Tag / Mariners

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#318 – Bruce Tanner

Bruce_Tanner_(White_Sox)_8

Name: Bruce Tanner

Rank: 318

Position: P

Year With White Sox: 1985

Bruce Tanner, the son of former White Sox manager Chuck Tanner, spent his entire major league career with the White Sox during the 1985 season.  He was the team’s 4th round draft pick in 1983 and made his major league debut nearly 2 years later, subbing for an injured Richard Dotson, on June 12, 1985, picking up the victory against the Mariners in Seattle.  Tanner appeared in 9 more games for the big league club over the year, finishing with a 5.33 ERA.

Tanner spent the entire 1986 season back in Triple A Buffalo, where he finished with a losing record.  Following the season, he was sent to Oakland as the player to be named later to complete the earlier trade that brought Donnie Hill to the White Sox in exchange for Gene Nelson.

Tanner’s numbers in a White Sox uniform were:

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#329 – Brian Simmons

brian_simmons_autographName: Brian Simmons

Rank: 329

Position: LF

Years With White Sox: 1998-1999

Brian Simmons joined the White Sox organization as their second round pick in the 1995 draft.  He worked his way through the system, making his major league debut on September 21, 1998 as a defensive replacement against the Twins.  5 days later, against the Royals, Simmons set a major league record, needing the fewest career at bats to homer from both sides of the plate.

Simmons won the 1999 starting center field job in spring training, but a cut hand, thanks to Alex Rodriguez’s spike, late in spring training forced him to start the year in Triple A Charlotte instead of Chicago.  In 2000, Simmons again had won a spot on the opening day roster, but he ruptured his Achilles’ tendon on the day the White Sox broke camp.

Following the White Sox disappointing loss to the Mariners in the 2000 ALDS, Simmons was packaged with Mike Sirotka, Kevin Beirne, and minor leaguer Mike Williams to the Blue Jays in exchange for David Wells and Matt DeWitt.

Simmons rejoined the White Sox following the 2001 season, but was released during spring training after still showing the effects of his 2000 injury.

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

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#335 – Craig Wilson

Name: Craig Wilson

Rank: 335

Position: IF

Years With White Sox: 1998-2000

Craig Wilson, not to be confused with Craig Wilson or Craig Wilson, was the 13th round draft choice of the White Sox in 1992.  He made his major league debut on September 5, 1998 against the Yankees, going 3 for 4 with 3 runs scored and 2 RBIs.  Wilson spent parts of the next two seasons with the Sox, appearing in a career high 98 games in 1999.  After the Sox were swept in the 2000 ALDS against the Mariners, Wilson was released, and he never appeared in the major leagues again.

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

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#343 – Jeff Gray

Name: Jeff Gray

Rank: 343

Position: P

Year With White Sox: 2011

Jeff Gray had a short stint on the South Side, signing as a free agent after finishing the 2010 season on the North Side with the Cubs.  He was surprisingly effective during the month of April in 6 appearances, and was claimed by the Mariners when he was placed on waivers following the return of Jake Peavy.

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

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#349 – Josh Kinney

Name: Josh Kinney

Rank: 349

Position: P

Year With White Sox: 2011

After bouncing around the Cardinals organization, Josh Kinney made his triumphant return to the major leagues in August of 2011 after being recalled to the White Sox to take the place of Phil Humber, who had been struck in the head by a line drive.  Kinney’s American League debut, giving up one hit in a three inning relief stint against the eventual AL champion Rangers, unfortunately did not lead to long term success, as he faded down the stretch, much like the rest of the White Sox.  Following the season, he was allowed to pursue other opportunities, and he hooked up with the Mariners for 2012.

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

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#353 – Kevin Beirne

Name: Kevin Beirne

Rank: 353

Position: P

Year With White Sox: 2000

Kevin Beirne was drafted by the White Sox in the 11th round of the the 1995 draft as an outfielder, but was quickly converted to a pitcher and finally made it to the big leagues on May 17, 2000.  Beirne appeared in 29 games for the division winners, but did not make an appearance during the 3 game division series loss to the Mariners.

Following the season, Beirne was packaged along with Mike Sirotka, Brian Simmons and others in the trade that brought David Wells over from the Blue Jays.

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

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by jim

2012 Predictions Revisited

Exactly six months ago, I looked into my crystal ball and tried to predict the outcomes of the upcoming baseball season.  Now that the season has come to an end, and half of my predicted divison winners are headed home instead of the playoffs, let’s take a look back at how things unfolded.

American League

East: Yankees

The Yankees went down to the wire, not with the Red Sox as expected, but with the surprising Orioles.

Central: Tigers

After picking up free agent Prince Fielder, the Tigers were expected to run away with the Central division.  Instead, they underachieved much of the season and battled the overachieving White Sox for most of the season.  However, a late season collapse by the White Sox offense helped the Tigers take the division.

West: Angels

The Angels just may have been the biggest disappointment in the league this year. After dropping over $330 million in one day on Albert Pujols and C.J. Wilson, the Angels were expected to be at the top of the heap this year.  Unfortunately, things just did not work out and, even with the addition of rookie of the year shoo-in Mike Trout, the Angels were unable to make a serious run and finished in third place, behind the surging A’s, who swept the Rangers in the last series of the season to take the division title.

Wild Cards: Rays, Rangers

The Orioles and the Rangers will face off in the first wild card play-in game.

National League Continue reading →

by jim

2012 Final Standings

Another disappointing season comes to an end today.  The White Sox, who spent 126 days in first place, sputtered through September and dropped to second place.  The Cubs managed to lose 100 games for the first time since 1966.

TeamCity TeamName Won Loss Winning Pctg
Washington Nationals 1 0 1.000
Colorado Rockies 1 0 1.000
Kansas City Royals 1 0 1.000
Boston Red Sox 2 1 0.667
Tampa Bay Rays 2 1 0.667
Chicago White Sox 18 13 0.581
Oakland A’s 1 1 0.500
Houston Astros 1 1 0.500
Toronto Blue Jays 1 1 0.500
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#361 – Randy Williams

Name: Randy Williams

Rank: 361

Position: P

Years With White Sox: 2009-2010

Randy Williams made his major league debut in 2004 with the Mariners and, after splitting 2005 between Colorado and San Diego, he disappeared from the big leagues until he resurfaced with the White Sox in 2009.  He did a decent enough job that, combined with 11.1 scoreless innings in spring training, the White Sox brought him back in 2010.

The results of that decision were not pretty, as Williams posted a 5.40 ERA and a 2.320 WHIP in 27 appearances.  Following the season, he was not offered a contract and went on to become a headache for someone else.

Williams’ numbers in a White Sox uniform, both for games I attended and overall, were: Continue reading →