mariners Continue reading → |
#35 – Jose Valentin
Name: Jose Valentin
Rank: 35
Position: SS/3B
Years With White Sox: 2000-2004
Jose Valentin was acquired by the White Sox, along with Cal Eldred, on January 12, 2000 from the Brewers in exchange for Jaime Navarro and John Snyder. Valentin replaced Mike Caruso at shortstop, and provided an offensive punch that had been missing. On April 27, against the Orioles, he hit for a natural cycle, becoming just the fifth, and the most recent, White Sox player to hit for the cycle. While Valentin provided an offensive spark, hitting .273 with 25 home runs and 92 RBI, he was a butcher in the field. He led the American League with 36 errors. Despite this, Valentin helped lead the White Sox to their first division title since 1993. He hit .300 in the ALDS against the Mariners, where the White Sox were swept out of the playoffs.
To help improve their defense, the White Sox acquired Royce Clayton to play shortstop for 2001, forcing Valentin to move around the field in order to keep his bat in the lineup. He split most of his time between center field and third base, before moving back to shortstop when Clayton failed to hit at all. Valentin’s average dropped down to .258, but he set a career high with 28 home runs. He still managed to place second in the AL with 22 errors, despite only appearing in 124 games.
With Clayton getting another shot in 2002, Valentin shifted back over to third base, which is where he spent the majority of the year. When Clayton struggled offensively again, Valentin again spent time back at shortstop, starting 47 games. He ended the year with a .249 average and 25 home runs.
After Royce Clayton left as a free agent, Valentin again became the everyday shortstop in 2003. While he continued to struggle defensively, finishing 3rd in the AL with 20 errors, he started to struggle offensively as well. Despite tying his career high with 28 home runs, his average dropped to .237, his lowest total as a member of the White Sox.
In 2004, Valentin’s offense continued to slip. His average dropped to .216, a career low, but he did manage to set a new career high with 30 home runs in only 450 at bats. Following the season, he became a free agent and his White Sox career drew to a close.
Valentin’s numbers in a White Sox uniform, both for games I attended and overall, were:
Active Batting Leaders – Through 2016
Last month, we looked at the overall leaders on both sides of the ball from all of the games I’ve attended between 1984 and 2015. Now that Opening Day is right around the corner, let’s take another look at those numbers, limiting it to players that are still active heading in to the 2016 season. A few notable retirements, chief among them Carlos Quentin, will add some new names to this list.
Home Runs
| Name | Total |
|---|---|
| Alexei Ramirez | 34 |
| Alex Rios | 24 |
| A.J. Pierzynski | 20 |
| Jose Abreu | 17 |
| Juan Uribe | 16 |
Hits
| Name | Total |
|---|---|
| Alexei Ramirez | 300 |
| A.J. Pierzynski | 239 |
| Alex Rios | 153 |
| Gordon Beckham | 144 |
| Adam Eaton | 102 |
Runs
| Name | Total |
|---|---|
| Alexei Ramirez | 134 |
| A.J. Pierzynski | 106 |
| Alex Rios | 86 |
| Gordon Beckham | 83 |
| Alejandro de Aza | 57 |
RBI
| Name | Total |
|---|---|
| Alexei Ramirez | 140 |
| A.J. Pierzynski | 98 |
| Alex Rios Continue reading → |
16 Is Sweet
As we head in to the Sweet Sixteen, I have no earthly idea where I’m at in my two pools, thanks to Purdue advancing with two victories up in Milwaukee at the Bradley Center. 3 out of my 4 Final Four picks are still alive, so I may still have a bit of a chance to win something along the way.
A few upsets here have both the #1 and #2 seeds on the outside looking in. While I lost one of my Final Four picks when Villanova lost, it was worth it to get a Duke loss as well.
Purdue stays alive, but faces a large challenge tonight, facing #1 seed Kansas in Kansas City. Continue reading →