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 → |
Last month, we looked at the overall leaders on both sides of the ball from all of the games I’ve attended between 1984 and 2015. 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 2016 season. A few notable retirements, chief among them Carlos Quentin, will add some new names to this list.
Home Runs
| Name | Total |
|---|---|
| Alexei Ramirez | 34 |
| Alex Rios | 24 |
| A.J. Pierzynski | 20 |
| Jose Abreu | 17 |
| Juan Uribe | 16 |
Hits
| Name | Total |
|---|---|
| Alexei Ramirez | 300 |
| A.J. Pierzynski | 239 |
| Alex Rios | 153 |
| Gordon Beckham | 144 |
| Adam Eaton | 102 |
Runs
| Name | Total |
|---|---|
| Alexei Ramirez | 134 |
| A.J. Pierzynski | 106 |
| Alex Rios | 86 |
| Gordon Beckham | 83 |
| Alejandro de Aza | 57 |
RBI
| Name | Total |
|---|---|
| Alexei Ramirez | 140 |
| A.J. Pierzynski | 98 |
| Alex Rios Continue reading → |
Chris Sale’s tenure on the South Side came to an end yesterday when he was traded to the Red Sox for Yoan Moncada, Michael Kopech, Luis Alexander Basabe, and Victor Diaz, officially starting the rebuilding phase for the White Sox for the first time since the late 1980s.
Sale was the 13th overall selection by the White Sox in the 2010 draft. After 11 total games in the minor leagues, Sale made his major league debut on August 6, less than 2 months after being drafted, giving up a hit and a walk before getting pulled. Sale worked out of the bullpen for the remainder of the year, earning 4 saves in 21 appearances. Sale returned to the bullpen in 2011, picking up another 8 saves while posting a 2.79 ERA.
In 2012, Sale moved in to the starting rotation full time, where he racked up 5 straight All Star nods and finished between 3rd and 6th in Cy Young award voting each season. In 2015, Sale set the White Sox franchise record with 274 strike outs. Last year, he tied his career high with 17 victories and threw a career high 226 2/3 innings pitched in between spats with the front office over Drake LaRoche and 1970s throwback jerseys.
Moncada, ranked as the #1 prospect in all of baseball, is the centerpiece of the deal. A 21 year old switch hitter, he’s expected to start next season in the minor leagues but should take over second base by 2018. Kopech, a 20 year old power pitcher, has some baggage, including punching a teammate and a PED suspension, should find a spot in the White Sox rotation should he continue to progress as he has. Basabe and Diaz are further away, but do help bolster a White Sox system that is on the rise.
With the White Sox now officially moving towards a full-on rebuild, Sale may not be the last name out the door. Rumors have already started swirling around Jose Quintana, Todd Frazier, Jose Abreu, Adam Eaton, and David Robertson. Will Sale be the first domino of many to fall this offseason? Only time will tell.
Sale’s numbers in a White Sox uniform, both for games I attended and overall, were:
Another 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 → |
Rick Renteria was officially named the 40th manager in White Sox history this morning, replacing Robin Ventura. Renteria had spent the 2016 season as Ventura’s bench coach. Many players sang Renteria’s praises, including Jose Abreu, Chris Sale, and Adam Eaton. How many of them will still be on the roster when Renteria’s first squad takes the field next April remains to be seen.
Renteria will become only the second man to manage both the White Sox and the Cubs, following Johnny Evers, who led the Cubs in 1913 and 1921 and was the White Sox skipper in 1924. Renteria spent one season leading the Cubs in 2014 before being replaced unceremoniously by Joe Maddon.
With 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 → |
Fireworks Night
Aug 27 (Southpaw Star Wars Bobblehead)
Family Day
Apr 10
Apr 24
May 8
May 22
Jun 12 (Southpaw’s Birthday)
Jun 26
Jul 10
Jul 24
Aug 7
Aug 21
Aug 28
Sep 11
Oct 2
Other Fun Stuff
Apr 9 – White Sox Winter Hat
Apr 23 – Abreu Plush Bleacher Creature
May 7 – Chris Sale K-Counter Bobblehead
May 21 – Homecoming Weekend
Jun 11 – White Sox Hawaiian Shirt
Jul 9 – White Sox Cap
Jul 23 – 1976 Throwback Jersey
Another season has come to an end, with yet more disappointment on the south side while things finally started to look up on the north 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 |
|---|---|
| Alexei Ramirez | 6 |
| Brian Dozier | 3 |
| Melky Cabrera | 3 |
| Geovany Soto | 3 |
| Gordon Beckham | 3 |
| Jose Abreu | 3 |
| Jorge Soler | 3 |
Hits
| Name | Total |
|---|---|
| Melky Cabrera | 39 |
| Alexei Ramirez | 38 |
| Adam Eaton | 34 |
| Jose Abreu | 27 |
| Avisail Garcia | 26 |
Runs
| Name | Total |
|---|---|
| Alexei Ramirez | 15 |
| Adam Eaton | 15 |
| Continue reading → |
Another tremendous week, my third in a row over 60,000 steps. My streak of 6000 step days came to an end on Sunday, but my streak of days over goal stretched to 28 days. Sunday’s slightly disappointing total came about thanks to a trip to Wrigley Field for the final game of the first Crosstown Cup installment. Monday and Tuesday, with no baseball thanks to the All Star break, broke the 10,000 step barrier. Wednesday and Thursday were normal work days, with afternoon coffee runs helping me surpass my daily goal. Friday started off with a morning walk, followed by a trip to US Cellular Field for a Jose Abreu blanket, ending with nearly 13,000 steps. Saturday featured a return trip to the Cell.
Total steps: 61,363
Daily average: 8766.1
Now that the All Star Game is behind us and we await the start of the second half of the season, let’s take a look at the first half offensive leaders, if you can call them that, for the 21 games I attended:
Home Runs
| Name | Total |
|---|---|
| Gordon Beckham | 3 |
| Brian Dozier | 3 |
| Jose Abreu | 2 |
| Josh Donaldson | 2 |
| Avisail Garcia | 2 |
| Alexei Ramirez | 2 |
| Adam LaRoche | 2 |
Hits
| Name | Total |
|---|---|
| Alexei Ramirez | 23 |
| Melky Cabrera | 19 |
| Jose Abreu | 18 |
| Avisail Garcia | 17 |
| Adam Eaton | 17 |
Runs
| Name | Total |
|---|---|
| Jose Abreu | 11 |
| Avisail Garcia | 9 |
| Continue reading → |