Tag / Draft

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#202 – Lucas Harrell

HarrellLucas

Name: Lucas Harrell

Rank: 202

Position: P

Years With White Sox: 2010-2011

Lucas Harrell was drafted by the White Sox in the 4th round of the 2004 draft.  He made his major league debut on July 30, 2010 thanks to travel issues that kept newly acquired pitcher Edwin Jackson from getting to Chicago.  Harrell went six innings against the A’s in picking up his first major league victory.

Harrell found his way back to Chicago at the end of August when Matt Thornton and J.J. Putz both went on the disabled list.  Things did not go as smoothly on his second go around, as the White Sox fell out of contention during September while Harrell battled control issues, walking more batters than he struck out.

Harrell came to spring training in 2011 in line to compete for the 5th starter spot, but struggled and found himself back in Triple A.  When Tony Pena went to the DL in late May, Harrell got another shot in the major leagues, which lasted 1 game.  He returned a little more than a week later when Jake Peavy went down with a groin injury.  He pitched twice before being sent down again when Peavy returned.  By early July, Harrell was placed on waivers and was claimed by the Astros.

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

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Wasted Potential

IMG_2096Gordon Beckham’s tenure on the south side came to an end yesterday when he was traded to the Angels for either a player to be named later or cash considerations.  His White Sox career, which started with such great promise, had failed to meet expectations and has consistently struggled to hit consistently since his rookie year in 2009.

Beckham was the 8th pick of the 2008 draft and was rushed through the White Sox system.  He made his major league debut on June 3, 2009, less than a year after being drafted.  He struggled from the get go, going 2 for 28 in his first eight games, but rebounded to put up a .270 average with 14 home runs and 28 doubles while playing third base.

The future looked bright for Beckham entering the 2010 season as he moved over to second base.  Unfortunately, he was unable to duplicate the success he had enjoyed the year before.  Early struggles relegated him to the bottom of the lineup, but he was able to rebound somewhat, getting his average back up to .252.  However, his OPS was down over 100 points from the year before.

2011 and 2012 saw Beckham’s offensive struggles continue.  His average dropped to the .230s during both seasons and his OPS continued to fall.  It seemed that he was finally putting things together in 2013, until he broke the hamate bone in his left wrist, which led to a career low in home runs and RBIs.

This year has been more of the same.  At the time of the trade, his average was a career-low .221, while his paycheck had expanded to $4.5 million.  He likely would have been moved prior to the trading deadline, but his offense cratered in July.  My expectation was that he would be non-tendered this off-season anyway, so hopefully he can do something useful for the Angels and brings back something that will help the White Sox moving forward.

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

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#220 – Brandon McCarthy

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Name: Brandon McCarthy

Rank: 220

Position: P

Years With White Sox: 2005-2006

Brandon McCarthy joined the White Sox organization as their 17th round pick of the 2002 draft, 3 rounds ahead of Boone Logan.  In 2004, between 3 different minor league stops, McCarthy led all minor league pitchers with 202 strike outs.  He made his major league debut the following May, getting a spot start at Wrigley Field against the crosstown rival Cubs.  He ended up appearing in 12 games for the big league club, making 10 starts.  While the White Sox went on the win the World Series, McCarthy was left off the playoff roster.

McCarthy spent the entire 2006 season with the White Sox, working mostly out of the bullpen.  He appeared in 53 games, starting 2, and finished the year with a 4.68 ERA.  He looked poised to join the White Sox rotation for 2007 heading in to the offseason, but it was not to be.  That December, he was shipped to the Rangers in exchange for John Danks, Nick Masset, and a minor league throw in.

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

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#221 – Boone Logan

Boone Logan

Name: Boone Logan

Rank: 221

Position: P

Years With White Sox: 2006-2008

Boone Logan joined the White Sox organization as their 20th round pick in the 2002 draft.  He made his major league debut against the Indians on April 4, 2006, on the day the majority of his teammates received their World Series rings.  Logan ended up splitting time between the White Sox and Charlotte, finishing with a very disappointing 8.31 ERA for the big league club.

2007 saw Logan spending the majority of the year in the major leagues, appearing in 68 games for the disappointing White Sox squad that lost 90 games.  He managed to lower his ERA to a still enlarged 4.97.

While the White Sox rebounded to win the AL Central in 2008, Logan continued to struggle, with an ERA that jumped back up to 5.95.  Logan did not appear in the Division Series, which the Sox dropped to the Rays in 4 games.  Following the season, Logan was packaged with Javier Vazquez to the Braves in the deal that brought Tyler Flowers, Brent Lillibridge, and two others back to the White Sox.

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

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#226 – Scott Ruffcorn

Scott-Ruffcorn

Name: Scott Ruffcorn

Rank: 226

Position: P

Years With White Sox: 1993-1996

Scott Ruffcorn was the White Sox first round draft pick out of Baylor University in 1991.  The previous 4 White Sox first round picks, Jack McDowell, Robin Ventura, Frank Thomas, and Alex Fernandez, were leading the White Sox to their first division title in a decade when Ruffcorn made his major league debut on June 19, 1993 against the Angels, taking the place of an injured Kirk McCaskill.  When Ron Karkovice separated his shoulder during the game, Ruffcorn was sent back to the minors to make room for another catcher on the roster.  He returned to the majors in September and made two additional appearances.

When Scott Sanderson had a tremendous spring in 1994 to force his way in to the starting rotation, it forced Ruffcorn to start the year in Triple A.  As July rolled around, Sanderson had started to struggle and Ruffcorn was called up to take his slot in the rotation.  Sadly, he didn’t last long, giving up seven runs and nine hits over 4 innings.  Manager Gene Lamont said that Ruffcorn “needed to get over his nervousness,” but his next start also did not go well.  Facing the Royals, he gave up 4 runs before being pulled in the third inning.  He was demoted back to Triple A before the strike in August wiped out the remainder of the season.

After an abbreviated spring training in 1995, Ruffcorn broke camp with the White Sox, earning a spot in the bullpen.  He walked six in 1 2/3 innings against the Red Sox in his second appearance of the year, and by mid-May, he was back in Triple A, with reporter Dave Van Dyck writing that Ruffcorn was “ruined forever because the Sox rushed him to judgment.”

Ruffcorn finished his White Sox career in 1996, appearing in 3 final games but getting the same results.  He ended up with 0 wins and a career ERA of 9.68 and the “record” for most consecutive seasons with an ERA over 7.00.  In January of 1997, he was purchased by the Phillies.

Ruffcorn’s numbers in a White Sox uniform were:

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#228 – Jeff Abbott

jeffabbott

Name: Jeff Abbott

Rank: 228

Position: OF

Years With White Sox: 1997-2000

Jeff Abbott was drafted by the White Sox in the 32nd round of the 1993 draft, but didn’t sign.  The White Sox took another chance on him the following year, selecting him in the 4th round, and this time he signed on.  Abbott rose quickly through the minor league system, making his major league debut nearly 3 years to the day he first signed with the White Sox, grounding out against Andy Pettite of the Yankees.  He would return to the big league club for the rest of the season in September, appearing in 19 games and batting .263.

1998 saw Abbott as the White Sox 4th outfielder, where he performed adequately offensively, but was a butcher in the field, finishing the year with a .971 fielding percentage.  Abbott got off to a slow start in 1999, hitting only .158 over the season’s first month, which resulted in his return to the minor leagues, where he would remain for the rest of the year.

In 2000, Abbott returned to the big leagues and regained his hitting stroke, but lost the power he had shown earlier.  He saw his first post-season action in game 2 of the Division Series against the Mariners, which the White Sox lost in 3 games.  Following the season, Abbott was sent to the Marlins in exchange for Julio Ramirez, and his White Sox career came to an end.

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

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#232 – Charlie Haeger

Haegerpg-verticalName: Charlie Haeger

Rank: 232

Position: P

Years With White Sox: 2006-2007

Charlie Haeger was selected by the White Sox in the 25th round of the 2001 draft.  He retired after the 2002 season to pursue a career in golf, but returned to baseball and the White Sox organization in 2004.  He finally made his way to the major leagues in 2006, making his debut against the Angels in a 12-5 loss after Jose Contreras went down with a back issue.  After the start, he was quickly returned to Charlotte, but he eventually returned, appearing in 6 other games, all in relief, for the White Sox that year, finishing with a 3.44 ERA.

Haeger competed for the fifth starters spot during spring training in 2007, but was sent back to Charlotte again when the newly arrived John Danks won the competition.  As the 2007 season went south, Haeger was recalled in mid-July, and, like the rest of the team that year, did poorly.  He appeared in 8 games, giving up 9 earned runs in 11 1/3 innings.

Haeger spent most of 2008 at Triple A Charlotte, until he was designated for assignment and claimed by the Padres in September, ending his time in the White Sox organization.

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

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#236 – Joe Borchard

WhiteSox-joeborchardName: Joe Borchard

Rank: 236

Position: RF

Years With White Sox: 2002-2005

Joe Borchard was the 12th overall draft pick in the 2000, receiving a then-record bonus to dissuade him from focusing on football.  Borchard made his major league debut on September 2, 2002 against the Blue Jays, blasting a home run in his second at bat as the White Sox most touted prospect since Frank Thomas.

Borchard returned to Triple A in 2003, at least until Willie Harris went down in late May with a sprained shoulder.  He did not stay long, appearing in 16 games, and batted only .184.

2004 gave Borchard his first extended opportunity in the big leagues, thanks to injuries to Frank Thomas and Magglio Ordonez.  Unfortunately, he still had trouble producing, as he hit only .174 in 63 games, although he did set the US Cellular Field record for the longest home run with a 504 foot blast against Brett Myers of the Phillies.

Borchard returned to the minor leagues in 2005, appearing in just 7 games for the eventual World Series champions.  The next spring, with a little more than a week to go before the start of the season, Borchard was traded to the Mariners in exchange for relief pitcher Matt Thornton, which, ultimately, may have been his biggest contribution to the organization.

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

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#242 – Rocky Biddle

rbiddleName: Rocky Biddle

Rank: 242

Position: P

Years With White Sox: 2000-2002

Rocky Biddle was drafted by the White Sox in the first round of the 1997 draft.  In August of 2000, with the White Sox heading towards a Central division title despite a pitching staff falling by the day, Biddle was called up and made his major league debut on August 10.  Pitching on only three days rest against the White Sox eventual ALDS foe Seattle, Biddle gave up 6 runs in 5 1/3 innings.  He ended up starting 4 games that season as the White Sox limped to the playoffs and a three game sweep against the Mariners.

Biddle spent parts of the next two seasons as one piece of the black hole that was the fifth starter for the White Sox.  Biddle started 28 of his 74 games over those two seasons, although his ERA did improve each season.

His time with the White Sox came to an end on January 15, 2003 when he was included in a 3 team trade that sent Biddle, Jeff Liefer, and Orlando Hernandez to the Expos, Antonio Osuna and minor-league pitcher Delvis Lantigua to the Yankees, and brought Bartolo Colon and minor-league infielder Jorge Nunez to the White Sox.

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

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#243 – Donny Lucy

dlucyName: Donny Lucy

Rank: 243

Position: C

Years With White Sox: 2007, 2010-2011

Donny Lucy joined the White Sox organization after being selected in the second round of the 2004 draft.  He made his major league debut for the White Sox on September 5, 2007 against the Tigers, getting his first major league hit against Kenny Rogers.  Lucy made his way into 8 games as the White Sox played out the string in what was a lost and disappointing season.

Lucy returned to the minor leagues until 2010, when he broke camp with the White Sox due to backup catcher Ramón Castro heading to the DL with a bruised heel.  Lucy hit his first big league home run and notched his first RBI against the Blue Jays on April 15.  When Castro was ready to return on May 3, Lucy was returned to Triple A.

Lucy returned to the White Sox in August of 2011 when AJ Pierzynski went down with a broken wrist.  He managed to appear in 6 games this time, with his final appearance coming in the Sox 3-2 loss to the Blue Jays on September 28.

On December 16, Lucy announced his retirement from baseball.

Lucy’s numbers in a White Sox uniform were:

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