Tag / Twins

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2016 All Star Break Standings

baseballs2As the baseball world turns its sights to San Diego for tomorrow night’s All Star Game, it’s time to take a look at the team records for the 18 games I attended in the first half of the baseball season, a mish-mash of excitement, followed by disappointment, giving way to uncertainty about what the second half will hold.

2016 Team Records
TeamName Won Loss Winning Pctg
Los Angeles Angels 1 0 1.000
Chicago Cubs 1 0 1.000
Boston Red Sox 1 0 1.000
Kansas City Royals 3 1 0.750
Cleveland Indians 2 1 0.667
Toronto Blue Jays 1 1 0.500
Atlanta Braves 1 1 0.500
Chicago White Sox 8 9 0.471
Texas Rangers 0 2 0.000
Minnesota Twins 0 2 0.000
Cincinnati Reds 0 1 0.000
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#82 – John Cangelosi

cangelosiName: John Cangelosi

Rank: 82

Position: OF

Year With White Sox: 1985-1986

John Cangelosi was selected by the White Sox in the 4th round of the 1982 January draft.  He made his major league debut on June 30, 1985, going 0-2 in the White Sox 4-3 loss to the Twins at Comiskey Park.  He appeared in 4 more games during the 1985 seasons, earning 1 additional plate appearance.

In 1986, Cangelosi surprised everyone by earning the center fielder job in spring training, beating out Rudy Law and Daryl Boston.  He finished the year with a .235 batting average, but set an American League rookie record with 50 stolen bases.

The following spring, Cangelosi did not repeat his impressive performance and, on March 27, he was traded to the Pirates for Jim Winn.  He returned to the organization on a minor league deal in 1991, but was traded to the Brewers for Esteban Beltre less than 2 months later.

Cangelosi’s numbers in a White Sox uniform were:

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See You Latos

latosFor the second time this season, the White Sox, in the midst of losing 20 out of their past 26 games, have cut ties with a pitcher that was part of their opening day starting rotation, designating Mat Latos for assignment yesterday.  Latos won his first 4 starts of the season with a sterling 0.74 ERA, but, like the rest of the White Sox, quickly fell apart.  In his last 7 starts, his ERA was 7.25, the same as John Danks when he was set loose earlier this year.

In another move, the White Sox signed former Twins star Justin Morneau, who is recovering from off-season elbow surgery.  Morneau is expected to be ready to play in July.

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FB2: Week 14

FB2_Week14I posted my highest step total since the Disney trip last week, despite 2 days falling short of my 6000 step goal.  Things got off to a slow start on Sunday, as I barely hit 3500 steps.  Things picked back up on Monday and Tuesday thanks to normal work activities.  Wednesday had a pretty good total, good enough for my 14th highest total to date, thanks to a post-work trip down to US Cellular Field for a pre-game session with White Sox GM Rich Hahn followed by a tilt between the Sox Red and White.  Thursday also had a decent total due to post-work activities, this time a trip down to the Adler Planetarium for an exciting science lecture with Val.  Friday, I failed to hit the 6000 step mark after working from home then making a return trip to US Cellular Field to watch batting practice and then a tilt between the White Sox and the Twins.  Saturday’s regularly scheduled baseball game enabled me to surpass the 6000 step mark for the day and 54,000 steps for the week.

Total steps: 54,080

Daily average: 7725.7

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The (Sad) End Of An Era

john-danksJohn Danks, the longest tenured member of the White Sox heading in to the 2016 season, saw his White Sox career come to an end yesterday when the team announced he has been designated for assignment after refusing a minor league assignment.  Danks, who is 0-4 with a 7.25 ERA this season, is in the final season of his contract and is due $14.25 million this year.

Danks was acquired by the White Sox, along with Nick Masset, from the Rangers for Brandon McCarthy following the 2006 season.  He broke camp with the Sox in 2007 and made his major league debut on April 8, picking up the loss against the Twins at US Cellular Field.  Danks, along with the rest of the White Sox, struggled through 2007, finishing the year with a 6-13 record and a 5.50 ERA.

2008 was a different story for both the White Sox and Danks.  Posting a career-best 3.32 ERA, Danks finished the year at 12-9 and had quite possibly the best outing of his career in game 163, throwing 8 scoreless innings of 2 hit ball against the Twins to secure the Central Division title.  Less than a week later, he picked up the lone White Sox victory in the ALDS against the Rays.

Danks had continued success in both 2009 and 2010, combining for a 28-22 record over the two years, with an ERA in the 3.70s both years.  2011 went south for both the White Sox and John Danks, as his ERA jumped to 4.33 while manager Ozzie Guillen lost control of the team before leaving in the final week to head to the Marlins.  Following the season, the White Sox signaled their faith in Danks, signing him to a 5 year extension worth $65 million.

Danks struggled through 9 starts in 2012 before hitting the disabled list with a mysterious shoulder injury.  When he finally underwent surgery, doctors found a torn shoulder capsule.  Very few pitchers have undergone this surgery, and even fewer have successfully returned to the same level they were before the injury.

Sadly, Danks’ recovery did not happen as anyone would have wanted, though not for a lack of effort.  He returned in 2013, making 22 starts and going 4-14 with a 4.75 ERA.  2014 was more of the same, as his ERA was 4.74, though his record improved to 11-11.  And last year, again, saw Danks put up an ERA of 4.71 in 30 starts.

With the White Sox in contention after a successful April and John Danks earning half of the teams losses, being an innings eater was no longer good enough.  Unfortunately, the injury robbed him or what should have been his prime, and one hopes he can reinvent himself somewhere and continue his major league career.

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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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A Quarter Century Of Memories

To celebrate the 25th anniversary of US Cellular Field, the White Sox are asking fans to vote for the top moment in US Cellular Field history, broken down into 4 brackets: Postseason Perks, Memorable Moments, Records and Milestones, and Honors and More.  Today, we shall take a look at the first 2 groupings of these moments and decide which is the best.

postseason_peaksThe Postseason Peaks region boasts 6 entries from or related to the 2005 World Series champions plus another 2 from the team’s last division winner in 2008.  The disappointing post-season appearances from 1993 and 2000 are left out altogether.  As an added plus, I attended all of the games in this region.

The first match-up is a no-brainer, with Scott Podsednik’s walk-off home run to win Game 2 of the World Series pitted against Alexei Ramirez’s grand slam against the Tigers to force game 163 against the Twins for the division crown.  With all due respect to Alexei, Podsednik takes this with ease.

The next battle is between the aforementioned game 163, the Blackout Game that sent the White Sox to the playoffs, against Joe Crede’s walk-off single against the Angels in Game 2 of the 2005 ALCS.  While the Blackout was great fun, it was just a regular season game.  Crede’s hit, following the A.J. Pierzynski drama, would have blown the roof off the place, if it had one.

Next, we have the unfair fight of Paul Konerko’s grand slam in Game 2 of the 2005 World Series versus Tadahito Iguchi’s go-ahead home run against the Red Sox in Game 2 of the ALDS.  No real contest here.

The final match-up is again from Game 2 of the 2005 ALCS, when Pierzynski struck out and somehow managed to get the umpires to let him take first base, going up against the second game of the 2006 season, when the White Sox received their World Series championship rings.  While the ring ceremony was indeed cool, it can’t beat the game action of one of the smartest players in baseball using his wits to outduel the opponent.

memorable_momentsWe now turn our attention to the Memorable Moments region, a more varied group of games, only 5 of which I managed to attend.

We begin with the second to last day of the 2014 season, when the White Sox honored their retiring captain with a special ceremony, doing battle against the July 7, 1999 contest against the Royals where Chris Singleton hit for the cycle.  Once again, I’ll have to give the nod to Konerko.

The next match-up pits Frank Thomas, hitting the first White Sox home run at the then-New Comiskey Park on April 22, 1991 against Bo Jackson’s home run in the division-clinching game on September 27, 1993.  You can’t really go wrong with either of these, to be honest.

The next battle is between Mark Buerhle’s kick save followed by a flip between the legs which Paul Konerko barehanded for the putout on Opening Day 2010 and the 10 year reunion of the 2005 champions last summer.  I’ll give the nod to Buehrle.

The last match-up features the White Sox game against the Yankees on September 18, 2001, the first game after the tragedy of 9/11 versus Carlos Lee’s 10th inning walk-off grand slam off Courtney Duncan in the June 8, 2001 victory over the Cubs.  While Lee’s hit is obviously the better baseball moment, the meaning of the return to the field after the attack on New York and the Pentagon have a greater meaning overall.

Coming out of these brackets, you have either Konerko or Podsednik’s home run from Game 2 of the World Series going up against Buehrle’s play against the Indians on Opening Day 2010.  We’ll check out the remaining 2 regions next week.

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#101 – Dewayne Wise

AR-708159599

Name: Dewayne Wise

Rank: 101

Position: OF

Years With White Sox: 2008-2009, 2012-2013

Dewayne Wise signed with the White Sox organization on March 5, 2008.  He started the year at Triple A, but was recalled to the big leagues in May when Juan Uribe landed on the disabled list.  He returned for good in late July when Paul Konerko got hurt, becoming a defensive replacement for the newly acquired Ken Griffey Jr. and gaining additional playing time when Carlos Quentin broke his wrist in early September.  The high point of his season came on September 14, when, with the White Sox battling the Twins for the Central division title, he answered a grand slam in the top of the 8th by Marcus Thames with one of his own in the bottom of the inning, pushing the Sox to an 11-7 victory over the Tigers and retaining their first place standing.

Wise returned to the White Sox in 2009, earning the Opening Day nod in center field.  A separated shoulder 7 games into the season put him on the shelf until early June.  He made the play of his career on July 23, when he entered the game against the Rays as a defensive replacement in the 9th inning.  The first hitter, Gabe Kapler, hit a deep fly ball to center field which Wise first leaped to keep in the ballpark, then juggled the ball as he fell to the ground, finally grasping it with his bare hand.  The catch preserved Mark Buehrle’s perfect game, which he wrapped up two batters later.

wise-catchThe remainder of 2009 was uneventful, as the White Sox fell from contention.  Wise finished the year with a .225 average, and became a free agent following the season.

Wise returned to the White Sox in 2012, signing a minor league deal on August 3rd.  Barely a week later, he was called up to the majors when Paul Konerko landed on the 7 day concussion DL.  Wise appeared in 45 games over the final two months of the season, hitting .258 as the White Sox blew their division lead over the last few weeks of September.

Wise re-upped with the White Sox for the 2013 season, but was used sparingly.  He appeared in only 30 games, hitting .234, before being released on August 3rd, which drew his major league career to an end.

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

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#102 – Juan Agosto

agosto

Name: Juan Agosto

Rank: 102

Position: P

Years With White Sox: 1981-1986

Juan Agosto signed with the White Sox organization as a free agent on January 18, 1980.  He made his major league debut the following year, giving up 3 earned runs in 5 innings of relief work in the White Sox 9-5 loss to the Mariners at Comiskey Park on September 7.  He made one other appearance before the season came to an end.

Agosto returned to Triple A for 1982, appearing in only 1 game for the big league club where he gave up 4 runs in only 2 innings of work.  The 1983 season again saw Agosto starting the year in Triple A, but he was recalled on June 2 to replace outfielder Rusty Kuntz and remained for the rest of the season.  He would appear in 39 games, picking up 7 saves and posting a 4.10 ERA as the White Sox earned their first post-season berth since 1959.  Agosto saw limited action during the ALCS, facing one Oriole batter for a perfect 1/3 of an inning pitched.

While the White Sox struggled to repeat their success of the previous season, 1984 was Agosto’s best as a member of the south siders.  In 49 appearances, he tied his career high with 7 saves, lowered his ERA to 3.09 and finished the year with a winning record.  On the negative side, he walked more batters than he struck out and gave up more hits than innings pitched.

Things rebounded for the White Sox in 1985 and Juan Agosto continued to be a useful cog in the bullpen.  He lowered his WHIP to a career low, though his ERA jumped up to 3.58.  He got off to a slow start in 1986, giving up 4 earned runs in just under 5 innings pitched.  At the end of April, Agosto was traded to the Twins, along with Kurt Walker, for pitcher Pete Filson.

Agosto’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 →