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#155 – Steve Carlton

leftyName: Steve Carlton

Rank: 155

Position: P

Year With White Sox: 1986

Less than a week after announcing he was retiring from the Giants, Steve Carlton signed with the White Sox on August 12, 1986.  Carlton started 10 games down the stretch for the White Sox going 4-3 with a 3.69 ERA in his first American League action after spending the first 21+ seasons of his career in the National League.

With the departure of general manager Hawk Harrelson, Carlton was not offered a contract for the 1987 season as was allowed to leave as a free agent.

Carlton’s numbers in a White Sox uniform were:

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The Best Email I’ve Seen All Year

Every once in a while, a ridiculous email will make its way around the office, leading to many guffaws amongst my group of smart alecks.  Today, was one of those days, where the most ridiculous email I’ve seen in quite some time came through the old inbox.

To set the stage, one of those smart alecks is expecting a new arrival to his family in the coming weeks.  To celebrate, an email was sent out yesterday soliciting funds for gifts and a cake.  The subject line pretty much gave away the whole deal: Pete’s having a baby!  This reply was priceless.

BabyEmailPlease clarify what this means?  Is there anything unclear about “Pete’s having a baby!”?  I don’t know how you get much more explicit than that.

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Fitbit Week 13

Week13_FBAnother successful week, with only one day below my goal of 5500 steps.  The week started out with a trip out to US Cellular Field.  Monday through Wednesday had nothing out of the ordinary.  Thanks to meetings, Thusday contained not 1 but 2 trips to North Plaza.  Friday was the one down day of the week, barely surpassing 5000 steps.  Saturday, the weather finally turned spring-like, hopefully for good, so I got to actually go outside for a bit.

Total steps: 45,342

Daily average: 6477.4

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Mix Tape Monday – Volume 7 Revisited

Between 1989, my sophomore year of high school, and 1995, my fourth year of college, I put together a nearly 20 volume collection of mix tapes, containing my favorite songs that I had gathered either from the radio, a cassette tape, or (eventually) CD. Three years ago, we looked back at all 20 volumes and which of my “favorite” songs I still listened to. Today, we revisit those mix tapes and see how things have changed in the last 3 years.

Volume 7 covers the fall of 1992 and the end of the first semester of my freshman year of college.  Once again, we are treated to a dose of hair metal and pop, with a little dance alternative and hip-hop thrown in for good measure.

Side A

Guns N’ Roses – November Rain

Only 2 new plays in the last 3 years for the nearly 9 minute opus.

2012 iTunes stats: 3 plays

2015 iTunes stats: 5 plays, most recently on 9/25/2014

Def Leppard – Have You Ever Needed Someone So Bad

Another big ballad from an 80s rock staple also gains only 2 listens since 2012.

2012 iTunes stats: 4 plays

2015 iTunes stats: 6 plays, most recently on 1/30/2015

Toad The Wet Sprocket – All I Want

A healthy increase of 7 for the first hit from Toad the Wet Sprocket.

2012 iTunes stats: 10 plays

2015 iTunes stats: 17 plays, most recently on 7/23/2013

Tesla – Signs

Only 1 additional listen in the past 3 years, and it took place just over 2 weeks ago.

2012 iTunes stats: 4 plays

2015 iTunes stats: 5 plays, most recently on 4/15/2015

Soup Dragons – Divine Thing

5 additional listens from the first hit from the Soup Dragons, although it has been nearly a year.

2012 iTunes stats: 9 plays

2015 iTunes stats: 14 plays, most recently on 6/16/2014

Ugly Kid Joe – Neighbor

Ugly Kid Joe, who debuted much too late for their 80s hairband style, doubled the small amount of plays they had for this first single from their first full length album.

2012 iTunes stats: 1 play

2015 iTunes stats: 2 plays, most recently on 6/21/2014

The Heights – How Do You Talk To An Angel

The theme song from the short-lived FOX show, which came up recently on an episode of the Adam Carolla Show, doubled its number of plays.

2012 iTunes stats: 4 plays

2015 iTunes stats: 8 plays, most recently on 4/23/2015

Side B

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Goodbye To The Q

Former White Sox outfielder Carlos Quentin, who finished 5th in MVP voting in 2008 despite missing the final six weeks of the season with a broken wrist, announced his retirement after 9 seasons.  After being released in spring training after being acquired by the Braves in a trade, Quentin had been playing with the Mariners’ Triple A club, but was hitting only .176 in 17 at bats.

After spending parts of the 2006 and 2007 seasons with the Diamondbacks, Quentin was acquired by the White Sox in a December 2007 trade.  He earned the nickname “The Carlos Quentin” after general manager Kenny Williams was quoted saying that the team’s goals for the winter meetings were to “acquire Carlos Quentin, and not a guy like him but actually Carlos Quentin.”

Quentin played immediate dividends, breaking through in a big way for the 2008 White Sox.  He was leading the American League in home runs and was third in slugging percentage, OPS, and RBIs when he broke his wrist following a strikeout against Cliff Lee.  The injury likely cost him the MVP award, and certainly impacted the White Sox as they battled the Twins for the AL Central title before eventually losing to the Rays in the ALDS.

Quentin continued to struggle with injuries for the remainder of his White Sox career, never appearing in more than 131 games.  A shoulder injury ended his 2011 season, and his White Sox career, at the end of August.  That December, just over 4 years since he was acquired, Quentin was shipped to the Padres.

In 3 years with the Padres, injuries continued to plague Quentin, as he failed to appear in 90 games in any season.  His most famous (or infamous) moment with the Padres was the April 11, 2013 brawl against the Dodgers, where he broke Zach Greinke’s collarbone after being hit by a pitch.

This spring, Quentin was traded to the Braves, who promptly released him.  He had signed on with the Mariners in the hopes of working his way back to the major leagues, but his history of injuries had finally caught up to him and caused him to call it a day.

Quentin’s numbers in a White Sox uniform, both for games I attended and overall, were:

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#156 – Tony Pena

Tony_Pena_Sr._(1997_White_Sox)_3Name: Tony Pena

Rank: 156

Position: C

Year With White Sox: 1997

Former All-Star catcher Tony Pena signed with the White Sox as a free agent on January 10, 1997.  Pena served as a backup for starter Jorge Fabergas, appearing in 31 games but batting an anemic .164.  In August, after announcing that this would be his final season, he was traded to the Astros for a minor league pitcher.  “I really appreciate the way they have been treating me,” Pena said.  “They have been treating me with a lot of respect. . . . I thought the White Sox uniform would be the last uniform I was going to wear.”

Pena’s numbers in a White Sox uniform, both for games I attended and overall, were:

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#157 – Bob James

jamesName: Bob James

Rank: 157

Position: P

Years With White Sox: 1985-1987

Bob James was acquired by the White Sox on Decmber 7, 1984 from the Expos in exchange for Vance Law.  James was installed as the team’s closer for 1985 and helped to return the White Sox to a contending club.  Manager Tony La Russa said, “We’ve had a decent bullpen since I’ve been here, but, with Bob, our bullpen can compare with anybody’s in the league.”  Broadcaster, and Hall of Fame pitcher, Don Drysdale agreed.  “They have a guy down in the bullpen now who they haven’t had for quite a few years. . .a stopper,” Drysdale said.  “Without James, I don’t know where they would be.”

The White Sox finished the season in 3rd place, with an 85-77 record, but James finished with an 8-7 record, a 2.13 ERA, and 32 saves, behind only Royals reliever Dan Quisenberry.  Things appeared to be looking up for the White Sox heading in to the 1986 season.

Sadly, things went a bit crazy in 1986, both for James and the White Sox.  While new GM Hawk Harrelson turned the organization on its head, James lost any semblance of effectiveness that he had showed the previous year.  In early August, James went down with triceps issues and was lost for the season.  His final numbers were nightmarish: a 5-4 record but an ERA of 5.25 and only 14 saves in 49 appearances.

James continued to struggle in 1987, and in May, he lost his position as the team’s closer.  “I told him he`s not throwing as well as he could be,” manager Jim Fregosi said.  “I’m going to use him as a long man so he can get back to where he`s throwing well.”  Shoulder problems put him out of commission in July, and he finished the season with a 4-6 record and a 4.67 ERA.

The White Sox released James in December, but looked to resign him to an incentive-laden deal the following spring.  “We’ve had several talks with him,” general manager Larry Himes said.  “He’s looking at other places. The Sox are interested, but he knows the conditions. We’re willing to pay for performance. Bob James has not performed up to our expectations the last couple years.”  James ended up not signing with the White Sox, or anyone else, and his major league career came to an end.

James’s numbers in a White Sox uniform, both for games I attended and overall, were:

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Fitbit Week 12

Week12_FBOverall, an above average week, but with three sub-par days, ending my consecutive 5500 steps days streak at 14.  Things were back above my goal for Monday through Wednesday, but then Thursday fell back below again.  Friday had a nice bounce back thanks to a trip for coffee, but Saturday was back below the line thanks to an afternoon of rain.

Total steps: 40,623

Daily average: 5803.3

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Mix Tape Monday – Volume 6 Revisited

Between 1989, my sophomore year of high school, and 1995, my fourth year of college, I put together a nearly 20 volume collection of mix tapes, containing my favorite songs that I had gathered either from the radio, a cassette tape, or (eventually) CD.  Three years ago, we looked back at all 20 volumes and which of my “favorite” songs I still listened to. Today, we revisit those mix tapes and see how things have changed in the last 3 years.

Volume 6 takes us through the end of high school, through the summer, and into the beginning of my freshman year of college.  Sadly, this is not the original version of volume 6, which was lost after being borrowed by my sister for a party.  The steady stream of hair metal and pop starts to become overtaken by alternative and hip-hop.

Side A

Genesis – I Can’t Dance

The last hit for Genesis has more than tripled its number of listens in the past 3 years.

2012 iTunes stats: 2 plays

2015 iTunes stats: 7 plays, most recently on 4/12/2015

Ugly Kid Joe – Everything About You

The first hit for the band who came up a few years too late has put together a decent increase over the last 3 years.

2012 iTunes stats: 8 plays

2015 iTunes stats: 15 plays, most recently on 8/7/2014

Joe Public – Live and Learn

The one hit for the so-called new jack swing group managed to double its plays since our last check.

2012 iTunes stats: 4 plays

2015 iTunes stats: 8 plays, most recently on 4/2/2015

Boyz II Men – Please Don’t Go

I still haven’t listened to the final release from Cooleyhighharmony.

2012 iTunes stats: Never Played

2015 iTunes stats: Never Played

Def Leppard – Make Love Like A Man

The second hit from Adrenalize also managed to double its plays over the past 3 years.

2012 iTunes stats: 4 plays

2015 iTunes stats: 8 plays, most recently on 8/16/2014

Guns N’ Roses – Knockin’ On Heaven’s Door

Somehow, I haven’t listened to this song at all over the past 3 years.

2012 iTunes stats: 7 plays

2015 iTunes stats: 7 plays, most recently on 3/31/2012

Red Hot Chilli Peppers – Under The Bridge

The mainstream breakthrough hit for the Chilli Peppers, and the first appearance of “alternative” music, has had a healthy increase.

2012 iTunes stats: 2 plays

2015 iTunes stats: 5 plays, most recently on 1/10/2015

Side B

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