Tag / MLB

by admin

Looking Ahead To Next Year

baseballs3Major League Baseball released their tentative 2018 schedule last week.  While the local squads have differing goals in mind as 2017 winds down, with the Cubs looking to repeat as World Series champions and the White Sox playing out the string in year one of their rebuild, it’s time to turn our attention to next summer for both teams.

The White Sox open their season on the road in Kansas City on March 29 against the Royals, and then open the home portion of the campaign a week later against the Tigers.

The interleague schedule pits the White Sox against the NL Central, with trips to St. Louis, Pittsburgh, and Cincinnati and home series against the Pirates, Cardinals, and the Brewers.  The rivalry with their north side foes continues with a 3 game series at Wrigley Field in May and then moving back to the south side in late September.

The season ends with a 6 game homestand against the Cubs and Indians before heading to Minnesota for the final weekend.  Year two of the rebuild can see the White Sox playing spoiler down the stretch.

Meanwhile, on the north side, the Cubs open the season down in Miami on March 29.  They kick off the home portion of their schedule on April 9 against the Pirates.

The interleague schedule pits the Cubs against the AL Central, with trips to Cleveland, Kansas City, and Detroit and home series against the Indians, Twins, and the Tigers.

The Cubs end the year with a 7 game homestand against the Pirates and the Cardinals, likely challengers for the NL Central crown.

by admin

The Sell Off Continues

Rumors started flying during Tuesday night’s White Sox game about Todd Frazier and David Robertson being on the move, first to the Red Sox and, eventually, to the Yankees.  As the game went on, details started dripping out and, once the game was complete, the trade was officially announced.  The White Sox were sending Frazier, Robertson, and Tommy Kahnle to the Yankees for outfielder Blake Rutherford, starter Ian Clarkin, outfielder Tito Polo, and reliever Tyler Clippard.

Frazier, who seems like the nicest person in the world, has had trouble putting together sustained success since being acquired by the White Sox in 2016 and is a free agent at the end of the season.  Robertson has another year left on his deal and has done a tremendous job at the back end of the bullpen, but a highly paid closer is a luxury for a rebuilding team.  Kahnle looks to have finally put things together out of the pen this year, but the history of middle relievers flaming out after one good year is legend.

Rutherford becomes the 10th White Sox prospect in MLB’s top 100.  Clarkin is a former 1st round draft pick who has been bitten by the injury bug over the course of his career.  Clippard will slide in to the bullpen, taking one of the spots vacated by the outgoing pitchers.  Polo, aside from having the coolest name in the trade, looks to potentially be a fourth outfielder at some point.

There may be a few trades left between now and the deadline, but this looks to be the last of the big hauls coming back.  GM Rick Hahn has completely restocked the farm system and, now, the hard work begins.  Developing these prospects in to major league talent who can compete for a World Series title is the next step.

by admin

A Snuffed Out Star

For the second time in 4 months, a young pitching star in Major League Baseball saw his life tragically come to an end.  Royals pitcher Yordano Ventura was killed in a car crash in his native Dominican Republic earlier this morning.  He was 25.

Ventura, who joined the Royals in 2013, was 38-31 with a 3.89 ERA in his career, helping the team to back-to-back World Series appearances in 2014 and 2015.  His death comes on the heels of Marlins star Jose Fernandez, who died in a boating accident this past September.

I saw Ventura pitch 3 times, where he went 1-1 with a 4.24 ERA.  He had a bright future in front of him, if he managed to control his temper, but will now join the list of major leaguers tragically cut down in their prime.  My condolences go out to his family and the Royals nation.

by admin

Labor Peace

Last week, Major League Baseball and the Player’s Association avoided a lockout and agreed to a new collective bargaining agreement, ensuring labor peace through the 2021 season.  The big changes involve free agent compensation and a few things related to the Mid-Summer Classic.

Let’s start with the All Star Game.  After the fiasco in Milwaukee in 2002, where the game ended in a tie after both teams ran out of pitchers, Commissioner Bud Selig decided that, going forward, the winning team would earn home field advantage for their participant in the World Series.  The new labor agreement changes that, giving home field advantage to the World Series participant with the best regular season record.  Given the scheduling disparities between the leagues, this is not a perfect solution, but is a step in the right direction.

The other ASG-related change is the removal of roster slots available for the manager’s discretion.  The Commissioner’s office will now fill out the remaining spots after the fan and player votes.  Meaning, of course, that the days of the manager bringing loads of his own players, deserving or not, is over.

Changes affecting the regular season include a new 10 day disabled list, replacing the current 15 day list.  Starting in 2018, the schedule will be expanded to provide teams with four additional off days, meaning the season will now begin in the middle of the week.

On the revenue sharing side of things, the A’s will no longer be treated as a small market team, meaning they will lose the $30+ million they get today.

Finally, free agents who have been made a qualifying offer will no longer cost a first round draft pick.  The draft pick compensation will depend on which team makes the signing and how much the contract is worth.  International bonuses have been capped between $4.75 million and $5.75 million, depending on where the team falls in the competitive balance pools.

by admin

Turning The Page To Next Year

baseballs3Major League Baseball released their tentative 2017 schedule yesterday.  While the local squads have differing goals in mind as 2016 winds down, with the Cubs currently sitting pretty with a magic number of 1 and the White Sox playing out the string while trying to avoid their 4th straight losing season, it’s time to turn our attention to next summer for both teams.

The White Sox open their season at what will then be known as Guaranteed Rate Field on April 3 against the Tigers, with 28 of their first 34 games coming against AL Central foes.  Given their lack of success in this arena over the past few years, it will be a tough test to start the new campaign.

The interleague schedule pits the White Sox against the NL West, with trips to Arizona, Colorado, and Los Angeles and home series against the Padres, Giants, and the Dodgers.  The rivalry with their north side foes continues the last week of July, with Monday and Tuesday games at Wrigley Field before moving back to the south side for Wednesday and Thursday.

The season ends with a 7 game homestand against the Royals and Angels before heading to Cleveland for the final weekend.  Assuming the team finds itself in contention, it could be an interesting last week.

Meanwhile, on the north side, the Cubs open the season down in St. Louis, for the first time since 1986, on April 3.  They kick off the home portion of their schedule the following week against the Dodgers.

The interleague schedule pits the Cubs against the AL East, with trips to Boston, Baltimore, and Tampa Bay and home series against the Yankees, Blue Jays, and the Rays.

The Cubs end the year with a 4 game stint against the Cardinals in St. Louis before returning home for the final weekend against the Reds.  One can only assume they will be celebrating their second straight NL Central crown.

by admin

#89 – Darrin Jackson

djName: Darrin Jackson

Rank: 89

Position: RF

Years With White Sox: 1994, 1999

Darrin Jackson signed with the White Sox as a free agent prior to the 1994 season.  He set career highs with a .312 batting average and a .817 OPS during the strike-shortened season, thanks in part to two separate 8 game hitting streaks.  With uncertainty about the state of MLB heading in to the 1995 season, Jackson moved on to the Japanese leagues.

He returned to the White Sox in January, 1999, again signing as a free agent.  He appeared in 73 games, getting only 149 at bats and ended the year hitting .275.  He retired following the year and joined the White Sox broadcast booth, replacing Tom Paciorek as the color analyst on television along side Hawk Harrelson.  In 2009, he moved over to the radio side, where he remains to this day.

Jackson’s numbers in a White Sox uniform were:

Continue reading →

by admin

A Quarter Century Of Memories Part II

Last week, we looked at the first two regions of memories the White Sox had selected to celebrate the 25th anniversary of US Cellular Field.  Today, we finish the job by looking at the last 2 brackets: Records and Milestones and Honors and More.

records_milestonesThe Records and Milestones region spans the gamut of the 25 years the Comiskey Park II/US Cellular Field has been in service.  Unlike the last 2 regions, I only attended 2 of these 8 games.

We start with the most recent game, from last October, where Chris Sale set the franchise’s single season strikeout total, doing battle against a July 2000 matchup between the Sox and Cardinals, where Frank Thomas surpassed Luke Appling as the franchise’s all time RBI leader with a first inning home run.  I’ll select Thomas’ mark, as it represents a career mark over Sale’s single season record.

The second match-up is between Carlton Fisk breaking Bob Boone’s career record for games caught on June 22, 1991 against Bobby Jenks tying the MLB record for consecutive batters retires with 41, a mark that would be broken by teammate Mark Buehrle 2 years later.

Next, we have the first interleague game between the White Sox and the Cubs on June 16, 1997 versus Jim Thome’s 500th home run, a walk-off against the Angels on September 16, 2007, which just so happened to also be Jim Thome bobblehead day.  How can you beat that kind of drama?

The final battle is between Jack McDowell, picking up his 20th win of the year on September 8, 1992, against Mark Buehrle’s perfect game on July 23, 2009.  Buehrle easily takes this one.

honors_moreFinally, we have the Honors and More region, where I’ve attended at least 5 of the events in the running.

The first match-up is the afternoon in 2010 when Frank Thomas’ #35 was retired going up against the dedication of the Harold Baines statue in 2008.

Next, we have the dedication of the Luis Aparicio and Nellie Fox statues in 2006 versus the Minnie Minoso statue dedication in 2004.

The next match-up is the August 2010 game where the city’s world champions were honored following the Blackhawks winning the Stanley Cup battling the Rolling Stones concert that took place in September of 2002, the last concert to date at the ballpark.

Finally, we have the dedication of Championship Plaza in April 2008 going up against the All Star game in 2003.

None of these match-ups have anything to do with something on the field, so I don’t know how you choose one statue dedication over another.

by admin

Looking Ahead To Next Year

MLB: Cincinnati Reds at Los Angeles DodgersMajor League Baseball released their tentative 2016 schedule earlier this week and, while the 2015 squad focuses on taking the second Wild Card slot, let’s take a look at what’s on tap for next summer for the North Siders.

The Cubs open the season on April 5 on the road against the Angels, the first time they will start the year in inter-league play.  The home slate kicks off the following Monday with a night game against the Reds.

This year’s inter-league slate is against the AL West, with the Rangers, Mariners, and Angels making trips to Wrigley Field, while the Cubs hit the road to visit the aforementioned Angels, A’s, and Astros.  The club also has a 2 and 2 series with the White Sox during the last week of July.

The Cubs finish the season on the road against the Pirates and Reds, which should make for a great pennant race if the team is once again in contention.

by admin

Moving On To Next Year

MLB: Cincinnati Reds at Los Angeles DodgersMajor League Baseball released their tentative 2016 schedule yesterday and, with little more to be concerned with for this season, let’s take a look at what’s on tap for next summer for the South Siders.

The White Sox open the season with a 4 game set on the road against the A’s on Monday, April 4.  The home season begins that Friday, when the Indians come to town for a 3 game tilt.

This year’s inter-league slate is against the NL East, with the Nationals, Braves, and Phillies making trips to US Cellular Field, while the Sox hit the road to visit the Mets, Marlins, and Phillies.  A 2 and 2 set with the Cubs occurs the last week of July.

The White Sox finish the 2016 season at home against the Rays and Twins, with 23 of their final 29 games coming against the Central Division.  Should make for a great pennant race if the team can be in contention.

by jim

Book 17 (of 52) – Split Season: 1981

Split Season: 1981 - Fernandomania, The Bronx Zoo, and The Strike That Saved Baseball - Jeff Katz

Split Season: 1981 – Fernandomania, The Bronx Zoo, and The Strike That Saved Baseball – Jeff Katz

Change was afoot in Major League Baseball as the 1980s were getting underway.  1980 saw the Philadelphia Phillies win their first World Series.  Heading in to 1981, new ownership took over on the south side of Chicago, while the Cubs would be sold mid-season.  On the field, things looked good, as Fernando Valenzuela took Los Angeles, and the rest of the nation, by storm, Dave Winfield headed to New York, and Carlton Fisk changed the color of his socks from Red to White.  Behind the scenes, though, the owners and the players were headed for a seemingly unnecessary strike, one which would stop baseball for 2 months in the middle of the season, the first in-season work stoppage.

Jeff Katz brings all of the details that led to the 1981 strike, causing the 1981 season to be split into 2 halves and adding a division playoff for the first time.  The owners, along with commissioner Bowie Kuhn, wanted to turn back the clock and punish teams for signing free agents.  The players, behind union head Marvin Miller, would have none of it and, despite what the owners were led to believe, were willing and able to stick together.

Baseball resumed in August, after 713 games were lost, and the season ended with the Dodgers topping the Yankees in the fall classic.  A revised version of the free agent compensation that the owners fought for was put in place, and was scrapped in the next round of negotiations when it backfired, just as the union claimed it would.