Category / Baseball

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#94 – Vance Law

vance-lawName: Vance Law

Rank: 94

Position: 3B

Years With White Sox: 1982-1984

As spring training was winding down in 1982, the White Sox acquired Vance Law, along with Ernie Camacho, from the Pirates in exchange for Ross Baumgarten and Butch Edge.  Law jumped around the infield for the White Sox, spending time at shortstop, third base, and second base.  In his first major league stint with regular playing time, Law responded by hitting .281 with 5 home runs.

The offseason acquisitions of Jerry Dybzinski and Scott Fletcher meant Law could focus on third base for the 1983 season.  His offense suffered some, with his batting average dropping nearly 40 points, but he helped the White Sox secure their first post-season appearance since 1959.  Unfortunately, Law, like the rest of his teammates, struggled against the Orioles in the ALCS.  Law managed only 2 hits in the 4 game series.

While the White Sox regressed in 1984, Law put up arguably his best season as a pro.  He set a career high in games played and home runs, while his batting average rebounded to .252 and his OPS again surpassed the .700 mark.  Following the season, however, he was traded by the White Sox to the Expos for closer Bob James.

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

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The (Sad) End Of An Era

john-danksJohn Danks, the longest tenured member of the White Sox heading in to the 2016 season, saw his White Sox career come to an end yesterday when the team announced he has been designated for assignment after refusing a minor league assignment.  Danks, who is 0-4 with a 7.25 ERA this season, is in the final season of his contract and is due $14.25 million this year.

Danks was acquired by the White Sox, along with Nick Masset, from the Rangers for Brandon McCarthy following the 2006 season.  He broke camp with the Sox in 2007 and made his major league debut on April 8, picking up the loss against the Twins at US Cellular Field.  Danks, along with the rest of the White Sox, struggled through 2007, finishing the year with a 6-13 record and a 5.50 ERA.

2008 was a different story for both the White Sox and Danks.  Posting a career-best 3.32 ERA, Danks finished the year at 12-9 and had quite possibly the best outing of his career in game 163, throwing 8 scoreless innings of 2 hit ball against the Twins to secure the Central Division title.  Less than a week later, he picked up the lone White Sox victory in the ALDS against the Rays.

Danks had continued success in both 2009 and 2010, combining for a 28-22 record over the two years, with an ERA in the 3.70s both years.  2011 went south for both the White Sox and John Danks, as his ERA jumped to 4.33 while manager Ozzie Guillen lost control of the team before leaving in the final week to head to the Marlins.  Following the season, the White Sox signaled their faith in Danks, signing him to a 5 year extension worth $65 million.

Danks struggled through 9 starts in 2012 before hitting the disabled list with a mysterious shoulder injury.  When he finally underwent surgery, doctors found a torn shoulder capsule.  Very few pitchers have undergone this surgery, and even fewer have successfully returned to the same level they were before the injury.

Sadly, Danks’ recovery did not happen as anyone would have wanted, though not for a lack of effort.  He returned in 2013, making 22 starts and going 4-14 with a 4.75 ERA.  2014 was more of the same, as his ERA was 4.74, though his record improved to 11-11.  And last year, again, saw Danks put up an ERA of 4.71 in 30 starts.

With the White Sox in contention after a successful April and John Danks earning half of the teams losses, being an innings eater was no longer good enough.  Unfortunately, the injury robbed him or what should have been his prime, and one hopes he can reinvent himself somewhere and continue his major league career.

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#95 – Alejandro de Aza

deazaName: Alejandro de Aza

Rank: 95

Position: CF/LF

Years With White Sox: 2010-2014

Following the 2009 season, Alejandro de Aza was claimed off waivers from the Marlins by the White Sox.  He spent most of the 2010 season in Charlotte, getting only 30 at bats with the White Sox, but putting up a .300 average in his limited opportunities.

2011 saw de Aza again splitting time between Charlotte and Chicago, and he continued to impress in the big leagues.  He appeared in 54 games for the White Sox, hitting .329 with an impressive .900 OPS.

de Aza broke in to the starting lineup in 2012, becoming the main center fielder for the White Sox.  His production fell off somewhat in the full time role, but he still managed to hit .281 with a .760 OPS.  He added a career high 26 stolen bases.

2013 saw de Aza set career highs in games played, at bats, hits, home runs, and RBIs.  But his average again dropped, now to .264, as the White Sox ended the year with their worst record since 1970.

2014 started with de Aza relegated to a back up role, thanks to the acquisition of Adam Eaton, but an early injury to Avisail Garcia thrust him back to the starting lineup.  His average dropped again, to .243, and his OPS fell under .700 for the first time with the White Sox.  At the end of August, with the White Sox again out of contention, de Aza was traded to the Orioles for 2 unheralded minor leaguers.

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

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#96 – Gary Redus

gredus

Name: Gary Redus

Rank: 96

Position: LF

Years With White Sox: 1987-1988

As spring training was winding down in 1987, the White Sox acquired Gary Redus from the Phillies for pitcher Joe Cowley.  “Our priorities have been to get a right-handed hitter with power or a right-handed hitter with speed to hit at the top of the order,” GM Larry Himes said at the time. “We like what we got with Redus. We traded a player who was going to play once every five days for a player who will play every five days.”  Redus played 130 games, but did not live up to the offensive promise that the White Sox were looking for when they acquired him.  He hit only .236 with 12 home runs, but did finish 3rd in the AL with 52 stolen bases.

Much to his surprise, Redus remained with the White Sox for the beginning of the 1988 season.  His offense improved somewhat, with his average rising to .263, but, after a hamstring injury kept him on the shelf for 2 weeks, he was traded to the Pirates for Mike Diaz.

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

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#97 – Luis Salazar

lsalazar

Name: Luis Salazar

Rank: 97

Position: 3B/OF

Years With White Sox: 1985-1986

Luis Salazar came to the White Sox, along with Tim Lollar, Bill Long, and Ozzie Guillen, in the December 6, 1984 trade that sent LaMarr Hoyt to the Padres.  Salazar split time between third base and the outfield for the 1985 White Sox, posting a .245 average with 10 home runs and 45 RBIs.  His season came to a premature end when, on September 23, he tore his PCL against the Angels.

After off-season surgery, Salazar spent most of 1986 rehabbing his knee.  He was activated off the disabled list on August 8, but went back on the DL on the 16th, appearing in just 4 games.  That December, he was released by the White Sox.

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

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#98 – Esteban Loaiza

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Name: Esteban Loaiza

Rank: 98

Position: P

Years With White Sox: 2003-2004, 2008

Esteban Loaiza signed with the White Sox as a free agent on January 24, 2003, with the hopes of shoring up the back end of the rotation.  He quickly became the ace of the staff, setting career highs in wins, ERA, innings pitched, and strike outs.  When the All Star Game made its way to US Cellular Field, he was selected as the starting pitcher for the American League.  By season’s end, he had tied Fernando Valenzuela’s single season win record by a Mexican-born pitcher with 21 and found himself finishing in second place for the AL Cy Young Award.

Loaiza came back down to Earth somewhat in 2004, as his ERA jumped back up from 2.90 to 4.86.  He was selected to his second straight All Star team, but, later that month, he was traded to the Yankees for Jose Contreras and cash.

Loaiza returned to the White Sox in 2008 after being cut by the Dodgers.  He signed on June 4, made 3 relief appearances, and spent 6 weeks on the disabled list before being released, ending his White Sox, and major league, career.

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

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#99 – Brian Anderson

Name: Brian Anderson

Rank: 99

Position: CF

Years With White Sox: 2005-2009

Brian Anderson joined the White Sox organization as the 15th overall pick in the 2003 draft.  He made his major league debut on August 16, 2005, going 2-7 in a 9-4 loss to the Twins at US Cellular Field.  He appeared in only 13 games for the big league club in 2005, as the White Sox battle for the division crown went down to the final weekend.  Anderson was left off the playoff roster, but still spent the time with the team, joining Aaron Rowand in doubting the walk-off home run Scott Podsednik hit in Game 2 of the World Series.

When Rowand was traded to the Phillies prior to the 2006 season, Anderson became the new starting center fielder.  Unfortunately, he was unable to reproduce his minor league success at the major league level, eventually losing playing time to Rob Mackowiak.  He finished the year with a .225 average, striking out 90 times in only 365 at bats.

2007 turned in to a lost season for Anderson, as he lost his starting job to Darin Erstad and appeared in only 13 games, with an anemic .118 average, before being sent back to Triple A Charlotte.  He managed to boost his average back up in the minors, but an injury ended his season early.

Anderson returned to the big leagues in 2008 with a renewed focus, but it did not translate to better results in the field.  He spent most of the year as a backup and as a late inning defensive replacement for Ken Griffey Jr.  The highlight of his season was the diving catch he made to end the tiebreaker game 163 that sent the White Sox to the playoffs.  This time, Anderson made the playoff roster, but he went hitless in 5 at bats across 3 games in the White Sox loss to the Rays in the ALDS.

Anderson found himself in the same position in 2009, until the trade deadline approached, when he was traded to the Red Sox for Mark Kotsay.

Anderson returned to the White Sox organization on January 15, 2015, signing a minor league deal, but he was released on April 2nd, ending his professional career.

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

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A Quarter Century Of Memories Part II

Last week, we looked at the first two regions of memories the White Sox had selected to celebrate the 25th anniversary of US Cellular Field.  Today, we finish the job by looking at the last 2 brackets: Records and Milestones and Honors and More.

records_milestonesThe Records and Milestones region spans the gamut of the 25 years the Comiskey Park II/US Cellular Field has been in service.  Unlike the last 2 regions, I only attended 2 of these 8 games.

We start with the most recent game, from last October, where Chris Sale set the franchise’s single season strikeout total, doing battle against a July 2000 matchup between the Sox and Cardinals, where Frank Thomas surpassed Luke Appling as the franchise’s all time RBI leader with a first inning home run.  I’ll select Thomas’ mark, as it represents a career mark over Sale’s single season record.

The second match-up is between Carlton Fisk breaking Bob Boone’s career record for games caught on June 22, 1991 against Bobby Jenks tying the MLB record for consecutive batters retires with 41, a mark that would be broken by teammate Mark Buehrle 2 years later.

Next, we have the first interleague game between the White Sox and the Cubs on June 16, 1997 versus Jim Thome’s 500th home run, a walk-off against the Angels on September 16, 2007, which just so happened to also be Jim Thome bobblehead day.  How can you beat that kind of drama?

The final battle is between Jack McDowell, picking up his 20th win of the year on September 8, 1992, against Mark Buehrle’s perfect game on July 23, 2009.  Buehrle easily takes this one.

honors_moreFinally, we have the Honors and More region, where I’ve attended at least 5 of the events in the running.

The first match-up is the afternoon in 2010 when Frank Thomas’ #35 was retired going up against the dedication of the Harold Baines statue in 2008.

Next, we have the dedication of the Luis Aparicio and Nellie Fox statues in 2006 versus the Minnie Minoso statue dedication in 2004.

The next match-up is the August 2010 game where the city’s world champions were honored following the Blackhawks winning the Stanley Cup battling the Rolling Stones concert that took place in September of 2002, the last concert to date at the ballpark.

Finally, we have the dedication of Championship Plaza in April 2008 going up against the All Star game in 2003.

None of these match-ups have anything to do with something on the field, so I don’t know how you choose one statue dedication over another.

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#100 – Jake Peavy

CT sox-tigers05.JPG

Name: Jake Peavy

Rank: 100

Position: P

Years With White Sox: 2009-2013

The White Sox first traded for Jake Peavy on May 21, 2009, but Peavy invoked his no-trade clause to block the deal.  The next day, in a game against his soon-to-be cross town rival Cubs, Peavy injured his ankle running the bases and headed to the disabled list.  When the White Sox came around again at the trade deadline despite the lingering ankle injury, Peavy agreed to the deal and left the Padres to join the White Sox in exchange for Clayton Richard, Aaron Poreda, Adam Russell and Dexter Carter.  Peavy eventually managed to make 3 starts for the White Sox, winning all 3 and giving fans hope for the 2010 season.

After getting off to a rough start in 2010, Peavy got on a roll and strung together five consecutive victories until July 6, when he suffered a detached latissimus dorsi muscle, a rare injury that ended his season.  Peavy worked his way back to the White Sox rotation in 2011, but he needed time to adjust to his reattached muscle and rebuild his strength.

In 2012, Peavy led the surprising White Sox to a summer in first place and was named to the All Star team.  Unfortunately, the team faded down the stretch and finished behind the Tigers for the AL Central crown.  After the season, he avoided free agency by reupping with the White Sox, signing a two year, $29 million dollar extension with a vesting option for 2015.  Unfortunately, the late season collapse that doomed the White Sox in September of 2012 continued into 2013, as the team fell into the cellar and saw an opportunity to improve themselves by moving Peavy to the Red Sox in a three-way deal that would send Jose Iglesias to the Tigers and Avisail Garcia and three low level prospects to the White Sox.

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

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A Quarter Century Of Memories

To celebrate the 25th anniversary of US Cellular Field, the White Sox are asking fans to vote for the top moment in US Cellular Field history, broken down into 4 brackets: Postseason Perks, Memorable Moments, Records and Milestones, and Honors and More.  Today, we shall take a look at the first 2 groupings of these moments and decide which is the best.

postseason_peaksThe Postseason Peaks region boasts 6 entries from or related to the 2005 World Series champions plus another 2 from the team’s last division winner in 2008.  The disappointing post-season appearances from 1993 and 2000 are left out altogether.  As an added plus, I attended all of the games in this region.

The first match-up is a no-brainer, with Scott Podsednik’s walk-off home run to win Game 2 of the World Series pitted against Alexei Ramirez’s grand slam against the Tigers to force game 163 against the Twins for the division crown.  With all due respect to Alexei, Podsednik takes this with ease.

The next battle is between the aforementioned game 163, the Blackout Game that sent the White Sox to the playoffs, against Joe Crede’s walk-off single against the Angels in Game 2 of the 2005 ALCS.  While the Blackout was great fun, it was just a regular season game.  Crede’s hit, following the A.J. Pierzynski drama, would have blown the roof off the place, if it had one.

Next, we have the unfair fight of Paul Konerko’s grand slam in Game 2 of the 2005 World Series versus Tadahito Iguchi’s go-ahead home run against the Red Sox in Game 2 of the ALDS.  No real contest here.

The final match-up is again from Game 2 of the 2005 ALCS, when Pierzynski struck out and somehow managed to get the umpires to let him take first base, going up against the second game of the 2006 season, when the White Sox received their World Series championship rings.  While the ring ceremony was indeed cool, it can’t beat the game action of one of the smartest players in baseball using his wits to outduel the opponent.

memorable_momentsWe now turn our attention to the Memorable Moments region, a more varied group of games, only 5 of which I managed to attend.

We begin with the second to last day of the 2014 season, when the White Sox honored their retiring captain with a special ceremony, doing battle against the July 7, 1999 contest against the Royals where Chris Singleton hit for the cycle.  Once again, I’ll have to give the nod to Konerko.

The next match-up pits Frank Thomas, hitting the first White Sox home run at the then-New Comiskey Park on April 22, 1991 against Bo Jackson’s home run in the division-clinching game on September 27, 1993.  You can’t really go wrong with either of these, to be honest.

The next battle is between Mark Buerhle’s kick save followed by a flip between the legs which Paul Konerko barehanded for the putout on Opening Day 2010 and the 10 year reunion of the 2005 champions last summer.  I’ll give the nod to Buehrle.

The last match-up features the White Sox game against the Yankees on September 18, 2001, the first game after the tragedy of 9/11 versus Carlos Lee’s 10th inning walk-off grand slam off Courtney Duncan in the June 8, 2001 victory over the Cubs.  While Lee’s hit is obviously the better baseball moment, the meaning of the return to the field after the attack on New York and the Pentagon have a greater meaning overall.

Coming out of these brackets, you have either Konerko or Podsednik’s home run from Game 2 of the World Series going up against Buehrle’s play against the Indians on Opening Day 2010.  We’ll check out the remaining 2 regions next week.