Name: Jermaine Dye
Rank: 8
Position: RF
Years With White Sox: 2005-2009
Jermaine Dye signed with the White Sox as a free agent on December 9, 2004, as a replacement for the departing Magglio Ordonez. He appeared in 145 games, his highest total since breaking his leg in the 2001 ALDS as a member of the A’s. He ended the regular season hitting .274 with 31 home runs, 86 RBIs, and an .846 OPS as the White Sox won their first Central Division title since 2000. In the ALDS, Dye scored 2 hits in the 3 game sweep of the Red Sox. He picked things up in the ALCS, hitting .263 against the Angels as the White Sox won their first AL pennant since 1959.
Dye ratcheted things up again in the World Series against the Astros. He hit a home run in game 1, had a phantom hit-by-pitch in game 2 setting up Paul Konerko’s grand slam, and drove in the only run in the clinching game 4, hitting .438 for the series and earning World Series MVP honors as the White Sox took home their first world championship in 88 years.
2006 proved to be Dye’s best offensive season. He was named to his second All Star game, going hitless in his only at bat. He finished the year second in the league with 44 home runs, third in slugging at .622, fifth in RBIs with 120, while hitting .315. Those numbers were good enough for fifth place in AL Most Valuable Player voting and earned him his first, and only, Silver Slugger award.
2007 turned out to be more of a down year, for both Dye and the White Sox. He struggled in the first half, including a cold June in which he batted just .203 with one home run. He was able to turn things around in the second half, batting .298 and knocking out 20 doubles and 16 home runs. He finished the year with a .254 average, 28 home runs, and 78 RBIs. To reward his turnaround, he was given a two-year contract extension in August.
Dye continued his bounce back in 2008, and helped the White Sox rebound as well. He finished the year with a .292 average, 34 home runs, and 96 RBIs, while finishing second in the American League with 77 extra-base hits, as the White Sox won the division title for the second time in his tenure. Dye hit .375 with a home run in the ALDS, a four game loss against the Rays. He earned 15th place in MVP voting.
Dye looked to slow down again in 2009, as his OPS fell to its lowest total since 2004. He did, along with teammate Paul Konerko, make history on April 13, as they went back-to-back against the Tigers to each notch their 300th career home run. According to Elias Sports Bureau, it was the first time teammates hit century milestone home runs of at least 300 in the same game, let alone back-to-back. He ended the year hitting .250, with 27 home runs and 81 RBIs. He became a free agent after the season when his option for 2010 was bought out.
Dye’s numbers in a White Sox uniform, both for games I attended and overall, were: