Name: Tim Hulett
Rank: 171
Position: 2B/3B
Years With White Sox: 1983-1987
Tim Hulett joined the White Sox organization as their first round pick in the 1980 January secondary draft. He made his major league debut on September 15, 1983, replacing Julio Cruz in the White Sox 12-0 victory over the Mariners. Hulett ended up appearing in 6 games for the AL West champions, getting 1 hit in 5 at bats.
Hulett returned to Triple A Denver for the 1984 season, again earning a late season call-up. This time he appeared in 8 games, going hitless in 7 at bats.
1985 saw Hulett getting his first extended shot in the big leagues. Splitting time between second base and third base, he found his way into 141 games and hit .268. In 1986, Hulett found himself as the opening day second baseman, but, while he set career highs in games, at bats, and home runs, his average fell to .231.
Hulett was the opening day third baseman in 1987, but things turned south quickly. After being one of the few bright spots on the team in April, hitting .294 with 3 home runs, he fell of a cliff. He hit .194 in May and .196 in June, before he was demoted to Triple A on June 26. He returned for 3 games in August before returning to the minors for the rest of the year. “I went bad at the wrong time,” said Hulett, who finished the season with a .217 batting average. “Five guys went bad the first month, but the team was still patient. I went bad the second month, but the team wasn`t patient anymore. I guess my timing was bad.”
When spring training of 1988 arrived, Hulett found himself off the 40-man roster and he was given a non-roster invite to camp. “I have no chance here,” Hulett said. “I`m at the stage in my career where I don`t have two or three years to waste in the minors. My confidence is a lot better this year. I know I can play in the big leagues. I just want to get a chance to prove it.” He would not get a chance to prove it with the White Sox, though. Prior to the start of the season, Hulett was traded to the Expos for a player to be named later.
Hulett’s numbers in a White Sox uniform, both for games I attended and overall, were:
