Tag / Magglio Ordonez

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Playoff Batting Leaders

The Cubs continue their title defense tonight in Washington against the Nationals with a 1-0 lead in the NLDS.  With that in mind, it’s time to take an updated look at the offensive leaders from the now 26 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
Dexter Fowler 3
Kris Bryant 3
Moises Alou 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
Anthony Rizzo 2

Hits

Name Total
Dexter Fowler 10
Kris Bryant 9
Moises Alou 9
Anthony Rizzo 8
Javier Baez 8
Juan Uribe 8
Derrek Lee 8

Runs

Name Total
Dexter Fowler 7
Paul Konerko 6
A.J. Pierzynski 5
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2017 Hall Of Fame Election Thoughts

All eyes turned towards Cooperstown yesterday as the votes were tallied and three new members were announced as the Hall of Fame class of 2017: Jeff Bagwell, Tim Raines, and Ivan Rodriguez.  Bagwell, in his seventh year of eligibility, garnered 86.2% of the vote.  Raines, in his last year on the ballot, scored 86% of the vote.  Rodriguez, a surprise based on publicly released ballots, surpassed the necessary 75% by 4 votes in his first year of eligibility.

Six others tallied greater than 50% of the vote, led by Trevor Hoffman, who fell a mere 5 votes shy of election, and Vladimir Guerrero, who was 15 votes short.  Following Edgar Martinez, who raised his total to 58.6%, were Roger Clemens and Barry Bonds, who both surpassed 50% for the first time and saw enough increased support to lead one to believe the will eventually be voted in.  Mike Mussina was the final player to finish above 50%, coming in at 51.8%.

Lee Smith garnered 34.2% of the vote in his final time on the ballot.  Jorge Posada and Magglio Ordonez led the 16 first timers who failed to get 5% and will now fall off the ballot.

As for the newest Hall of Famers, I’ve seen Rodriguez play 19 times, mostly during his stint with the Tigers towards the end of his career. I only saw Bagwell play 13 times over the course of his career, followed by 9 career games for Raines.

Jeff Bagwell’s numbers in games I’ve attended were:

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2017 Hall Of Fame Ballot – The Newcomers

baseballhof

The BBWAA released their ballot for the Hall of Fame class of 2017 last Monday.  The results of the vote are due to be revealed on January 18th, with induction taking place next July.  After Ken Griffey Jr. and Mike Piazza were elected in last year’s voting, the new ballot contains 15 holdovers along with 19 newcomers, which may start to cause a bit of a problem.  The current BBWAA rules continue to limit the number of votes on one ballot to 10, and there may be more than 10 deserving candidates, so there will be too many qualified candidates fighting for limited spots in a shorter amount of time.  Once again, the BBWAA and the Hall may find themselves with a mess on their hands.

Yesterday, we looked at the returning candidates.  Today, it’s time to look at the newcomers and who may be thankful come January.

Casey Blake

Literally has no chance to stay on the ballot for another year, let alone earn election at some point.

Pat Burrell

It should be a quick one and out for the longtime Phillie.

072008-Cabrera-03Orlando Cabrera

The former Angels and White Sox shortstop has, again, put together a perfectly acceptable career, but will be lucky to get a sympathy vote from a hometown writer.

Mike Cameron

Wow, this batch of newcomers is starting to look a little weak.  Cameron had a decent career, but will never be confused for a Hall of Famer.

J.D. Drew

Yet another nominee for the hall of the very good, but lacking credentials for the Hall of Fame.

Vladimir Guerrero

Now we’re talking.  The former Expo and Angel great should earn enshrinement eventually, though likely not on his first try.

Carlos Guillen

The 3-time All Star will be lucky to make a second appearance on the ballot.

Derrek Lee

The former Cub first baseman was a fan favorite, but is not a Hall of Famer.

Melvin Mora

I can’t imagine anyone voting for Mr. Mora.

Magglio Ordonez
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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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#132 – Timo Perez

050530_timo_perez

Name: Timo Perez

Rank: 132

Position: OF

Years With White Sox: 2004-2005

Timo Perez came to the White Sox from the Mets in the waning days of spring training in 2004 in exchange for Matt Ginter.  Acquired to be a backup outfielder, Perez saw more action than anyone bargained for when Magglio Ordonez went down with a knee injury following a collision with Willie Harris.  Perez finished the year with a .246 average in 103 games.

Perez returned in 2005, though he saw much less action.  He only appeared in 76 games as his average dropped to .218.  He went 0-2 in the playoffs, getting one at bat each in the ALDS and the World Series.  Following the season, he left as a free agent.

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

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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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Crosstown Batting Leaders

cws-chiLast weekend, the 2015 Crosstown Cup wrapped up, with the White Sox taking home the cup for the second straight year and the fifth time since the cup was introduced six years ago.  Now that the dust has settled, let’s take a look at the offensive leaders for the 63 crosstown games I have attended since the start of interleague play in 1997:

Home Runs

Name Total
Paul Konerko 15
Carlos Lee 9
Aramis Ramirez 8
Sammy Sosa 8
Jermaine Dye 7

Hits

Name Total
Paul Konerko 50
Carlos Lee 41
Sammy Sosa 29
Derrek Lee 28
Magglio Ordonez 26

Runs

Name Total
Paul Konerko 26
Magglio Ordonez 19
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#169 – Mike Caruso

mcarusoName: Mike Caruso

Rank: 169

Position: SS

Years With White Sox: 1998-1999

Mike Caruso was the centerpiece coming back to the White Sox, along with Keith Foulke, Bob Howry, Lorenzo Barcelo, Brian Manning, and Ken Vining, in the so-called White Flag trade on July 31, 1997 that sent Wilson Alvarez, Danny Darwin, and Roberto Hernandez to the Giants.  Caruso was a 20 year old in Class A who was expected to be the heir apparent to Ozzie Guillen on the left side of the White Sox infield.  He fought his way on to the opening day roster in 1998, beating out Benji Gil, and became an instant success story.

He made his major league debut on Opening Day 1998, going 1 for 5 in a White Sox victory against the Rangers.  By the time the year was over, he had compiled a .306 average, the highest rookie total by a Sox player since Minnie Minoso in 1951 and the best for a shortstop since Luis Aparicio in 1970.  He finished 3rd in Rookie of the Year voting, behind winner Ben Grieve and two spots ahead of teammate Magglio Ordonez.

Things started to go south in 1999.  Without veteran third baseman Robin Ventura to cover him, Caruso’s defense, already thought to be suspect, was exposed thanks to a strong arm and shrinking range.  Offensively, his average dropped to .250 and he managed only 17 extra base hits in 529 at bats, for a slugging percentage below .300.  Manager Jerry Manuel called out his young shortstop, for his poor production, lack of preparation, and a general lack of baseball smarts.

The 2000 season saw Caruso back in the minor leagues, thanks to the arrival of Jose Valentin.  While his former teammates went on to win the AL Central, Caruso struggled against minor league pitching before an injury ended his season prematurely.  Following the season, he was designated for assignment and was selected off of waivers by the Mariners.

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

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#184 – Ross Gload

rossgloadName: Ross Gload

Rank: 184

Position: 1B/RF

Years With White Sox: 2004-2006

As spring training wound down in 2003, the White Sox acquired Ross Gload from the Rockies in exchange for minor league pitcher Wade Parrish.  Gload spent the entire 2003 season in Triple A Charlotte, but made the White Sox roster out of spring training in 2004, backing up Paul Konerko and, prior to his season ending injury, Magglio Ordonez.  Gload made it into 110 games and finished the year with a .321 batting average.  Despite the limited playing time, he finished 7th in voting for AL Rookie of the Year.

In 2005, Gload missed time due to shoulder inflammation, which kept him either on the disabled list on in Triple A Charlotte between April 25 and July 22.  When Frank Thomas went down with a foot injury, Gload was recalled to take his roster spot.  A little more than a week later, Gload was sent back down when Geoff Blum was acquired from the Padres.  He rejoined the team when rosters expanded on September 1.  Gload was left off the playoff roster for all three rounds.

With his shoulder fully healed, Gload returned to the White Sox full time in 2006.  While his playing time was again limited, he did manage to put up .327 average.  Following the season, Gload was traded to the Royals in exchange for relief pitcher Andy Sisco.

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

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All Season Batting Leaders – Through 2014

MLB: Cincinnati Reds at Los Angeles DodgersThree years ago, we took our first look at the offensive stat leaders per season for the all the games I’ve attended since 1984.  While there hasn’t been a whole lot of movement in the 3 seasons since, I figured the time was right to take another look.  So, without further ado, here’s the updated list.  We start, as always, with everyone’s favorite offensive stat:

Home Runs

Year Name Total
2010 Paul Konerko 17
2004 Mosies Alou 15
2004 Corey Patterson 13
2004 Sammy Sosa 13
2003 Moises Alou 12
2008 Carlos Quentin 12

Hits

Year Name Total
2003 Mark Grudzielanek 67
2004 Moises Alou 57
2003 Moises Alou 57
2007 Derrek Lee 57
2006 Orlando Cabrera 56

Runs

Year Name Total
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