Name: Carlos Lee
Rank: 23
Position: LF
Years With White Sox: 1999-2004
Carlos Lee signed with the White Sox as an amateur free agent in 1994. He worked his way through the minor league system, making his major league debut on May 7, 1999 against the A’s and hitting a home run in his first at bat. Lee became the everyday left fielder and finished the year with a promising .293 average, 16 home runs, ans 84 RBIs. He tied for seventh in Rookie of the Year voting with future teammate Billy Koch.
The 2000 season saw Lee improve, upping his average to .301 and his home runs to 24, as the White Sox took home the Central Division title. Like most of his teammates, Lee struggled in the ALDS against the Mariners, garnering only 1 hit in the 3 game series.
While Lee struggled a bit in 2001, he became a south side folk hero on June 8, when he hit a walkoff grand slam in the 10th inning against the rival Cubs. He ended the year with a .269 average, 24 home runs, and 84 RBIs. 2002 was more of the same, as his average dropped to .264 with 26 home runs and 80 RBIs.
2003 was a bounce back year for Lee. His average rebounded to .291 and he set new career highs with 31 home runs and 113 RBIs. The effort was good enough for an 18th place finish in MVP voting.
Lee put up another strong season in 2004. He pushed his average up to .305 and again hit 31 home runs. He set a career high with an OPS of .891. Following the season, he was traded, along with Nelson Cruz, to the Brewers for Scott Podsednik, Luis Vizcaino, and a minor league throw-in.
Lee’s numbers in a White Sox uniform, both for games I attended and overall, were:
