Another great week, with every day surpassing the 6000 step plateau for the second consecutive week. Things got off to a good start on Sunday, thanks to a nice walk around the neighborhood. The work week was pretty non-descript, except for Wednesday, which broke the 10,000 step barrier thanks to yet another neighborhood walk. Saturday was a return to baseball at US Cellular Field.
Total steps: 51,930
Daily average: 7418.6
I posted my highest step total since the Disney trip last week, despite 2 days falling short of my 6000 step goal. Things got off to a slow start on Sunday, as I barely hit 3500 steps. Things picked back up on Monday and Tuesday thanks to normal work activities. Wednesday had a pretty good total, good enough for my 14th highest total to date, thanks to a post-work trip down to US Cellular Field for a pre-game session with White Sox GM Rich Hahn followed by a tilt between the Sox Red and White. Thursday also had a decent total due to post-work activities, this time a trip down to the Adler Planetarium for an exciting science lecture with Val. Friday, I failed to hit the 6000 step mark after working from home then making a return trip to US Cellular Field to watch batting practice and then a tilt between the White Sox and the Twins. Saturday’s regularly scheduled baseball game enabled me to surpass the 6000 step mark for the day and 54,000 steps for the week.
Total steps: 54,080
Daily average: 7725.7
John Danks, the longest tenured member of the White Sox heading in to the 2016 season, saw his White Sox career come to an end yesterday when the team announced he has been designated for assignment after refusing a minor league assignment. Danks, who is 0-4 with a 7.25 ERA this season, is in the final season of his contract and is due $14.25 million this year.
Danks was acquired by the White Sox, along with Nick Masset, from the Rangers for Brandon McCarthy following the 2006 season. He broke camp with the Sox in 2007 and made his major league debut on April 8, picking up the loss against the Twins at US Cellular Field. Danks, along with the rest of the White Sox, struggled through 2007, finishing the year with a 6-13 record and a 5.50 ERA.
2008 was a different story for both the White Sox and Danks. Posting a career-best 3.32 ERA, Danks finished the year at 12-9 and had quite possibly the best outing of his career in game 163, throwing 8 scoreless innings of 2 hit ball against the Twins to secure the Central Division title. Less than a week later, he picked up the lone White Sox victory in the ALDS against the Rays.
Danks had continued success in both 2009 and 2010, combining for a 28-22 record over the two years, with an ERA in the 3.70s both years. 2011 went south for both the White Sox and John Danks, as his ERA jumped to 4.33 while manager Ozzie Guillen lost control of the team before leaving in the final week to head to the Marlins. Following the season, the White Sox signaled their faith in Danks, signing him to a 5 year extension worth $65 million.
Danks struggled through 9 starts in 2012 before hitting the disabled list with a mysterious shoulder injury. When he finally underwent surgery, doctors found a torn shoulder capsule. Very few pitchers have undergone this surgery, and even fewer have successfully returned to the same level they were before the injury.
Sadly, Danks’ recovery did not happen as anyone would have wanted, though not for a lack of effort. He returned in 2013, making 22 starts and going 4-14 with a 4.75 ERA. 2014 was more of the same, as his ERA was 4.74, though his record improved to 11-11. And last year, again, saw Danks put up an ERA of 4.71 in 30 starts.
With the White Sox in contention after a successful April and John Danks earning half of the teams losses, being an innings eater was no longer good enough. Unfortunately, the injury robbed him or what should have been his prime, and one hopes he can reinvent himself somewhere and continue his major league career.
A good week, and my first with all 7 days above 6000 steps since I got sick in early March. Things got off to a good start on Sunday, when, with the weather finally starting to turn, I took my first walk around the neighborhood of the season. Monday broke past the 10,000 step plateau as I headed down to US Cellular Field after work to watch the White Sox fall to the Angels. The weather turned again on Tuesday, but, thanks to the afternoon coffee run, I managed to stay above 6000 steps, as I did on Wednesday and Thursday. Friday lacked the coffee run and almost didn’t reach my goal, but managed to just sneak by. Saturday was helped along by another trip to the ballpark.
Total steps: 51,058
Daily average: 7294
Name: Esteban Loaiza
Rank: 98
Position: P
Years With White Sox: 2003-2004, 2008
Esteban Loaiza signed with the White Sox as a free agent on January 24, 2003, with the hopes of shoring up the back end of the rotation. He quickly became the ace of the staff, setting career highs in wins, ERA, innings pitched, and strike outs. When the All Star Game made its way to US Cellular Field, he was selected as the starting pitcher for the American League. By season’s end, he had tied Fernando Valenzuela’s single season win record by a Mexican-born pitcher with 21 and found himself finishing in second place for the AL Cy Young Award.
Loaiza came back down to Earth somewhat in 2004, as his ERA jumped back up from 2.90 to 4.86. He was selected to his second straight All Star team, but, later that month, he was traded to the Yankees for Jose Contreras and cash.
Loaiza returned to the White Sox in 2008 after being cut by the Dodgers. He signed on June 4, made 3 relief appearances, and spent 6 weeks on the disabled list before being released, ending his White Sox, and major league, career.
Loaiza’s numbers in a White Sox uniform, both for games I attended and overall, were:
Name: Brian Anderson
Rank: 99
Position: CF
Years With White Sox: 2005-2009
Brian Anderson joined the White Sox organization as the 15th overall pick in the 2003 draft. He made his major league debut on August 16, 2005, going 2-7 in a 9-4 loss to the Twins at US Cellular Field. He appeared in only 13 games for the big league club in 2005, as the White Sox battle for the division crown went down to the final weekend. Anderson was left off the playoff roster, but still spent the time with the team, joining Aaron Rowand in doubting the walk-off home run Scott Podsednik hit in Game 2 of the World Series.
When Rowand was traded to the Phillies prior to the 2006 season, Anderson became the new starting center fielder. Unfortunately, he was unable to reproduce his minor league success at the major league level, eventually losing playing time to Rob Mackowiak. He finished the year with a .225 average, striking out 90 times in only 365 at bats.
2007 turned in to a lost season for Anderson, as he lost his starting job to Darin Erstad and appeared in only 13 games, with an anemic .118 average, before being sent back to Triple A Charlotte. He managed to boost his average back up in the minors, but an injury ended his season early.
Anderson returned to the big leagues in 2008 with a renewed focus, but it did not translate to better results in the field. He spent most of the year as a backup and as a late inning defensive replacement for Ken Griffey Jr. The highlight of his season was the diving catch he made to end the tiebreaker game 163 that sent the White Sox to the playoffs. This time, Anderson made the playoff roster, but he went hitless in 5 at bats across 3 games in the White Sox loss to the Rays in the ALDS.
Anderson found himself in the same position in 2009, until the trade deadline approached, when he was traded to the Red Sox for Mark Kotsay.
Anderson returned to the White Sox organization on January 15, 2015, signing a minor league deal, but he was released on April 2nd, ending his professional career.
Anderson’s numbers in a White Sox uniform, both for games I attended and overall, were:
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.
The 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.
Finally, 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.
To celebrate the 25th anniversary of US Cellular Field, the White Sox are asking fans to vote for the top moment in US Cellular Field history, broken down into 4 brackets: Postseason Perks, Memorable Moments, Records and Milestones, and Honors and More. Today, we shall take a look at the first 2 groupings of these moments and decide which is the best.
The Postseason Peaks region boasts 6 entries from or related to the 2005 World Series champions plus another 2 from the team’s last division winner in 2008. The disappointing post-season appearances from 1993 and 2000 are left out altogether. As an added plus, I attended all of the games in this region.
The first match-up is a no-brainer, with Scott Podsednik’s walk-off home run to win Game 2 of the World Series pitted against Alexei Ramirez’s grand slam against the Tigers to force game 163 against the Twins for the division crown. With all due respect to Alexei, Podsednik takes this with ease.
The next battle is between the aforementioned game 163, the Blackout Game that sent the White Sox to the playoffs, against Joe Crede’s walk-off single against the Angels in Game 2 of the 2005 ALCS. While the Blackout was great fun, it was just a regular season game. Crede’s hit, following the A.J. Pierzynski drama, would have blown the roof off the place, if it had one.
Next, we have the unfair fight of Paul Konerko’s grand slam in Game 2 of the 2005 World Series versus Tadahito Iguchi’s go-ahead home run against the Red Sox in Game 2 of the ALDS. No real contest here.
The final match-up is again from Game 2 of the 2005 ALCS, when Pierzynski struck out and somehow managed to get the umpires to let him take first base, going up against the second game of the 2006 season, when the White Sox received their World Series championship rings. While the ring ceremony was indeed cool, it can’t beat the game action of one of the smartest players in baseball using his wits to outduel the opponent.
We now turn our attention to the Memorable Moments region, a more varied group of games, only 5 of which I managed to attend.
We begin with the second to last day of the 2014 season, when the White Sox honored their retiring captain with a special ceremony, doing battle against the July 7, 1999 contest against the Royals where Chris Singleton hit for the cycle. Once again, I’ll have to give the nod to Konerko.
The next match-up pits Frank Thomas, hitting the first White Sox home run at the then-New Comiskey Park on April 22, 1991 against Bo Jackson’s home run in the division-clinching game on September 27, 1993. You can’t really go wrong with either of these, to be honest.
The next battle is between Mark Buerhle’s kick save followed by a flip between the legs which Paul Konerko barehanded for the putout on Opening Day 2010 and the 10 year reunion of the 2005 champions last summer. I’ll give the nod to Buehrle.
The last match-up features the White Sox game against the Yankees on September 18, 2001, the first game after the tragedy of 9/11 versus Carlos Lee’s 10th inning walk-off grand slam off Courtney Duncan in the June 8, 2001 victory over the Cubs. While Lee’s hit is obviously the better baseball moment, the meaning of the return to the field after the attack on New York and the Pentagon have a greater meaning overall.
Coming out of these brackets, you have either Konerko or Podsednik’s home run from Game 2 of the World Series going up against Buehrle’s play against the Indians on Opening Day 2010. We’ll check out the remaining 2 regions next week.
A troublesome week got off to a slow start on Sunday, barely surpassing 3000 steps. Things improved throughout the work week, though most days were lower than what we have been used to. Friday was opening day for the White Sox, so I got a big boost from the trip down to US Cellular Field. Saturday’s numbers are truncated, as I somehow managed to lose my Fitbit while at the White Sox game. A trip to Target after the game got me a new one, but the steps I acquired during the game and after are now lost forever.
Total steps: 42,804
Daily average: 6114.9
Michael celebrates his golden birthday today, turning 11 on the 11th. To celebrate, here is a photo of him from last summer waiting in line to run the bases after a White Sox game at US Cellular Field.