Tag / Gary Redus

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#96 – Gary Redus

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Name: Gary Redus

Rank: 96

Position: LF

Years With White Sox: 1987-1988

As spring training was winding down in 1987, the White Sox acquired Gary Redus from the Phillies for pitcher Joe Cowley.  “Our priorities have been to get a right-handed hitter with power or a right-handed hitter with speed to hit at the top of the order,” GM Larry Himes said at the time. “We like what we got with Redus. We traded a player who was going to play once every five days for a player who will play every five days.”  Redus played 130 games, but did not live up to the offensive promise that the White Sox were looking for when they acquired him.  He hit only .236 with 12 home runs, but did finish 3rd in the AL with 52 stolen bases.

Much to his surprise, Redus remained with the White Sox for the beginning of the 1988 season.  His offense improved somewhat, with his average rising to .263, but, after a hamstring injury kept him on the shelf for 2 weeks, he was traded to the Pirates for Mike Diaz.

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

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#143 – Joe Cowley

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Name: Joe Cowley

Rank: 143

Position: P

Year With White Sox: 1986

Joe Cowley joined the White Sox, along with Ron Hassey, in the December, 1985 that sent Britt Burns a couple of minor leaguers to the Yankees.  Cowley stepped in to the rotation and put together a .500 record with a 3.88 ERA.  The highlight of his season came of September 19, when he threw one of the ugliest no-hitters in major league history.  While he held the Angels hitless, he walked 7 and gave up a run on a sacrifice fly.  Cowley also goes down in history as the only pitcher to throw a no hitter in his final major league victory.

The following spring, Cowley was traded to the Phillies, in exchange for Gary Redus, ending his brief White Sox career.

Cowley’s numbers in a White Sox uniform were:

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#150 – Reid Nichols

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Name: Reid Nichols

Rank: 150

Position: OF

Year With White Sox: 1985-1986

Reid Nichols joined the White Sox via a July 11, 1985 trade that sent Tim Lollar to the Red Sox.  His biggest moment with the White Sox came a little under a month later when, playing left field in Yankee Stadium, he caught the final out of Tom Seaver’s 300th career victory.  Nichols appeared in 51 games down the stretch, hitting .297 and driving in 15.

1986 was a different beast for Nichols, and the White Sox as a whole.  Caught up in the whirlwind that was the Hawk Harrelson era, Nichols saw his playing time reduced and his batting average drop.

He returned to the White Sox for spring training in 1987, but a rebuilding White Sox team, having just acquired outfielder Gary Redus from the Reds, decided to go in a different direction and, at the end of March, Nichols was released.

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

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#181 – Dave Gallagher

140-532FrName: Dave Gallagher

Rank: 181

Position: CF

Years With White Sox: 1988-1990

Dave Gallagher was ready to walk away from baseball when he joined the White Sox as a minor league free agent on December 7, 1987.  Gallagher was given a non-roster invite to spring training in 1988, where he sought out manager Jim Fregosi and laid it all out on the line.  “I told him, ‘You don’t know me from anybody, but I’d really appreciate it if you could take me to every possible game,” Gallagher said.  “I’m towards the end of my run and if I don’t make it, I’m done.’”

Gallagher had a strong spring, and the final roster spot came down to him or Gary Redus.  When the White Sox were unable to trade Redus, he made the team and Gallagher was sent to Triple A Vancouver.  He hit .336 over the first month of the Triple A season while Lance Johnson hit only .190 with the White Sox, so Gallagher was recalled on May 15.  He went 2 for 3 in his first game and hit a game winning home run in the 11th inning the following day.  He finished the season with a .303 average in 101 games, committed no errors in the outfield, and finished 5th in the American League Rookie of the Year voting.

Things got contentious between Gallagher and the White Sox in 1989.  While Gallagher appeared in every game for the south siders, he battled against team management over his contract.  At the end of June, Gallagher announced that he would file a grievance against the White Sox for refusing to negotiate a contract with him.  “We did have a meeting, and when I left I had the feeling that something was going to happen,” said Gallagher.  “Here we are, late June, almost July, and nothing`s been done.”  Gallagher was hitting over .300 at the time, but had a miserable second half, including a clubhouse argument with GM Larry Himes, and ended up with a .266 average for the year.

Given all of that, Gallagher was not expecting to return to the White Sox in 1990, but return he did, albeit to greatly reduced playing time.  The White Sox tried to move him prior to the trade deadline, but were unable to strike a deal.  2 days later, he was claimed on waivers by the Orioles, drawing his White Sox career to an end.

Gallagher’s numbers in a White Sox uniform were:

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#404 – #413 – The Unknowns Part 8

Another look at the forgotten players from the White Sox past.

 

Name: Wayne Edwards

Rank: 413

Position: P

Years With White Sox: 1989-1991

Edwards went 5-5 over his three campaigns with the Sox.

 

Name: Mike Diaz

Rank: 412

Position: 1B

Year With White Sox: 1988

Acquired from the Pirates for Gary Redus, Diaz last appeared in the majors with the ’88 squad.  His greater claim to fame locally may be as part of the package the Cubs sent to the Phillies prior to the ’84 season that brought them Gary Matthews and Bob Dernier.

 

Name: Dane Johnson

Rank: 411

Position: P

Year With White Sox: 1994

Johnson managed 14 appearances before the premature end of the ’94 season.

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