Category / Baseball

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#266 – Sean Lowe

Sean_LoweName: Sean Lowe

Rank: 266

Position: P

Years With White Sox: 1999-2001

Sean Lowe joined the White Sox organization in February of 1999 when he was acquired from the Cardinals in exchange for a minor league pitcher.

Lowe spent the entire 1999 season with the White Sox, putting up a 4-1 record and posting a 3.67 ERA.  In 2000, while the White Sox were winning their first AL Central title, Lowe struggled, with his ERA ballooning nearly 2 runs to 5.48.  He bounced back in 2001, starting 11 games, saving 3, and lowering his ERA back to 3.61.

Lowe’s time on the South Side came to an end on December 13, 2001 when he, along with Kip Wells and Josh Fogg, was shipped to the Pirates in exchange for Todd Ritchie.

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

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by admin

#267 – Pat Borders

Pat BordersName: Pat Borders

Rank: 267

Position: C

Year With White Sox: 1996

Longtime Blue Jay catcher Pat Borders joined the White Sox in a trade with the Angels for pitcher Robert Ellis on July 27, 1996.  The White Sox were in the market for a backup catcher after Chad Kreuter suffered a season-ending shoulder injury in a home plate collision earlier that month.

Borders appeared in 31 games for the White Sox, hitting .277 in 94 at bats.  Following the season, Borders was allowed to leave as a free agent.

Borders’ numbers in a White Sox uniform were:

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Delaying The End Of An Era

r301593300The White Sox announced yesterday that Paul Konerko, the last remaining member of the 2005 World Series champions, will return to the south side for one final season in 2014.  The slugger, who struggled through an injury plagued 2013 as the White Sox fell to last place in the AL Central, will take on a reduced role with Adam Dunn still on the roster and newly signed Cuban import Jose Abreu expected to take over the reigns at first base for the foreseeable future.

The White Sox, under the leadership of Jerry Reinsdorf, have not always been so accommodating of their aging stars.  Carlton Fisk, Frank Thomas, and Ozzie Guillen are just a few who left town angry after being set loose by the team.  Very few players get to leave the game on their own terms, but it seems that Paul Konerko may get just that chance.

Reaction to the signing has been mixed, to say the least.  A large contingent of fans have been happy to see one of the best players in White Sox history return for one last go around.  A smaller group disdains the fact that sentimentality seems to be taking the place of a sound baseball decision, even though the team is not expected to compete next season.  Breaking camp next spring with Konerko, Abreu, and Dunn will hamstring the roster somewhat, but thankfully rosters do not have to be set on December 5th.

Hopefully a healthy Konerko can bounce back and become a productive member of the White Sox next season.  The longtime captain, and his fans, deserve to see his career come to a satisfying conclusion.

by admin

#268 – Aaron Miles

xnldXs9TName: Aaron Miles

Rank: 268

Position: 2B

Year With White Sox: 2003

Aaron Miles was selected by the White Sox from the Astros in the minor league portion of the 2000 Rule V draft.  He made his major league debut for the White Sox on September 11, 2003, going 0 for 1 as a pinch hitter in the Sox loss to the Twins.  He appeared in 7 additional games for the White Sox that September, finishing with a .333 batting average.

That December, he was moved to the Rockies in exchange for Juan Uribe.

Miles’ numbers in a White Sox uniform were:

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2014 Hall Of Fame Ballot – The Newcomers

mlb_hofThe BBWAA released their ballot for the Hall of Fame class of 2014.  The results of the vote are due to be revealed on January 8th, with induction taking place next July.  After nobody was elected in last year’s voting, the new ballot contains 17 holdovers along with 19 newcomers, which may start to cause a bit of a problem.  The current BBWAA rules limit the number of votes on one ballot to 10, and there may be more than 10 deserving candidates.  As they start to pile up, and even more deserving candidates become eligible, the BBWAA and the Hall may find themselves with a mess on their hands.

Yesterday, we looked at the returning candidates.  Now it’s time to move on to the newcomers.

Moises Alou

The 6-time All Star had a very good career, but not one worthy of the Hall of Fame.  He might get enough support to stick on the ballot for a few years, but not much beyond that.

Armando Benitez

I can’t imagine Benitez getting any votes, let alone enough to make a second go around on the ballot.

Sean Casey

The long-time Red had a fine career a will likely pick up one or two votes, but I expect this to be his only appearance on the ballot.

Ray Durham

Another one and done situation for the 2-time All Star.

Eric Gagne

Gagne seemed destined for the Hall after he won the 2003 Cy Young award in the midst of his record setting 84 consecutive saves.  Arm troubles and inclusion in the Mitchell Report derailed his career, and will likely doom any HOF chances he had.

Tom Glavine

There is no question that Glavine, on the strength of his 305 career wins, will make the Hall.  It is just a matter of when, as some voters may want for him to have to wait a year before gaining entry.  If he were to make it this year, it would likely be a pretty special summer for Braves fans.  On a personal level, Glavine is the only pitcher I’ve seen get his 300th win in person, after Roger Clemens and Greg Maddux faltered when I saw them at 299.

Luis Gonzalez

Over 2500 hits and 350 home runs would seem to make Gonzalez a pretty decent candidate for enshrinement.  The hint of PED use, though never proven, will likely hold him back.

Jacque Jones

No.

Todd Jones

NO.

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by jim

2014 Hall Of Fame Ballot – The Holdovers

mlb_hofThe BBWAA released their ballot for the Hall of Fame class of 2014.  The results of the vote are due to be revealed on January 8th, with induction taking place next July.  After nobody was elected in last year’s voting, the new ballot contains 17 holdovers along with 19 newcomers, which may start to cause a bit of a problem.  The current BBWAA rules limit the number of votes on one ballot to 10, and there may be more than 10 deserving candidates.  As they start to pile up, and even more deserving candidates become eligible, the BBWAA and the Hall may find themselves with a mess on their hands.

Let’s take a look at the returning candidates today before moving on to the newcomers.

Jeff Bagwell
Years on ballot: 3
2013 Percentage: 59.6

Bagwell is going to be one of those candidates that, I think, gets hurt due to 10 vote limit.  He would have been elected already were it not for seemingly unfounded PED rumors.

Craig Biggio
Years on ballot: 1
2013 Percentage: 68.2

Biggio was the highest vote getter in last year’s election, only 39 votes shy of getting elected.  You would think he could make up that total this year as voters who have some inane theories on when someone deserves to be elected add him to their ballot.  It would be a boost to the Astros if both he and Bagwell were to go in together.

Barry Bonds
Years on ballot: 1
2013 Percentage: 36.2

Barry Bonds, he of the 7 MVP awards and 762 career home runs, found himself on the outside looking in after his initial run through the voting process.  Due to his connection to BALCO and PEDs, he’s unlikely to do much better this year.

Roger Clemens
Years on ballot: 1
2013 Percentage: 37.6

Roger Clemens, he of the 354 career victories and 7 Cy Young awards, also found himself on the outside looking in after his initial run through the voting process.  The interesting thing is that, despite his inclusion in the Mitchell Report and his connection to Andy Pettitte’s PED confession, Clemens picked up 8 more votes than Bonds.

Edgar Martinez
Years on ballot: 4
2013 Percentage: 35.9

The longtime DH for the Mariners has had plenty of support from the Internet but not as much from the BBWAA.  His long career as a DH may be holding him back.

Don Mattingly
Years on ballot: 13
2013 Percentage: 13.2

Back in 2010, I said that “being the best Yankee in a decade of bad Yankee teams does not a Hall of Famer make.”  Nothing that has happened since then would change my, or, seemingly, the voters, mind.

Fred McGriff
Years on ballot: 4
2013 Percentage: 20.7

A very good argument could be made that Fred McGriff has been hurt by the PED users more than anyone else.  Had he stuck around to hit an additional 7 home runs, he would likely have been elected thanks to his 500 home runs.  Without them, he gets penalized for not putting up better numbers than the PED users, who are also being penalized.  Doesn’t seem right.

Mark McGwire
Years on ballot: 7
2013 Percentage: 16.9

McGwire finds himself over 100 votes behind fellow PED users Barry Bonds and Roger Clemens.  Even if the voters do start to reverse track and start to vote for the convicted users, I think McGwire might still have trouble getting elected.

Jack Morris
Years on ballot: 14
2013 Percentage: 67.7

Morris enters his final year on the ballot needing only 42 additional votes to get enshrined, but with the influx of new, and exceptionally deserving, candidates,  I don’t see how he gets them.  Not that I would be too disappointed in that, as Morris, while a very good pitcher, falls short in my estimation.

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by admin

#269 – Matt Ginter

1628-156FrName: Matt Ginter

Rank: 269

Position: P

Years With White Sox: 2000-2003

Matt Ginter was selected by the White Sox in the first round of the 1999 draft and made his major league debut the following September, throwing a scoreless inning and picking up the victory in the White Sox 9-8 win against the Angels.  The rest of his September call-up did not go as well, as he finished with a 13.50 ERA in 7 games.

Ginter split the next 3 seasons between Triple A Charlotte and Chicago, always performing much better in the minor leagues than in the majors.  In 2003, he put up a “nice” bookend to his White Sox career, matching the 13.50 ERA he put up in his rookie season of 2000.

As spring training of 2004 was winding down, Ginter was shipped to the Mets in exchange for Timo Perez.

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

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by admin

#270 – Jim Kern

jim-kernName: Jim Kern

Rank: 270

Position: P

Years With White Sox: 1982-1983

Jim Kern joined the White Sox in a August 1982 trade with the Reds in exchange for Wade Rowdon and Leo Garcia.  He did not pitch particularly well for the South Siders down the stretch, putting up a 5.14 ERA in 13 games.

He was expected back in the bullpen in 1983, but he blew out his elbow after appearing in the second game of the season, leaving him out for the year.  The following spring, he was released towards the end of spring training, ending his brief time with the White Sox.  Kern, however, was not willing to leave quietly.

After begging then General Manager Roland Hemond to send him to Triple A prior to his release, Kern accussed the team of “destroying my arm and then shucking me off like last year’s shotgun shells.”  Hemond claimed it was a business decision, as the team saved nearly $300,000 by releasing Kern.

Kern’s numbers in a White Sox uniform were:

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by admin

A Party 100 Years In The Making

1922-Chicago-Cubs-UniformThe Cubs, headed up by Theo Epstein and Crane Kenney, put on a dog and pony show for their season ticket holders over the weekend, where Epstein gave updates on the on-field product and Kenney gave updates on the plans to rehab Wrigley Field.  I had planned on attending the session on Saturday at noon, but found myself unable to make it downtown.  However, it doesn’t seem as though I necessarily missed much that hasn’t been reported online elsewhere.

The big news coming out of the presentations was the plans for next season surrounding the 100th anniversary of Wrigley Field.  A commemorative patch will be on the sleeve of the home jersey and the side of the cap.  There will also be a new road alternate jersey, based on those worn during the 1920s.  They gray jerseys will have “CUBS” across the front, in the same font as the 1922 jersey.  The lettering will be blue with a thin white outline, and the player’s number will be on the lower left in red with white outline.  Blue piping will run down both sides of the buttons and around the collar, while blue and white piping will be near the cuff of each sleeve.

There will be 10 straight weekend homestands dedicated to the 10 decades at the ballpark, beginning with the 1910s.  On Fridays of those homestands, the team will give a unique bobblehead honoring an individual or event from that decade.  On Sunday, the Cubs and the opposing team will wear uniforms from that celebrated decade.  Concession stands also will present decade-themed food.

While the 10 bobblehead giveaways could be awesome, the lack of night games on Fridays means that I will not have tickets to any of those games.  Depending on who (or what) it is, it may be worthwhile to make an extra trip for one or two of them.  The throwback games on Sundays could also be a good time.  The Washington Nationals are coming to town smack dab in the middle of the season, meaning they would have to be included as one of the 10 consecutive homestands.  Assuming the throwback uniforms they will wear are those of the Expos and not of the Senators, that game gets bumped up on the list of those I need to attend.

The season tickets for next year will move away from the Topps baseball card motif they’ve had the past two years and will have historic scorecards from the stadium’s history, not just for the Cubs, but for the Bears and Blackhawks as well.  If the last two years are any indication, they will be impressive.

by admin

Ballpark Tour: Comiskey Park II/US Cellular Field

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Stadium Name: Comiskey Park II/US Cellular Field

Location: Chicago

Home Team: White Sox, Marlins

Years in Service: 1991 – Present

Visits: 361

On the evening of June 30, 1988, with time literally stopped, the Illinois legislature passed a bill that provided the financing for a new stadium for the White Sox, stopping them from moving to St. Petersburg, Florida.  2 and a half years later, on April 18, 1991, Comiskey Park II opened, the first new major facility built in Chicago since the erection of the Chicago Stadium in 1929.  Sadly, the White Sox were destroyed by the Tigers 16-0 in the opening of their new park.

Unfortunately for the White Sox, the new Comiskey Park was also the last stadium to be built prior to the wave of retro ballparks that started with the opening of Camden Yards the following year.  Because of this, there have been numerous renovations to the park, starting in 2001 with the addition of nearly 2000 seats and the relocation of the bullpens.  More extensive renovations began in 2003 in preparation for that season’s All Star Game and using the money generated from selling the naming rights to US Cellular, and conrinued through 2007, when the replacement of the blue seats with green seats was completed.

In 2004, the reigning World Series champion Florida Marlins called the stadium home for a series against the Montreal Expos thanks to Hurricane Ivan, the first time the defending World Series champions had played a home game in Chicago since 1918.  One year later, the stadium hosted its first World Series game, the first to be played in Chicago since 1959, as the White Sox went on to sweep the Houston Astros and win their first World Series since 1918.

I attended my first game at the new Comiskey Park on April 20, 1991, the second game in the stadium’s history.  Since then, I’ve been to 360 other games at the stadium, the majority coming from 2005 on, when I became a season ticket holder.  I went to both games of the 2000 ALDS, which the White Sox lost to the Mariners, both games of the 2005 ALDS, which the White Sox won against the Red Sox, both games of the 2005 ALCS, which the White Sox split against the Angels, and game 2 of the 2005 World Series.  I attended game 163 of the 2008 season to break the tie between the White Sox and the Twins. and then the two ALDS games against the Rays, the first time I saw the White Sox actually end a post-season series, either in victory or defeat.

Notable regular season games I’ve seen at US Cellular Field include the September 13, 2004 game between the Marlins and the Expos, the April 16, 2005 game where Mark Buehrle defeated the Mariners in 1 hour and 39 minutes, the April 2, 2006 season opener against the Indians when the World Series championship banner was raised, the April 4, 2006 game where the players received their World Series rings, and the September 16, 2007 game where Jim Thome hit his 500th career home run against the Angels.