Tag / 2005 World Series

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#36 – Jose Contreras

Name: Jose Contreras

Rank: 36

Position: P

Years With White Sox: 2004-2009

Acquired at the trade deadline in 2004 from the Yankees in exchange for Esteban Loaiza, Jose Contreras joined the White Sox rotation for the remainder of the season, pitching inconsistently.  He finished the year 5-4 for the White Sox, with a 5.30 ERA in 13 starts.

Contreras got off to a slow start in 2005, entering the All Star break with a 4-3 record.  Thanks to an improved arm angle, Contreras caught fire in the second half, becoming one of the most dominating pitchers in the league.  He finished the year with a 15-7 record with a 3.61 ERA as the White Sox won their first AL Central title in 5 years.  Contreras got the nod in game 1 of the ALDS against the Red Sox, giving up 2 runs in 7 2/3 innings as the White Sox blew out the defending champions 14-2.  Contreras made two appearances in the ALCS, losing game 1 to the Angels before bouncing back and throwing the team’s fourth straight complete game in game 5, earning the victory and sending the White Sox to their first World Series since 1959.  He was back on the mound for game 1 of the Series, getting the victory as the White Sox defeated the Astros 5-3.

2006 saw Contreras continue his hot ways.  He started the season 9-0, breaking the team record for consecutive regular season victories previously held by LaMarr Hoyt and Wilson Alvarez.  He managed to extend his streak to 17 games, before losing to the Yankees on July 14.  After the All Star break, Contreras started to come back down to Earth, due in part to the extra workload from the previous post-season.  He posted a 5.40 ERA in the second half and finished the year 13-9 with a 4.27 ERA.

2007 was a down year for both the White Sox and Contreras.  His ERA jumped to 5.57 and finished the year 10-17.  2008 was starting to look a little better for Contreras, before a ruptured Achilles tendon ended his season on August 9th, causing him to miss the post-season.  He ended up with a 7-6 record and a 4.54 ERA.

Contreras started the 2009 season 0-5, earning himself a trip to Triple A Charlotte on May 10.  A month later, he was recalled to start the first game of a doubleheader against the Tigers, earning his first victory of the year.  He managed to improve his record to 5-13 with a 5.42 ERA by August 31, when he was traded to the Rockies.

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

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#38 – Juan Uribe

Name: Juan Uribe

Rank: 38

Position: 2B/SS

Years With White Sox: 2004-2008

Juan Uribe was acquired by the White Sox on December 2, 2003 from the Rockies for Aaron Miles.  He split time with Willie Harris at second base, hitting .283 while setting career highs in home runs, with 23, and RBIs, with 74.  He fell 1 RBI short of the White Sox single game team record on June 19, when he knocked in 7 runs against the Expos.

With the loss of Jose Valentin and the arrival of Tadahito Iguchi in 2005, Uribe moved to shortstop.  His defensive prowess, especially compared to Valentin, helped solidify a team that would go on to win its first division title since 2000.  Offensively, Uribe finished the year with a .252 average and 16 home runs.  In the ALDS, Uribe hit a robust .400 with 4 RBIs in the 3 game sweep of the Red Sox.  He hit .250 in both the ALCS against the Angels and the World Series against the Astros.  Defensively, he dove in to the stands to make the penultimate out in Game 4 of the World Series, before fielding the soft grounder hit by Orlando Palmeiro and throwing over to Paul Konerko to give the White Sox their first title in 88 years.

As the White Sox tried to defend their title, Uribe saw his average fall further in 2006.  He ended the year with a .235 average, though he did put up 21 home runs and 71 RBIs despite being limited to 132 games due to injuries.

2007 was a continuation of the poor offensive contributions from Uribe.  However, as the rest of the White Sox cratered, his holes became more noticeable.  He ended up with a .234 average, 20 home runs, and 68 RBIs.  The White Sox declined his option for 2008, but signed him to a new one year deal for the 2008 season.

After acquiring Orlando Cabrera, Uribe shifted back to second base to start 2008.  Unfortunately, an injury in May led to Alexei Ramirez cementing his place in the starting lineup.  Uribe saw action at third base after a back injury took down Joe Crede in late July.  Appearing in only 110 games, his lowest total since 2003, he finished the year with .247 average, 7 home runs, and 40 RBIs as the White Sox won their second AL Central title in his tenure.  Uribe fell in to a funk during the ALDS, hitting only .167 in the 4 game loss to the Rays.  After the season, Uribe became a free agent.

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

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#43 – Freddy Garcia

Name: Freddy Garcia

Rank: 43

Position: P

Years With White Sox: 2004-2006, 2009-2010

Freddy Garcia was acquired by the White Sox, along with Ben Davis, from the Mariners for Mike Morse, Miguel Olive, and Jeremy Reed on June 27, 2004.  Garcia, a friend of White Sox manager Ozzie Guillen, was cautiously optimistic about the move.  “You’ve got to be a professional,” Garcia said.  “Everybody knows he’s my friend, but I want to do business.  I’ll go there and pitch the way I can pitch.”  General Manager Kenny Williams thought the move gave the White Sox the ability to “challenge for the division in a better way.”  Garcia went 9-4 for the White Sox over the second half of the season, with a 4.46 ERA as the team did not exactly challenge for the division title.

Things fell into place for Garcia and the White Sox in 2005.  In 33 starts, Garcia went 14-8 with a 3.87 ERA as the White Sox did indeed earn that division title.  Garcia then added an additional 3 wins in 3 appearances during the post-season, including the clinching game 3 of the ALDS against the Red Sox and game 4 of the World Series against the Astros, where he threw 7 scoreless innings.

The 2006 season started under a bit of a cloud for Garcia, who tested positive for marijuana during the World Baseball Classic.  Once the season started, Garcia set numerous personal milestones, including his 1000th career strikeout and, on April 29, becoming the winningest Venezuelan native in baseball history, surpassing former White Sox hurler Wilson Alvarez.  He finished the year 17-9 with a 4.53 ERA.  On December 6, he was traded to the Phillies for young pitchers Gavin Floyd and Gio Gonzalez.

Garcia rejoined the White Sox organization on June 8, 2009, more than a month after being released by the Mets.  He made his first start in the big leagues on August 18 against the Royals, giving up 5 runs in only 4 1/3 innings.  He made 8 additional starts for the team and finished 3-4 with a 4.34 ERA.

He returned to the starting rotation in 2010, making 28 starts and going 12-6 with a 4.64 ERA.  After the season, he became a free agent.

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

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#44 – Sandy Alomar

Name: Sandy Alomar Jr.

Rank: 44

Position: C

Years With White Sox: 2001-2002, 2003-2004, 2006

Sandy Alomar Jr., son of former White Sox second baseman Sandy Alomar, signed with the team as a free agent on December 18, 2000.  Alomar, brought in to replace the departed Charles Johnson, split time behind the plate with Mark Johnson as the White Sox looked to defend their Central Division title from the year before.  Alomar appeared in 70 games, hitting .245 with a team low .634 OPS.

Johnson saw more playing time in 2002, as Alomar moved into more of a backup/mentor role.  Appearing in 51 games, Alomar improved his average to .287 and his OPS jumped to .794.  As the trade deadline approached and the White Sox destined to finish in the middle of the pack, Alomar was traded to the Rockies for a middling prospect who never developed.  Following the season, however, he re-signed with the White Sox as a free agent.

With Johnson traded in the offseason, rookie Miguel Olivo became the starting catcher in 2003, with Alomar back in the backup/mentor role.  Appearing in 75 games and garnering 194 at bats, Alomar hit .268 with an OPS of .689.

Alomar returned in 2004 and was one of 4 catchers to appear in at least 45 games for the White Sox.  He got 146 at bats and hit .240 with an OPS of .606.  Following the season, he left as a free agent.

Near the trade deadline in 2006, as the White Sox looked to bolster their roster to defend their World Series championship, Alomar was re-acquired for a third time, via trade from the Dodgers for a middling prospect.  Alomar appeared in 19 games for the White Sox, hitting .217 in 46 at bats, as the team fell short of the playoffs despite posting 90 wins.  Following the season, Alomar became a free agent, leaving the team for good.

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

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#47 – Jon Garland

Name: Jon Garland

Rank: 47

Position: P

Years With White Sox: 2000-2007

Jon Garland was acquired by the White Sox at the trade deadline in 1998 from the Cubs in exchange for Matt Karchner.  He made his major league debut on July 4, 2000 against the Royals, becoming the youngest player in the American League and earning the loss by giving up 7 runs in 3 innings pitched at Kauffman Stadium.  He appeared in 15 games in the big leagues, 13 of them starts, and finished the year 4-8 with a 6.46 ERA as the White Sox won the AL Central.

Garland returned to the minor leagues to start the 2001 season, but was recalled in early May.  On May 12, he gave up the 200th home run of Alex Rodriguez’s career.  He split time between the rotation and the bullpen, ending the year with a 6-7 record and 3.69 ERA in 35 games.  He also notched his only career save.

In 2002, Garland joined the White Sox starting rotation full time.  He started 33 games and went a pedestrian 12-12 with a 4.58 ERA.  2003 was more of the same, as he went 12-13 with a 4.51 ERA.  He evened things out in 2004, going 12-11 with a 4.89 ERA, giving him a 3 year record of 36-36.

Things turned around in 2005, for both Garland and the White Sox.  He earned his first, and only, All Star nod, throwing a scoreless inning in relief.  He finished the year with an 18-10 record and a career low 3.50 ERA, helping the White Sox claim their first Central Division title since 2000.  Garland made his first post-season appearance in game 3 of the ALCS against the Angels, throwing a complete game in the 5-2 victory.  Garland appeared again in game 3 of the World Series, giving up 2 earned runs in 7 innings against the Astros.  He came in 6th place in Cy Young Award voting, right behind teammate Mark Buehrle.

Garland continued his winning ways in 2006, again winning 18 games while losing only 7, though his ERA rose to 4.51.  He also found success at the plate, hitting his first (and only) career home run on June 18 against the Reds.

2007 was another average year for Garland, as the White Sox cratered.  He finished the year 10-13 with a 4.23 ERA and completed his fourth straight year over 200 innings.  On November 19, he was traded to the Angels for shortstop Orlando Cabrera, ending his White Sox career.

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

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Autographed Books – Sox And The City

soxandthecityRichard Roeper appears for the second time in our look at the hardcover books I’ve gotten autographed over the years with his look back at his White Sox fandom and the history of the south side franchise leading up to their World Series title in 2005.

This is the one of the only books I didn’t get autographed in person.  I bought the book pre-signed from the Borders in Matteson.

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#52 – Ken Williams

Name: Ken Williams

Rank: 52

Position: CF/3B

Years With White Sox: 1986-1988

Ken Williams was selected by the White Sox in the 3rd round of the 1982 draft.  He made his major league debut on September 2, 1986, going 1-4 in the White Sox 3-0 victory over the Royals in Kansas City.  He appeared in 15 games down the stretch, hitting an anemic .129.

Williams got extended playing time in 1987 and turned in his best season as a major leaguer.  He hit .281 with 11 home runs and 50 RBIs, playing primarily in center field.

Looking to keep his promising bat in the lineup, the White Sox tried to move Williams to third base for the 1988 season.  To say it did not go well would be an understatement.  Williams struggled both at the plate and in the field, hitting .159 in 220 at bats and posting a .860 fielding percentage.

The following spring, Williams was traded to the Tigers for pitcher Eric King.  Following his retirement, he rejoined the White Sox organization as a scout in November of 1992.  He served as a special assistant to Jerry Reinsdorf in 1994, director of minor league operations from 1995-1996, and vice president of player development from 1997-2000.  Following the promotion of Ron Schueler following the 2000 season, Williams was named general manager, just the third African American in baseball history to hold the position.

From 2001 through 2003, Williams and manager Jerry Manuel formed the first African American tandem to hold those positions in baseball history.  In 2005, Williams helped lead the White Sox to their first World Series title in 88 years.  Following the 2012 season, he was promoted to Executive Vice President of baseball operations, the role he still holds today.

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

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#58 – Pablo Ozuna

ozunaName: Pablo Ozuna

Rank: 58

Position: LF/3B

Years With White Sox: 2005-2008

Pablo Ozuna signed with the White Sox as a free agent in January of 2005.  He set career highs with 70 games, 203 at bats, 56 hits, 14 stolen bases, and 11 RBI.  Ozuna made two appearances in the 2005 post-season, both in the ALCS against the Angels.  In the second, he pinch ran for A.J. Pierzynski after the infamous dropped third strike call in the 9th inning of Game 2.  Following a stolen base, Ozuna scored the winning run on Joe Crede’s double, starting the White Sox 8 game winning streak to close out their first World Series title in 88 years.

Ozuna returned to the White Sox in 2006, where he set a new career high in games played with 79.  On May 3, he hit his first career home run, a solo shot with 2 outs in the 9th inning to tie the game.

An broken leg suffered in late May limited Ozuna to 27 games in 2007.  “Are we going to miss him? Yeah,” manager Ozzie Guillen said.  “We’re going to miss him like any of the guys because he’s a big piece in the club.”

Ozuna returned from the injury in 2008 and was performing well, hitting .281 in 32 games.  On July 8, with Paul Konerko coming off the disabled list a facing a roster crunch, Ozuna was designated for assignment.  On July 16, he was given his release, ending his White Sox career.

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

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Joy In Wrigleyville

wschamps-marqueeAfter falling behind 3 games to 1 against the Indians in the 2016 World Series, the Cubs rallied back to force a Game 7 for the ages.  After taking an early lead, the Cubs found themselves tied at the end of 9 innings thanks to an overused Aroldis Chapman.  A brief rain delay before the 10th let them catch their breath and they plated 2 runs before giving up 1 in the bottom of the 10th.  With the tying run on base and the winning run at the plate, Mike Montgomery managed to get Michael Martinez to ground out to Kris Bryant, ending the game and giving the Cubs their first World Series title since 1908 and the cities first title since 2005.

The Cubs spent most of 2016 as the best team in baseball and appeared to have the right attitude regarding the so-called curses that had stopped the team from even appearing in the Fall Classic since 1945.  Once the team won the NL Pennant two weekends ago, it looked like nothing would stop them from taking the title, especially not an Indians team that had a decimated starting rotation and was forced to use their remaining pitchers on short rest for the entire series.  After splitting the first two games at Progressive Field, the Cubs came home to Wrigley Field feeling confident, but dropped to next 2 games to leave the Indians one win away from their first title since 1948, the second longest title-drought in the Major Leagues.  Facing elimination, the Cubs managed to win the next 3 games.

With a throw from Kris Bryant to Anthony Rizzo, the Cubs managed to erase 108 years of futility and their identity as the “lovable losers.”  Nobody knows what the future now holds for the team.  There will be increased expectations and, probably, less tolerance for failure from a fan base that has had more than its fair share.  But those are worries for next spring.  For now, the Cubs, and their fans, can enjoy being on top of the baseball world for the first time since the Teddy Roosevelt administration.

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World Series Pitching Leaders

2016worldseriesFor the first time since 2005, the World Series returns to Chicago tonight as the Cubs face off against the Indians in game 3 with the Series knotted up at a game apiece.  Following up on Wednesday’s look at World Series offense, today we take a look at the pitching leaders from the 1 World Series game I’ve attended, game 2 of the 2005 World Series between the White Sox and the Astros at US Cellular Field.

Wins

Name Total
Neal Cotts 1

Losses

Name Total
Brad Lidge 1

ERA (> 2 IP)

Name Total
Andy Pettitte 3.00
Mark Buehrle 5.14

Strikeouts

Name Total
Mark Buehrle 6
Andy Pettitte 4
Cliff Politte 1
Bobby Jenks 1
Dan Wheeler 1

Appearances

Name Total
Mark Buehrle 1
Andy Pettitte 1
Cliff Politte 1
Bobby Jenks 1
Dan Wheeler 1
Mike Gallo 1
Neal Cotts 1
Chad Qualls 1
Brad Lidge 1

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Name Total