May 12, 2022May 1, 2022 by admin

Throwback Thursday – Team Records Of The 2000s

Baseball
2005 World Series, ALDS, Angels, A's, Astros, Blue Jays, Braves, Brewers, Cardinals, Cubs, Daniel Hudson, Devil Rays, Diamondbacks, Dodgers, Expos, Giants, Indians, Mariners, Marlins, Mets, Nationals, NLCS, Orioles, Padres, Phillies, Pirates, Rangers, Rays, Red Sox, Reds, Rockies, Royals, Tigers, Twins, White Sox, Yankees
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It’s time for another trip in the wayback machine, as this week we move our focus to the start of the 21st century and see what my view of the baseball world looked like in the 2000s. This was my first decade as a season ticket holder, starting in 2002 for the Cubs and 2005 for the White Sox.

I attended 518 contests during the 2000s, starting with my first trip to Cincinnati in April of 2000 and finishing with Daniel Hudson’s first major league victory in September of 2009. I attended games at 13 stadiums from coast to coast and saw my first post-season action, with an ALDS in 2000, an NLCS in 2003, and a World Series game in 2005.

**2021 Team Records**
Team Name	Won	Loss	Winning Pctg
Arizona Diamondbacks	11	1	0.917
Philadelphia Phillies	10	4	0.714
Toronto Blue Jays	6	3	0.667
Florida Marlins	12	7	0.632
Tampa Bay Rays	3	2	0.600
Texas Rangers	8	6	0.571
Los Angeles Dodgers	8	6	0.571
Chicago White Sox	130	107	0.549
Chicago Cubs	172	147	0.539
Baltimore Orioles	9	8	0.529
Cleveland Indians	10	9	0.526
Los Angeles Angels	10	9	0.526
Boston Red Sox	9	9	0.500
Colorado Rockies	6	6	0.500
Seattle Mariners	5	5	0.500
Anaheim Angels	1	1	0.500
Houston Astros Continue reading →

May 2, 2022April 25, 2022 by admin

Top 200 Albums: #51 – 60

We last counted down the Top 200 albums in my iTunes library four years ago. Since that time, the world has literally changed, and my commute has decreased from 1+ hours each way to 25 steps. So, despite the decrease in potential listening time, I figured it was time to take another look, based on number of plays from late 2007 through the morning of January 1, 2022.

As of today, we are three quarters of the way through of our countdown with the next batch of ten albums that I have listened to the most over the last 15 years, breaking the triple digit total play plateau with three compilations, and music from the 60s, 80s, 90s, and beyond.

#60: Various Artists – Forrest Gump
iTunes stats: 166 plays
Previous Ranking: 73

A 93% increase for the soundtrack, featuring artists like The Byrds, Buffalo Springfield, and CCR, from the Oscar-winning film.

#59: Bon Jovi – Cross Road
iTunes stats: 167 plays
Previous Ranking: 62

Ten of the band’s biggest hits earned an additional 66 plays over the last four years.

#56: The Beatles – Please Please Me
iTunes stats: 168 plays
Previous Ranking: 53

Seven tracks from this remastered version of the band’s 1963 debut album earned a 51% increase in plays.

#56: David Cross – It’s Not Funny
iTunes stats: 168 plays
Previous Ranking: 62

This 2004 comedy album from David Cross added 67 new plays, and that total would be significantly higher if I were to sync my old phone again, as I have listened to it while falling asleep plenty of times.

#56: Various Artists – Buffy The Vampire Slayer: The Album
iTunes stats: 168 plays
Previous Ranking: 46

A drop of ten spots on the chart for this initial soundtrack album to the hit television series, featuring eight tunes by bands like Nerf Herder, Guided By Voices, and The Sundays.

Continue reading →

April 24, 2022March 22, 2022 by admin

By The Numbers – 12

In 1929, uniform numbers appeared on the back of baseball jerseys for the first time, thanks to the Indians and the Yankees. By 1937, numbers finally appeared across all uniforms, both home and away, across both major leagues. Since that time, 81 distinct numbers have been worn by members of the White Sox, while the Cubs boast 76.

Today, we continue our look at those players, picking our favorite, if not the best, player to wear each uniform number for both Chicago teams with #12. 91 different players have donned #12 while playing in Chicago, 44 for the White Sox and 47 for the Cubs.

A.J. Pierzynski signed with the White Sox on January 6, 2005 and rewarded the organization with eight seasons of stability behind the plate that included one All-Star selection, two playoff appearances, and, of course, the 2005 World Series championship. Over those 8 seasons, Pierzynski was involved in many key moments while wearing #12 that endeared him to the White Sox faithful, including:

The walk-off home run, and resulting bat flip (pictured above), against the Dodgers in 2005 while wearing 1959 throwbacks
The two home runs in a thrashing of the Red Sox in game one of the 2005 ALDS, the first White Sox home postseason victory since 1959
The controversial dropped third strike that led to a White Sox victory in game two of the 2005 ALCS against the Angels
The 2006 brawl against the Cubs where Michael Barrett sucker-punched him after Pierzynski enthusiastically scored a run against the crosstown rivals
Hanging on to the throw from Ken Griffey Jr. to preserve the shutout in the 2008 tie-breaker game that pushed the White Sox into the playoffs over the Twins
Being behind the plate for Mark Buehrle’s no-hitter in 2007 and Philip Humber’s perfect game in 2012

On the north side of town, a dynamic shortstop, the first player chosen in the 1982 draft, wore #12 when he made his major league debut in 1985. Shawon Dunston quickly became a fan favorite. In 1989, he entered the national consciousness thanks to the Shawon-O-Meter, a fan made sign that tracked Dunston’s batting average during each game. The sign was seen in the Wrigley Field bleachers for a number of years and even made its way to San Francisco’s Candlestick Park for the 1989 NLCS. Following the 1995 season, he left as a free agent before resigning with the team for the 1997 campaign. He was traded to the Pirates at the end of August, ending his Cubs career for good.

April 17, 2022March 11, 2022 by admin

By The Numbers – 13

Today, we continue our look at those players, picking our favorite, if not the best, player to wear each uniform number for both Chicago teams with #13. 25 different players have donned #13 while playing in Chicago, 13 for the White Sox and 12 for the Cubs.

Acquired by the White Sox on December 6, 1984, from the Padres, Ozzie Guillen made his major league debut wearing #13 on Opening Day 1985, leading off against the Brewers and going 1-5 in the 4-2 victory at County Stadium. Settling in as the everyday shortstop, Guillen finished the year with a .273 average, 21 doubles, and 9 triples. Those totals were good enough to score Guillen the 1985 AL Rookie of the Year trophy. Guillen saw a slight drop off in his sophomore season, as his average dropped to .250 and he managed 19 doubles and 4 triples. 1987 was a nice bounce back for Guillen, as he raised his average back up to .279 with a .656 OPS. For the second straight year, he led the AL, and all of baseball, in Defensive WAR. Guillen earned his first All Star nod in 1988 and, by season’s end, he once again led all of baseball in Defensive WAR, while seeing his average drop to .261 with 7 triples, the fifth highest total in the AL.

1989 was a tough year for Guillen. He posted his worst offensive numbers since 1986 and, on the base paths, he fell victim to the hidden ball trick. Twice. On June 23, against the Brewers, first baseman Greg Brock held the ball after a pickoff attempt and when Guillen took his hand off the base to stand up, Brock tagged him out. Less than 2 months later, on August 5 against the Tigers, Dave Bergman made the same play. He finished the year with .253 average and, despite his adventures on pick off attempts, a career high 36 stolen bases. As the surprising White Sox challenged for the AL West title while saying goodbye to Comiskey Park, Guillen put in one of the finest seasons of his career. He was named to his second All Star team, going 0-2, finished in 17th place in MVP voting, and earned his first, and only, Gold Glove. He raised his average back up to .279 and knocked in a career high 58 RBIs.

Expectations were high for the White Sox as they moved across the street to the new Comiskey Park in 1991. Guillen earned his third, and final, All Star nod, getting a sacrifice in his only plate appearance. He ended the year with a .273 average and set a career high with 3 home runs. Guillen’s 1992 season came to an early end when, on April 21 during a loss against the Yankees, a collision with outfielder Tim Raines ended in a severe knee injury. Guillen recovered in 1993, though he appeared in only 134 games, his lowest total to date. However, it was his most productive season offensively, posting a .280 batting average, and career highs with 4 home runs and a .666 OPS, as the White Sox won their first division title in a decade. He hit .273 and scored 4 runs in a losing effort, as the White Sox were defeated in 6 games by the Blue Jays in the ALCS. 1994 looked to be the year that the White Sox finally broke through. Guillen was up to the challenge, hitting a career high .288 with a .659 OPS. Unfortunately, the year ended early when players went on strike on August 12 with the White Sox in first place in the newly created AL Central.

The 1995 season got off to a late start and had an abbreviated schedule due to the long work stoppage. The success of the White Sox, and for Guillen himself, didn’t survive the long layoff. Guillen saw his average drop to .248, his lowest over a “full” season in his career to this point. His OPS dropped to its lowest total in a full season since 1989. 1996 saw a slight improvement for Guillen. He appeared in 150 games, his highest total since his knee injury in 1992. He raised his average back to .263 and tied his career high with 4 home runs. However, 1997 was easily the worst season of Guillen’s White Sox career. He had the lowest average of his career, coming in at .245, though he did once again tie his career high with 4 home runs. Following the season, Guillen became a free agent and his playing career with the White Sox came to an end.

Guillen returned to the White Sox organization for the 2004 season as manager. In 2005, he led the team to their first American League pennant since 1959 and their first World Series title in 88 years. Ongoing personal difficulties with General Manager Kenny Williams led to his leaving with 2 games left in the 2011 season as the third winningest manager in franchise history.

On the north side of town, Neifi Pérez donned #13 over parts of three seasons with the Cubs. He signed a minor league deal after being released by the Giants in 2004. After only ten games in Triple A, Pérez joined the big-league club and became a spark plug in the lineup, going 6 for 6 in his first 6 at-bats and providing a needed backup to the ailing Nomar Garciaparra. Dusty Baker named Pérez the starting shortstop in 2005 to replace Garciaparra, mainly on the strength of his defensive skills. For the 2006 season Pérez lost the starting job at shortstop to Ronny Cedeño. As his batting average sagged to .254 and his on-base percentage, never high, had fallen to .266, the Cubs traded him to the Tigers.

April 10, 2022March 11, 2022 by admin

By The Numbers – 14

Baseball
2005 World Series, ALCS, Bill Melton, Bill Skowron, Comeback Player of the Year, Cubs, Ernie Banks, HOF, Indians, Mike Cameron, MVP, Paul Konerko, Ted Lyons, White Sox, Yankees
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Today, we continue our look at those players, picking our favorite, if not the best, player to wear each uniform number for both Chicago teams with #14, the only number to be retired by both teams. 47 different players have donned the number while playing in Chicago, and no more will for the rest of time.

With apologies to Ted Lyons, Bill Skowron, and Bill Melton, the winner here, and the man that #14 was retired for, is Paul Konerko. Konerko was traded to the White Sox on November 11, 1998 for center fielder Mike Cameron. In his second full season, he helped lead the surprising White Sox to their first Central Division title, their first post-season appearance since 1993. After tremendous struggles in 2003, Konerko won the Comeback Player of the Year award in 2004. He did himself better in 2005, winning the ALCS MVP, hitting a grand slam in Game 2 of the World Series, and catching the final putout at first base in Game 4, giving the White Sox their first World Series title since 1917. After the series, Konerko inked a 5-year deal that would keep him on the south side through at least 2010.

2008 saw Konerko make his 3rd post-season appearance for the Sox, the only player in history to do so. Konerko retired following the 2014 season, finishing his career as the White Sox all time leader in total bases and second all time in home runs, RBIs, and games played. In addition, he was a 6-time All Star and had served as team captain since 2006. His #14 was retired in 2015.

Nicknamed Mr. Cub, Ernie Banks, played his entire 19 year career with the Cubs, earning back-to-back MVP honors in 1958 and 1959. When he retired following the 1971 season, he ranked 9th all-time in home runs, with 512. He was elected to the Hall of Fame in 1977 and became a team ambassador, never seen without a smile on his face. Number 14 was retired in his honor in 1982, the first number ever retired by the Cubs.

March 30, 2022January 19, 2022 by admin

Against The White Sox All Time Leaders – Through 2021

In the past, we’ve looked at the all time leaders in both offensive and defensive categories for all 30 teams. This offseason, we will take our first ever look at those leaders against all 30 clubs. We finish things off today with the hometown Chicago White Sox.

I’ve seen the White Sox play 642 times at 14 different stadiums in 10 different cities, including every home playoff appearance in 2000, 2005, 2008, and 2021 except for Game 1 of the 2005 World Series.

Home Runs

Name	Total
Victor Martinez	9
Miguel Cabrera	9
Aramis Ramirez	8
Sammy Sosa	8

Hits

Name	Total
Victor Martinez	44
Joe Mauer	39
Eric Hosmer	31
Derrek Lee	31

Runs

Name	Total
Joe Mauer	19
Miguel Cabrera	19
Jhonny Peralta	19

RBI

Name	Total
Victor Martinez	27
Sammy Sosa	27
Aramis Ramirez	22
Salvador Perez	22

Doubles

Name	Total
Alcides Escobar	10
Derrek Lee	8
Melky Cabrera	8
Alfonso Soriano	8
Coco Crisp	8

Triples Continue reading →

March 20, 2022March 10, 2022 by admin

By The Numbers – 17

Today, we continue our look at those players, picking our favorite, if not the best, player to wear each uniform number for both Chicago teams with #17. 79 different players have donned #17 while playing in Chicago, 42 for the White Sox and 37 for the Cubs.

Mark Grace moved to his iconic #17 during his rookie campaign in 1988. He finished second in Rookie of the Year voting while hitting .296 with 7 home runs and 57 RBIs. In 1989, he garnered some MVP consideration as the Cubs took home a surprising NL East title. Grace hit .314 with 13 home runs and 79 RBIs during the regular season, before hitting .647 with a 1.799 OPS during the 5 game NLCS against the Giants.

In 1990, Grace began a decade of excellence, collecting the most hits, 1,754, and doubles, 364, of any player during the decade. He won 4 Gold Glove awards, was named to 3 All Star teams, earned down-ballot MVP support in 3 different seasons. Following the 2000 season, he left the Cubs, finishing that portion of his career with 2201 hits, 456 doubles, 148 home runs, 1004 RBIs, and a .308 average.

As the White Sox made their run towards the World Series title in 2005, general manager Kenny Williams attempted to acquire Ken Griffey Jr. from the Reds, but was rebuked when Reds ownership decided to veto the deal. 3 years later, with the White Sox again looking to make a run at a division title, he was finally able to acquire the aging superstar at the trade deadline in exchange for pitcher Nick Masset and second baseman Danny Richar. At the time of the trade, the White Sox held a tenuous 1.5 game lead over the Twins. Wearing #17, Griffey, who had spent most of the previous few seasons in right field to lessen the strain on his body, moved back to center field for the White Sox, displacing the disappointing Nick Swisher. Griffey appeared in 41 games for the White Sox, hitting a decent .260 with only 3 home runs and 18 RBI. His most important contribution came defensively, during the tie-breaking game 163 between the White Sox and the Twins, when he gunned down Michael Cuddyer, who was trying to score on a fly out to center, preserving the shutout and helping the White Sox win the division and advance the playoffs. In the ALDS, Griffey appeared in 3 games against the Rays, garnering only 2 hits as the White Sox fell 3 games to 1. Following the season, the White Sox declined Griffey’s $16 million option for 2009, making him a free agent.

Special bonus shout out to outfielder Carlos May, who played with the White Sox from 1968-1976. May, who wore #17 for his entire White Sox career, is the only player in baseball history to wear his birthday, May 17th, on his jersey.

February 6, 2022January 19, 2022 by admin

By The Numbers – 22

Today, we continue our look at those players, picking our favorite, if not the best, player to wear each uniform number for both Chicago teams with #22. 76 different players have donned #22 while playing in Chicago, 26 for the White Sox and 50 for the Cubs.

Acquired from the Dodgers, along with Ivan DeJesus, in exchange for Rick Monday and Mike Garman, Bill Buckner joined the Cubs, wearing #22, in 1977. A staph infection in his ankle the previous year caused the Cubs to move the former outfielder to first base, a position he would man for the rest of his career. Appearing in 122 games, he hit .284 with 11 home runs and 27 doubles. He improved in 1978, raising his average to .323 and placed 17th in MVP voting. 1979 was another steady year for Buckner. On May 17th, in the infamous slugfest where the Cubs lost 23-22 to the Phillies, he went 4–for–7 with a grand slam and a career-high seven RBIs. He finished the year hitting .284 with 14 home runs and 34 doubles, but was also described as “nuts” when manager Herman Franks resigned late in the season.

In 1980, Buckner won a batting title, hitting .324 while striking out only 18 times, earning him a 14th place finish in MVP voting. In the strike-shortened 1981 season, he was the lone Cub representative for the All Star game and batted .311 while tying Cecil Cooper for the major league lead with 35 doubles. 1982 saw Buckner hit over .300 for the fourth time as a Cub while racking up career highs in hits, with 201, RBIs, with 105, and assists at first base, setting a major league record with 159.

In 1983, Buckner again led the NL with 38 doubles, but saw his batting average drop to .280, his lowest finish as a Cub. With the acquisition of Gary Matthews in 1984 pushing Leon Durham to first base, Buckner found himself the odd man out. Appearing mostly as a pinch hitter, Buckner hit a paltry .209 through the end of May, when he was traded to the Red Sox, ending his Cub tenure.

Scott Podsednik was acquired by the White Sox from the Brewers for Carlos Lee on December 13, 2004. Wearing #22, he moved in to the leadoff spot and, after putting up a .294 average with 44 steals in the first half, he earned his first All Star game nod. While injuries slowed him in the second half, he was back to full strength when the regular season came to an end and the White Sox embarked on their first post-season appearance in 5 years. After going the entire regular season without a home run, Podsednik went deep against the Red Sox in Game 1 of the ALDS, helping the White Sox to a 14-2 victory on their way to a 3 game sweep of the defending champions. Podsednik continued his steady play during the ALCS, hitting .294 with a triple and 3 stolen bases in the 5 game series. The shining moment of his career came in Game 2 of the World Series, thanks to a walkoff home run against Brad Lidge in the 9th inning, giving the White Sox a 2-0 lead on their way to a sweep and their first world championship in 88 years. For his efforts, Podsednik finished in 12th place for MVP voting.

As the White Sox looked to repeat in 2006, Podsednik found it difficult to duplicate his efforts from the year before. His average was down 29 points, to .261, and his stolen base total was off by 19. Injuries limited Podsednik to 62 games in 2007. His offensive production continued to be lacking and, after the White Sox fell completely out of contention for the first time in years, the team decided to change their approach and gave Podsednik his release. He returned to the White Sox organization in 2009, signing a minor league deal. Injuries to Brian Anderson, Dewayne Wise, and Carlos Quentin gave him plenty of opportunity with the big league club, and he responded by hitting .304, his highest total since 2003. Following the season, he became a free agent.

January 9, 2022December 4, 2021 by admin

By The Numbers – 24

Today, we continue our look at those players, picking our favorite, if not the best, player to wear each uniform number for both Chicago teams with #24. 104 different players have donned #24 while playing in Chicago, 49 for the White Sox and 55 for the Cubs.

Joe Crede earned a September call-up from Double A in 2000, and, wearing #24, made his major league debut on September 12, replacing Herbert Perry and going 0-1 in the Tigers 10-3 victory at Comiskey Park. Crede appeared in 7 games, making the most of his 14 at bats, and finished with a .357 average. Crede got another cup of coffee with the big league club in September of 2001, earning a little more playing time, but he was less successful, finishing with a .220 average in 50 at bats over 17 games. Crede returned to the White Sox for good in July of 2002. On August 12, he hit his first major league home run off of former teammate James Baldwin and he finished with 12 home runs, 35 RBIs, and a .285 average. Crede established himself as the starting third baseman in 2003. He appeared in a career high 151 games and launched 19 home runs with 75 RBIs while posting a .261 average. He struggled in 2004, seeing his average drop to .239 while hitting 21 home runs with 69 RBIs.

In 2005, Crede started to come in to his own. While he improved his average to .252 and hit 22 home runs with 62 RBIs, he came alive in the second half, culminating with a game winning, and possible season saving, home run in the 10th inning against the Indians on September 20, which pushed the White Sox to a 3.5 game lead and propelled them into the playoffs. Crede had a rough series in the ALDS against the Red Sox, getting only 1 hit in 9 at bats, but rebounded in the ALCS and World Series, hitting .368 and .294 respectively, with 2 home runs in each series. 2006 was Joe Crede’s breakout season. He hit .283 with career highs in home runs, with 30, and RBIs, with 94, winning his first, and only, Silver Slugger award. A back injury in 2007 limited him to 47 games and only 4 home runs. He returned with a bang in 2008, hitting a grand slam on opening day against the Twins and parlayed a good first half into his first All Star selection, but the back injury recurred and kept him out for most of the second half of the season, including the playoffs, thus ending his White Sox career.

On the north side of town, Dexter Fowler joined Cubs via trade prior to the 2015 season. Donning #24, he ended the year with a .250 average, 102 runs scored, 46 RBIs, 17 home runs, and 20 stolen bases as the Cubs made a surprise run for the NL Wild Card. Fowler helped propel the Cubs to the NLDS, putting up three hits, three runs scored, a home run, and a stolen base in defeating the Pirates. In nine postseason games, Fowler batted .396 with two home runs and three RBIs, as the Cubs made it to the NLCS against the Mets.

Fowler became a free agent after the season and was unsigned into the start of spring training. Despite reportedly agreeing to a three-year contract with the Orioles, Fowler arrived in Cubs camp and signed a one year deal. And what a year it was. Fowler finished the year with a .276 average, 13 home runs, 48 RBIs, and 84 runs scored as the Cubs won the NL Central. Fowler’s .333 average with 4 RBI helped the Cubs win the NLCS against the Dodgers, advancing to the World Series for the first time since 1945. On October 25, 2016, Dexter Fowler became the first African-American to appear and to bat for the Cubs in a World Series game. Fowler led off Game 7 of the World Series with a home run, becoming the first player in history to do so, and helping the Cubs win 8–7 in 10 innings, giving the team their first championship in 108 years.

January 8, 2022December 31, 2021 by admin

Against The Astros All Time Leaders – Through 2021

The Astros began life in 1962 as the Colt 45’s, joining the National League along with the Mets, and became the Astros 3 years later. In 2013, they moved to the American League, becoming just the second team to switch leagues. I’ve seen them play 47 times, including game 2 of the 2005 World Series and games 3 and 4 of the 2021 ALDS.