Category / Baseball

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#160 – Chris Sabo

saboName: Chris Sabo

Rank: 160

Position: DH

Year With White Sox: 1995

Following the lockout that delayed the beginning of the 1995 season, Chris Sabo signed with the White Sox to replace Julio Franco, who had left for Japan, as the team’s designated hitter.  Sabo didn’t last long with the White Sox, as he was designated for assignment on May 25th to clear a roster spot for the recently un-retired John Kruk.  Manager Gene Lamont said Sabo took the reassignment well.  “Chris did a fine job for us. I spoke to him. He has a great outlook on things. I really wish him well, but John was the man that we wanted,” Lamont said. “Chris wants to play third every day, but obviously that’s not possible with us.”  Unable to find a trade partner, the White Sox released Sabo on June 5th.

Sabo’s numbers in a White Sox uniform were:

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He Is Risen

Jesus Christ himself returned today and descended upon Wrigley Field, taking human flesh and going under the name Kris Bryant, or at least that is what you would believe based on the Cubs recalling their star prospect now that he has surpassed the deadline for earning a full year of service time this season.  So of course, the Cubs continued their winning ways, remaining in first place while Bryant single-handedly won the game while simultaneously rebuilding the outfield bleachers and installing 5 new sets of bathrooms.  Anything else would, of course, be a tremendous let down.

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Well, Bryant made his major league debut in the cleanup spot for the Cubs and finished the day 0-4 with 3 strikeouts as the Cubs fell to the Padres and dropped out of first place.  Not an auspicious debut for the so-called savior.  Of course, it isn’t really fair to tag Bryant with expectations of leading the franchise to their first World Series title in 107 years, but that hasn’t stopped certain corners of Cub fandom, who look to Bryant’s future success as a lock.

One radio announcer this morning wondered, without a hint of sarcasm, if the 12 days Bryant missed would affect his chances of earning the MVP award come seasons end.  The same announcer (Mully?  Hanley?  I don’t know who’s who) also reluctantly agreed that he would probably be satisfied if Bryant ended up with Mike Schmidt’s career.  That’s Hall of Famer Mike Schmidt.

None of this should be taken as a knock against Kris Bryant.  He’s obviously talented and will likely become a superstar.  But I think it is fair to say that we should make him earn it at the big league level.  Annointing him MVP prior to his first major league at bat (a 3 pitch strikeout) makes you look silly and does nothing but put tremendous pressure on someone who should, if everything falls right, become a cornerstone of a Cub resurgance over the next 7 years.

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Book 11 (of 52) – Wild Pitches

Wild Pitches: Rumblings, Grumblings, and Reflections on the Game I Love - Jayson Stark

Wild Pitches: Rumblings, Grumblings, and Reflections on the Game I Love – Jayson Stark

I must admit, I was a bit disappointed to find out that this wasn’t a new work, but instead a collection of Jayson Stark’s columns from ESPN.com.  It wasn’t bad, but it was mostly columns that I had already read in the past.  That said, it was a good way to wind down spring training and await the beginning of the baseball season.

The book collects Stark’s take on numerous stories over the years, including the collapse of the Cubs following the so-called Steve Bartman incident in 2003 and the White Sox breaking through and winning the World Series in 2005.  The Philadelphia-based Stark also includes numerous takes on the Phillies.

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A Wrigley Field For The 21st Century

2015marqueeThe Cubs kicked off the 2015 baseball season by hosting the Cardinals Sunday night, giving the world their first look at the first stage of Wrigley Field renovations.  Despite the best laid plans of Crane Kenney and the Cubs business team, the stadium was, sadly, not ready for prime time.

B7lCcWaCcAAeiq8As expected, the renovations that were planned to be completed over this past offseason were not completed on time.  The Cubs had peviously announced that the bleachers would not be ready for the beginning of the season.  To mask their emptiness, they were covered with tarps featuring images of the late Ernie Banks.

RFBleachersThe new video board planned for right field has not been installed yet, but the big Budweiser sign certainly was in place.  There were small changes to the centerfield scoreboard: removing the ribbon board underneath the board and replacing it with the new between-inning timer.  In left field, the new monster video board was in place, having been installed within days of Sunday’s ballgame. Continue reading →

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2015 Predictions

MLB: Cincinnati Reds at Los Angeles DodgersThe 2015 baseball season is scheduled to kick off tonight at Wrigley Field, as the Cubs battle the Cardinals.  For the fifth consecutive year, I’ve looked into the crystal ball to make my picks for the upcoming season.

American League

East: Blue Jays

Central: Indians

West: Angels

Wild Cards: Tigers, Mariners

AL Champion: Angels

Cy Young: Felix Hernandez

MVP: Mike Trout

National League

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#161 – Zach Stewart

zstewartName: Zach Stewart

Rank: 161

Position: P

Years With White Sox: 2011-2012

Zach Stewart came to the White Sox, along with Jason Frason, from the Blue Jays in exchange for Edwin Jackson and Mark Teahen on July 27, 2011.  Stewart appeared in 10 games for the White Sox after the trade, going 2-5 with a 6.22 ERA.

Stewart was just as productive in 2012, going 1-2 with a 6.00 ERA in 18 appearances.  On June 24, he was traded, along with Brent Lillibridge, to the Red Sox in exchange for Kevin Youkilis.

Stewart returned to the White Sox organization in 2013, after being selected off waivers from the Pirates.  He spent the entire year in Triple A Charlotte, before being purchased by the Braves following the season.

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

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All Time Team Records

MLB: Cincinnati Reds at Los Angeles DodgersAnother 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.  Another disappointing season dropped the winning percentage for the White Sox 7 points, giving them a 16 point drop over the past 2 years.

All-Time Team Records

TeamName Won Loss Winning Pctg
California Angels 1 0 1.000
Arizona Diamondbacks 13 2 0.867
Florida Marlins 15 8 0.652
Philadelphia Phillies 10 6 0.625
Toronto Blue Jays 10 7 0.588
New York Yankees 11 8 0.579
Colorado Rockies 7 6 0.538
Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim 15 13 0.536
Chicago White Sox 234 204 0.534
San Francisco Giants 8 7 0.533
Chicago Cubs 194 172 0.530
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#162 – Marc Hill

MarcHill2_20090603845Name: Marc Hill

Rank: 162

Position: C

Years With White Sox: 1981-1986

Marc Hill signed with the White Sox as a free agent just as spring training was getting underway in 1981.  When the White Sox signed fellow free agent Carlton Fisk a month later, Hill jockeyed for playing time alongside fellow backup catcher Jim Essian.  Between that, spending time in the minor leagues, and the player’s strike, which wiped out 2 months of the season, Hill managed to get into only 16 games, going hitless in 6 ABs.

With Essian gone, Hill returned to a more normal backup role in 1982.  He appeared in 53 games and managed to get a hit or 23 in 88 ABs.  Things were starting to look up for the White Sox and Hill.

The Sox were expected to contend in 1983, but got off to a slow start.  By May 26, the Sox were eight games under .500 and manager Tony LaRussa’s job was in jeopardy.  Hill, and the other veterans, helped to turn things around.  “We looked around at each other and told ourselves Tony wasn’t going to get fired,” Hill said in an interview.  “We weren’t going to let that happen.”  The White Sox got back to .500 by the end of June and caught fire after the All-Star break, earning their first division title.  Hill again provided solid defense behind the plate, even though he struggled at the plate.

Expectations were high in 1984, but the White Sox struggled to reproduce their success of the previous year.  Hill saw the most playing time he had since joining the White Sox, appearing in 77 games and getting 193 ABs, despite hitting only .233.

The White Sox rebounded to have a winning season in 1985, but Hill’s production dropped off significantly.  With the 37 year old Fisk still chugging along and young prospect Joel Skinner ready to take the next step, Hill saw his playing time reduced, appearing in just 40 games and hitting an anemic .133.

Things went downhill for the White Sox in 1986.  Hawk Harrelson was brought in as GM and he clashed with manager Tony LaRussa.  “I got along with Hawk and I got along with Tony but it was just bad,” Hill said.  “With Tony gone, it just wasn’t any fun anymore for me.  I remember Hawk came up to me in Texas and asked if I’d had enough and I did.”  Hitting .158 in only 19 AB, Hill was released on May 27.  He remained with the club for the remainder of the year as a bullpen catcher and batting practice pitcher.

Hill’s numbers in a White Sox uniform were:

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Active Pitching Leaders – Through 2014

MLB: Cincinnati Reds at Los Angeles DodgersLast week, we looked at the active leaders in games I’ve attended through 2014 on the offensive side of the ball.  With spring training winding down and opening day little more than a week away, let’s take a look at the pitchers.

Wins

Name Total
Mark Buehrle 31
Gavin Floyd 24
John Danks 17
Jake Peavy 11
Chris Sale 10

Losses

Name Total
Mark Buehrle 16
Gavin Floyd 15
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#163 – Ramon Castro

castroName: Ramon Castro

Rank: 163

Position: C

Years With White Sox: 2009-2011

Ramon Castro came to the White Sox from the Mets via a May 30, 2009 trade for Lance Broadway, replacing Corky Miller as the backup to AJ Pierzynski.  A little less than 2 months later, on July 23, Castro was behind the plate for Mark Buehrle’s perfect game against the Rays.  After the game, Buehrle credited Castro, saying he did not shake him off during the entire game.

Castro resigned with the White Sox for the 2010 season, remaining as the backup catcher.  He appeared in 37 games and finished the year with .278 average and 8 home runs.

The 2011 season saw Castro’s production regress, as his average dropped back down to .235.  A broken hand suffered in July limited him to only 23 games and 68 at bats.  Following the season, he became a free agent and never played in the major leagues again.

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

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