Fireworks Night
August 15
September 12
Family Day
April 12
April 26
May 10
May 24
June 7
June 21
July 5
July 19
August 2
August 30
September 13
October 4
Other Fun Stuff
April 10 – Opening Day
April 25 – Jose Abreu Rookie Of The Year Blanket
May 23 – Paul Konerko Statue
June 6 – Kids Hooded Sweatshirt
July 4 – Bobby Jenks Bobblehead
July 18 – 2005 World Championship Replica Ring
August 1 – Scott Podsednik Bobblehead
August 29 – Jermaine Dye Bobblehead
Late last week, we took our annual look at the all time leaders in pitching stats for the 755 games I’ve attended (and identified) between 1984 and 2014. With the full White Sox roster due in camp today, it’s time to take a look at the offensive stat leaders for those games, starting with our first category:
Home Runs
| Name | Total |
|---|---|
| Paul Konerko | 93 |
| Sammy Sosa | 42 |
| Aramis Ramirez | 41 |
| Derrek Lee | 40 |
| Jermaine Dye | 40 |
Hits
| Name | Total |
|---|---|
| Paul Konerko | 366 |
| Alexei Ramirez | 261 |
| Continue reading → |
Name: Mike Caruso
Rank: 169
Position: SS
Years With White Sox: 1998-1999
Mike Caruso was the centerpiece coming back to the White Sox, along with Keith Foulke, Bob Howry, Lorenzo Barcelo, Brian Manning, and Ken Vining, in the so-called White Flag trade on July 31, 1997 that sent Wilson Alvarez, Danny Darwin, and Roberto Hernandez to the Giants. Caruso was a 20 year old in Class A who was expected to be the heir apparent to Ozzie Guillen on the left side of the White Sox infield. He fought his way on to the opening day roster in 1998, beating out Benji Gil, and became an instant success story.
He made his major league debut on Opening Day 1998, going 1 for 5 in a White Sox victory against the Rangers. By the time the year was over, he had compiled a .306 average, the highest rookie total by a Sox player since Minnie Minoso in 1951 and the best for a shortstop since Luis Aparicio in 1970. He finished 3rd in Rookie of the Year voting, behind winner Ben Grieve and two spots ahead of teammate Magglio Ordonez.
Things started to go south in 1999. Without veteran third baseman Robin Ventura to cover him, Caruso’s defense, already thought to be suspect, was exposed thanks to a strong arm and shrinking range. Offensively, his average dropped to .250 and he managed only 17 extra base hits in 529 at bats, for a slugging percentage below .300. Manager Jerry Manuel called out his young shortstop, for his poor production, lack of preparation, and a general lack of baseball smarts.
The 2000 season saw Caruso back in the minor leagues, thanks to the arrival of Jose Valentin. While his former teammates went on to win the AL Central, Caruso struggled against minor league pitching before an injury ended his season prematurely. Following the season, he was designated for assignment and was selected off of waivers by the Mariners.
Caruso’s numbers in a White Sox uniform, both for games I attended and overall, were:
White Sox pitchers and catchers report to spring training today, so it is time to looked at the pitching leaders in games I’ve attended, and identified, between 1984 and 2014. Not a whole lot of difference from last year, but a few people have moved up the ranks a little. So, without further ado, let’s get things started with our first category:
Wins
| Name | Total |
|---|---|
| Mark Buehrle | 31 |
| Gavin Floyd | 24 |
| Carlos Zambrano | 21 |
| John Danks | 17 |
| Ryan Dempster | 13 |
| Matt Clement | 13 |
Losses
| Name | Total |
|---|---|
| Mark Buehrle | 16 |
| Carlos Zambrano | 15 |
| Continue reading → |
As the mercury in Chicago broke records today, both for the coldest low and the coldest high temperatures, summer appears to be close. Spring training kicked off today with pitchers and catchers reporting for the Cubs, and the White Sox follow suit tomorrow.
For the first time in several years, there is reason for hope on both sides of town. To celebrate, I will be visiting both camps when I head out to Arizona next month. By then, things should be pretty well shaken out and we should have a good idea of who will be heading north with both teams.
Name: Andruw Jones
Rank: 170
Position: RF/DH
Year With White Sox: 2010
After the disappointing 2009 season, the White Sox looked to improve their bench by signing outfielder Andruw Jones to a 1 year contract. Jones, just 3 years removed from his last All Star Game, had seen his production fall of a cliff after leaving the Braves and was hoping to turn his career around.
His White Sox career got off to a good start, as he showed up to training camp 30 pounds lighter than the previous few seasons. As the White Sox worked towards a second place finish in the AL Central, Jones continued to show flashes of power but struggled to regain an ability to hit consistently. His personal highlight came on July 11, when he hit his 400th career home run against Royals.
Following the season, Jones moved on as a free agent.
Jones’ numbers in a White Sox uniform, both for games I attended and overall, were:
Name: Tim Hulett
Rank: 171
Position: 2B/3B
Years With White Sox: 1983-1987
Tim Hulett joined the White Sox organization as their first round pick in the 1980 January secondary draft. He made his major league debut on September 15, 1983, replacing Julio Cruz in the White Sox 12-0 victory over the Mariners. Hulett ended up appearing in 6 games for the AL West champions, getting 1 hit in 5 at bats.
Hulett returned to Triple A Denver for the 1984 season, again earning a late season call-up. This time he appeared in 8 games, going hitless in 7 at bats.
1985 saw Hulett getting his first extended shot in the big leagues. Splitting time between second base and third base, he found his way into 141 games and hit .268. In 1986, Hulett found himself as the opening day second baseman, but, while he set career highs in games, at bats, and home runs, his average fell to .231.
Hulett was the opening day third baseman in 1987, but things turned south quickly. After being one of the few bright spots on the team in April, hitting .294 with 3 home runs, he fell of a cliff. He hit .194 in May and .196 in June, before he was demoted to Triple A on June 26. He returned for 3 games in August before returning to the minors for the rest of the year. “I went bad at the wrong time,” said Hulett, who finished the season with a .217 batting average. “Five guys went bad the first month, but the team was still patient. I went bad the second month, but the team wasn`t patient anymore. I guess my timing was bad.”
When spring training of 1988 arrived, Hulett found himself off the 40-man roster and he was given a non-roster invite to camp. “I have no chance here,” Hulett said. “I`m at the stage in my career where I don`t have two or three years to waste in the minors. My confidence is a lot better this year. I know I can play in the big leagues. I just want to get a chance to prove it.” He would not get a chance to prove it with the White Sox, though. Prior to the start of the season, Hulett was traded to the Expos for a player to be named later.
Hulett’s numbers in a White Sox uniform, both for games I attended and overall, were:
Name: George Foster
Rank: 172
Position: LF
Year With White Sox: 1986
When George Foster burned some bridges in New York after getting released by the Mets, accusing them of racism, the White Sox decided to take a flyer on the veteran left fielder, picking him up on August 15. “If he’s happy, he’ll hit,” GM Ken Harrelson said. “I don’t believe he was ever completely happy in New York.”
Things did not exactly work out in Chicago, as Foster appeared in only 15 games before being released again on September 7. “I have no regrets about the release from the White Sox, because I feel they did give me a chance,” Foster said. Those 15 games were the final ones of his major league career.
Foster’s numbers in a White Sox uniform were:
The countdown on Dayan Viciedo’s time with the White Sox started ticking last Wednesday when he was designated for assignment to make room on the 40-man roster for the re-signed Gordon Beckham. The Viciedo era officially came to an end yesterday when he was waived for the purpose of giving him his release.
Viciedo defected from Cuba in 2008 at the age of 19, and that November he signed a 4 year deal with the White Sox. He spent the 2009 season in Double A Birmingham and moved to Triple A Charlotte for 2010. He spent some time with the big league club in 2010, making his major league debut on June 20 against the Nationals.
He returned to Triple A in 2011, until Carlos Quentin went down with an injury in late August. Viciedo returned to Chicago, this time to stay. He became the everyday left fielder in 2012, putting up decent, if underwhelming numbers. Viciedo became a bit of a conundrum in 2013, as his average improved slightly, but his power numbers decreased.
Viciedo was slated for a platoon role with Alejandro de Aza last year, until Avisail Garcia’s shoulder injury opened up a spot for him. By the time Garcia returned, de Aza was in Baltimore and Viciedo had left field all to himself. He was unable to capitalize on the opportunity, though, as his average and OBP fell to a career lows.
As Rick Hahn remade the White Sox roster over this off-season, Viciedo appeared to be the odd man out. With Melky Cabrera signed to play left field and Adam LaRoche on board as DH, Viciedo would have been relegated to backup duties. Now, he will try to continue his career elsewhere, hopefully with better results.
Viciedo’s numbers in a White Sox uniform, both for games I attended and overall, were:
Name: Kenny Lofton
Rank: 173
Position: CF
Year With White Sox: 2002
Kenny Lofton joined the White Sox as a free agent on February 1, 2002. “I looked at the different opportunities that I had and this was a team that won 83 games last year while they were banged up,” Lofton said at the time. “Cleveland lost four good players from last year’s team, and that’s going to be hard to replace. This was an easy decision.”
Unfortunately, things did not work out as planned, and the White Sox faltered. As the trade deadline approached, they found themselves 6 games under .500. So, they traded Lofton to the Giants in exchange for Ryan Meaux and Felix Diaz. “It’s a great opportunity to get into a playoff race, and that’s always exciting,” Lofton said. “It was tough to leave Chicago, but sometimes you just have to go with your heart.”
Lofton’s numbers in a White Sox uniform, both for games I attended and overall, were: