Tag / Joel Skinner

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By The Numbers – 42

In 1929, uniform numbers appeared on the back of baseball jerseys for the first time, thanks to the Indians and the Yankees.  By 1937, numbers finally appeared across all uniforms, both home and away, across both major leagues.  Since that time, 81 distinct numbers have been worn by members of the White Sox, while the Cubs boast 76.

Today, we continue our look at those players, picking our favorite, if not the best, player to wear each uniform number for both Chicago teams with #42.  41 different players donned #42 while playing in Chicago, 18 for the White Sox and 23 for the Cubs, prior to its league-wide retirement for Jackie Robinson in 1997.

Ron Kittle made his major league debut for the White Sox, with #42 on his back, on September 2, 1982, pinch hitting for Aurelio Rodriguez and striking out in the White Sox 6-5 victory over the Rangers at Comiskey Park.  Kittle got sporadic playing time over the final month of the season, earning just 29 at bats in 20 games while hitting .241 with a single home run.  He broke out in a big way in 1983, earning an All Star nod and finishing the year with a team rookie record of 35 home runs while hitting .254 and driving in 100 as the White Sox notched their first division title.  Kittle was knocked out of the ALCS against the Orioles after getting hit by a pitch in Game 3, finishing the series with just 2 hits in 7 at bats, but still easily earned Rookie of the Year honors.

1984 was a bit of a letdown for Kittle, as he failed to perform up to the expectations set the previous year, falling to a .215 average.  His power numbers remained, as he clubbed 32 home runs, but his OPS was down by 70 points.  There was a slight improvement in 1985, with his average improving to .230, but he hit only 26 home runs and drove in just 58 runs in 116 games.  In 1986, Kittle was hitting .213 with 17 home runs at the trade deadline when he, along with Joel Skinner and Wayne Tolleson, were sent to the Yankees for Ron Hassey, Carlos Martinez, and a player to be named later.  He re-signed with  the White Sox prior to the 1989 season, but injuries limited Kittle to just 51 games and, in 169 at bats, he hit .302 with 11 home runs and 37 RBI.  He returned in 1990, seeing his average drop to .245 with 16 home runs in 83 games when, again at the trade deadline, he was sent to the Orioles in exchange for Phil Bradley.  Kittle returned for one final hurrah with the White Sox in 1991, signing as a free agent on June 19 before being released on August 15.  In between, he appeared in 17 games and hit only .191 with 2 home runs.

On the north side, relief pitcher Bruce Sutter wore #42 during his 5 years with the Cubs from 1976 through 1980.  Over that time, he piled up 4 All Star nods, numerous MVP votes, and a Cy Young Award.  However, a lock down All Star closer is a luxury for a team that never managed to finish over .500 during those 5 years, so Sutter was dealt to the Cardinals in December of 1980, for Leon Durham, Ken Reitz, and Ty Waller.

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#6 – Carlton Fisk

Name: Carlton Fisk

Rank: 6

Position: C

Years With White Sox: 1981-1993

Carlton Fisk became a free agent after the Red Sox failed to tender him a contract for the 1981 season in the proper time frame, and thus he signed with the White Sox on March 18, 1981.  He paid immediate dividends for his new team, hitting a 3-run home run in the 8th inning against his former team at Fenway Park on Opening Day, leading the White Sox to a 5-3 victory.  Following the strike, he started the All Star game for the AL, going 1-3 with a run scored.  He finished the year with a .263 average and only 7 home runs in 96 games.  His efforts earned him his first Silver Slugger award.

Fisk enjoyed another successful year in 1982.  For the third straight year, he started behind the plate for the AL in the All Star game.  In 135 games, he hit .267 with 14 home runs and 65 RBIs.

1983 was a magical season on the South Side, as the White Sox won their first division title.  Fisk played a big role in the team’s success, both in managing a pitching staff that featured 2 of the top 4 finishers in Cy Young Award voting and at the plate, where he hit .289 with 26 home runs and 86 RBIs.  In the ALCS against the Orioles, Fisk struggled, just like the rest of his teammates, though he did launch 2 home runs in the 4 game series.  His season was good enough to earn 3rd place in the MVP vote, coming in behind Cal Ripken and Eddie Murray.

With expectations high, 1984 turned out to be a tough year, for both Fisk and the White Sox, though there were a few high points.  On May 9, he caught all 25 innings of a 7-6 win over the Brewers, breaking the major league record of 24 innings shared by 5 players.  A little over a week later, on May 16 against the Royals, Fisk became just the third player in White Sox history to hit for the cycle.  Unfortunately, injuries befell Fisk, limiting him to just 102 games, finishing with a .231 average and only 43 RBIs.  The bright side, though, is that it led him to begin a new training regimen, which he used for the rest of his long career.

The regimen paid immediate dividends, as Fisk put up the best numbers of his career in 1985.  At the age of 37, Fisk set career highs with 37 home runs, tying Dick Allen for the White Sox single-season record, and 107 RBIs, while tying his career high with 17 stolen bases.  He was voted to his 10th All-Star team, won his second Silver Slugger award and finished 13th in the AL MVP voting.

1986 was a strange year for Fisk and the White Sox.  New General Manager Ken Harrelson thought Joel Skinner was ready to take over behind the plate and, with Fisk about to enter his age 38 season, he convinced manager Tony LaRussa to move Fisk to left field.  On May 9, with Skinner hitting in the .150s and LaRussa’s job on the line, Fisk was moved back behind the plate and the White Sox proceeded to win 10 of their next 13 games.  By the end of the year, Skinner, Harrelson, and LaRussa were all gone, and Fisk remained, putting up a .221 average with 14 home runs and 63 RBIs.

In 1987, with a new management regime in place, Fisk was back behind the plate full time.  He appeared in 135 games at age 39, hitting .256 with 23 home runs and 71 RBIs.

1988 looked to be a good year for Fisk, until a broken hand limited him to just 76 games.  Despite that, his .277 average, 19 home runs, and 50 RBIs earned him his 3rd Silver Slugger award.

At age 41, Fisk, along with pitcher Jerry Reuss, who was 39, set a record starting the 1989 season, becoming the oldest battery ever to start on opening day, surpassing pitcher Johnny Niggeling and catcher Rick Ferrell of the 1944 Washington Senators, as the White Sox beat the Angels 9-2.  Splitting time behind the plate with Ron Karkovice, Fisk appeared in 103 games, hitting .293 with 13 home runs and 68 RBIs.

In 1990, Fisk was the elder statesman on a young White Sox team that unexpectedly challenged the A’s for the division title.  On May 22, at Yankee Stadium, Fisk had a run in with two-sport star Deion Sanders.  When Sanders drew a dollar sign in the dirt before a pitch, then didn’t run out an easy out, Fisk and Sanders went back and forth, sharing expletives.  Later in the game, Sanders told Fisk that “the days of slavery are over,” infuriating Fisk.  “He comes up and wants to make it a racial issue — there’s no racial issue involved.”  During Sanders’ next at-bat, Fisk told him, “There is a right way and a wrong way to play this game. You’re playing it the wrong way. And the rest of us don’t like it. Someday, you’re going to get this game shoved right down your throat.”  Later that year, on August 17, Fisk hit his 328th home run as a catcher, breaking Johnny Bench’s career record.  As the team closed out Comiskey Park, Fisk finished the year with a .285 average, 18 home runs, and 65 RBIs, which earned him 15th place in MVP voting.

As the White Sox moved across the street to the new Comiskey Park in 1991, Fisk, at age 43, put together his last season as an everyday catcher.  He was named to his 11th, and final, All Star team, becoming the oldest player in MLB history to collect a hit in the mid-summer classic.  He finished the year having appeared in 134 games, hitting .241 with 18 home runs and 74 RBIs.

With Ron Karkovice taking over the majority of the work behind the plate, Fisk moved into a backup role in 1992.  He appeared in just 62 games, his lowest total since 1974, and hit only .229 with 3 home runs.

1993 looked to be the end of the road for Fisk, though not by his choice.  On June 22, at Comiskey Park, Fisk broke Bob Boone’s record for career games caught with his 2,226th game behind the plate.  Six days later, Fisk was abruptly released by the White Sox.  Fisk was notified of his dismissal in his hotel room in Cleveland, and was ordered to turn in his equipment and fly back to Chicago immediately and alone.  To add insult to injury, Fisk, along with former teammate Donn Pall, came to Comiskey Park before game 1 of the ALCS to wish their former teammates well.  Sadly, they were both turned away, souring Fisk’s relationship with the organization for years.  His career ended with a .189 average in only 25 games, getting a mere 53 at bats.

At the conclusion of this career, he was the all time leader in games caught and home runs for catchers, the all time leader in home runs for the White Sox, the leader in home runs hit after age 40, and the most seasons played as a catcher.  His number 72 was retired by the White Sox on September 14, 1997, and he was part of the 2000 Hall of Fame class.

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

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#33 – Ron Kittle

Name: Ron Kittle

Rank: 33

Position: LF/DH

Years With White Sox: 1982-1986, 1989-1990, 1991

Ron Kittle joined the White Sox organization in Septmber of 1978.  He worked his way through the minor leagues before making his major league debut on September 2, 1982, pinch hitting for Aurelio Rodriguez and striking out in the White Sox 6-5 victory over the Rangers at Comiskey Park.  Kittle got sporadic playing time over the final month of the season, earning just 29 at bats in 20 games.  He hit .241 with a single home run.

Kittle, and the White Sox, broke out in a big way in 1983.  While the team charged towards their first division title, Kittle earned an All Star nod and finished the year with a team rookie record of 35 home runs while hitting .254 and driving in 100.  Kittle was knocked out of the ALCS against the Orioles after getting hit by a pitch in Game 3, finishing the series with just 2 hits in 7 at bats.  His season earned him Rookie of the Year honors.

1984 was a bit of a letdown for both Kittle and the White Sox.  While the team failed to perform up to the expectations set the previous year, Kittle did the same, falling to a .215 average.  His power numbers remained, as he clubbed 32 home runs, but his OPS was down by 70 points.  There was a slight improvement in 1985, with his average improving to .230, but he hit only 26 home runs and drove in just 58 runs in 116 games.

In 1986, Kittle was hitting .213 with 17 home runs at the trade deadline when he, along with Joel Skinner and Wayne Tolleson, were sent to the Yankees for Ron Hassey, Carlos Martinez, and a player to be named later.  He rejoined the White Sox a year and a half later, signing as a free agent after the 1988 season.

Injuries limited Kittle to just 51 games in 1989.  In 169 at bats, he hit .302 with 11 home runs and 37 RBI.  He returned in 1990, seeing his average drop to .245 with 16 home runs in 83 games when, again at the trade deadline, he was sent to the Orioles in exchange for Phil Bradley.

Kittle returned for one final hurrah with the White Sox in 1991, signing as a free agent on June 19 before being released on August 15.  In between, he appeared in 17 games and hit only .191 with 2 home runs.

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

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Book 1 (of 52) – Pudge: The Biography Of Carlton Fisk

Pudge: The Biography of Carlton Fisk - Doug Wilson

Pudge: The Biography of Carlton Fisk – Doug Wilson

Doug Wilson traces the life of Carlton Fisk, from his upbringing in New Hampshire, to his time in Boston as a leader for the Red Sox, and, finally, to his tenure as the under-appreciated All Star on the south side of Chicago.  Along the way, Fisk overcame injuries and slights, both perceived and real, to become one of the greatest catchers ever to take the field.

Wilson manages to get great insight into Fisk, even if he didn’t get much input from Fisk himself, thanks to those around him.  For the most part, his time in Boston was mostly a mystery to me, besides his home run in Game 6 of the 1975 World Series.  I was mostly looking forward to reading about his time in Chicago, where he signed as a free agent in 1981 after the Red Sox were late in offering him a contact.

New White Sox ownership was looking to make a splash, and the signing of Fisk certainly gave them what they were looking for.  Despite putting up good numbers, Fisk’s advancing age seemed to always put him at odds with White Sox leadership, who either tried to replace him with unready rookies like Joel Skinner and Ron Karkovice, or move him to a new position, such as the ill-fated attempt to play left field during the 1986 season.  Finally, six days after breaking Bob Boone’s record for games caught, he was released by the White Sox in 1993, leading to years of resentment that continued into the 21st century.

I enjoyed the look back at Fisk’s time with the White Sox, despite dreading the later years when the team was not particularly good.  Reading about the seasons I had lived through as a child, I was able to gain greater insight in to why his career ended the way it did and the rift that existed between him and the White Sox, seemingly until former teammate Ozzie Guillen became manager in 2004.

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#125 – Ron Hassey

hassey

Name: Ron Hassey

Rank: 125

Position: C/DH

Years With White Sox: 1986-1987

Ron Hassey was originally acquired by the White Sox, along with Joe Cowley, in a December 1985 trade with the Yankees for Britt Burns and some minor leaguers.  Two months later, just as pitchers and catchers were about to report to spring training, he was traded back to the Yankees, along with Matt Winters and 2 other minor leaguers, for Neil Allen, Scott Bradley, a minor leaguer, and cash.  5 months later, at the trade deadline, he was acquired again by the White Sox, along with Carlos Martinez and a player to be named later, for Ron Kittle, Joel Skinner, and Wayne Tolleson.  Hassey put up good numbers over the last 2 months of 1986, hitting .353 in 49 games, driving in 22 runs and scoring 20 himself.

Following off-season knee surgery, Hassey was limited in 1987.  He once again appeared in 49 games for the White Sox, but this time saw his average fall to .214.  Once the season came to an unsatisfactory end, for both Hassey and the White Sox, he became a free agent.

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

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#146 – Joel Skinner

joelskinnerName: Joel Skinner

Rank: 146

Position: C

Years With White Sox: 1983-1986

Acquired in 1982 by the White Sox as a free agent compensation pick from the Pirates organization, Joel Skinner made his major league debut on June 12, 1983 in a victory over the A’s.  He appeard in only 6 games for the eventual AL West champions, garnering 3 hits in 11 at bats.

Skinner again split time between the minor leagues and the major leagues in 1984, though he had more of a lasting impact at the big league level than the year before.  He appeared in 43 games for the White Sox, struggling at the plate and hitting only .213.

Skinner got another opportunity with the White Sox in 1985, when backup catcher Marc Hill went down with a hip contusion.  He appeared in 22 games and hit a surprising .341.  This convinced incoming general manager Ken Harrelson that he was ready to take over behind the plate in 1986.

To accomodate Skinner, Harrelson had manager Tony LaRussa move Carlton Fisk to left field.  The White Sox stumbled out of the gate and Skinner struggled to hit.  On May 9, with Skinner hitting in the .150s and LaRussa’s job on the line, he moved Fisk back behind the plate and the White Sox proceeded to win 10 of their next 13 games.  Skinner got another chance behind the plate in July when a virus knocked Fisk out of the lineup, but his days with the team were numbered.

As the trade deadline approached at the end of July, Skinner, along with Ron Kittle and Wayne Tolleson, were sent to the Yankees in exchange for Ron Hassey, Carlos Martinez, and a player to be named later, who eventually became Bill Lindsey.

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

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#162 – Marc Hill

MarcHill2_20090603845Name: Marc Hill

Rank: 162

Position: C

Years With White Sox: 1981-1986

Marc Hill signed with the White Sox as a free agent just as spring training was getting underway in 1981.  When the White Sox signed fellow free agent Carlton Fisk a month later, Hill jockeyed for playing time alongside fellow backup catcher Jim Essian.  Between that, spending time in the minor leagues, and the player’s strike, which wiped out 2 months of the season, Hill managed to get into only 16 games, going hitless in 6 ABs.

With Essian gone, Hill returned to a more normal backup role in 1982.  He appeared in 53 games and managed to get a hit or 23 in 88 ABs.  Things were starting to look up for the White Sox and Hill.

The Sox were expected to contend in 1983, but got off to a slow start.  By May 26, the Sox were eight games under .500 and manager Tony LaRussa’s job was in jeopardy.  Hill, and the other veterans, helped to turn things around.  “We looked around at each other and told ourselves Tony wasn’t going to get fired,” Hill said in an interview.  “We weren’t going to let that happen.”  The White Sox got back to .500 by the end of June and caught fire after the All-Star break, earning their first division title.  Hill again provided solid defense behind the plate, even though he struggled at the plate.

Expectations were high in 1984, but the White Sox struggled to reproduce their success of the previous year.  Hill saw the most playing time he had since joining the White Sox, appearing in 77 games and getting 193 ABs, despite hitting only .233.

The White Sox rebounded to have a winning season in 1985, but Hill’s production dropped off significantly.  With the 37 year old Fisk still chugging along and young prospect Joel Skinner ready to take the next step, Hill saw his playing time reduced, appearing in just 40 games and hitting an anemic .133.

Things went downhill for the White Sox in 1986.  Hawk Harrelson was brought in as GM and he clashed with manager Tony LaRussa.  “I got along with Hawk and I got along with Tony but it was just bad,” Hill said.  “With Tony gone, it just wasn’t any fun anymore for me.  I remember Hawk came up to me in Texas and asked if I’d had enough and I did.”  Hitting .158 in only 19 AB, Hill was released on May 27.  He remained with the club for the remainder of the year as a bullpen catcher and batting practice pitcher.

Hill’s numbers in a White Sox uniform were:

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#259 – Scott Bradley

scottbradleyName: Scott Bradley

Rank: 259

Position: C

Year With White Sox: 1986

Scott Bradley joined the White Sox on February 13, 1986 along with Neil Allen and a minor leaguer who never sniffed the big leagues from the Yankees in exchange for Ron Hassey, Matt Winters, and two additional minor leaguers who would never again heard from.  Bradley spent the majority of his time with the White Sox in Triple A, earning a promotion to the big league club on May 28th after the release of Marc Hill.  With Carlton Fisk and Joel Skinner also on the roster, Bradley wasn’t going to be limited to catching.  “Wherever they want to play me is fine with me,” Bradley said. “The whole key is being here.”

He wasn’t there for long, though.  On June 26, his short stay in Chicago came to an end when he was traded to the Mariners for a player to be named later, which, 5 days later, became Ivan Calderon.

Bradley’s numbers in a White Sox uniform were:

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#332 – Carlos Martinez

carlosmartinezName: Carlos Martinez

Rank: 332

Position: 1B/3B

Years With White Sox: 1988-1990

Carlos Martinez was sent to the White Sox in 1986, along with Ron Hassey, by the Yankees in exchange for Ron Kittle, Joel Skinner, and Wayne Tolleson.  He made his major league debut on September 2, 1988 against the Indians.  Martinez spent most of 1989 with the big league club, setting his career highs in average, at-bats, hits, runs, and doubles.  He was also named to the Topps All-Star Rookie Team.

In 1990, Martinez took over as the White Sox primary first baseman until August 2nd, when a rookie named Frank Thomas was brought up.  With first base settled for the next decade or so, and pending legal issues in his homeland of Venezuela, Martinez was granted free agency in February of 1991, ending his White Sox career.

Unfortunately, Martinez passed away in 2006 at the age of 40 in his native Venezuela following a long illness.

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

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#372 – Wayne Tolleson

Name: Wayne Tolleson

Rank: 372

Position: P

Year With White Sox: 1986

When Ken Harrelson was named general manager of the White Sox following the 1985 season, his first major move was trading Scott Fletcher and heralded prospect Ed Correa to the Rangers in exchange for Dave Schmidt and Wayne Tolleson.  “Wayne Tolleson gives us a versatile infielder who’s a switch hitter and a base-stealing threat,” Harrelson said.  “He has played second, short and third, and he can play any of those spots for us.”

He certainly didn’t do so for long, as Tolleson’s tenure on the south side ended on July 30, 1986, when he was sent to the Yankees along with Ron Kittle and Joel Skinner for Ron Hassey, Carlos Martinez, and a player to be named later who eventually became Bill Lindsey.

Tolleson’s numbers in a White Sox uniform were:

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