Tag / White Sox

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#253 – Scott Schoeneweis

Gn7OSHL5Name: Scott Schoeneweis

Rank: 253

Position: P

Years With White Sox: 2003-2004

With the White Sox in contention for a division crown at the trade deadline in 2003, they swung a deal with the Angels to bolster their bullpen, getting Scott Schoeneweis, along with Doug Nickle, in exchange for Tim Bittner, Scott Dunn, and Gary Glover.  Schoeneweis appeared in 20 games for the White Sox down the stretch, putting up a 4.50 ERA as the team faltered.

In 2004, he moved into the starting rotation, but success was hard to find.  In 20 appearances, 19 of them starts, his ERA jumped to 5.59.  After the season, he was allowed to leave as a free agent.

In 2007, Schoeneweis found himself in the Mitchell Report, with claims that he received six shipments of steroids at US Cellular Field while a member of the White Sox.  He denied the allegations and the commissioner’s office decided not to suspend him.

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

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#254 – Wilson Valdez

wilson_valdez_autographName: Wilson Valdez

Rank: 254

Position: SS

Year With White Sox: 2004

On June 17, 2004, the White Sox finally found a sucker, namely the Marlins, to take Billy Koch off their hands, in exchange for Wilson Valdez.  Valdez was assigned to Triple A Charlotte, where he earned himself a September call-up.  He made his major league debut on September 7th, going 0 for 3 in the White Sox 10-3 loss to the Rangers.

Out of options, he was placed on waivers following spring training in 2005, but was claimed by the Mets, ending his time with the South Siders.

Valdez’s numbers in a White Sox uniform were:

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#255 – Alan Embree

alan_embree_2008_07_01Name: Alan Embree

Rank: 255

Position: P

Year With White Sox: 2001

Alan Embree came to the White Sox via trade with the Giants on June 29, 2001.  Embree struggled with the White Sox, putting up a 5.03 ERA in 39 appearances after the trade.  Following the season, he left as a free agent.

Embree rejoined the White Sox organization in 2010, when he signed a minor league contract with the team on May 10th.  The then-40 year old Embree allowed 16 baserunners in 7 1/3 innings and was released on May 28th without getting called up to the major leagues.

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

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#256 – Ricky Horton

51TAName: Ricky Horton

Rank: 256

Position: P

Year With White Sox: 1988

After months of rumors and speculation, the White Sox and Cardinals finally consummated the trade that sent Ricky Horton and Lance Johnson to the south side in exchange for Jose DeLeon on February 9, 1988.  GM Larry Himes planned on plugging Horton in to the starting rotation, saying, “He was a key pitcher for Cardinals with the way they used him. Now he gets the opportunity to take the ball every five days for us.”  Hopes were so high that manager Jim Fregosi tabbed Horton to take the mound on opening day.

After compiling a 3-6 record in his first nine starts, however, Horton was moved back to the bullpen, where things went from bad to worse for the next two months.  “I tried to think of the season as two halves,” Horton said.  “I put the first half out of my mind and tried to start over fresh in the second half.”  Horton turned his season around, becoming the most consistent lefty in the pen for the White Sox until August 31st, when he was shipped to the Dodgers in exchange for pitcher Shawn Hillegas.

Horton’s numbers in a White Sox uniform were:

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And The Enshrinees Are

greg-maddux 52174766

The BBWAA ballots have been counted and Greg Maddux, Frank Thomas, and Tom Glavine have been elected as to the Hall of Fame. Maddux lead the pack with 97.2% of the vote, followed by his former Braves teammate Glavine with 91.9%. Thomas finished third with 83.7% of the vote. Narrowly missing induction, with 74.8% of the vote (the Hall of Fame does not round up) was Craig Biggio.

Maddux, of course, got his start with the Cubs, whom he helped lead to the 1989 NL East title.  He won the first of his 4 consecutive NL Cy Young awards with the North Siders in 1992 before being allowed to leave as a free agent by GM Larry Himes.  Maddux signed with the Braves, where he continued to dominate and helped lead Atlanta to the 1995 World Series championship.  After 11 seasons, he returned to the Cubs in 2004.  He defeated the Giants in August of that year to win his 300th game and, in July of 2005, he struck out his 3000th batter.  In 2006, with the Cubs far out of contention, he was traded to the Dodgers for their stretch run.  For 2007, Maddux signed with the Padres, where he spent the next year and a half before being traded back to the Dodgers for another stretch run.  After the Dodgers were bounced from the playoffs, Maddux announced his retirement.

Frank Thomas was the first round draft pick of the White Sox in the 1989 draft, and made his debut for the White Sox the following year.  Thomas won the AL MVP award in 1993 while leading the White Sox to their final AL West title.  Thomas repeated as MVP in 1994, putting up a .353 average with 38 homers and 101 RBIs in the strike-shortened season.  In 1997, Thomas won the AL batting title and finished third in the MVP race.  After two substandard seasons, at least for him, Thomas rebounded in 2000, leading the White Sox to the AL Central title and narrowly losing the MVP award to a juiced-up Jason Giambi.  Thomas struggled with injuries after that, appearing in only 20 games in 2001, 74 games in 2004, and 34 games in 2005.  He spent the entire post-season on the disabled list as the White Sox won their first World Series in 88 years.  Following that year, the White Sox cut ties with Thomas and he headed out west to play for the A’s.  In his first game back in Chicago as a visiting player, Thomas homered twice.  Thomas spent 2007 and the start of 2008 with the Blue Jays, before finishing the season, and his career, back with the A’s.

I have been witness to milestones for all 3 enshrined players.  I was at Wrigley Field when Greg Maddux made his first attempt at winning his 300th game against the Phillies, the start before he won it on the road against the GIants.  I was there the next season for the rain delayed night game where he would strike out his 3000th batter, again against the Giants.  I was in Shea Stadium for Tom Glavine’s first appearance as a New York Met, which did not turn out well for him.  4 years later, I was at Wrigley Field for a Sunday night matchup where things worked out better for him as he defeated the Cubs for his 300th victory.

Thomas is now the Hall of Famer I have seen in action more than any other.  I was at his first return appearance as a member of the A’s, where, before the first of his 2 home runs, he was treated to a standing ovation.  An ovation which panned the crowd and found me amongst the masses, which I happened to notice that night on Baseball Tonight and now lives on as part of the White Sox Memories DVD.  I first saw Thomas play in his rookie year of 1990 and caught 66 of his games over the years.  I was there when he threw out the first pitch before the 2005 ALDS Game 1 against the Red Sox and in 2010 when his number 35 was retired.

Maddux, Thomas, and Glavine’s numbers in games I attended were:

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#257 – Charlie O’Brien

my428JQlgGFFAylwxZFqdxAName: Charlie O’Brien

Rank: 257

Position: C

Year With White Sox: 1998

Charlie O’Brien and his prodigous mullet joined the White Sox as a free agent on December 10, 1997.  He and Chad Kreuter were brought in to the be the top 2 catchers for the White Sox and, ironically enough, both ended the season with the Angels.

O’Brien played 57 games for the White Sox before being traded to the Angels at the trade deadline for 2 prospects who never panned out.

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

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#258 – Marvin Freeman

freemanName: Marvin Freeman

Rank: 258

Position: P

Year With White Sox: 1996

Marvin Freeman joined the White Sox after being claimed on waivers from the Rockies on August 31, 1996.  He appeared in 1 game for the White Sox, starting and giving up 3 runs in 2 plus innings in a game the White Sox eventually won 13-5 over the Red Sox.  It wound up being his final major league appearance.  He left the team as a free agent following the season.

Freeman’s numbers in a White Sox uniform were:

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#259 – Scott Bradley

scottbradleyName: Scott Bradley

Rank: 259

Position: C

Year With White Sox: 1986

Scott Bradley joined the White Sox on February 13, 1986 along with Neil Allen and a minor leaguer who never sniffed the big leagues from the Yankees in exchange for Ron Hassey, Matt Winters, and two additional minor leaguers who would never again heard from.  Bradley spent the majority of his time with the White Sox in Triple A, earning a promotion to the big league club on May 28th after the release of Marc Hill.  With Carlton Fisk and Joel Skinner also on the roster, Bradley wasn’t going to be limited to catching.  “Wherever they want to play me is fine with me,” Bradley said. “The whole key is being here.”

He wasn’t there for long, though.  On June 26, his short stay in Chicago came to an end when he was traded to the Mariners for a player to be named later, which, 5 days later, became Ivan Calderon.

Bradley’s numbers in a White Sox uniform were:

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#260 – Mike Devereaux

mikedevereauxName: Mike Devereaux

Rank: 260

Position: RF

Year With White Sox: 1995

Following the end of the work stoppage that wiped out the 1994 post season, Mike Devereaux signed a one-year deal with the White Sox during the abbreviated spring training prior to the delayed 1995 season.  He was impressive, putting up a .306 average for the South Siders in 92 games.

On August 26, he was sent to the Braves for prospect Andre King.  “We’re not going to the playoffs likely,” manager Terry Bevington said. “We’d need 20 wins in a row. I’m a guy that doesn’t give up ’til we’re mathematically eliminated, but the odds are very low. So here’s a chance for to go to the playoffs. I’m sorry to lose him, but I’m happy for him.”

Devereaux’s numbers in a White Sox uniform were:

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#261 – Roy Smalley

roysmalleyName: Roy Smalley

Rank: 261

Position: 3B

Year With White Sox: 1984

Roy Smalley came to the White Sox on July 18, 1984 from the Yankees in exchange for Kevin Hickey and future Cy Young award winner Doug Drabek.  The Sox took a chance that Smalley could help wake up their struggling club and help them to repeat as champions of the American League West.  He hit .239 with the Yankees, but the change of scenery didn’t end his struggles.  Smalley appeared hesitant defensively at third base and out of sync at the plate, hitting an anemic .170 in 48 games with the Sox.

The next February, the White Sox sent Smalley to the Twins, in exchange for minor leaguers Ron Scheer and Randy Johnson (no, not that Randy Johnson).  Under an unusual arrangement, the Twins had to keep Smalley for at least two years, at which point they had the option of returning him to the Sox.  Smalley ended up playing three years with the Twins before he, and the 3 years and $1.6 remaining on his contract, was shipped back to Chicago.

After adjusting things to make room for him during spring training, the White Sox made Smalley their final cut coming out of spring training.  “They’ve got a direction they are going in,” Smalley said. “It was obvious from the beginning that the direction didn’t include me.”  Despite not making the team, Smalley impressed the Sox brass.  “He’s a fine young man,” said Sox manager Jim Fregosi.  “He handled himself very well.”  The 35-year old Smalley never played in the major leagues again.

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

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