Tag / Pirates

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#161 – Zach Stewart

zstewartName: Zach Stewart

Rank: 161

Position: P

Years With White Sox: 2011-2012

Zach Stewart came to the White Sox, along with Jason Frason, from the Blue Jays in exchange for Edwin Jackson and Mark Teahen on July 27, 2011.  Stewart appeared in 10 games for the White Sox after the trade, going 2-5 with a 6.22 ERA.

Stewart was just as productive in 2012, going 1-2 with a 6.00 ERA in 18 appearances.  On June 24, he was traded, along with Brent Lillibridge, to the Red Sox in exchange for Kevin Youkilis.

Stewart returned to the White Sox organization in 2013, after being selected off waivers from the Pirates.  He spent the entire year in Triple A Charlotte, before being purchased by the Braves following the season.

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

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All Time Team Records

MLB: Cincinnati Reds at Los Angeles DodgersAnother exciting baseball season is upon us, and it is time once again to look at the all-time team records for games that I have attended.  Another disappointing season dropped the winning percentage for the White Sox 7 points, giving them a 16 point drop over the past 2 years.

All-Time Team Records

TeamName Won Loss Winning Pctg
California Angels 1 0 1.000
Arizona Diamondbacks 13 2 0.867
Florida Marlins 15 8 0.652
Philadelphia Phillies 10 6 0.625
Toronto Blue Jays 10 7 0.588
New York Yankees 11 8 0.579
Colorado Rockies 7 6 0.538
Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim 15 13 0.536
Chicago White Sox 234 204 0.534
San Francisco Giants 8 7 0.533
Chicago Cubs 194 172 0.530
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#175 – Adam Russell

Name: Adam Russell

Rank: 175

Position: P

Year With White Sox: 2008

Adam Russell joined the White Sox as their 6th round draft pick in 2004.  He was called up to the major leagues in early May, 2008, but did not make it into a game before being returned to the minor leagues.  He returned and finally made his major league debut on June 17, pitching a perfect inning in the White Sox 16-5 drubbing of the Pirates.

As the year continued, Russell bounced back and forth between the White Sox bullpen and Triple A.  He finished the year with a 4-0 record and a 5.19 ERA in 22 appearances.  He was left off the playoff roster as the White Sox lost the ALDS to the Rays.

Russell spent all of 2009 in Triple A until July 31, when he was traded, along with Dexter Carter, Aaron Poreda, and Clayton Richard, to the Padres in exchange for Jake Peavy.

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

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#189 – Josh Fogg

JOSHFOGG.1

Name: Josh Fogg

Rank: 189

Position: P

Year With White Sox: 2001

Josh Fogg was selected by the White Sox in the 3rd round of the 1998 draft.  After quickly rising through the minor league system, Fogg earned a September call-up in 2001, appearing in 11 games.  His 2.03 ERA boded well for his earning a spot in the rotation the following year.

His future with the White Sox was cut short, though, as he was included in the ultimately disappointing deal that sent Fogg, along with fellow pitchers Kip Wells and Sean Lowe, to the Pirates in exchange for Todd Ritchie.

Fogg’s numbers in a White Sox uniform were:

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#193 – Damaso Marte

Name: Damaso Marte

Rank: 193

Position: P

Years With White Sox: 2002-2005

Damaso Marte was acquired by the White Sox from the Pirates towards the end of spring training in 2002 in exchange for Matt Guerrier.  The trade quickly paid dividends, as Marte became on of the most reliable arms in the White Sox bullpen during the 2002 season.  He compiled a 2.83 ERA in 68 games, converting 10 saves in the process.

In 2003, Marte was even more successful.  He lowered his ERA by over a run and saved 11 games in 71 appearances.  2004 started a slight decline for Marte, as his ERA jumped nearly 2 full runs.  He appeared in 74 games, but his innings pitched dropped from the year before.

Marte’s fortunes fell a little more in 2005, as he took on a new role in the bullpen.  While the White Sox held on to first place in the AL Central, Marte’s ERA rose again, while he put up his lowest totals in a White Sox uniform in games, saves, and innings pitched.

His most famous moment in a White Sox uniform, and perhaps his lowest, was his appearance in game 3 of the 2005 ALDS against the Red Sox.  After Freddy Garcia gave up a leadoff home run to Manny Ramirez in the bottom of the 6th to cut the White Sox lead to 1 run, Marte came in to replace him.  He gave up a single to Trot Nixon and then walked the next two batters before being replaced by Orlando Hernandez, leaving him the bases loaded and nobody out.

That likely would have been his final appearance with the White Sox, had game 3 of the World Series not gone 14 innings.  Marte entered the game in the bottom of the 13th, becoming the 8th pitcher of the evening for the White Sox.  He got through the 13th relatively unscathed, but ran in to some issues in the 14th, thanks to a walk and an error.  He was replaced by Mark Buehrle, who got the final out, giving Marte the win.

With the cleanup of the ticker tape parade barely completed, the White Sox shipped Damaso Marte out of town, sending him back to the Pirates in exchange for Rob Mackowiak.

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

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#195 – Dave LaPoint

MP10005566708_P255075_500X500Name: Dave LaPoint

Rank: 195

Position: P

Years With White Sox: 1987-1988

As the trade deadline drew near in July of 1987, the White Sox, 19 games under .500 and battling for last place in the AL West, sent an unknown minor leaguer to the Cardinals in exchange for Dave LaPoint.  3 days later, manager Jim Fregosi gave LaPoint the start against the Brewers, and he responded with 6 hitless innings before faltering in the 7th, getting the win in only his 3rd start of the season.

LaPoint made 11 more starts, alongside 2 relief appearances, down the stretch for the White Sox.  He finished with a 6-3 record and a 2.94 ERA as he headed to free agency.

Mere weeks before spring training began in 1988, LaPoint resigned with the White Sox.  He quickly became the statistical leader of the staff, putting up a 10-11 record with a team-leading 3.40 ERA.  On August 13, little more than a year after he was acquired, LaPoint was traded to the Pirates for reliever Barry Jones.  “I didn’t want to be traded,” LaPoint said at the time.  “This is one place I really wanted to stay.”

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

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2014 Predictions Revisited

MLB: Cincinnati Reds at Los Angeles DodgersBack in March, just as the baseball season was about to get underway, I made my annual predictions on who was going to win what.  Now that the regular season has come to an end, it is time to take a look back and see what, if anything, I got right.

American League

East: Rays

Well, not a great selection here, as the Rays finished 4th in the East.  Instead, the Orioles won the division for the first time since 1997.

Central: Tigers

It came down to the last day of the season, but the Tigers were able to hold off the upstart Royals and win the division for the fourth consecutive season.

West: Angels

Well, what do you know?  Year after year, I pick the Angels to win the division and year after year, they disappoint.  This year looked to be no different, but they caught fire just as the A’s started to fade, leading to their first divisional title since 2009.

Wild Cards: Red Sox, Rangers

Oof.  The Rangers, thank to injury after injury, finished the year with the worst record in the American League.  The Red Sox, fresh off a World Series title, were not too far behind.  Instead, the small market A’s and Royals took the wild card spots.

AL Champion: Tigers

Cy Young: David Price

MVP: Mike Trout

Only 1 of these still seem like viable choices.  The Tigers managed to get swept in the ALDS by the Orioles and David Price has little to no chance of bringing home another Cy Young Award. Mike Trout, meanwhile, is certainly still in the MVP conversation.

National League

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2014 Final Standings

MLB: Cincinnati Reds at Los Angeles Dodgers

The 2014 baseball season came to an end this past Sunday.  I made it to 35 games this year, in 4 stadiums across 3 states.  Here are the final standings for those games, and the 17 different teams that I saw in person.

Team Won Loss Winning Pctg
New York Yankees 2 0 1.000
San Francisco Giants 1 0 1.000
Pittsburgh Pirates 1 0 1.000
Cleveland Indians 1 0 1.000
Arizona Diamondbacks 1 0 1.000
Kansas City Royals 3 1 0.750
Chicago Cubs 3 2 0.600
San Diego Padres 1 1 0.500
Toronto Blue Jays 1 1 0.500
Houston Astros 1 1 0.500
Detroit Tigers 1 1 0.500
Chicago White Sox 14 17 0.452
Minnesota Twins Continue reading →
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Looking Forward To Next Year

MLB: Cincinnati Reds at Los Angeles DodgersMajor League Baseball released their tentative 2015 schedule earlier this week 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 on the road against the Royals on Monday, April 6.  The home season begins that Friday, when the Twins come to town for a 3 game set.

This year’s inter-league slate is against the NL Central, with the Reds, Pirates, Cubs, and Cardinals making trips to US Cellular Field, while the Sox hit the road to visit the Brewers, Pirates, Cardinals, and Cubs.

The White Sox finish the season at home against the Royals and Tigers, which would make for a great pennant race should the team be in contention.

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Ballpark Tour: Dodger Stadium

dodgerstadium

Stadium Name: Dodger Stadium

Location: Los Angeles

Home Team: Dodgers

Years in Service: 1962 – Present

Visits: 1

Following the 1957 season, the Dodgers fled Brooklyn and headed west to California, landing in Los Angeles.  The team played in the LA Coliseum while they built a new stadium at Chavez Ravine.  In 1962, 3 years after breaking ground, Dodger Stadium opened as the Reds topped the Dodgers in the season opener.

The following year, the Dodgers won their first World Series in their new home.  Between 1962 and 1965, Sandy Koufax threw three no hitters at the stadium, including a perfect game against the Cubs.  Four home runs have been hit out of Dodger Stadium, two of which were hit by Pirate great Willie Stargell.

Dodger Stadium is currently the third oldest park still in use, behind Fenway Park and Wrigley Field.  Two weeks ago, I made my first visit to the stadium to see the second home game of the 2014 slate, with the Dodgers taking on their long time rival Giants.  Thanks to traffic, I didn’t get to my seat until the 4th inning, by which point the Giants had secured a substantial lead.  I sprung for decent seats, which put me down on the lower level.  One odd thing about those lower sections were the aisles, which are so narrow that people could only go in one direction at a time.  I did also manage to score a fabled Dodger Dog, or at least the all beef version of it.  I hope to make it back some day for a repeat performance.