Now that the All-Star Game is behind us and we await the start of the second half of the season, let’s take a look at the first half leaders on the defensive side of the ball for the 21 games I attended:
Wins
| Name | Total |
|---|---|
| Reynaldo Lopez | 3 |
| 17 tied with | 1 |
Losses
| Name | Total |
|---|---|
| Johnny Cueto | 2 |
| 18 tied with | 1 |
ERA (> 6 IP)
| Name | Total |
|---|---|
| Clayton Kershaw | 0.00 |
| Dylan Cease | 0.00 |
| Reynaldo Lopez | 0.73 |
| Marcus Stroman | 0.79 |
| Kendall Graveman | 0.90 |
Strikeouts
| Name | Total |
|---|---|
| Michael Kopech | 20 |
| Continue reading → |
This week I attended my 21st consecutive (except for the pandemic year of 2020 that had no fans) Opening Day at Comiskey Park II/US Cellular Field/Guaranteed Rate Field, and my 38th overall. From my first, at old Comiskey Park in 1985, to my first as a Cubs season ticket holder at Wrigley Field in 2002, to road trips to Shea Stadium, in 2003, and Great American Ballpark, in 2004 and 2006, Opening Day remains a spring holiday proclaiming the theoretical beginning of summer. This seemed like a good time to see who the best performers were on both sides of the ball from those 38 contests.
Home Runs
| Name | Total |
|---|---|
| Corey Patterson | 3 |
| Paul Konerko | 3 |
| Alejandro de Aza | 2 |
| Ray Durham | 2 |
| Jose Valentin | 2 |
| Joe Crede | 2 |
| Jim Thome | 2 |
Hits
| Name | Total |
|---|---|
| Paul Konerko | 15 |
| Jermaine Dye | 9 |
| Aramis Ramirez | 8 |
| Victor Martinez | 8 |
| Mark Grudzielanek | 8 |
Runs
| Name | Total |
|---|---|
| Paul Konerko | 7 |
| Derrek Lee | 7 |
| Alex Gonzalez | 6 |
| Joe Crede | 6 |
RBI
| Name | Total |
|---|---|
| Paul Konerko | 10 |
| Corey Patterson | 8 |
| Moises Alou | 8 |
Doubles
| Name | Total |
|---|---|
| Michael Barrett | 4 |
| Paul Konerko | 3 |
| Moises Alou | 3 |
| Jose Valentin | 3 |
| Victor Marinez | 3 |
| Alex Rios | 3 |
| Jose Abreu | 3 |
| Miguel Olivo | 3 |
| Jeromy Burnitz | 3 |
| Carlos Lee | 3 |
Triples Continue reading →
Last week, we looked at the active leaders in games I’ve attended through 2021 on the offensive side of the ball. With spring training winding down and the postponed Opening Day just a few days away, let’s take a look at the defensive side of the ball and the active pitching leaders.
Wins
| Name | Total |
|---|---|
| Chris Sale | 21 |
| Jon Lester | 12 |
| Lucas Giolito | 9 |
| Jose Quintana | 8 |
| Reynaldo Lopez | 6 |
| Carlos Rodon | 6 |
Losses
| Name | Total |
|---|---|
| Jose Quintana | 17 |
| Carlos Rodon | 13 |
| Chris Sale | 12 |
| Lucas Giolito | 8 |
| Kyle Hendricks | 7 |
ERA (> 35 IP)
| Name | Total |
|---|---|
| David Robertson | 2.17 |
| Johnny Cueto | 2.43 |
| Aaron Bummer | 2.51 |
| Cole Hamels | 2.59 |
| Jon Lester | 2.60 |
ERA (> 70 IP)
| Name | Total |
|---|---|
| Jon Lester | 2.60 |
| Chris Sale | 3.09 |
| Lance Lynn | 3.17 |
| Reynaldo Lopez | 3.82 |
| Jose Quintana | 4.27 |
Strikeouts
| Name | Total |
|---|---|
| Chris Sale | 313 |
| Jose Quintana | 208 |
| Carlos Rodon | 154 |
| Continue reading → |
In the past, we’ve looked at the all time leaders in both offensive and defensive categories for all 30 teams. This offseason, we will take our first ever look at those leaders against all 30 clubs. We continue today with the Kansas City Royals.
The Royals began life in 1969, joining the American League following the abandonment of the Kansas City market by the A’s following the 1967 season. I’ve seen them play 61 times, first in 1985 at old Comiskey Park where Willie Wilson took a throw to second base off the noggin, and most recently last May, where I saw them in a 4 game series at Guaranteed Rate Field.
Home Runs
| Name | Total |
|---|---|
| Paul Konerko | 8 |
| Jose Abreu | 6 |
| Carlos Quentin | 6 |
Hits
| Name | Total |
|---|---|
| Paul Konerko | 30 |
| Jose Abreu | 29 |
| Alexei Ramirez | 28 |
Runs
| Name | Total |
|---|---|
| Paul Konerko | 18 |
| Tim Anderson | 13 |
| Jose Abreu | 12 |
| Alexei Ramirez | 12 |
RBI
| Name | Total |
|---|---|
| Paul Konerko | 19 |
| Carlos Quentin | 17 |
| Jose Abreu | 15 |
Doubles
| Name | Total |
|---|---|
| Paul Konerko | 5 |
| Tim Anderson | 5 |
| Adam Eaton | 4 |
| Leury Garcia | 4 |
| Melky Cabrera | 4 |
Triples Continue reading →
With the lockout finally over, today is the mandatory reporting date for spring training as teams across Florida and Arizona finally hold their first spring workouts as they prepare for a postponed 2022 season. I guess that means it is time for our annual look at the pitching leaders in the now 1007 games I’ve attended, and identified, between 1984 and 2021. A big difference from last year, as I passed the 1000 game plateau in late August thanks to a crosstown matchup between the Cubs and the White Sox. So, without further ado, let’s get things started with our first category, the always popular:
Wins
| Name | Total |
|---|---|
| Mark Buehrle | 31 |
| Gavin Floyd | 24 |
| Carlos Zambrano | 21 |
| Chris Sale | 21 |
| John Danks | 19 |
Losses
| Name | Total |
|---|---|
| Mark Buehrle | 17 |
| Jose Quintana | 17 |
| John Danks | 16 |
| Carlos Zambrano | 15 |
| Gavin Floyd | 15 |
ERA (>= 35 IP)
| Name | Total |
|---|---|
| David Robertson | 2.17 |
| DJ Carrasco | 2.20 |
| Nate Jones Continue reading → |
The Baseball Writers of America have announced the finalists for their awards for the just completed shortened baseball season, which will be announced next week. It is a good bet that few of my original predictions for the winners will be accurate. Hopefully, these new predictions will be slightly better, especially since I’ll have a 33% chance of being right.
Most Valuable Player: Vladimir Guerrero Jr., Shohei Ohtani, Marcus Semien
Well, one difference between my pre-season selection, Aaron Judge, and the three finalists is that Judge played in a post-season game. I would assume Shohei Ohtani will walk away with this award.
Cy Young Award: Gerrit Cole, Lance Lynn, Robbie Ray
My initial guess was that Lucas Giolito would take home the prize, but my guess is Robbie Ray, who won the ERA title and led the major leagues in strikeouts, will take home the award.
Manager of the Year: Dusty Baker, Kevin Cash, Scott Servais
As usual, I didn’t make any predictions for this award prior to the season. I assume Mariners manager Scott Servais will win for keeping his team in contention until the final day of the season, despite his GM selling off his closer at the trade deadline.
Rookie of the Year: Randy Arozarena, Wander Franco, Luis Garcia
Another award I didn’t predict prior to the season. Assuming Arozarena and Franco don’t split the Tampa vote, I’m going to go with Franco.
Yesterday, we looked at the leaders in the 58 games I attended this year on the offensive side of the ball. With both League Championship Series in full swing today, it’s time to wrap up our look back at the 2021 season with the pitching leaders, starting with everyone’s favorite pitching statistic:
Wins
| Name | Total |
|---|---|
| Lance Lynn | 4 |
| Michael Kopech | 3 |
| Dylan Cease | 3 |
| Dallas Keuchel | 3 |
| Reynaldo Lopez | 3 |
| Lucas Giolito | 3 |
Losses
| Name | Total |
|---|---|
| Carlos Rodon | 4 |
| Lance Lynn | 3 |
| Lucas Giolito | 3 |
| Dylan Cease | 2 |
| Reynaldo Lopez | 2 |
| Liam Hendriks | 2 |
| Jorge Alcala | 2 |
| Adbert Alzolay | 2 |
ERA (> 6 IP)
| Name | Total |
|---|---|
| Ryan Burr | 1.08 |
| Matt Foster | 1.23 |
| Alec Mills | 1.35 |
| Lance McCullers | 1.63 |
| Mike Minor | 1.63 |
Strikeouts
| Name | Total |
|---|---|
| Lance Lynn | 76 |
| Dylan Cease | 75 |
| Carlos Rodon | 56 |
| Continue reading → |
The second half gets kicked off tonight, with the White Sox holding an 8 game lead in the AL Central and the Cubs looking to be sellers after losing 13 of their final 15 games heading in to the break, dropping them from first place to third, with an 8 game deficit. Let’s wrap up the first half with a look at the leaders on the defensive side of the ball for the 32 games I attended, starting with everyone’s favorite stat:
Wins
| Name | Total |
|---|---|
| Lance Lynn | 4 |
| Codi Heuer | 2 |
| Michael Kopech | 2 |
| Lucas Giolito | 2 |
| Dallas Keuchel | 2 |
Losses
| Name | Total |
|---|---|
| Lucas Giolito | 3 |
| Carlos Rodon | 3 |
| Lance Lynn | 2 |
| Jorge Alcalá | 2 |
| 22 tied with | 1 |
ERA (> 6 IP)
| Name | Total |
|---|---|
| Michael Kopech | 1.53 |
| Dylan Cease | 1.61 |
| Mike Minor | 1.64 |
| Lance Lynn | 1.70 |
| Liam Henriks | 2.03 |
Strikeouts
| Name | Total |
|---|---|
| Lance Lynn | 51 |
| Continue reading → |
First, the good news. Five Chicago players will be making the tip to AtlantaDenver next week for the All Star Game. Starters Lance Lynn and Carlos Rodon and closer Liam Hendriks will represent the White Sox, while third baseman Kris Bryant and closer Craig Kimbrel will represent the Cubs. It is the first mid-summer classic for Rodon, second for Lynn and Hendricks, fourth for Bryant, and eighth for Kimbrel.
Now, the bad news. Unlike in years past, the teams will be wearing their All Star jerseys in the game itself, rather than just in the surrounding ceremonies. The National League will be wearing white, with the team logo on the left breast superimposed over a three letter acronym for the team (CHC for the Cubs, for example). The sleeves have a flower pattern at the cuff that makes little sense, with either an American flag or All Star Game patch, depending on the arm. The back has a star below the player’s number signifying their number of All Star selections. The American League will wear the same, but in navy blue. Both leagues will wear navy caps with a giant star underneath the team’s logo.
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 #51. 44 different players have donned #51 while playing in Chicago, 20 for the White Sox and 24 for the Cubs.
Juan Cruz, wearing #51, made his big league debut for the Cubs on August 21, 2001, against the Brewers. He went 3–1 with a 3.22 ERA in his first 8 starts, and recorded his first two major league hits on October 2. Cruz went 3–11 with a 3.98 ERA in 45 games in 2002, picking up his first career save. He got off to a good start in 2003, striking out 6 consecutive Mets on Opening Day, becoming only the second Cubs reliever to achieve the feat. Things went a bit downhill from there, finishing the year 2–7 with a 6.05 ERA while making 6 starts, despite being sent back down to Iowa in June. He threw one scoreless inning during the NLDS against the Braves. That would end up being his final Cub appearance, as he was traded to those same Braves the following March.
Dane Dunning was acquired by the White Sox as part of the return for Adam Eaton in 2016. He made his major league debut in the pandemic-shortened 2020 season, going 2-0 in 7 starts with a 3.97 ERA. He started Game 3 of the Wild Card series against the A’s, getting pulled after 2/3rds of an inning as the White Sox were eliminated. That was his final White Sox appearance, as he was traded to the Rangers in exchange for Lance Lynn this past December.