Name: Chris Snopek
Rank: 263
Position: 3B
Years With White Sox: 1995-1998
Chris Snopek joined the White Sox organization in 1992 when he was drafted in the 6th round. He worked his way up through the system and made his major league debut on July 31, 1995, going 2 for 3 in the White Sox 6-4 win over the Royals. Snopek bounced up and down over the next 2 seasons and had already made the club as a backup infielder in spring training in 1997, when something horrible happened.
On March 21, 1997, in an exhibition contest against the Red Sox, third baseman Robin Ventura broke and dislocated his right ankle in an awkward slide into home. Suddenly, Chis Snopek found himself as the starting third baseman, at least until Ventura returned sometime after the All Star break. “We have to find out if Snopek can play,” GM Ron Schueler said at the time. “Our people really like him. This is the time to find out if they’re right.” However, it took less than three weeks for manager Terry Bevington to begin playing Tony Phillips at third against right-handed pitchers, leaving Snopek to rot on the bench.
Snopek got back in the lineup when Phillips was traded and kept it until Ventura returned in late July, having hit .223 with five home runs and 35 runs batted in and committing 15 errors. He was sent back to Triple A on August 8th. “Every day he got a question about replacing Robin, and that was tough on him,” said Schueler. “He was trying to hit home runs like they expected Robin to hit and that frustration carried over to his defense.”
After the season, Snopek went to Venezuela to play winter ball and, hopefully, rediscover his stroke. After hitting .380, he returned to the White Sox in spring training of 1998 hoping to get another crack at replacing a White Sox legend, this time shortstop Ozzie Guillen. While he lost out to rookie Mike Caruso for the starting role, Snopek did make the team as a reserve and, despite struggling at the plate once again, he stayed with the big league club until August 31, when he was traded to the Red Sox for a minor leaguer. “It was a total shock,” Snopek said. “But it’s an opportunity for me to go to Boston and show them what I can do.”
Snopek’s numbers in a White Sox uniform, both for games I attended and overall, were: Continue reading →