Tag / Carlton Fisk

by admin

#114 – Mike LaValliere

Mike_LaValliere

Name: Mike LaValliere

Rank: 114

Position: C

Years With White Sox: 1993-1995

After being released by the Pirates just days into the 1993 season, Mike LaValliere signed a minor league deal with the White Sox.  He was recalled in June when Ron Karkovice landed on the disabled list.  He became the primary catcher after Carlton Fisk was released on June 28th, and moved back into a reserve role once Karkovice returned.  He finished the year with a .258 average in only 97 at bats.  LaValliere made two appearances during the ALCS against the Blue Jays, picking up 1 hit in 3 at bats.

LaValliere returned to the White Sox in 1994, again as a backup to Karkovice.  He hit a robust .281 in only 139 at bats before the season came to a premature end due to the player’s strike.

When baseball resumed in 1995, LaValliere was back behind the plate for the White Sox.  He again was used sparingly, ending the year with a .245 average in a scant 98 at bats.  Following the season, he became a free agent and retired.

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

Continue reading →

by admin

Book 1 (of 52) – Pudge: The Biography Of Carlton Fisk

Pudge: The Biography of Carlton Fisk - Doug Wilson

Pudge: The Biography of Carlton Fisk – Doug Wilson

Doug Wilson traces the life of Carlton Fisk, from his upbringing in New Hampshire, to his time in Boston as a leader for the Red Sox, and, finally, to his tenure as the under-appreciated All Star on the south side of Chicago.  Along the way, Fisk overcame injuries and slights, both perceived and real, to become one of the greatest catchers ever to take the field.

Wilson manages to get great insight into Fisk, even if he didn’t get much input from Fisk himself, thanks to those around him.  For the most part, his time in Boston was mostly a mystery to me, besides his home run in Game 6 of the 1975 World Series.  I was mostly looking forward to reading about his time in Chicago, where he signed as a free agent in 1981 after the Red Sox were late in offering him a contact.

New White Sox ownership was looking to make a splash, and the signing of Fisk certainly gave them what they were looking for.  Despite putting up good numbers, Fisk’s advancing age seemed to always put him at odds with White Sox leadership, who either tried to replace him with unready rookies like Joel Skinner and Ron Karkovice, or move him to a new position, such as the ill-fated attempt to play left field during the 1986 season.  Finally, six days after breaking Bob Boone’s record for games caught, he was released by the White Sox in 1993, leading to years of resentment that continued into the 21st century.

I enjoyed the look back at Fisk’s time with the White Sox, despite dreading the later years when the team was not particularly good.  Reading about the seasons I had lived through as a child, I was able to gain greater insight in to why his career ended the way it did and the rift that existed between him and the White Sox, seemingly until former teammate Ozzie Guillen became manager in 2004.

by jim

52 Books in 52 Weeks – 2016 Edition

bookshelfA new year is once again upon us, and it is time to start year seven of the goal to read a book a week for the entire year, totaling 52 books in 52 weeks.  In year one, I only made it to 8 books.  Year two doubled that total.  Year three used graphic novels to improve once again, finishing with 24.  Year four was the first where I dropped from the year before, only finishing 18 books, which was well short of the ultimate goal.  Two years ago, I bounced back to finish with 23 books.  Last year, I had my best year since starting this challenge, not to mention my best reading year ever, finishing with 31 books.

I’m going to give it another go this year.  I’ve got a few new books loaded in the Kindle app on my iPad, plus a few new purchases from Amazon, not to mention birthday and Christmas presents, so I’ve got a good pile to start with.  As a reminder, the rules I am using are:

  • You can count a book as read as long as you have completed the book in 2016 and at least 50% of that reading takes place in 2016
  • Any book counts as long as you’re not embarrassed to count it.
  • Poetry collections do indeed count.
  • Re-reading a book is okay as long as it isn’t done this year. (Reading Twilight twice in 2010 only counts as 1 read)
  • Audiobooks also count.

My first book of the year looks like it will be Pudge, a biography of Carlton Fisk.  All told, 2016 should be another good year.

 

by admin

#137 – Mark Salas

BE2X8rMCEAA1cXO

Name: Mark Salas

Rank: 137

Position: C

Year With White Sox: 1988

Mark Salas came to the White Sox from the Yankees, along with Dan Pasqua and Steve Rosenberg, on November 12, 1987 in exchange for Richard Dotson and Scott Nielsen.  Salas backed up Carlton Fisk during the 1988 season, appearing in 75 games and hitting .250.

In spring training 1989, the White Sox decided that Ron Karkovice was ready to ascend to the big leagues for good, so they cut Salas loose in late March.  Salas returned to the White Sox in 1995 as the bullpen catcher, a position he held through 1999.  He returned again in the same role in 2007 and remains there to this day.

Salas’s numbers in a White Sox uniform were:

Continue reading →

by jim

Book 17 (of 52) – Split Season: 1981

Split Season: 1981 - Fernandomania, The Bronx Zoo, and The Strike That Saved Baseball - Jeff Katz

Split Season: 1981 – Fernandomania, The Bronx Zoo, and The Strike That Saved Baseball – Jeff Katz

Change was afoot in Major League Baseball as the 1980s were getting underway.  1980 saw the Philadelphia Phillies win their first World Series.  Heading in to 1981, new ownership took over on the south side of Chicago, while the Cubs would be sold mid-season.  On the field, things looked good, as Fernando Valenzuela took Los Angeles, and the rest of the nation, by storm, Dave Winfield headed to New York, and Carlton Fisk changed the color of his socks from Red to White.  Behind the scenes, though, the owners and the players were headed for a seemingly unnecessary strike, one which would stop baseball for 2 months in the middle of the season, the first in-season work stoppage.

Jeff Katz brings all of the details that led to the 1981 strike, causing the 1981 season to be split into 2 halves and adding a division playoff for the first time.  The owners, along with commissioner Bowie Kuhn, wanted to turn back the clock and punish teams for signing free agents.  The players, behind union head Marvin Miller, would have none of it and, despite what the owners were led to believe, were willing and able to stick together.

Baseball resumed in August, after 713 games were lost, and the season ended with the Dodgers topping the Yankees in the fall classic.  A revised version of the free agent compensation that the owners fought for was put in place, and was scrapped in the next round of negotiations when it backfired, just as the union claimed it would.

by admin

#146 – Joel Skinner

joelskinnerName: Joel Skinner

Rank: 146

Position: C

Years With White Sox: 1983-1986

Acquired in 1982 by the White Sox as a free agent compensation pick from the Pirates organization, Joel Skinner made his major league debut on June 12, 1983 in a victory over the A’s.  He appeard in only 6 games for the eventual AL West champions, garnering 3 hits in 11 at bats.

Skinner again split time between the minor leagues and the major leagues in 1984, though he had more of a lasting impact at the big league level than the year before.  He appeared in 43 games for the White Sox, struggling at the plate and hitting only .213.

Skinner got another opportunity with the White Sox in 1985, when backup catcher Marc Hill went down with a hip contusion.  He appeared in 22 games and hit a surprising .341.  This convinced incoming general manager Ken Harrelson that he was ready to take over behind the plate in 1986.

To accomodate Skinner, Harrelson had manager Tony LaRussa move Carlton Fisk to left field.  The White Sox stumbled out of the gate and Skinner struggled to hit.  On May 9, with Skinner hitting in the .150s and LaRussa’s job on the line, he moved Fisk back behind the plate and the White Sox proceeded to win 10 of their next 13 games.  Skinner got another chance behind the plate in July when a virus knocked Fisk out of the lineup, but his days with the team were numbered.

As the trade deadline approached at the end of July, Skinner, along with Ron Kittle and Wayne Tolleson, were sent to the Yankees in exchange for Ron Hassey, Carlos Martinez, and a player to be named later, who eventually became Bill Lindsey.

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

Continue reading →

by admin

#147 – Matt Merullo

61GRQat6UpL._SY355_

Name: Matt Merullo

Rank: 147

Position: C

Years With White Sox: 1989, 1991-1993

Matt Merullo was selected by the White Sox in the 7th round of the 1986 draft.  When Carlton Fisk broke his hand days in to the 1989 season, Merullo got his chance with the big league club.  He made his major league debut on April 12, 1989, going hitless in one at bat against the Mariners.  2 days later, he made his first start in the White Sox home opener, and notched his first hit, his first home run, and his first caught stealing behind the plate.   He got in to 31 games total that season, hitting .222 in 81 at bats with that lone home run.

A knee injury, plus the continued presence of Fisk and Ron Karkovice, kept Merullo in Birmingham in 1990.  He split the 1991 season between Double A and the big leagues, appearing in a career high 80 games despite hitting only .229.

1992 saw Merullo splitting time between Triple A and the White Sox, and he only made it in to 24 games with the big league club.  He spent the majority of 1993 back in Triple A, playing only 8 games with the White Sox, hitting an anemic .050.

With spring training winding down in 1994, Merullo was dealt to the Indians.

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

Continue reading →

by admin

#162 – Marc Hill

MarcHill2_20090603845Name: Marc Hill

Rank: 162

Position: C

Years With White Sox: 1981-1986

Marc Hill signed with the White Sox as a free agent just as spring training was getting underway in 1981.  When the White Sox signed fellow free agent Carlton Fisk a month later, Hill jockeyed for playing time alongside fellow backup catcher Jim Essian.  Between that, spending time in the minor leagues, and the player’s strike, which wiped out 2 months of the season, Hill managed to get into only 16 games, going hitless in 6 ABs.

With Essian gone, Hill returned to a more normal backup role in 1982.  He appeared in 53 games and managed to get a hit or 23 in 88 ABs.  Things were starting to look up for the White Sox and Hill.

The Sox were expected to contend in 1983, but got off to a slow start.  By May 26, the Sox were eight games under .500 and manager Tony LaRussa’s job was in jeopardy.  Hill, and the other veterans, helped to turn things around.  “We looked around at each other and told ourselves Tony wasn’t going to get fired,” Hill said in an interview.  “We weren’t going to let that happen.”  The White Sox got back to .500 by the end of June and caught fire after the All-Star break, earning their first division title.  Hill again provided solid defense behind the plate, even though he struggled at the plate.

Expectations were high in 1984, but the White Sox struggled to reproduce their success of the previous year.  Hill saw the most playing time he had since joining the White Sox, appearing in 77 games and getting 193 ABs, despite hitting only .233.

The White Sox rebounded to have a winning season in 1985, but Hill’s production dropped off significantly.  With the 37 year old Fisk still chugging along and young prospect Joel Skinner ready to take the next step, Hill saw his playing time reduced, appearing in just 40 games and hitting an anemic .133.

Things went downhill for the White Sox in 1986.  Hawk Harrelson was brought in as GM and he clashed with manager Tony LaRussa.  “I got along with Hawk and I got along with Tony but it was just bad,” Hill said.  “With Tony gone, it just wasn’t any fun anymore for me.  I remember Hawk came up to me in Texas and asked if I’d had enough and I did.”  Hitting .158 in only 19 AB, Hill was released on May 27.  He remained with the club for the remainder of the year as a bullpen catcher and batting practice pitcher.

Hill’s numbers in a White Sox uniform were:

Continue reading →

by admin

#197 – Jerry Reuss

3995933638_ddab119bd9_zName: Jerry Reuss

Rank: 197

Position: P

Years With White Sox: 1988-1989

Jerry Reuss signed with the White Sox toward the end of spring training in 1988, joining the rotation just 2 victories shy of 200 for his career.  He had to wait until May for the achievement, a 3-0 victory over the Orioles.

He finished the season with 13 wins, tops on the team that finished with a 71-90 record.  He also had the second lowest ERA among the team’s starters, coming in at 3.44 in 29 starts.

In 1989, Reuss, 39, along with 41 year old catcher Carlton Fisk, made history by becoming the oldest battery ever to start on opening day, surpassing pitcher Johnny Niggeling and catcher Rick Ferrell of the 1944 Washington Senators while beating the Angels 9-2.  That may have been the high point of the season, though, as his ERA ballooned up to 5.06 in 23 games.  With the White Sox again on their way to a 90 loss season, they traded Reuss to the Brewers in exchange for Brian Drahman.

Ruess returned to the White Sox for spring training in 1990, but did not make the team and was released.

Reuss’ numbers in a White Sox uniform were:

Continue reading →

by admin

Hall Of Fame Batting Leaders

52174766Today, former White Sox first baseman Frank Thomas takes his place in Cooperstown alongside pitchers Greg Maddux and Tom Glavine and former managers Joe Torre, Bobby Cox, and Tony LaRussa.  I thought it would be interesting to look at the overall leaders amongst Hall of Famers on both sides of the ball from all of the games I’ve attended between 1984 and 2013, starting with the offense.

Home Runs

Name Total
Frank Thomas 15
Carlton Fisk 2
Eddie Murray 2
Barry Larkin 1
Ryne Sandberg 1
Roberto Alomar 1

Hits

Name Total
Frank Thomas 54
Carlton Fisk 13
Continue reading →