Tag / Draft

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Another One Bites The Dust

lance-briggsFor the third straight off-season, the Bears have told a long tenured fan favorite that his time with the team has come to an end.  Lance Briggs, who was drafted by the Bears in the 3rd round of the 2003 draft, became a starter his rookie season and was been one of the anchors of the vaunted defense under former coach Lovie Smith.  Over the past seasons, under new (and now former) coach Marc Trestman, Briggs has appeared in just over half of the Bears’ games due to injury.

Briggs announced last November that his time in Chicago was likely winding down and sources close to the Bears reported this week that Briggs was officially informed that he will not be offered a contract for the upcoming 2015 season.  With a new coaching staff and new defensive scheme coming in, Briggs was thought to be a poor fit.

The 7-time Pro Bowler finishes his Bears career with the fifth-most games played and the second-most tackles in franchise history.  He may find himself in the same situation Brian Urlacher did 2 years ago: looking for work and forced to retire before he was really ready.

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#168 – Mark Johnson

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Name: Mark Johnson

Rank: 168

Position: C

Years With White Sox: 1998-2002

Mark Johnson joined the White Sox organization as their first round pick in the 1994 draft.  4 years later, he made his major league debut on September 14, 1998, going 0-1 as a late inning replacement in the White Sox 17-16 victory over the Tigers.  He managed to get into 6 additional games in September, struggling with an .087 average in 23 at bats.

1999 saw Johnson making the team as the backup catcher.  His average “jumped” to .227, but he had a respectable OBP of .344.  Johnson split time behind the plate in 2000, along with Brook Fordyce.  He was behind the plate on April 23, when a brawl broke out between the White Sox and the Tigers, and managed to avoid suspension.  He was relegated back to backup duty in late July, when Charles Johnson was acquired from the Orioles for the stretch run.

When Sandy Alomar signed on as a free agent for the 2001 season, Johnson saw himself shuttling between Triple A and the major leagues.  He still managed to put together his best season as a pro, setting career highs with a .249 average and 5 home runs.  He also managed to finish 4th in the American League with 10 sacrifice hits.

He was given another opportunity to start in 2002, as he set career highs in games played and in at bats.  Unfortunately, his production fell off again, with his average dropping back down to .209 and his OBP dropping below .300 for the first time in his career.  Following the season, he was packaged, along with Keith Foulke and Joe Valentine, in a deal with the A’s that brought Billy Koch and Neal Cotts to the White Sox.

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

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#175 – Adam Russell

Name: Adam Russell

Rank: 175

Position: P

Year With White Sox: 2008

Adam Russell joined the White Sox as their 6th round draft pick in 2004.  He was called up to the major leagues in early May, 2008, but did not make it into a game before being returned to the minor leagues.  He returned and finally made his major league debut on June 17, pitching a perfect inning in the White Sox 16-5 drubbing of the Pirates.

As the year continued, Russell bounced back and forth between the White Sox bullpen and Triple A.  He finished the year with a 4-0 record and a 5.19 ERA in 22 appearances.  He was left off the playoff roster as the White Sox lost the ALDS to the Rays.

Russell spent all of 2009 in Triple A until July 31, when he was traded, along with Dexter Carter, Aaron Poreda, and Clayton Richard, to the Padres in exchange for Jake Peavy.

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

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#176 – Greg Norton

nortonName: Greg Norton

Rank: 176

Position: 3B

Years With White Sox: 1996-2000

Greg Norton was the 2nd round draft choice of the White Sox in 1993.  He made his major league debut on August 10, 1996, appearing as a pinch runner for Harold Baines in the 8th inning of the White Sox 8-7 loss against the Brewers.  The next night, he got hits in his first 2 plate appearances against the Tigers.  He appeared in only 11 games for the big league club that year, finishing with a .217 average.

He returned to Triple A Nashville in 1997 and made another token appearance with the White Sox.  He appeared in 18 games this time, putting up a .265 average in his limited playing time.

Norton stuck with the big league club in 1998, appearing in 132 games, mostly at first base as Frank Thomas transitioned to strictly being a DH.  In his first shot at extensive playing time, Norton struggled, hitting a lowly .237 with only 9 home runs and 36 RBI.

When Robin Ventura left as a free agent, Norton became the team’s starting third baseman in 1999.  He improved his average to .255 and hit 16 home runs while driving in 50.  Norton ran into some problems trying to replace a legend, as he was subjected to taunts from the fans.  Things boiled over in early September, when he committed 2 errors in one inning, leading to chants of “We want Robin” from the crowd.  Norton responded by hitting his second homer of the game, glaring at the fans as he ran to first and bowing to the crowd after crossing home plate.

2000 saw the White Sox run away with the Central Division title, but things continued to not go well for Norton.  His playing time diminished, and he was sent back to Triple A for a bit.  He finished the year with a .244 average, hitting only 6 home runs with 28 RBI.  Norton was left off the playoff roster in place of, ironically, Harold Baines, the same player he pinch ran for to start his career 5 years earlier.  Following the season, Norton was allowed to leave the organization as a free agent.

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

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#177 – Rusty Kuntz

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Name: Rusty Kuntz

Rank: 177

Position: OF

Years With White Sox: 1979-1983

Rusty Kuntz, possessing one of the finest names in recent baseball history, was drafted by the White Sox in the 11th round of the 1977 draft.  He made his major league debut 2 years later, as a September call-up in 1979, starting in left field and going 0-3 in a 4-3 victory over the Tigers.  He appeared in 4 other games over the course of the final month of the 1979 season, finishing up with an anemic .091 average.

Kuntz split time between Triple A Iowa and Chicago in 1980.  He had slightly better results, finishing the year with a .226 average in 36 games.  He spent the entire strike-shortened 1981 season with the White Sox, appearing in 67 games and batting .255 in 55 at bats.

1982 saw Kuntz back splitting time between Triple A and Chicago, appearing in only 21 games with the White Sox.  His batting average fell to .192.

As the White Sox raced to their first division title in 1983, Kuntz again was shuttling between the major leagues and Triple A, appearing in 28 games through June 21, when he was traded to the Twins for a minor leaguer.

Kuntz’s numbers in a White Sox uniform were:

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#189 – Josh Fogg

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Name: Josh Fogg

Rank: 189

Position: P

Year With White Sox: 2001

Josh Fogg was selected by the White Sox in the 3rd round of the 1998 draft.  After quickly rising through the minor league system, Fogg earned a September call-up in 2001, appearing in 11 games.  His 2.03 ERA boded well for his earning a spot in the rotation the following year.

His future with the White Sox was cut short, though, as he was included in the ultimately disappointing deal that sent Fogg, along with fellow pitchers Kip Wells and Sean Lowe, to the Pirates in exchange for Todd Ritchie.

Fogg’s numbers in a White Sox uniform were:

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#202 – Lucas Harrell

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Name: Lucas Harrell

Rank: 202

Position: P

Years With White Sox: 2010-2011

Lucas Harrell was drafted by the White Sox in the 4th round of the 2004 draft.  He made his major league debut on July 30, 2010 thanks to travel issues that kept newly acquired pitcher Edwin Jackson from getting to Chicago.  Harrell went six innings against the A’s in picking up his first major league victory.

Harrell found his way back to Chicago at the end of August when Matt Thornton and J.J. Putz both went on the disabled list.  Things did not go as smoothly on his second go around, as the White Sox fell out of contention during September while Harrell battled control issues, walking more batters than he struck out.

Harrell came to spring training in 2011 in line to compete for the 5th starter spot, but struggled and found himself back in Triple A.  When Tony Pena went to the DL in late May, Harrell got another shot in the major leagues, which lasted 1 game.  He returned a little more than a week later when Jake Peavy went down with a groin injury.  He pitched twice before being sent down again when Peavy returned.  By early July, Harrell was placed on waivers and was claimed by the Astros.

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

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Wasted Potential

IMG_2096Gordon Beckham’s tenure on the south side came to an end yesterday when he was traded to the Angels for either a player to be named later or cash considerations.  His White Sox career, which started with such great promise, had failed to meet expectations and has consistently struggled to hit consistently since his rookie year in 2009.

Beckham was the 8th pick of the 2008 draft and was rushed through the White Sox system.  He made his major league debut on June 3, 2009, less than a year after being drafted.  He struggled from the get go, going 2 for 28 in his first eight games, but rebounded to put up a .270 average with 14 home runs and 28 doubles while playing third base.

The future looked bright for Beckham entering the 2010 season as he moved over to second base.  Unfortunately, he was unable to duplicate the success he had enjoyed the year before.  Early struggles relegated him to the bottom of the lineup, but he was able to rebound somewhat, getting his average back up to .252.  However, his OPS was down over 100 points from the year before.

2011 and 2012 saw Beckham’s offensive struggles continue.  His average dropped to the .230s during both seasons and his OPS continued to fall.  It seemed that he was finally putting things together in 2013, until he broke the hamate bone in his left wrist, which led to a career low in home runs and RBIs.

This year has been more of the same.  At the time of the trade, his average was a career-low .221, while his paycheck had expanded to $4.5 million.  He likely would have been moved prior to the trading deadline, but his offense cratered in July.  My expectation was that he would be non-tendered this off-season anyway, so hopefully he can do something useful for the Angels and brings back something that will help the White Sox moving forward.

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

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#220 – Brandon McCarthy

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Name: Brandon McCarthy

Rank: 220

Position: P

Years With White Sox: 2005-2006

Brandon McCarthy joined the White Sox organization as their 17th round pick of the 2002 draft, 3 rounds ahead of Boone Logan.  In 2004, between 3 different minor league stops, McCarthy led all minor league pitchers with 202 strike outs.  He made his major league debut the following May, getting a spot start at Wrigley Field against the crosstown rival Cubs.  He ended up appearing in 12 games for the big league club, making 10 starts.  While the White Sox went on the win the World Series, McCarthy was left off the playoff roster.

McCarthy spent the entire 2006 season with the White Sox, working mostly out of the bullpen.  He appeared in 53 games, starting 2, and finished the year with a 4.68 ERA.  He looked poised to join the White Sox rotation for 2007 heading in to the offseason, but it was not to be.  That December, he was shipped to the Rangers in exchange for John Danks, Nick Masset, and a minor league throw in.

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

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#221 – Boone Logan

Boone Logan

Name: Boone Logan

Rank: 221

Position: P

Years With White Sox: 2006-2008

Boone Logan joined the White Sox organization as their 20th round pick in the 2002 draft.  He made his major league debut against the Indians on April 4, 2006, on the day the majority of his teammates received their World Series rings.  Logan ended up splitting time between the White Sox and Charlotte, finishing with a very disappointing 8.31 ERA for the big league club.

2007 saw Logan spending the majority of the year in the major leagues, appearing in 68 games for the disappointing White Sox squad that lost 90 games.  He managed to lower his ERA to a still enlarged 4.97.

While the White Sox rebounded to win the AL Central in 2008, Logan continued to struggle, with an ERA that jumped back up to 5.95.  Logan did not appear in the Division Series, which the Sox dropped to the Rays in 4 games.  Following the season, Logan was packaged with Javier Vazquez to the Braves in the deal that brought Tyler Flowers, Brent Lillibridge, and two others back to the White Sox.

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

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