Tag / Angels

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#20 – Bobby Jenks

Name: Bobby Jenks

Rank: 20

Position: P

Years With White Sox: 2005-2010

Bobby Jenks joined the White Sox organization on December 17, 2004, when he was selected off waivers from the Angels.  After starting the year in Double A Birmingham, he was called up to the big league club on July 5 and made his major league debut the following day, throwing a scoreless inning against the Devil Rays at US Cellular Field.  When Shingo Takatsu proved ineffective and Dustin Hermanson went down with a back injury, Jenks became the closer in September.  He finished the regular season with 6 saves, to go along with a 1-1 record and a 2.75 ERA.  In the ALDS against the Red Sox, he threw 3 scoreless innings and picked up 2 saves in the 3 game sweep.  Thanks to the 4 complete games in the ALCS against the Angels, Jenks was well rested for the World Series.  He appeared in all 4 games against the Astros, throwing 5 innings and earning the save in Games 1 and 4.

With a World Championship under his belt, Jenks became the full time closer in 2006.  He earned his first All Star nod, and became the first White Sox pitcher to notch a save in the Mid-Summer Classic.  Despite a 4.00 ERA, he finished the year with 41 saves in 45 chances while compiling a 3-4 record.

2007 was a down year for the White Sox, but a good one for Jenks.  He made his second straight All Star team and lowered his ERA to 2.77.  He tied a major league record on August 12, when he retired 41st consecutive batter, becoming the first reliever to achieve the feat.  He finished the year with 40 saves and a 3-5 record in 66 appearances.

Jenks continued his dominant ways in 2008, as the White Sox bounced back in to contention.  He finished with a winning record for the only time in his career and set a career low with a 2.63 ERA.  He notched 30 saves and helped the White Sox return to the post season for the first time since his rookie year.  He threw a scoreless inning in picking up the save in the only White Sox victory in the ALDS against the Rays.

In 2009, Jenks started to struggle, as his ERA and WHIP were up while his strikeouts were down.  Finishing the year with a 3-4 record, his ERA was 3.71 and his save total dropped to 29, his lowest full-season total to date.

2010 was Jenks’ worst year with the White Sox.  His ERA rose again, to 4.44, and his WHIP was up again as well.  Despite his highest strike out total since 2006, he ended the year with a 1-3 record and only 27 saves.  Following the season, the White Sox declined to tender him a contract for the 2011 season, making him a free agent.

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

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56 Forever

On Saturday, the White Sox retired Mark Buehrle’s #56, making him the 12th player (including Jackie Robinson) to receive the honor.  Buehrle first came up during the 2000 season, working out of the bullpen for the eventual division champions.  He moved into the rotation the following season, and stayed there for the next 11 seasons.  During that time, there were numerous memorable appearances, many of which I was privileged to see in person.

The 2007 no-hitter against the Rangers.

The 2009 perfect game against the Rays.

Winning Game 2 of the 2005 ALCS against the Angels, thanks to AJ Pierzynski’s heads-up baserunning, and starting the streak of 4 straight complete games.

The 1 hour 36 minute game against the Mariners in 2005.

The no look, through his legs flip to Paul Konerko on Opening Day 2010 against the Indians.

And, of course, his performance in the 2005 World Series, starting Game 2, getting a no decision, and coming in to pitch the 14th inning and earning the save in Game 3.

In White Sox annals, Buehrle is currently fifth all-time in strikeouts, sixth in games started, and eighth in wins and innings pitched.  More importantly, he is number one in the hearts of an appreciative fan base.

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It’s Been A While

Prior to last night’s game, I hadn’t seen the Rockies live since August of 2012, nearly 5 years ago.  For someone with season tickets to two teams, one in each league, that is a long drought.  This got me thinking about the other 29 teams.

You would think that I would cycle through each team every few years or so.  And, for the most part, that does seem to be the case.  I’ve already seen 12 teams in 2017, and the season is just over 2 months old.  Going back to last year, that number jumps to 22 and, going back to 2015, 25.  That’s over 83% of the league in the past 2+ seasons.

What about those remaining 5 teams?  The Astros and Diamondbacks last appeared in 2014, with the Marlins and the Nationals in the two years prior.  That leaves the Phillies, who I have somehow not managed to see in person since 2009.  I’ve seen the Florida Marlins more recently.  Anyway, here’s a look at each team and the last time I saw them play.

Team Name Date
Colorado Rockies 6/8/2017
Chicago Cubs 6/8/2017
Chicago White Sox 5/30/2017
Boston Red Sox 5/30/2017
Detroit Tigers 5/28/2017
San Diego Padres 5/13/2017
New York Yankees 5/7/2017
Kansas City Royals 4/25/2017
Cleveland Indians 4/23/2017
Pittsburgh Pirates 4/15/2017
Los Angeles Dodgers 4/12/2017
Minnesota Twins 4/9/2017
San Francisco Giants 10/8/2016
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#30 – Greg Walker

Name: Greg Walker

Rank: 30

Position: 1B

Years With White Sox: 1982-1990

Acquired as a rule 5 selection from the Phillies in 1979, Greg Walker made his major league debut for the White Sox on September 18, 1982, pinch hitting for Marc Hill and getting a hit against Brian Kingman in the White Sox 5-4 loss to the A’s at Comiskey Park.  During his brief cup of coffee with the big league club, Walker took advantage, hitting .412 with 2 home runs in 11 games.

Walker split time with Tom Paciorek in 1983, hitting .270 with 10 home runs and 55 RBIs in 118 games.  He led the American League with 15 pinch hit RBIs.  He appeared in 2 games during the ALCS against the Orioles, going 1-3 with a walk.

In 1984, Walker started to establish himself as the every day first baseman.  In 136 games, he hit 24 home runs while posting a .294 average.  He hit another 24 home runs in 1985 while tying a White Sox record with 163 games played.

1986 saw Walker spend time on the disabled list, limiting him to 78 games and only 13 home runs, with a .277 average.  He bounced back in 1987, appearing in 157 games and setting career highs with 27 home runs and 94 RBIs while hitting a career low .256.

Walker’s 1988 season came to a premature end on July 30, when he suffered a seizure during batting practice while fielding grounders from coach Ed Brinkman.  Four trainers were needed to hold Walker down and pry open his mouth to prevent Walker from swallowing his own tongue.  During the ordeal, Walker bit his tongue and chipped a tooth from biting down on a pair of scissors.  A subsequent seizure the following day kept Walker in the hospital for 11 days.  A third seizure, days after being released from the hospital, left him in a daze for months.

He returned in 1989, unsure if he would be able to continue his career, until a .308 spring average with 7 home runs convinced him, and the White Sox, that he once again could be a productive member of the lineup.  He wasted little time in getting back in the swing of things, participating in an Opening Day brawl against the Angels after Bob McClure hit Ivan Calderon with a pitch in the ninth inning.  The good feelings did not last, though, as he appeared in only 77 games due to a shoulder injury and hit a career low .210 with only 5 home runs.

Walker found himself the odd man out in 1990, appearing in only 2 games before being released on April 30.

Walker rejoined the White Sox organization on May 19, 2003 as hitting coach, a position he would hold until September 28, 2011 in the waning days of Ozzie Guillen’s tenure.

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

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All Time Team Records

baseballs3Yet another 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 dating back to 1984.  The Cubs begin the season as defending champions for the first time since 1909 while the White Sox finally start their long-overdue rebuilding effort, so both sides of town are pointing in different directions.  Either way, the 2017 season should be an exciting one.

All-Time Team Records
Team Name 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 13 9 0.591
New York Yankees 12 9 0.571
Los Angeles Angels 16 13 0.552
Boston Red Sox 14 12 0.538
Colorado Rockies 7 6 0.538
Chicago Cubs 203 179 0.531
Chicago White Sox 267 237 0.530
Cleveland Indians 23 21 0.523
Kansas City Royals Continue reading →
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Team Stats: Home Run

With 1 week until baseball in Chicago returns, I thought it would be interesting to look at the all time rankings in both offensive and defensive categories for all iterations of the current 30 teams for the 833 games I’ve identified that I have attended. We finish up today on the offensive side of the ball with home runs.

As you might expect by this point, the White Sox and Cubs, based on the raw numbers, are far and away the leaders in this category, as they are the teams I’ve seen the most.  When you adjust the numbers per game, the California incarnation of the Angels and the Diamondbacks are the only teams at or above 2 home runs per game.  The Nationals and the Anaheim version of the Angels are the only teams with less than a home run every other game.

Home Runs
Team Name Home Runs
Chicago White Sox 605
Chicago Cubs 437
Cleveland Indians 53
Kansas City Royals 48
Detroit Tigers 45
Minnesota Twins 44
Houston Astros 40
Texas Rangers 40
Milwaukee Brewers 39
Seattle Mariners Continue reading →
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Team Stats: Earned Run Average

With 2 weeks until baseball in Chicago returns, I thought it would be interesting to look at the all time rankings in both offensive and defensive categories for all iterations of the current 30 teams for the 833 games I’ve identified that I have attended. We continue today on the defensive side of the ball with earned run average.

Both the White Sox and Cubs are in the top half for team ERA, at 4.10 and 3.97 respectively.  The Anaheim iteration of the Angels lead the way at just under 2.60.  Their earlier counterparts from California are on the opposite end of the spectrum, clocking in at an even 6.00.

Earned Run Average
Team Name ERA
Anaheim Angels 2.59620377314948
Arizona Diamondbacks 2.77443609022556
San Francisco Giants 2.91412259138847
Montreal Expos 3.4000755572346
Los Angeles Angels 3.58378597800244
Philadelphia Phillies 3.69343107010444
Washington Nationals 3.74644733442425
Boston Red Sox 3.87378352436825
Miami Marlins 3.9375
Oakland Athletics Continue reading →
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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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Team Stats: Runs Batted In

With 3 weeks until baseball in Chicago returns, I thought it would be interesting to look at the all time rankings in both offensive and defensive categories for all iterations of the current 30 teams for the 833 games I’ve identified that I have attended. We continue today on the offensive side of the ball with runs batted in.

Based on the raw numbers, the White Sox and Cubs are far and away the leaders in this category, as they are the teams I’ve seen the most.  When you adjust the numbers per game, the California iteration of the Angels and the Devil Rays lead the way as the only teams over 6.  The Nationals and the Miami incarnation of the Marlins are the only teams that failed to average 3 runs batted in per game.

Runs Batted In
Team Name RBIs
Chicago White Sox 2209
Chicago Cubs 1677
Cleveland Indians 227
Minnesota Twins 184
Detroit Tigers 182
Kansas City Royals 178
Houston Astros 175
Milwaukee Brewers 170
Cincinnati Reds 168
Pittsburgh Pirates Continue reading →
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Team Stats: Strike Outs

With 1 month until baseball in Chicago returns, I thought it would be interesting to look at the all time rankings in both offensive and defensive categories for all iterations of the current 30 teams for the 833 games I’ve identified that I have attended. We continue today on the defensive side of the ball with strike outs.

Based on the raw numbers, the White Sox and Cubs are far and away the leaders in this category, as they are the teams I’ve seen the most.  When you adjust the numbers per game, both teams, along with the Brewers, fare the best as well.  The Cubs lead the way with just over 8 strike outs per game.  The California version of the Angels, the Miami iteration of the Marlins, and the Devil Rays bring up the rear with an even 5 strike outs per game.

Strike Outs
Team Name Strike Outs
Chicago White Sox 3851
Chicago Cubs 3075
Kansas City Royals 339
Minnesota Twins 330
Cleveland Indians 292
Milwaukee Brewers 285
Houston Astros 281
Pittsburgh Pirates 257
Detroit Tigers 252
Cincinnati Reds Continue reading →