Name: Dewayne Wise
Rank: 101
Position: OF
Years With White Sox: 2008-2009, 2012-2013
Dewayne Wise signed with the White Sox organization on March 5, 2008. He started the year at Triple A, but was recalled to the big leagues in May when Juan Uribe landed on the disabled list. He returned for good in late July when Paul Konerko got hurt, becoming a defensive replacement for the newly acquired Ken Griffey Jr. and gaining additional playing time when Carlos Quentin broke his wrist in early September. The high point of his season came on September 14, when, with the White Sox battling the Twins for the Central division title, he answered a grand slam in the top of the 8th by Marcus Thames with one of his own in the bottom of the inning, pushing the Sox to an 11-7 victory over the Tigers and retaining their first place standing.
Wise returned to the White Sox in 2009, earning the Opening Day nod in center field. A separated shoulder 7 games into the season put him on the shelf until early June. He made the play of his career on July 23, when he entered the game against the Rays as a defensive replacement in the 9th inning. The first hitter, Gabe Kapler, hit a deep fly ball to center field which Wise first leaped to keep in the ballpark, then juggled the ball as he fell to the ground, finally grasping it with his bare hand. The catch preserved Mark Buehrle’s perfect game, which he wrapped up two batters later.
The remainder of 2009 was uneventful, as the White Sox fell from contention. Wise finished the year with a .225 average, and became a free agent following the season.
Wise returned to the White Sox in 2012, signing a minor league deal on August 3rd. Barely a week later, he was called up to the majors when Paul Konerko landed on the 7 day concussion DL. Wise appeared in 45 games over the final two months of the season, hitting .258 as the White Sox blew their division lead over the last few weeks of September.
Wise re-upped with the White Sox for the 2013 season, but was used sparingly. He appeared in only 30 games, hitting .234, before being released on August 3rd, which drew his major league career to an end.
Wise’s numbers in a White Sox uniform, both for games I attended and overall, were:
The main center field board, which had the smallest screen in the big leagues, has been replaced with a whole new video board. The change allows the White Sox to show the actual score of the game and the team lineups on the main scoreboard for the first time in years.
The out of town scoreboard in right field has also been replaced with a new video board, which continues to show the other scores around the league along with some in-game information and a few ads.
Another exciting baseball season is upon us, and it is time once again to look at the all-time team records for games that I have attended. Despite disparate seasons on the two sides of town last season, both the White Sox and the Cubs saw their overall winning percentage drop. The 2016 season looks to be hopeful for both teams, so this trend should reverse itself.
Inside the box, aside from the tickets themselves, were a few goodies as has been the custom the last few years. The highlight is a collection of replica lineup cards, highlighting some of the memorable games from the 2015 season. In addition to that, there was a commemorative season holder pin, a W car flag, and some new ticket lanyards.
Finally, the tickets themselves. The Cubs have continued with the action shots of players for this years tickets, but have switched the ticket orientation from portrait to landscape, which I do enjoy.