Tag / Rudy Law

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By The Numbers – 11

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 #11.  59 different players have donned #11 while playing in Chicago, 18 for the White Sox, who retired the number in 1984, and 41 for the Cubs.

Rudy Law was acquired by the White Sox from the Dodgers at the end of spring training in 1982 for Cecil Espy and Bert Geiger.  Wearing #11, Law split center field duties with veteran Ron Leflore, appearing in 91 games in the middle of the outfield.  He hit .318 with a .361 OBP, stealing 36 bases along the way.  Law took over as the everyday center fielder in 1983, helping the White Sox claim their first division title.  His 77 stolen bases remain a team record, and he finished the year with a .283 average.  During the ALCS against the Orioles, he led the White Sox with a .389 average.  His season was good enough to earn him 2 votes for MVP, tied for 21st place.  Law was forced to change his number during the 1984 season when Luis Aparicio was elected to the Hall of Fame and the White Sox retired the number in his honor.

Another #11 made their way to Chicago via the Dodgers when the Cubs acquired third baseman Ron Cey following the 1982 season.  Cey provided veteran leadership for the Cubs over four seasons and, in 1984, helped lead the Cubs to a division title, hitting 25 homers and driving in 97 runs, both team highs.

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#37 – Rudy Law

Name: Rudy Law

Rank: 37

Position: CF

Years With White Sox: 1982-1985

Rudy Law was acquired by the White Sox from the Dodgers at the end of spring training in 1982 for Cecil Espy and Bert Geiger.  Law split center field duties with veteran Ron Leflore, appearing in 91 games in the middle of the outfield.  He hit .318 with a .361 OBP, stealing 36 bases along the way.

Law took over as the everyday center fielder in 1983, helping the White Sox claim their first division title.  His 77 stolen bases remain a team record, and he finished the year with a .283 average.  During the ALCS against the Orioles, he led the White Sox with a .389 average.  His season was good enough to earn him 2 votes for MVP, tied for 21st place.

1984 saw Law, and the White Sox, fail to repeat their performance from the previous year.  While he set a career high with 6 home runs, his average dropped to .251 and his stolen base total cratered to 29.  Sadly, he also set a career high with 17 caught stealings, 5 more than 1983 despite nearly half as many attempts.

Law’s 1985 production was more of the same, but, having moved to left field, fell noticeably short of expectations.  His average raised slightly to .259 and again he only managed 29 stolen bases with 31 extra base hits.

A hot spring training showing by John Cangelosi in 1986 left Law as the odd man out in the outfield, and he was released on April 1, ending his White Sox career.

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

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#82 – John Cangelosi

cangelosiName: John Cangelosi

Rank: 82

Position: OF

Year With White Sox: 1985-1986

John Cangelosi was selected by the White Sox in the 4th round of the 1982 January draft.  He made his major league debut on June 30, 1985, going 0-2 in the White Sox 4-3 loss to the Twins at Comiskey Park.  He appeared in 4 more games during the 1985 seasons, earning 1 additional plate appearance.

In 1986, Cangelosi surprised everyone by earning the center fielder job in spring training, beating out Rudy Law and Daryl Boston.  He finished the year with a .235 batting average, but set an American League rookie record with 50 stolen bases.

The following spring, Cangelosi did not repeat his impressive performance and, on March 27, he was traded to the Pirates for Jim Winn.  He returned to the organization on a minor league deal in 1991, but was traded to the Brewers for Esteban Beltre less than 2 months later.

Cangelosi’s numbers in a White Sox uniform were:

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#105 – Juan Pierre

juanpierre

Name: Juan Pierre

Rank: 105

Position: LF

Years With White Sox: 2010-2011

Juan Pierre came to the White Sox from the Dodgers in exchange for Jon Link and John Ely on December 15, 2009.  He moved in to the leadoff spot and left field for the 2010 White Sox, putting up a solid season offensively with a .275 average with 22 extra base hits.  He led all of MLB with 68 stolen bases, the second highest total in franchise history behind Rudy Law’s total of 77 in 1983.

2011 saw Pierre just as effective with the bat, but saw large drop-offs both on the basepaths and in the outfield.  His stolen base total dropped to 27, while he was caught 17 times.  He also tied for the league lead for all left fielders with 7 errors.  Following the season, he became a free agent.

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

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