#16 – Alexei Ramirez

alexeiName: Alexei Ramirez

Rank: 16

Position: SS

Years With White Sox: 2008-2015

Alexei Ramirez signed with the White Sox on December 21, 2007 after defecting from Cuba.  He made his major league debut the following March 31, going 0-4 against the Indians while playing center field.  When Juan Uribe went down with an injury in May, Ramirez settled in at second base.  On September 19, Ramirez hit his 3rd grand slam of the year, tying the major league rookie record.  10 days later, he grabbed the record for himself, hitting his 4th slam against Gary Glover to push the White Sox to an 8-2 victory and the tiebreaking game 163.  He finished the regular season with .290 average and a career high 21 home runs.

During the ALDS, he hit .250 in the 4 game series against the Rays, with 2 RBI.  Once the season came to an end, Ramirez placed second in Rookie of the Year voting, behind Evan Longoria.

With Orlando Cabrera gone, Ramirez shifted over to shortstop for the 2009 season.  On July 23, he fielded the final out in Mark Buehrle’s perfect game.  He ended the year with a .277 average, 15 home runs, and 68 RBI.

2010 saw Ramirez earn his first Silver Slugger award, thanks to 18 home runs, 70 RBI, and a .282 average.  In 2011, his average dropped somewhat, but he remained consistent, hitting .269 with 15 home runs and 70 RBI.

Ramirez saw his power numbers slip in 2012, dropping to 9 home runs, but the rest of his game remained consistent with a .265 average and 73 RBIs, though he did set a new career high with 20 stolen bases.  His power fell off even further in 2013, finishing with only 6 home runs and 48 RBI, but he logged his highest average, .284, since his rookie year.  He also set a new career high with 30 stolen bases.

2014 may have been the finest season of his career.  On May 5, he notched his 1000th career hit, off Justin Grimm and the Cubs.  In July, he earned his first All Star selection and, after the season, his second Silver Slugger award.  He finished with a .273 average, 15 home runs, and 74 RBIs.

Ramirez struggled for much of the first half in 2015.  He rebounded in the second half, but still finished the year with the lowest batting average, .249, and OPS, .642, of his career.  Following the season, the White Sox declined his option for 2016, making him a free agent.

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

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Active Batting Leaders – Through 2016

baseballs2Last month, we looked at the overall leaders on both sides of the ball from all of the games I’ve attended between 1984 and 2015.  Now that Opening Day is right around the corner, let’s take another look at those numbers, limiting it to players that are still active heading in to the 2016 season.  A few notable retirements, chief among them Carlos Quentin, will add some new names to this list.

Home Runs

Name Total
Alexei Ramirez 34
Alex Rios 24
A.J. Pierzynski 20
Jose Abreu 17
Juan Uribe 16

Hits

Name Total
Alexei Ramirez 300
A.J. Pierzynski 239
Alex Rios 153
Gordon Beckham 144
Adam Eaton 102

Runs

Name Total
Alexei Ramirez 134
A.J. Pierzynski 106
Alex Rios 86
Gordon Beckham 83
Alejandro de Aza 57

RBI

Name Total
Alexei Ramirez 140
A.J. Pierzynski 98
Alex Rios Continue reading →

#38 – Juan Uribe

Name: Juan Uribe

Rank: 38

Position: 2B/SS

Years With White Sox: 2004-2008

Juan Uribe was acquired by the White Sox on December 2, 2003 from the Rockies for Aaron Miles.  He split time with Willie Harris at second base, hitting .283 while setting career highs in home runs, with 23, and RBIs, with 74.  He fell 1 RBI short of the White Sox single game team record on June 19, when he knocked in 7 runs against the Expos.

With the loss of Jose Valentin and the arrival of Tadahito Iguchi in 2005, Uribe moved to shortstop.  His defensive prowess, especially compared to Valentin, helped solidify a team that would go on to win its first division title since 2000.  Offensively, Uribe finished the year with a .252 average and 16 home runs.  In the ALDS, Uribe hit a robust .400 with 4 RBIs in the 3 game sweep of the Red Sox.  He hit .250 in both the ALCS against the Angels and the World Series against the Astros.  Defensively, he dove in to the stands to make the penultimate out in Game 4 of the World Series, before fielding the soft grounder hit by Orlando Palmeiro and throwing over to Paul Konerko to give the White Sox their first title in 88 years.

As the White Sox tried to defend their title, Uribe saw his average fall further in 2006.  He ended the year with a .235 average, though he did put up 21 home runs and 71 RBIs despite being limited to 132 games due to injuries.

2007 was a continuation of the poor offensive contributions from Uribe.  However, as the rest of the White Sox cratered, his holes became more noticeable.  He ended up with a .234 average, 20 home runs, and 68 RBIs.  The White Sox declined his option for 2008, but signed him to a new one year deal for the 2008 season.

After acquiring Orlando Cabrera, Uribe shifted back to second base to start 2008.  Unfortunately, an injury in May led to Alexei Ramirez cementing his place in the starting lineup.  Uribe saw action at third base after a back injury took down Joe Crede in late July.  Appearing in only 110 games, his lowest total since 2003, he finished the year with .247 average, 7 home runs, and 40 RBIs as the White Sox won their second AL Central title in his tenure.  Uribe fell in to a funk during the ALDS, hitting only .167 in the 4 game loss to the Rays.  After the season, Uribe became a free agent.

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

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World Series Batting Leaders

2005worldseriesLast night, the Cubs made their first World Series appearance since 1945 when they squared off against the Indians.  To mark the appearance, let’s look at the offensive leaders in the 1 World Series game I have attended, game 2 of the 2005 World Series between the White Sox and the Astros.

Home Runs

Name Total
Morgan Ensberg 1
Scott Podsednik 1
Paul Konerko 1

Hits

Name Total
Willy Taveras 2
Aaron Rowand 2
Brad Ausmus 2
Juan Uribe 2
Carl Everett 2

Runs

Name Total
Willy Tavares 2
11 tied with 1

RBI

Name Total
Paul Konerko 4
Lance Berkman 3
Jose Vizcaino 2
Joe Crede 1
Juan Uribe 1
Scott Podsednik 1
Morgan Ensberg 1

Doubles

Name Total
Juan Uribe 2
Lance Berkman 1
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Playoff Batting Leaders

baseballs2Now that the Wild Card game is complete and we know the Cubs will face off against the Giants in the NLDS, it’s time to take an updated look at the offensive leaders from the 20 post-season games I have attended since 2000.  So, without further ado, we start off with:

Home Runs

Name Total
Paul Konerko 3
B.J. Upton 3
Moises Alou 2
Kris Bryant 2
Miguel Cabrera 2
Chipper Jones 2
Eric Karros 2
Daniel Murphy 2
A.J. Pierzynski 2
Scott Podsednik 2
Manny Ramirez 2
Kyle Schwarber 2
Jorge Soler 2

Hits

Name Total
Moises Alou 9
Juan Uribe 8
Derrek Lee 8
A.J. Pierzynski 7
Mark DeRosa 7

Runs

Name Total
Paul Konerko 6
A.J. Pierzynski 5
Jorge Soler 5
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#101 – Dewayne Wise

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Name: Dewayne Wise

Rank: 101

Position: OF

Years With White Sox: 2008-2009, 2012-2013

Dewayne Wise signed with the White Sox organization on March 5, 2008.  He started the year at Triple A, but was recalled to the big leagues in May when Juan Uribe landed on the disabled list.  He returned for good in late July when Paul Konerko got hurt, becoming a defensive replacement for the newly acquired Ken Griffey Jr. and gaining additional playing time when Carlos Quentin broke his wrist in early September.  The high point of his season came on September 14, when, with the White Sox battling the Twins for the Central division title, he answered a grand slam in the top of the 8th by Marcus Thames with one of his own in the bottom of the inning, pushing the Sox to an 11-7 victory over the Tigers and retaining their first place standing.

Wise returned to the White Sox in 2009, earning the Opening Day nod in center field.  A separated shoulder 7 games into the season put him on the shelf until early June.  He made the play of his career on July 23, when he entered the game against the Rays as a defensive replacement in the 9th inning.  The first hitter, Gabe Kapler, hit a deep fly ball to center field which Wise first leaped to keep in the ballpark, then juggled the ball as he fell to the ground, finally grasping it with his bare hand.  The catch preserved Mark Buehrle’s perfect game, which he wrapped up two batters later.

wise-catchThe remainder of 2009 was uneventful, as the White Sox fell from contention.  Wise finished the year with a .225 average, and became a free agent following the season.

Wise returned to the White Sox in 2012, signing a minor league deal on August 3rd.  Barely a week later, he was called up to the majors when Paul Konerko landed on the 7 day concussion DL.  Wise appeared in 45 games over the final two months of the season, hitting .258 as the White Sox blew their division lead over the last few weeks of September.

Wise re-upped with the White Sox for the 2013 season, but was used sparingly.  He appeared in only 30 games, hitting .234, before being released on August 3rd, which drew his major league career to an end.

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

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Active Batting Leaders – Through 2015

MLB: Cincinnati Reds at Los Angeles DodgersLast month, we looked at the overall leaders on both sides of the ball from all of the games I’ve attended between 1984 and 2015.  Now that Opening Day is right around the corner, let’s take another look at those numbers, limiting it to players that are still active heading in to the 2016 season.  With Aramis Ramirez hanging up his spikes after last season, we should see a few new names on this list.

Home Runs

Name Total
Alexei Ramirez 34
Carlos Quentin 28
Alex Rios 24
A.J. Pierzynski 20
Juan Uribe 16

Hits

Name Total
Alexei Ramirez 299
A.J. Pierzynski 237
Alex Rios 153
Gordon Beckham 143
Carlos Quentin 120

Runs

Name Total
Alexei Ramirez 133
A.J. Pierzynski 106
Alex Rios 86
Gordon Beckham 81
Carlos Quentin 75

RBI

Name Total
Alexei Ramirez 138
A.J. Pierzynski 98
Alex Rios Continue reading →

10 Years Later

White Sox win the 2005 World Series

Jenks with a deep breath.  He OKs the sign.  From the stretch, with a runner at second.  Here’s the 1-2 pitch to Palmeiro.  A ground ball, past Jenks, up the middle of the infield.  Uribe has it.  He throws.  OUT!  OUT!  A White Sox winner!  And a World Championship!  The White Sox have won the World Series and they’re mobbing each other on the field.

The celebration is on the mound right now at Minute Maid Park in Houston on Wednesday, October 26th, 2005.  The White Sox have won their first World Championship since 1917.  And the players are absolutely going wild on the infield.  Enjoy the celebration, Chicago.  This is long overdue.

John Rooney
10-26-2005

10 years ago tonight, the White Sox ended an 88-year title drought, winning their first World Series since 1917.  Sadly, they’ve only returned to the playoffs once in the 10 seasons since and failing to break .500 6 of those years.  Much of this year was spent celebrating the championship team, as well it should have been, but hopefully there will be more focus now on winning another.  Hopefully it won’t take another 70+ years.

Playoff Batting Leaders

baseballs3Now that the Cubs have gotten past the Pirates in the Wild Card game and will face off against the Cardinals in the NLDS, it’s time to take our first ever look at the offensive leaders from the 17 post-season games I have attended since 2000.  So, without further ado, we start off with:

Home Runs

Name Total
Paul Konerko 3
B.J. Upton 3
Moises Alou 2
Miguel Cabrera 2
Chipper Jones 2
Eric Karros 2
A.J. Pierzynski 2
Scott Podsednik 2
Manny Ramirez 2

Hits

Name Total
Moises Alou 9
Juan Uribe 8
Derrek Lee 8
A.J. Pierzynski 7
Mark DeRosa 7

Runs

Name Total
Paul Konerko 6
A.J. Pierzynski 5
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#268 – Aaron Miles

xnldXs9TName: Aaron Miles

Rank: 268

Position: 2B

Year With White Sox: 2003

Aaron Miles was selected by the White Sox from the Astros in the minor league portion of the 2000 Rule V draft.  He made his major league debut for the White Sox on September 11, 2003, going 0 for 1 as a pinch hitter in the Sox loss to the Twins.  He appeared in 7 additional games for the White Sox that September, finishing with a .333 batting average.

That December, he was moved to the Rockies in exchange for Juan Uribe.

Miles’ numbers in a White Sox uniform were:

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