With just one week left before the All-Star break, the reserve rosters were announced today for both leagues. The Cubs scored three All Stars, with shortstop Dansby Swanson and pitcher Marcus Stroman both making the team for the second time in their careers while pitcher Justin Steele makes it for the first time. For the disappointing White Sox, center fielder Luis Robert Jr. earns his first All Star nod. The four will be heading to Seattle for next Tuesday’s festivities.
Now that the All-Star Game is behind us and we await the start of the second half of the season, let’s take a look at the first half leaders on the defensive side of the ball for the 21 games I attended:
Wins
| Name | Total |
|---|---|
| Reynaldo Lopez | 3 |
| 17 tied with | 1 |
Losses
| Name | Total |
|---|---|
| Johnny Cueto | 2 |
| 18 tied with | 1 |
ERA (> 6 IP)
| Name | Total |
|---|---|
| Clayton Kershaw | 0.00 |
| Dylan Cease | 0.00 |
| Reynaldo Lopez | 0.73 |
| Marcus Stroman | 0.79 |
| Kendall Graveman | 0.90 |
Strikeouts
| Name | Total |
|---|---|
| Michael Kopech | 20 |
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For the first time since 1980, the Midsummer Classic returns to Los Angeles and Dodger Stadium. As the stars of the baseball world gather in Tinsletown, it’s time to take a look at the team records for the 21 games, featuring exactly half of the teams in the league, that I attended in the first half of the baseball season, a disappointing one, for different reasons, on both sides of town.
2022 Team Records
| Team Name | Won | Loss | Winning Pctg |
|---|---|---|---|
| Los Angeles Dodgers | 2 | 0 | 1.000 |
| Texas Rangers | 1 | 0 | 1.000 |
| New York Mets | 1 | 0 | 1.000 |
| Cleveland Guardians | 1 | 0 | 1.000 |
| Baltimore Orioles | 1 | 0 | 1.000 |
| New York Yankees | 2 | 1 | 0.667 |
| Chicago White Sox | 10 | 8 | 0.556 |
| Minnesota Twins | 1 | 1 | 0.500 |
| Chicago Cubs | 2 | 5 | 0.286 |
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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 #2. 50 different players have donned #2 while playing in Chicago, 28 for the White Sox, who retired the number in 1976, and 22 for the Cubs.
Acquired from the A’s for Joe Tipton following the 1949 season, Nellie Fox switched to his familiar #2 starting with the 1953 season. The White Sox finished in third place in each season between 1953 and 1956, followed by second-place finishes in 1957 and 1958 before finally breaking through in 1959, thanks in part to Fox’s best season. He batted .306, leading the AL in singles en route to a .380 OBP. He also started and had four hits in two All-Star games and won his second Gold Glove on his way to winning the MVP for AL champions.
In the World Series, which turned out to be his only postseason experience, Fox led the White Sox with a .375 average with three doubles. In Game 5, Fox scored the only run when Sherm Lollar hit into a double play in the fourth inning, only the second time that a World Series game did not have an RBI. Unfortunately, the Sox dropped the next game, and the series, to the Dodgers.
All told, Fox spent 14 seasons with the White Sox, making 12 AL All-Star teams and 15 of 16 AL All-Star Game selections beginning in 1951, with two All-Star games played between 1959 and 1962. Following the 1963 season, he was traded to the Houston Colt .45s. He died on December 1. 1975, at the age of 47, following a bout with cancer. His #2 was retired by the White Sox in 1976 and he was elected to the Hall of Fame in 1997.
On the north side of town, Ryan Theriot wore three different numbers after making his debut on September 13, 2005 before settling on #2 in 2007. That year, he made the opening-day roster as a utility player, but the early-season struggles of César Izturis led to Theriot taking over as the starter. Theriot was notably versatile throughout the 2007 season, playing multiple positions defensively and hitting all over the batting order. Despite impressive numbers from Theriot in the lead-off spot, albeit a small sample size, the return of Alfonso Soriano resulted in Theriot returning to second in the batting order.
In 2008, Theriot had the sixth-best batting average in the National League. While not expected to hit for power, Theriot was asked to try to drive in more runs early in 2009 as the Cubs dealt with injuries and poor performance from their power hitters. He quickly went on a tear and smacked seven home runs, including his first two ever outside Wrigley Field, as the other players regained their health. On February 19, 2010, the Cubs went to salary arbitration with Theriot, the first time they had done so since 1993, as the two sides were separated by $800k. He appeared in 96 games with the Cubs in 2010, hitting .284, before the July 31 trade that sent Theriot and Ted Lilly to the Dodgers for Blake DeWitt.
In the midst of disappointing seasons on both sides of town, both the White Sox and the Cubs managed to get one player each elected to the starting lineup for the upcoming Midsummer Classic set to be played in Los Angeles. Tim Anderson will start at shortstop for the American League, beating out Toronto’s Bo Bichette in the final round of voting by nabbing 55% of the tally. Willson Contreras beat out Atlanta’s Travis d’Arnaud to start at catcher for the National League, garnering 65% of the vote.
Anderson, making his second consecutive appearance, is the first starter from the White Sox since Jose Abreu manned first base to start the 2018 and 2019 games and the first shortstop from the White Sox to start since Luis Aparicio in 1970. He’s only the sixth White Sox shortstop to make an All-Star team, following Alexei Ramirez, Ozzie Guillen, Aparicio, Chico Carrasquel, and Luke Appling.
Contreras, who started for the NL squad in 2018 and 2019, becomes the second catcher in Cubs history to make three or more All-Star Games, following Hall of Famer Gabby Hartnett. Contreras may get to share the honor with his younger brother William, who lost out to Bryce Harper in the final round of voting for NL DH, but Harper’s broken thumb may open the door for the younger Contreras to step in as a replacement.
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 #29. 85 different players have donned #30 while playing in Chicago, 35 for the White Sox and 50 for the Cubs.
Jack McDowell, selected as the fifth overall pick in the 1987 draft, switched to #29 when, after spending the entire 1989 season in Triple A, he returned to the majors for good in 1990, helping to lead a surprising White Sox team to a 94-68 record and a season long battle with the A’s for the AL West crown. McDowell finished with a 14-9 record and a 3.82 ERA and nearly doubled his strikeout total from 1988 in only about 50 more innings. Expectations were high as the White Sox moved into their new stadium in 1991 and McDowell was up to the challenger, earning his first All Star game selection on his way to a 17-10 record and a 3.41 ERA, good enough for a 9th place finish in Cy Young Award voting.
1992 was even better for McDowell. He earned his second straight All Star Game nod, pitching a scoreless second inning and retiring Fred McGriff, Terry Pendleton, and Andy Van Slyke in order. He ended up with a 20-10 record and a 3.18 ERA, good enough for a 2nd place finish in Cy Young Award voting, behind Dennis Eckersley, and 19th place in MVP voting. Everything came together for the White Sox and McDowell in 1993. As the team ran off to their first division title in a decade, McDowell led the league with 22 victories and 4 shutouts, ending at 22-10 with a 3.37 ERA. He nabbed his 3rd straight All Star selection, earning the victory while throwing a scoreless 5th inning, and finally claimed his first Cy Young Award. He also finished 9th in MVP voting, behind teammate Frank Thomas. McDowell made 2 starts during the ALCS against the Blue Jays, losing both and giving up 10 runs total in 9 innings pitched.
The 1994 season again had high expectations for the White Sox and McDowell. Unfortunately, those expectations would be squashed, not on the field, where the White Sox held first place in the newly formed AL Central division, but in the boardrooms, where the end of the 1994 season and the post season were cancelled due to a work stoppage. In just 25 starts, his fewest since 1987, McDowell went 10-9 with a 3.73 ERA. In December, with the 1995 season in doubt, McDowell was traded to the Yankees, for Keith Heberling and a player to be named later who turned out to be Lyle Mouton.
On the north side of town, the Cubs were surprise contenders in the 2001 season. Looking to improve their chances of making the post-season, they acquired Fred McGriff from the Devil Rays. Wearing #29, the Crime Dog held up his part of the bargain down the stretch, putting up a .942 OPS with 12 home runs in 49 games with the Cubs. Unfortunately, the pitching did not hold up as the Cubs went 23-28 in August and September, finishing five games behind the Astros and Cardinals. At age 38, McGriff returned to the Cubs in 2002, posting a .858 OPS and 125 OPS+ to go along with 30 homers and 103 runs batted in. The rest of the Cubs, however, were butt, going through thee managers and finishing with a 67-95 record. McGriff became a free agent following the season.
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 #31. 59 different players have donned #31 while playing in Chicago, 26 for the White Sox and 33 for the Cubs, who have retired it for two different players.
Greg Maddux wore #31 when he got his start with the Cubs in 1986. Over the first seven years of his career, he became one of the shining stars of the National League, helping lead the team to the 1989 NL East title and winning the first of his 4 consecutive NL Cy Young awards in 1992. Eleven seasons after before being allowed to leave as a free agent by GM Larry Himes, Maddux returned to the Cubs in 2004. He defeated the Giants in August of that year to win his 300th game and, in July of 2005, he struck out his 3000th batter. In 2006, with the Cubs far out of contention, he was traded to the Dodgers for their stretch run.
On the south side of town, Liam Hendriks burst on to the scene in 2021, wearing #31 as he took over the closer role for the eventual AL Central champs, leading the league with 38 saves and closing out the All Star Game for the American League. He is signed for two more years, so this will either get cemented or I’ll look back at a horrible choice. Time will tell.
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 #45. 92 different players have donned #45 while playing in Chicago, but only one of whom notched the final out in a World Series clincher.
Bobby Jenks joined the White Sox organization on December 17, 2004, when he was selected off waivers from the Angels. After starting the 2005 season in Double A, he was called up to the big league club on July 5 and made his major league debut the following day, ending the season as the closer after Shingo Takatsu proved ineffective and Dustin Hermanson went down with a back injury. In the ALDS against the Red Sox, he threw 3 scoreless innings and picked up 2 saves in the 3 game sweep. Thanks to the 4 complete games in the ALCS against the Angels, Jenks was well rested for the World Series. He appeared in all 4 games against the Astros, throwing 5 innings and earning the save in Games 1 and 4.
With a World Championship under his belt, Jenks became the full time closer in 2006, earning his first All Star nod and becoming the first White Sox pitcher to notch a save in the Mid-Summer Classic. 2007 was a good year for Jenks, as he made his second straight All Star team and tied a major league record by retiring his 41st consecutive batter, becoming the first reliever to achieve the feat. He continued his dominant ways in 2008, as the White Sox bounced back in to contention, and he threw a scoreless inning and picked up the save in the only White Sox victory in the ALDS against the Rays.
Jenks started to struggle in 2009, as he saw his save total drop to 29, his lowest full-season total to date. 2010 was even worse, as his ERA rose again, to 4.44, and his WHIP was up again as well. Despite his highest strike out total since 2006, he ended the year with a 1-3 record and only 27 saves. Following the season, the White Sox declined to tender him a contract for the 2011 season, making him a free agent.
On the north side of town, reliever Tom Gordon donned #45 in 2001 and the first part of 2002, earning 27 saves before being shipped to the Astros for, basically, nothing.
After years of controversy and resistance, the Cleveland Indians announced today that they will officially be changing their name to the Cleveland Guardians starting with the 2022 season. The Indians name dates back to 1915, when the team, then known as the Naps, was looking to rebrand following the departure of Nap Lajoie. The Guardians name was inspired by a pair of stone monuments, the Guardians of Traffic, along the Hope Memorial Bridge a quarter of a mile away from Progressive Field.
The Indians name and its Chief Wahoo logo have long been criticized for perpetuating Native American stereotypes. In 2015, team owner Paul Dolan acknowledged that there were critics, the team had no plans to change either its name or its logo. On January 29, 2018, however, Major League Baseball announced that Chief Wahoo would be removed from the Indians’ uniforms as of the 2019 season, stating that the logo was no longer appropriate for on-field use. In completely unrelated news, Cleveland hosted the All Star game in 2019. Last July, following a similar move by the Washington Football team, the Indians announced that they would “determine the best path forward” regarding the team’s name and, in December, the team announced they would drop the Indians name following the 2021 season.
The All Star Game is in the books, as the American League extended its winning streak to 8 straight and White Sox closer Liam Hendriks earned the save, only the second White Sox player to do so. As baseball takes the day off to prepare for the second half, let’s take a look at the first half offensive leaders for the 32 games I attended, starting with:
Home Runs
| Name | Total |
|---|---|
| Jose Abreu | 5 |
| Javier Baez | 4 |
| Adam Eaton | 3 |
| Patrick Wisdom | 3 |
| Yasmani Grandal | 3 |
| Carlos Santana | 3 |
| Brad Miller | 3 |
Hits
| Name | Total |
|---|---|
| Tim Anderson | 28 |
| Yoan Moncada | 26 |
| Jose Abreu | 24 |
| Nick Madrigal | 21 |
| Yermin Mercedes | 14 |
Runs
| Name | Total |
|---|---|
| Tim Anderson | 17 |
| Jose Abreu | 14 |
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