Tag / Chris Getz

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#134 – Josh Fields

Name: Josh Fields

Rank: 134

Position: 3B

Years With White Sox: 2006-2009

Josh Fields joined the White Sox organization as their first round pick in the 2004 draft.  He made his major league debut on September 13, 2006 as a defensive replacement in the White Sox 9-0 victory over the Angels.  6 days later, Fields became the third White Sox player, following Carlos Lee and Miguel Olivo, to homer in their first major league at bat.

Fields entered the 2007 season rated as the second-best prospect in the White Sox organization, and got his first chance at extended playing time in the major leagues when Joe Crede went down with a season-ending back injury.  Fields appeared to be one of the bright spots on that miserable team, finishing the year with a .244 average and 24 home runs in only 100 games, good enough for one third place Rookie of the Year vote.

With a healthy Crede back in the fold for 2008, Fields returned to Triple A, where he had a disappointing, injury-marred season.

Fields became the starting third baseman in 2009, with Joe Crede moving on to the Twins.  Fields appeared in 79 games, but struggled to hit with consistency and was eventually replaced by rookie Gordon Beckham.  The highlight of his season came on July 23, when he hit a grand slam and recorded the final putout in Mark Buerhle’s perfect game against the Rays.

Following the season, Fields, along with Chris Getz, was traded to the Royals for Mark Teahen.

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

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#186 – Mark Teahen

Seattle Mariners v Chicago White SoxName: Mark Teahen

Rank: 186

Position: 3B

Years With White Sox: 2010-2011

Following the old adage that if you can’t beat them, join them, the White Sox sent Josh Fields and Chris Getz to the Royals in exchange for Mark Teahen, who had terrorized White Sox pitching.  Teahen got off to a slow start in 2010, but was starting to come around, putting up a .368 average in the 12 games prior to breaking his right middle finger on May 30.

He returned in mid August and finished the year with a .258 average in a career low 78 games.

Teahen returned in 2011, but again fell victim to the injury bug, suffering an oblique injury in early May.  He returned in early June, but struggled with reduced playing time.  As the trading deadline approached, he was packaged with Edwin Jackson in a deal with the Blue Jays, bringing back pitchers Jason Frasor and Zach Stewart.

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

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All Season Batting Leaders – Through 2014

MLB: Cincinnati Reds at Los Angeles DodgersThree years ago, we took our first look at the offensive stat leaders per season for the all the games I’ve attended since 1984.  While there hasn’t been a whole lot of movement in the 3 seasons since, I figured the time was right to take another look.  So, without further ado, here’s the updated list.  We start, as always, with everyone’s favorite offensive stat:

Home Runs

Year Name Total
2010 Paul Konerko 17
2004 Mosies Alou 15
2004 Corey Patterson 13
2004 Sammy Sosa 13
2003 Moises Alou 12
2008 Carlos Quentin 12

Hits

Year Name Total
2003 Mark Grudzielanek 67
2004 Moises Alou 57
2003 Moises Alou 57
2007 Derrek Lee 57
2006 Orlando Cabrera 56

Runs

Year Name Total
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All Season Batting Leaders – Through 2011

Offensive stat leaders per season for the all the games I’ve attended from 1984 – 2011.

Home Runs

Year Name Total
2010 Paul Konerko 17
2004 Mosies Alou 15
2004 Corey Patterson 13
2004 Sammy Sosa 13
2003 Moises Alou 12
2008 Carlos Quentin 12

Hits

Year Name Total
2003 Mark Grudzielanek 67
2004 Moises Alou 57
2003 Moises Alou 57
2007 Derrek Lee 57
2006 Orlando Cabrera 56

Runs

Year Name Total
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End Of An Era

Disappointing seasons up to this point means that both the White Sox (somewhat) and Cubs (completely) are sellers at the trade deadline.  The White Sox struck first, shipping Edwin Jackson and Mark Teahen to the Blue Jays for Jason Frasor and a minor league pitcher on Wednesday.  The Cubs followed up yesterday, shipping the underachieving and overpaid Kosuke Fukudome to the Indians for two unheralded minor leaguers, while still paying most of his remaining salary.

Jackson came to the White Sox at the trade deadline last season in a controversial trade that sent top pitching prospect Dan Hudson to the Diamondbacks.  Expectations at the time was that it was a move made in anticipation of a trade for Adam Dunn, as the Nationals were reportedly interested in Jackson.  When he wasn’t flipped to Washington, Jackson settled in to the White Sox rotation and did what he always did: fought through bouts of wildness to go along with his flashes of brilliance.  In the 7 starts I saw him make as a member of the White Sox, Jackson was 3-2 with a 3.59 ERA.

Teahen’s stay on the south side was slightly longer, and filled with a little less controversy.  Acquired from the Royals for Chris Getz and Josh Fields before the 2010 season, he was immediately signed to a long term extension.  A bad back made his defense at third base a travesty and, when he hit the DL last summer with a broken hand, the team immediately went on their hottest streak of the season.  I saw him appear in 37 games in his White Sox career, hitting a pedestrial .244 with 0 home runs, 8 doubles, and 5 RBI. 

When Fukudome signed out of the Japanese leagues, he was supposed to follow in the footsteps of Ichiro and Hideki Matsui.  He specifically chose the Cubs over other suitors, including the White Sox, because he would be their first Japanese player.  The fans ate him up, especially after he hit a walkoff home run in his first opening day as a member of the Cubs.  Unfortunately, it was all down hill from there.  After parlaying a good April into an All Star appearance, Fukudome struggled the rest of the rest of the season, eventually playing his way out of the starting lineup.  The same formula continued for the rest of his time on the North Side.  A strong start, then the long fade through the summer months.  It’s not that he was bad, but he was worth nowhere near what he was making.  In 80 career appearances as a Cub, he hit .257 in games I attended, with 1 HR, 17 doubles, 3 triples, and 20 RBI.