Tag / A’s

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Ballpark Tour: Cinergy Field

Stadium Name: Cinergy Field

Location: Cincinnati

Home Team: Reds

Years in Service: 1970 – 2002

Visits: 1

Riverfront Stadium, Cincinnati’s version of the cookie cutter stadium that popped up in the late 60s and early 70s, opened on June 30, 1970 as the Reds hosted the Atlanta Braves.  In 1996, the stadium was renamed Cinergy Field thanks to a sponsorship deal with the local energy company.  Prior to the 2001 season, after the Bengals moved to their new home down the street, the stadium was reconfigured for baseball-only use, and portions of the outfield stands were removed to make room for the construction of the Reds’ new home, the future Great American Ballpark.  The 2002 season was the final one for the stadium, with the final game played on September 22 and the stadium was imploded on December 29.

In 2000, Ken Griffey Jr. joined the Cincinnati Reds, which put two of the most feared sluggers in the game in the NL Central.  When Sammy Sosa and the Chicago Cubs were scheduled to make an opening week visit to Cincinnati in 2000 to face Griffey for the first time, the idea a roadtrip was hatched.  Friday, April 7, 2000 started with Krispy Kreme donuts at the house before heading towards Cincinnati.  Along the way, there was a brief stop at Purdue. because why not, and the trifecta of a KFC/Taco Bell/Pizza Hut for lunch.  We arrived in Cincinnati well before the stadium opened, so some time was spent walking around the bustling metropolis that was, and continues to be, Cincinnati.

Our tickets were in the upper deck and, to be honest, I have little to no recollection of the game itself.  My one and only memory of the game is losing my balance and tumbling down 5-10 rows, landing on a group of fans below.  Certainly not my proudest moment.  I do recall some of the drive home after the game, which included listening to the White Sox/A’s game where Jose Valentin committed a number of errors for the eventual AL Central champs.  I would return to Cincinnati numerous times for games at Great American Ballpark, but those are tales for another day.

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#304 – Chad Bradford

chad bradfordName: Chad Bradford

Rank: 304

Position: P

Years With White Sox: 1998-2000

Chad Bradford was first drafted by the White Sox in the 34th round of the 1994 draft, but he didn’t sign.  They tried again 2 years later, taking him again in the 13th round, and this time he signed 2 days later.  He worked his way through the minor leagues and eventually made his major league debut in 1998, getting called up to take Matt Karchner’s place after he was traded to the Cubs for minor league pitcher Jon Garland.

For the next 3 years, Bradford bounced back and forth between Chicago and Charlotte, putting up tremendous numbers in Triple A and pretty good numbers in the big leagues.  While the White Sox seemed unsure about Bradford’s prospects as a full time major league pitcher, he caught the eye of Billy Beane, and following the 2000 season, the A’s traded for him, sending minor league catcher Miguel Olivo as a player to be named later to seal the deal.

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

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by jim

Scoreboard Envy

scoreboards

Ever since the installation of the first exploding scoreboard at the old Comiskey Park in 1960, the White Sox and scoreboard technology have been synonymous.  However, it has been quite some time since the scoreboard at US Cellular Field has been updated, and, thanks to the news about the expected new board across town at Wrigley Field, we can see just how far the White Sox have fallen.

Ignoring the fact that it’s been about 15 years or so since the scoreboard at US Cellular Field actually showed a score, the graphic above shows that the White Sox board currently is larger than the lowly Oakland A’s, who are desperately looking for a new stadium.  Entering its 11th season, the current video board must be nearing its end of life, and one can only hope that a new board is in the cards for the near future, one which might actually let someone know what is going on in the game.

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#312 – Larry Thomas

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Name: Larry Thomas

Rank: 312

Position: P

Years With White Sox: 1995-1997

Larry Thomas was the second round draft pick of the White Sox in 1991.  He worked his way through the system, eventually making his major league debut on August 11, 1995, pitching an inning of scoreless relief in the White Sox 13-5 victory over the A’s.  He finished the year with a 1.32 ERA in 17 games.

He spent all of 1996 in the big leagues, appearing in 57 games and compiling a 3.23 ERA.  Things went a bit off the rails in 1997, where he gave up 3 runs in only 3 1/3 innings pitched before being sent back to Triple A, thus ending the major league portion of his career.

Following the 1997 season, Thomas was shipped to the Rangers along with Al Levine in exchange for Benji Gil.

Thomas’s numbers in a White Sox uniform, both for games I attended and overall, were: Continue reading →

by jim

2013 Predictions

MLB: Cincinnati Reds at Los Angeles DodgersContinuing the tradition started two years ago and continued last year, here are my picks for the baseball season that is just getting underway.

American League

East: Rays

Central: Tigers

West: Angels

Wild Cards: Blue Jays, A’s

AL Champion: Angels

Cy Young: David Price

MVP: Mike Trout

National League

East: Braves

Central: Brewers

West: Dodgers

Wild Cards: Giants, Cardinals

NL Champion: Braves

Cy Young: Clayton Kershaw

MVP: Matt Kemp

by jim

All Time Team Records

As we head into the 2013 season, here all the all-time team records in games that I have attended.

All-Time Team Records

Team Won Lost Winning Pctg
California Angels 1 0 1.000
Arizona Diamondbacks 12 2 0.857
Florida Marlins 15 8 0.652
Philadelphia Phillies 10 6 0.625
Toronto Blue Jays 9 6 0.600
Chicago White Sox 209 171 0.550
Colorado Rockies 7 6 0.538
Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim 14 12 0.538
New York Yankees 9 8 0.529
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#318 – Bruce Tanner

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Name: Bruce Tanner

Rank: 318

Position: P

Year With White Sox: 1985

Bruce Tanner, the son of former White Sox manager Chuck Tanner, spent his entire major league career with the White Sox during the 1985 season.  He was the team’s 4th round draft pick in 1983 and made his major league debut nearly 2 years later, subbing for an injured Richard Dotson, on June 12, 1985, picking up the victory against the Mariners in Seattle.  Tanner appeared in 9 more games for the big league club over the year, finishing with a 5.33 ERA.

Tanner spent the entire 1986 season back in Triple A Buffalo, where he finished with a losing record.  Following the season, he was sent to Oakland as the player to be named later to complete the earlier trade that brought Donnie Hill to the White Sox in exchange for Gene Nelson.

Tanner’s numbers in a White Sox uniform were:

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#321 – Terry Leach

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Name: Terry Leach

Rank: 321

Position: P

Years With White Sox: 1992-1993

Terry Leach joined the White Sox at the end of spring training in 1992 after being released by the Expos and became one of the most effective members of the bullpen over the course of the 1992 season.  He posted a 1.95 ERA in 51 games as the White Sox finished 10 games behind the A’s.  The next year, the 39-year old Leach battled elbow issues and was limited to 14 games for the eventual Western Division champions.  He pitched in the final game of his 11 year major league career on June 23 against the Rangers.

The following spring, Leach was released during spring training, and he retired in 1995 after a failed comeback attempt with the Tigers.

Leach’s numbers in a White Sox uniform were:

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#326 – Billy Koch

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Name: Billy Koch

Rank: 326

Position: P

Years With White Sox: 2003-2004

Billy Koch rode a blazing fastball to major league success, saving 144 games in his first 4 seasons in the major leagues.  After racking up 44 saves and finishing 18th in the MVP voting for the 2002 A’s, Koch was looking at a pretty decent payday at arbitration, so Billy Beane looked to move his star closer.  Enter Kenny Williams, who sent Keith Foulke, Mark Johnson, Joe Valentine, and cash out west in exchange for Koch, Neal Cotts, and Daylon Holt.

Unfortunately for all involved, when Koch arrived in Chicago, his 98 MPH fastball did not.  And while a closer can get by with only a fastball with no movement when it is 98 MPH, he most certainly cannot when the fastball tops out in the low 90s or upper 80s.  Koch struggled during the 2003 season, finishing with only 11 saves and a 5.77 ERA.  The following year, Koch was put back in the closer role and again struggled, putting up a 5.44 ERA in 24 appearances through early June, when his White Sox career came to an end.  He was traded to the Marlins on June 17 in exchange for Wilson Valdez and cash.  Koch finished the season strong for the Marlins, but never pitched again in the major leagues following the 2004 season.

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

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The Year In Movies – Part 1

For many reasons, 2012 was an off year in movie watching for me, which may not necessarily be a bad thing.  I managed to watch only 62 movies last year, my first year under 100 since 2005 and after having averaged just over 131 movies over the past 5 years.  Many things contributed to this, chiefly my attempts to do more exercise and read more books and the insane amount of TV I’ve been watching.

Here’s a look back at the first 50 movies I did manage to watch last year and what recollection I have of them, if any.  The films are listed in the order I saw them.

Hatchet II (2010)
I remember thinking this was better than the first Hatchet film, but that isn’t exactly saying anything.

The Hangover Part II (2011)

Nowhere near as funny as the original, but still a worthwhile effort.

Changeling (2008)
Angelina Jolie’s search for her missing child.

Drive Angry (2011)
Nicolas Cage has some bills to pay, and schlock like this is how he plans on paying them.

Moneyball (2011)
One of the most controversial books in the world of baseball hits the silver screen, chronicling the new approach taken by the cash-strapped Oakland A’s to field a successful team.

’92 Skybox Alonzo Mourning Rookie Card (2011)
A short about a screw-up who sells his brother’s Alonzo Mourning rookie card.

Tanner Hall (2009)
A pre-Dragon Tattoo Rooney Mara stars in this school girl drama.

Cowboys & Aliens (2011)
A disappointing sci-fi romp through the old west.

The Rock-afire Explosion (2008)
A documentary looking at the house band of the former Showbiz Pizza.

The Hunger Games (2012)
My first trip to the movie theater this year was for this adaptation of one of the best books I had read the year before.

In Time (2011)
Justin Timberlake continues to impress as an actor.

The Avengers (2012)
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