Tag / White Sox

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Concert Flashback: Tegan & Sara

05tegan&sara

The night started early, as I left work a little early to head down to the city to Rock Bottom in order to catch the end of Game 3 of the ALDS, with the White Sox looking to sweep the Red Sox and win their first post season series since the 1917 World Series.  After the game, which, of course, the White Sox did win, Tina, Andy, and I hopped on the Red Line and headed north to Wrigleyville to check out Tegan and Sara at the Metro.

Apparently, there were 2 opening acts, neither one I remember or have even heard of.  To be honest, I don’t remember much about the show at all.  The album they were touring in support of, So Jealous, is one of my favorites and I’m sure I enjoyed the performance.  But, my favorite baseball team was headed for the ALCS, I’d just been to two playoff games, and the Weezer and Foo Fighters show was earlier that week.  It’s all sort of jumbled together at this point.

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#235 – Neil Allen

frontName: Neil Allen

Rank: 235

Position: P

Years With White Sox: 1986-1987

Neil Allen joined the White Sox on February 13, 1986 along with Scott Bradley and an unknown minor leaguer from the Yankees in exchange for Ron Hassey, Matt Winters, and two additional minor leaguers who would never be heard from.  Allen started the ’86 season in the bullpen, but was given a chance to start after developing an effective offspeed pitch.  He was moved in to the starting rotation on May 4th and put up a 7-2 record with 3.82 ERA before going down with an injury that, for all intents and purposes, ended his season in July.

1987 started with Allen penciled in as manager Jim Fregosi’s third starter.  Things went south quickly, though, as Allen went 0-7 in 10 starts before being banished back to the bullpen.  Things boiled over in a shouting match with Fregosi in early August the led to Allen demanding to be released.  By the end of the month, the White Sox complied with his request, sending him on his way and ending his career on the south side.

Allen’s numbers in a White Sox uniform 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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Food-a-palooza

baconIn addition to the previously announced change in pizza vendors, the White Sox have a few other interesting new food items on tap for the 2014 season.  The ones available to me that I won’t be particularly interested in are a pork chop sandwich, an adobe mango chicken sausage, a supreme corned beef sandwich, an ultimate turkey club, and a host of new beer offerings.

The switch to Beggars Pizza means that I will be purchasing pizza at the ballpark for the first time in years.  In addition to that, there will be the intriguing bacon on a stick, a thick cut, premium slice of Danish bacon seasoned with black pepper.  Depending on the cost, this could become a new favorite.

chickenwaffleFor the lucky folks who are able to access the Club Level, Diamond Suite, or Stadium Club, there are a few more new offerings that seem appealing, but will stay just out of reach.  First off is a chicken and waffle sandwich, a crispy cornflake breaded chicken served between two house-made waffles and brushed with honey butter and maple syrup.  Next, for the low price of $17 comes the banana split sundae helmet, featuring four scoops of vanilla, chocolate and strawberry ice cream and drizzled with caramel and strawberry sauces and chocolate syrup then topped with whipped cream and cherries.  This three pound creation would be an occasional treat if I had access to those special areas of the park.  I guess it is better for both my wallet and my waistline that I do not.

bansplit

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#237 – Rick Wrona

wronaName: Rick Wrona

Rank: 237

Position: C

Year With White Sox: 1993

Rick Wrona signed a minor league deal with the White Sox prior to the 1993 season.  When starting catcher Ron Karkovice went down with a shoulder injury in June, and with owner Jerry Reinsdorf fighting with Carlton Fisk, who would be released days later, the White Sox recalled Wrona, along with Mike LaValliere.

Wrona managed to get 1 hit is his 8 at bats in a White Sox uniform before being sent back to the minor leagues.  After the season, he was allowed to leave the organization as a free agent.

Wrona’s numbers in a White Sox uniform were: Continue reading →

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#238 – Dallas McPherson

Dallas_McPherson_White_Sox_4_headerName: Dallas McPherson

Rank: 238

Position: 3B

Year With White Sox: 2011

Dallas McPherson joined the White Sox as a minor league free agent after the 2010 season.  He opened the 2011 season at Triple A Charlotte but got a chance to return to the major leagues after Mark Teahen went down with a strained oblique.

Unfortunately for McPherson, and the White Sox, he continued to struggle at the major league level, as he had for his entire career.  He was DFA’d after hitting .133 in 11 games.

After making it through waivers, he was returned to Triple A.  In August, however, he was released from Charlotte in order to make room for the newly acquired Tommy Manzella.

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

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10,000 Step Club

Way back in July of 2011, when I started this whole GlobalFit exercise (pun somewhat intended), I had the silly thought that since 10,000 steps was what is generally considered active, that I would use that as a guideline of something to ascribe to.  Now, nearly 3 years later, I find that I’ve actually crossed that plateau only 31 times.  As I spend today flying home from California, with the expectation that I will be adding at least one or two days to this list, I thought it would be sobering, and perhaps inspiring, to look back at the top 20 of those 31 days.

btn10K-41: 6/6/2013 – 24,988 steps

My best single day total came during last summer’s trip to Disney World.  The day’s excursion to both Epcot Center and the Magic Kingdom ended up with a total of approximately 12.5 miles.  And yes, it does bother me that I didn’t get those 12 additional steps to reach 25,000.

2: 7/27/2013 – 20,592 steps

My second highest total came nearly 2 months after my highest, thanks to the BTN 5K and a, for lack of a better word, misunderstanding about where I should be picked up after the race.  These 2 days are the sum total of my days over 20,000 steps.

3: 6/8/2013 – 17,852 steps

My third highest output brings us back to Disney World, this time for a day split between Animal Kingdom in the morning and Hollywood Studios in the afternoon.  Sadly, this also ends our collection of days greater than 15,000.

4: 9/9/2012 – 14,957 steps

The fourth best day I’ve had in the last 3 years is my highest total outside of the United States.  A Sunday in Belfast spent walking down to the Titanic museum

5: 6/7/2013 – 14,940 steps

We round out the top 5 with another day of last June’s vacation to Disney World.  This day started with a morning trip to the hotel pool, followed by an abbreviated day at the Magic Kingdom.

Continue reading →

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#239 – Donnie Hill

donnie-hillName: Donnie Hill

Rank: 239

Position: 2B

Years With White Sox: 1987-1988

Donnie Hill was acquired by the White Sox as the player to be named later in the earlier trade that sent Gene Nelson to the A’s.  The 1987 season was painful for him, both physically and emotionally.  An eye infection struck him in May and lingered for nearly 2 months, making it difficult to see.  As a result, his batting average plunged to .239.  “It was just a pain in the tail,” Hill said. “I don’t know how I got the problem.  Whatever I did only seemed to make it worse.  It was a distraction, but I’m not using it as an excuse.”

Going in to the 1988 season, Hill was slated to platoon at second base with Fred Manrique.  Things did not improve for Hill, though, as he appeared in only 83 games and his average dropped to .217.  “I never should have tried to change what I did in Oakland,” Hill said, “but I’m still confident in my ability. I know there are some things I need to do in the off-season-drop a little weight and get stronger. I’m not finished.”

The White Sox were just about finished with him, though.  Hill came to spring training in 1989, but was released on March 9, about a week into the Grapefruit League schedule.

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

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All Time Team Records

MLB: Cincinnati Reds at Los Angeles DodgersAnother 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.  Some changes from last year:

– A horrible 2013 dropped the winning percentage for the White Sox 9 points.

– The Miami Marlins join the roster of teams I have seen in person

All-Time Team Records

TeamName Won Loss Winning Pctg
California Angels 1 0 1.000
Arizona Diamondbacks 12 2 0.857
Florida Marlins 15 8 0.652
Philadelphia Phillies 10 6 0.625
Toronto Blue Jays 9 6 0.600
Chicago White Sox 220 187 0.541
Tampa Bay Rays 7 6 0.538
Colorado Rockies 7 6 0.538
Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim 15 13 0.536
New York Yankees 9 8 0.529
Chicgao Cubs 191 170 0.529
Continue reading →
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#240 – Antonio Osuna

osunaName: Antonio Osuna

Rank: 240

Position: P

Years With White Sox: 2001-2002

When Bill Simas went down for the entire 2001 season during spring training, GM Kenny Williams struck a deal with the Dodgers on St. Patrick’s Day, acquiring Antonio Osuna for a collection of minor league talent. Unfortunately for Williams and the White Sox, a cyst in Osuna’s pitching shoulder limited him to 4 poor appearances in April before requiring season ending surgery.

Osuna bounced back in 2002, appearing in 59 games and posting a 3.86 ERA.  He, along with Damaso Marte, replaced Keith Foulke as the team’s closer at the All Star break, converting 11 out of 14 save opportunities.

In January of 2003, Osuna was sent to the Yankees as part of the 3 team deal that brought Bartolo Colon to the White Sox and sent Orlando Hernandez, Rocky Biddle, and Jeff Liefer to the Expos.

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