Name: Tom Paciorek
Rank: 115
Position: 1B/LF
Years With White Sox: 1982-1985
Tom Paciorek was traded to the White Sox from the Mariners in December of 1981, for Rod Allen, Todd Cruz, and Jim Essian. He became the primary first baseman for the White Sox in 1982 and finished the year second on the team with a .312 average.
In 1983, Paciorek split time between first base and the outfield, due to the emergence of young players like Greg Walker and Ron Kittle. He finished the year with a team-leading .307 average as the White Sox took home their first division title, by a record 20 games. Paciorek appeared in all 4 games of the ALCS, picking up 4 hits in 16 at bats as the White Sox fell to the Orioles.
Paciorek saw his playing time diminish further in 1984, as the White Sox struggled to repeat their success of the prior year. His personal highlight came on May 8th (and 9th), when he set an odd major league record, garnering 5 hits in a game he did not start. Paciorek replaced Ron Kittle in the 4th inning of what would become the longest game in major league history, with the White Sox eventually defeating the Brewers in 25 innings, with Paciorek going 5-9.
By 1985, Paciorek’s playing time was decreased even further. He had only 122 at bats when, on July 16, he was traded to the Mets for outfielder Dave Cochrane, drawing his White Sox playing career to an end.
Following his playing career, Paciorek rejoined the White Sox as color commentator on their television broadcasts from 1988 through 1999, and appeared as an occasional fill-in in more recent times.
Paciorek’s numbers in a White Sox uniform, both for games I attended and overall, were:
