Tag / John Snyder

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#35 – Jose Valentin

Name: Jose Valentin

Rank: 35

Position: SS/3B

Years With White Sox: 2000-2004

Jose Valentin was acquired by the White Sox, along with Cal Eldred, on January 12, 2000 from the Brewers in exchange for Jaime Navarro and John Snyder.  Valentin replaced Mike Caruso at shortstop, and provided an offensive punch that had been missing.  On April 27, against the Orioles, he hit for a natural cycle, becoming just the fifth, and the most recent, White Sox player to hit for the cycle.  While Valentin provided an offensive spark, hitting .273 with 25 home runs and 92 RBI, he was a butcher in the field.  He led the American League with 36 errors.  Despite this, Valentin helped lead the White Sox to their first division title since 1993.  He hit .300 in the ALDS against the Mariners, where the White Sox were swept out of the playoffs.

To help improve their defense, the White Sox acquired Royce Clayton to play shortstop for 2001, forcing Valentin to move around the field in order to keep his bat in the lineup.  He split most of his time between center field and third base, before moving back to shortstop when Clayton failed to hit at all.  Valentin’s average dropped down to .258, but he set a career high with 28 home runs.  He still managed to place second in the AL with 22 errors, despite only appearing in 124 games.

With Clayton getting another shot in 2002, Valentin shifted back over to third base, which is where he spent the majority of the year.  When Clayton struggled offensively again, Valentin again spent time back at shortstop, starting 47 games.  He ended the year with a .249 average and 25 home runs.

After Royce Clayton left as a free agent, Valentin again became the everyday shortstop in 2003.  While he continued to struggle defensively, finishing 3rd in the AL with 20 errors, he started to struggle offensively as well.  Despite tying his career high with 28 home runs, his average dropped to .237, his lowest total as a member of the White Sox.

In 2004, Valentin’s offense continued to slip.  His average dropped to .216, a career low, but he did manage to set a new career high with 30 home runs in only 450 at bats.  Following the season, he became a free agent and his White Sox career drew to a close.

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

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#51 – Jim Abbott

jimabbottName: Jim Abbott

Rank: 51

Position: P

Years With White Sox: 1995, 1998

As baseball resumed following the strike that ended the 1994 season and the ensuing lockout in 1995, Jim Abbott signed with the White Sox on April 8, 1995.  He started 17 games, putting up a 6-4 record with a 3.36 ERA.  On July 27, he was traded, along with Tim Fortugno, to the Angels in exchange for McKay Christensen, Andrew Lorraine, Bill Simas, and John Snyder.

On May 27, 1998, Abbott came back from a brief retirement and re-signed with the White Sox as a free agent.  He appeared in 18 games at 4 different levels of the minor leagues before making it back to the big leagues.  He started 5 games for the White Sox, going 5-0 despite a 4.55 ERA.  Following the year, he became a free agent.

Abbott’s numbers in a White Sox uniform were:

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#78 – Cal Eldred

caleldredName: Cal Eldred

Rank: 78

Position: P

Years With White Sox: 2000-2001

Acquired by the White Sox in January of 2000, along with Jose Valentin, from the Brewers for Jaime Navarro and John Snyder, Cal Eldred joined the rotation and immediately put up strong results.  As the White Sox found themselves a surprise contender in the AL Central, Eldred settled in to his spot in the rotation until mid-July, when he suffered a stress fracture in his elbow, the third straight year he had the same injury.  After having surgery to insert a screw to hold the elbow together, he tried to make a late season comeback, but it was not to be.  He finished the year with a 10-2 record, missing the postseason altogether.

Eldred re-signed with the White Sox for 2001 and entered the season as the team’s number 2 starter.  After making two starts, he went on the disabled list with elbow soreness, with general manager Kenny Williams declaring him lost for the season in late June.  He became a free agent at the end of the season, ending his White Sox career.

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

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#209 – Bill Simas

SoxName: Bill Simas

Rank: 209

Position: P

Years With White Sox: 1995-2000

Bill Simas joined the White Sox organization near the trading deadline in 1995 along with McKay Christensen, Andrew Lorraine, and John Snyder in the deal that sent Jim Abbott and Tim Fortugno to the Angels.  He made his major league debut on August 15, pitching a scoreless inning of relief against those same Angels.  He finished the season with a 2.57 ERA in 14 appearances for a disappointing White Sox squad that finished 8 games under .500.

Simas became a mainstay of the White Sox bullpen starting in 1996, when he appeared in 64 games.  His ERA, however, jumped up to a career high 4.58 in 72.2 inning pitched, also a career high.  He improved in 1997, lowering his to 4.14 in 40 games before minor shoulder surgery ended his season early in August.

Much to his chagrin, Simas started the 1998 season in Triple A to build up his arm strength.  “If spring training had been another week to 10 days, he’d be with us,” general manager Ron Schueler said.  “He’s just not quite ready yet.”  Simas did not see things the same way.  “They say my velocity’s not the same, but does that mean I can’t pitch?” Simas asked.  “I asked that question and they didn’t give me an answer. That’s the way it goes.”  He was back in the big leagues by the end of April, finishing the year with a 3.57 ERA and 18 saves.

1999 was another decent year for the bullpen workhorse.  He appeared in a career high 70 games and put up a 6-3 record with 2 saves.  As the White Sox ran away with the 2000 AL Central title, Simas again was a key part of the bullpen, appearing in 60 games and putting up a 3.46 ERA before being shut down for the final month of the season after suffering elbow pain.  He returned for the ALDS against the Mariners, appearing in 2 of the 3 games.

Following the 2000 season, he underwent Tommy John surgery and missed the entire 2001 season.  After that season, he was granted free agency, but returned to the White Sox organization on a minor league deal in May of 2002.  After the 2002 season, he again was granted free agency, but he never appeared in the major leagues again.

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

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#292 – Andrew Lorraine

Andrew_Lorraine

Name: Andrew Lorraine

Rank: 292

Position: P

Year With White Sox: 1995

Andrew Lorraine joined the White Sox near the trading deadline in 1995 when he, along with McKay Christensen, Bill Simas, and John Snyder came over from the Angels in exchange for Jim Abbott and Tim Fortugno.  Lorraine made it in to 5 games for the 1995 White Sox, giving up 3 runs in 8 innings.

The following January, Lorraine was packaged to the A’s along with minor leaguer Charles Poe for Danny Tartabull.  He rejoined the White Sox organization in 2006, putting up a 1.95 ERA in 17 appearances for Charlotte, but that was not enough to get called up and it was the final affiliated stop of his long career.

Lorraine’s numbers in a White Sox uniform were:

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#302 – McKay Christensen

51VCBoan9tLName: McKay Christensen

Rank: 302

Position: CF

Years With White Sox: 1999-2001

McKay Christensen was obtained by the White Sox, along with Andrew Lorraine, Bill Simas and John Snyder, from the Angels in exchange for Jim Abbott and Tim Fortugno in 1995, while Christensen was in Japan as a missionary for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.  He made his major league debut for the White Sox on April 6, 1999, going in as a defensive replacement in the White Sox 11-3 victory over the Mariners.

Christensen spent bits and pieces of the next three seasons with the big league club before getting shipped off to the Dodgers in July of 2001 for a minor league pitcher.

Christensen’s numbers in a White Sox uniform were:

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#369 – Tim Fortugno

Name: Tim Fortugno

Rank: 369

Position: P

Year With White Sox: 1995

Tim Fortugno joined the White Sox prior to the 1995 season after being claimed off waivers from the Reds.  He had a tough time in the bullpen, but did manage to make his way into 37 games before being included in the July 27th trade that sent Jim Abbott back to the Angels for McKay Christensen, Andrew Lorraine, Bill Simas, and John Snyder.

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

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#474 – #483 – The Unknowns Part 1

Now that we’ve gotten the truly hateful players out of the way, it is time to delve into those about whom not only do I have no feeling about one way or the other, but I have no idea who they are.  I may have at one point in time, but not any longer.
Name: Mike Robertson

Rank: 483

Position: 1B

Year With White Sox: 1996

Robertson appeared in 6 games for the 1996 Sox, racking up 7 AB and 1 hit.

 

Name: David Lundquist

Rank: 482

Position: P

Year With White Sox: 1999

Lundquist managed a 8.59 ERA in 22 innings for the 1999 White Sox.

 

Name: Pete Filson

Rank: 481

Position: P

Year With White Sox: 1986

Filson appeared in 3 games for the 1986 White Sox.

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