Tag / Phillies

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#76 – Gavin Floyd

MLB: APR 05 White Sox v TigersName: Gavin Floyd

Rank: 76

Position: P

Years With White Sox: 2007-2013

The White Sox acquired Gavin Floyd following the 2006 season in a trade with the Phillies for Freddy Garcia.  After an inauspicious debut with the White Sox during the ill-fated 2007 campaign, Floyd busted out of the gate in 2008, finishing with a 17-8 record and helping to lead the White Sox to the Central Division title.  Ever since, though, Floyd has become increasingly worse, never finishing above .500 again until last season’s 12-11 mark.  The 2013 season had been his worst to date, as he had lost 4 of his 5 starts and the White Sox had dropped all 5.  The maddening thing about Floyd over the past 4+ seasons is that he always had the stuff to succeed, but always seemed unable to string together a run of quality appearances.  Every time you thought he had turned the corner, he imploded again and went into another funk.

After 7 years of up and down service, Gavin Floyd has likely thrown his last pitch as a member of the White Sox, thanks to a tear in his flexor muscle near his right elbow, which has caused an unstable ulnar collateral ligament.

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

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#96 – Gary Redus

gredus

Name: Gary Redus

Rank: 96

Position: LF

Years With White Sox: 1987-1988

As spring training was winding down in 1987, the White Sox acquired Gary Redus from the Phillies for pitcher Joe Cowley.  “Our priorities have been to get a right-handed hitter with power or a right-handed hitter with speed to hit at the top of the order,” GM Larry Himes said at the time. “We like what we got with Redus. We traded a player who was going to play once every five days for a player who will play every five days.”  Redus played 130 games, but did not live up to the offensive promise that the White Sox were looking for when they acquired him.  He hit only .236 with 12 home runs, but did finish 3rd in the AL with 52 stolen bases.

Much to his surprise, Redus remained with the White Sox for the beginning of the 1988 season.  His offense improved somewhat, with his average rising to .263, but, after a hamstring injury kept him on the shelf for 2 weeks, he was traded to the Pirates for Mike Diaz.

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

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#99 – Brian Anderson

Name: Brian Anderson

Rank: 99

Position: CF

Years With White Sox: 2005-2009

Brian Anderson joined the White Sox organization as the 15th overall pick in the 2003 draft.  He made his major league debut on August 16, 2005, going 2-7 in a 9-4 loss to the Twins at US Cellular Field.  He appeared in only 13 games for the big league club in 2005, as the White Sox battle for the division crown went down to the final weekend.  Anderson was left off the playoff roster, but still spent the time with the team, joining Aaron Rowand in doubting the walk-off home run Scott Podsednik hit in Game 2 of the World Series.

When Rowand was traded to the Phillies prior to the 2006 season, Anderson became the new starting center fielder.  Unfortunately, he was unable to reproduce his minor league success at the major league level, eventually losing playing time to Rob Mackowiak.  He finished the year with a .225 average, striking out 90 times in only 365 at bats.

2007 turned in to a lost season for Anderson, as he lost his starting job to Darin Erstad and appeared in only 13 games, with an anemic .118 average, before being sent back to Triple A Charlotte.  He managed to boost his average back up in the minors, but an injury ended his season early.

Anderson returned to the big leagues in 2008 with a renewed focus, but it did not translate to better results in the field.  He spent most of the year as a backup and as a late inning defensive replacement for Ken Griffey Jr.  The highlight of his season was the diving catch he made to end the tiebreaker game 163 that sent the White Sox to the playoffs.  This time, Anderson made the playoff roster, but he went hitless in 5 at bats across 3 games in the White Sox loss to the Rays in the ALDS.

Anderson found himself in the same position in 2009, until the trade deadline approached, when he was traded to the Red Sox for Mark Kotsay.

Anderson returned to the White Sox organization on January 15, 2015, signing a minor league deal, but he was released on April 2nd, ending his professional career.

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

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All Time Team Records

baseballs3Another exciting baseball season is upon us, and it is time once again to look at the all-time team records for games that I have attended.  Despite disparate seasons on the two sides of town last season, both the White Sox and the Cubs saw their overall winning percentage drop.  The 2016 season looks to be hopeful for both teams, so this trend should reverse itself.

All-Time Team Records
TeamName Won Loss Winning Pctg
California Angels 1 0 1
Arizone Diamondbacks 13 2 0.866666666666667
Florida Marlins 15 8 0.652173913043478
Philadelphia Phillies 10 6 0.625
Toronto Blue Jays 12 8 0.6
New York Yankees 12 9 0.571428571428571
Colorado Rockies 7 6 0.538461538461538
Los Angeles Angels 15 13 0.535714285714286
San Francisco Giants 8 7 0.533333333333333
Chicago White Sox 250 222 0.529661016949153
Chicago Cubs 197 177 0.526737967914439
Detroit Tigers Continue reading →
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Phillies All Time Leaders – Through 2015

Philadelphia_PhilliesWith 5 months until baseball in Chicago returns, I thought it would be interesting to look at the all time leaders in both offensive and defensive categories for all 30 teams. We continue today with the Philadelphia Phillies.

The Phillies began life in 1883, and are the oldest continuous franchise that hasn’t moved cities or changed names.  I’ve seen them play 16 times, including twice in the city of San Francisco.

Home Runs

Name Total
Jimmy Rollins 4
Mike Lieberthal 2
Bobby Abreu 2
Aaron Rowand 2

Hits

Name Total
Jimmy Rollins 20
Ryan Howard 11
Pat Burrell 8
Shane Victorino 8

Runs

Name Total
Jimmy Rollins 6
Ryan Howard 5
Pat Burrell 5
Carlos Ruiz 5

RBI

Name Total
Jimmy Rollins 15
Ryan Howard 5
Aaron Rowand 4

Doubles

Name Total
Jimmy Rollins 6
Ryan Howard 4
Pat Burrell 3
Jayson Werth 3

Triples Continue reading →

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Moving On To Next Year

MLB: Cincinnati Reds at Los Angeles DodgersMajor League Baseball released their tentative 2016 schedule yesterday and, with little more to be concerned with for this season, let’s take a look at what’s on tap for next summer for the South Siders.

The White Sox open the season with a 4 game set on the road against the A’s on Monday, April 4.  The home season begins that Friday, when the Indians come to town for a 3 game tilt.

This year’s inter-league slate is against the NL East, with the Nationals, Braves, and Phillies making trips to US Cellular Field, while the Sox hit the road to visit the Mets, Marlins, and Phillies.  A 2 and 2 set with the Cubs occurs the last week of July.

The White Sox finish the 2016 season at home against the Rays and Twins, with 23 of their final 29 games coming against the Central Division.  Should make for a great pennant race if the team can be in contention.

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#139 – Jerry Koosman

main_1-Jerry-Koosman

Name: Jerry Koosman

Rank: 139

Position: P

Years With White Sox: 1981-1983

Jerry Koosman joined the White Sox on August 30, 1981 when he was acquired via trade with the Twins for 2 minor leaguers, cash, and a player to be named later that eventually became Randy Johnson (no, not that Randy Johnson).  Koosman appeared in 8 games down the stretch, starting 3, as the White Sox finished 6th in the second half of the crazy strike season.

Koosman returned in 1982, working mostly out of the bullpen but still starting 19 games.  The White Sox got off to a quick start, winning 20 out of their first 30 games, but leveled off and finished in 3rd place in their division.

1983 would see different results for both the White Sox and Koosman.  The veteran left hander spent most of the season in the starting rotation, but saw his ERA inflate to a career high 4.77.  However, after a shaky start, the White Sox caught fire and ran away with the division crown, winning a league best 99 games.  Koosman was the starting pitcher on September 17, when the White Sox clinched their first division title and first post-season appearance since 1959.

Koosman made one relief appearance during the ALCS against the Orioles, throwing 1/3 of a disastrous inning in the Game 3 blowout, giving up 1 hit, 2 walks, and 3 runs (2 earned).  Koosman re-upped with the White Sox following the season, but was sent to the Phillies the following spring to complete the trade for Ron Reed.

Koosman’s numbers in a White Sox uniform were:

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by jim

No No

hamels-nonoOn September 9, 1965, Sandy Koufax took the mound at Dodger Stadium and threw a perfect game against the Cubs.  Yesterday was the 7,921st game the Cubs have participated in since then, and they had managed to get a hit in the previous 7,920.  Phillies pitcher Cole Hamels, however, had other ideas.

To say Hamels, who is likely to be traded before next weekend’s trade deadline, had pitched poorly in his last 2 outings is an understatement.  He needed to prove to scouts that he was healthy if the Phillies had any hope of moving his salary and getting something worthwhile in return.  So, of course, he goes out and throws the first no-hitter against the Cubs in 50 years and the first at Wrigley Field since Milt Pappas’ controversial no-hitter in 1972.

Hamels is now likely to become the third pitcher traded in the same season that he threw a no-hitter, and may be the first to be moved before pitching another game.  Ironically, one potential landing spot is on the north side of Chicago, who placed a waiver claim on him last August.  And the Cubs will start a new streak, with tomorrow being game number 1 since the last time they were no hit.

nono

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#143 – Joe Cowley

jcow

Name: Joe Cowley

Rank: 143

Position: P

Year With White Sox: 1986

Joe Cowley joined the White Sox, along with Ron Hassey, in the December, 1985 that sent Britt Burns a couple of minor leaguers to the Yankees.  Cowley stepped in to the rotation and put together a .500 record with a 3.88 ERA.  The highlight of his season came of September 19, when he threw one of the ugliest no-hitters in major league history.  While he held the Angels hitless, he walked 7 and gave up a run on a sacrifice fly.  Cowley also goes down in history as the only pitcher to throw a no hitter in his final major league victory.

The following spring, Cowley was traded to the Phillies, in exchange for Gary Redus, ending his brief White Sox career.

Cowley’s numbers in a White Sox uniform were:

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by jim

Book 17 (of 52) – Split Season: 1981

Split Season: 1981 - Fernandomania, The Bronx Zoo, and The Strike That Saved Baseball - Jeff Katz

Split Season: 1981 – Fernandomania, The Bronx Zoo, and The Strike That Saved Baseball – Jeff Katz

Change was afoot in Major League Baseball as the 1980s were getting underway.  1980 saw the Philadelphia Phillies win their first World Series.  Heading in to 1981, new ownership took over on the south side of Chicago, while the Cubs would be sold mid-season.  On the field, things looked good, as Fernando Valenzuela took Los Angeles, and the rest of the nation, by storm, Dave Winfield headed to New York, and Carlton Fisk changed the color of his socks from Red to White.  Behind the scenes, though, the owners and the players were headed for a seemingly unnecessary strike, one which would stop baseball for 2 months in the middle of the season, the first in-season work stoppage.

Jeff Katz brings all of the details that led to the 1981 strike, causing the 1981 season to be split into 2 halves and adding a division playoff for the first time.  The owners, along with commissioner Bowie Kuhn, wanted to turn back the clock and punish teams for signing free agents.  The players, behind union head Marvin Miller, would have none of it and, despite what the owners were led to believe, were willing and able to stick together.

Baseball resumed in August, after 713 games were lost, and the season ended with the Dodgers topping the Yankees in the fall classic.  A revised version of the free agent compensation that the owners fought for was put in place, and was scrapped in the next round of negotiations when it backfired, just as the union claimed it would.