Active Batting Leaders – Through 2018

baseballs2Last month, we looked at the overall leaders on both sides of the ball from all of the games I’ve attended between 1984 and 2018.  Now that Opening Day is right around the corner, let’s take another look at those numbers, limiting it to players that are still active heading in to the 2019 season.  A few notable retirements will be hardly noticeable on these lists from last year.

Home Runs

Name Total
Jose Abreu 29
Avisail Garcia 15
Gordon Beckham 15
Melky Cabrera 14
Tim Anderson 12

Hits

Name Total
Jose Abreu 160
Gordon Beckham 144
Melky Cabrera 130
Adam Eaton 102
Avisail Garcia 101

Runs

Name Total
Gordon Beckham 83
Jose Abreu 77
Avisail Garcia 58
Alejandro de Aza 57
Adam Eaton 51

RBI

Name Total
Jose Abreu 90
Gordon Beckham 70
Melky Cabrera Continue reading →

Two Non-Tenders, A Trade, And A Pizza Place

Earlier today, the White Sox began clearing the deck of pieces they do not expect to be part of the team’s future success, dealing catcher Omar Narváez to the Mariners and not tendering 2019 contracts to Avisail García and Matt Davidson.  In return for Narváez, the White Sox received relief pitcher Álex Colomé.

Narváez, who broke out offensively last year and led the White Sox in fWAR, would, at first glance, seem to be someone to contribute to the future success of the White Sox.  His poor defense, however, would seem to say otherwise.  He was near the league’s worst in both passed balls and pitch framing, according to publicly available metrics, and the White Sox obviously thought he had little chance of improving.  Colomé should help improve a bullpen that was in dire need of talent at the end of 2018.

As for García and Davidson, the decision to cut ties with the duo probably had as much to do with their expected arbitration numbers than anything else.  García’s expected salary was around $8 million, which is chump change if he were to duplicate his 2017 season, but, at this point in his career, that does looks more and more to be an outlier.  With Eloy Jimenez expected to join the White Sox in mid-April, García became expendable.  Davidson, despite providing some unexpected flexibility last year as a mop-up reliever, never truly lived up to his potential.  He can still hit for power, but not much else, and the White Sox obviously thought they had seen everything there was to see from him.

García’s, Davidson’s, and Narváez’s numbers in a White Sox uniform, both for games I attended and overall, were: Continue reading →

Active Batting Leaders – Through 2017

baseballs2Last month, we looked at the overall leaders on both sides of the ball from all of the games I’ve attended between 1984 and 2017.  Now that Opening Day is right around the corner, let’s take another look at those numbers, limiting it to players that are still active heading in to the 2018 season.  A few notable retirements will completely change the complexion of these lists.

Home Runs

Name Total
Jose Abreu 27
Gordon Beckham 15
Melky Cabrera 14
Dayan Viciedo 14
Avisail Garcia 13

Hits

Name Total
Gordon Beckham 144
Jose Abreu 137
Melky Cabrera 130
Adam Eaton 102
Geovany Soto 97

Runs

Name Total
Gordon Beckham 83
Jose Abreu 67
Alejandro de Aza 57
Adam Eaton 51
Melky Cabrera 50
Avisail Garcia 50

RBI

Name Total
Jose Abreu 78
Gordon Beckham 70
Melky Cabrera Continue reading →

2017 Final Batting Leaders

MLB: Cincinnati Reds at Los Angeles DodgersAnother baseball season has come to an end, with the Cubs title defense falling a bit short thanks to the Dodgers in the NLCS and year one of the rebuild on the South Side looking fruitful.  Let’s take a look back at the offensive leaders for the 49 games, including the post-season, that I attended this season:

Home Runs

Name Total
Jose Abreu 10
Melky Cabrera 7
Avisail Garcia 7
Tim Anderson 5
Enrique Hernandez 5
Javier Baez 5

Hits

Name Total
Jose Abreu 44
Tim Anderson 35
Avisail Garcia 33
Melky Cabrera 33
Yolmer Sanchez 30

Runs

Name Total
Jose Abreu 22
Tim Anderson 18
Continue reading →

2017 All Star Break Batting Leaders

With the All Star Game on tap for tonight in Miami, with only one representative from both the Cubs and White Sox, let’s take a look at the first half offensive leaders for the 24 games I attended:

Home Runs

Name Total
Melky Cabrera 4
Kris Bryant 3
Todd Frazier 2
Mike Napoli 2
Deven Marrero 2
Matt Olson 2
Avisail Garcia 2

Hits

Name Total
Jose Abreu 18
Melky Cabrera 17
Avisail Garcia 14
Todd Frazier 12
Yolmer Sanchez 12

Runs

Name Total
Todd Frazier 9
Jose Abreu 9
Continue reading →

2016 Final Batting Leaders

MLB: Cincinnati Reds at Los Angeles DodgersAnother baseball season has come to an end, with a 108 year World Series championship drought broken on the North Side of town and yet more disappointment on the South Side.  Let’s take a look back at the offensive leaders for the 39 games, including the post-season, that I attended this season:

Home Runs

Name Total
Jose Abreu 8
Todd Frazier 5
Adam Eaton 5
Tim Anderson 3
Avisail Garcia 3
Manny Machado 3

Hits

Name Total
Jose Abreu 37
Melky Cabrera 35
Adam Eaton 30
Tim Anderson 26
Todd Frazier 23

Runs

Name Total
Jose Abreu 17
Adam Eaton 17
Continue reading →

2016 All Star Break Batting Leaders

baseballs3With the All Star Game on tap for tonight in San Diego, let’s take a look at the first half offensive leaders for the 18 games I attended:

Home Runs

Name Total
Todd Frazier 5
Jose Abreu 4
Adam Eaton 2
Tim Anderson 2
Cheslor Cuthbert 2
Dioner Navarro 2
Brett Lawrie 2
J.B. Shuck 2
Jeff Francoeur 2

Hits

Name Total
Jose Abreu 21
Melky Cabrera 18
Brett Lawrie 15
Todd Frazier 12
Adam Eaton 12

Runs

Name Total
Todd Frazier 11
Jose Abreu 8
Continue reading →

#95 – Alejandro de Aza

deazaName: Alejandro de Aza

Rank: 95

Position: CF/LF

Years With White Sox: 2010-2014

Following the 2009 season, Alejandro de Aza was claimed off waivers from the Marlins by the White Sox.  He spent most of the 2010 season in Charlotte, getting only 30 at bats with the White Sox, but putting up a .300 average in his limited opportunities.

2011 saw de Aza again splitting time between Charlotte and Chicago, and he continued to impress in the big leagues.  He appeared in 54 games for the White Sox, hitting .329 with an impressive .900 OPS.

de Aza broke in to the starting lineup in 2012, becoming the main center fielder for the White Sox.  His production fell off somewhat in the full time role, but he still managed to hit .281 with a .760 OPS.  He added a career high 26 stolen bases.

2013 saw de Aza set career highs in games played, at bats, hits, home runs, and RBIs.  But his average again dropped, now to .264, as the White Sox ended the year with their worst record since 1970.

2014 started with de Aza relegated to a back up role, thanks to the acquisition of Adam Eaton, but an early injury to Avisail Garcia thrust him back to the starting lineup.  His average dropped again, to .243, and his OPS fell under .700 for the first time with the White Sox.  At the end of August, with the White Sox again out of contention, de Aza was traded to the Orioles for 2 unheralded minor leaguers.

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

Continue reading →

#100 – Jake Peavy

CT sox-tigers05.JPG

Name: Jake Peavy

Rank: 100

Position: P

Years With White Sox: 2009-2013

The White Sox first traded for Jake Peavy on May 21, 2009, but Peavy invoked his no-trade clause to block the deal.  The next day, in a game against his soon-to-be cross town rival Cubs, Peavy injured his ankle running the bases and headed to the disabled list.  When the White Sox came around again at the trade deadline despite the lingering ankle injury, Peavy agreed to the deal and left the Padres to join the White Sox in exchange for Clayton Richard, Aaron Poreda, Adam Russell and Dexter Carter.  Peavy eventually managed to make 3 starts for the White Sox, winning all 3 and giving fans hope for the 2010 season.

After getting off to a rough start in 2010, Peavy got on a roll and strung together five consecutive victories until July 6, when he suffered a detached latissimus dorsi muscle, a rare injury that ended his season.  Peavy worked his way back to the White Sox rotation in 2011, but he needed time to adjust to his reattached muscle and rebuild his strength.

In 2012, Peavy led the surprising White Sox to a summer in first place and was named to the All Star team.  Unfortunately, the team faded down the stretch and finished behind the Tigers for the AL Central crown.  After the season, he avoided free agency by reupping with the White Sox, signing a two year, $29 million dollar extension with a vesting option for 2015.  Unfortunately, the late season collapse that doomed the White Sox in September of 2012 continued into 2013, as the team fell into the cellar and saw an opportunity to improve themselves by moving Peavy to the Red Sox in a three-way deal that would send Jose Iglesias to the Tigers and Avisail Garcia and three low level prospects to the White Sox.

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

Continue reading →

Happy Trails

larocheShocking developments out of Glendale today as Adam LaRoche walked out of White Sox camp and is expected to retire.  After telling team management and his teammates about his plans, they spent an hour trying to change his mind.  He is expected to take the next few days mulling over his decision before making things official.

LaRoche signed as a free agent on November 25, 2014, and was expected to provide some left handed power in the middle of the White Sox lineup in 2015.  To say things did not work out as planned would be a tremendous understatement.  His production fell off a cliff, finishing the year with a .207 batting average with only 12 home runs and 44 RBIs.  His second half was even worse, with a .231 OBP and a slugging percentage under .285.

He had appeared in only 2 games this spring while battling a back injury.  By walking away now, he leaves $13 million on the table, money the White Sox can use creatively should they find themselves in contention at the trade deadline.  Meanwhile, this should give Robin Ventura more flexibility while juggling Melky Cabrera, Adam Eaton, Austin Jackson, and Avisail Garcia.

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

Continue reading →