Tag / White Sox

by admin

iTunes Top 200 Artists: #51-59

3 years ago, we first counted down the then Top 100 artists in my iTunes library.  Since that time, I’ve successfully managed to migrate my music collection to a new PC with the stats intact.  So, I figured it was time to take another look, expanding out the field to the top 200 artists, based on number of plays from late 2007 through January 1, 2017.

We finish up the first 2/3 of the list with listens from the high 70s through the mid 90s.

#59: Kermit the Frog
iTunes stats: 78 plays
Previous ranking: N/A

The world’s most favorite Muppet makes the second highest debut on the list, clocking in with 7 tracks.

#59: 10,000 Maniacs
iTunes stats: 78 plays
Previous ranking: #53

Only 3 tracks make up this total, though a scant 29 new listens contributed to a 6 spot drop in the rankings.

#58: Smashing Pumpkins
iTunes stats: 81 plays
Previous ranking: #59

Doubling their play total, plus 1, over the past 3 years enables the Chicago based alternative band to jump up 1 whole spot in the rankings.

#57: Frankie Valli & The Four Seasons
iTunes stats: 83 plays
Previous ranking: #45

A mere 17 new listens over the past 3 years cause the Jersey Boys inspirations to drop 12 spots on the list.

#56: The Rolling Stones
iTunes stats: 84 plays
Previous ranking: #74

Listens from 17 songs, up from 9 three years ago, led to the British bad boys jumping 18 spots in the rankings.

#55: Cheap Trick
iTunes stats: 86 plays
Previous ranking: #56

The boys from Rockford add an additional 40 listens to rise 1 spot on the list.

#54: The Outfield
Continue reading →

by admin

#29 – Lance Johnson

Name: Lance Johnson

Rank: 29

Position: CF

Years With White Sox: 1988-1995

Lance Johnson, along with Ricky Horton, was acquired by the White Sox from the Cardinals for Jose DeLeon just before spring training in 1988.  After earning Most Valuable Player honors in the American Association the year before, Johnson was given the starting center fielder job.  Things did not go well, and after hitting only .185 in 33 games, he was sent back to the minor leagues.

Johnson returned to Triple A in 1988, before finally returning to the White Sox, and the major leagues, for good.  In a 50 game stint, his largest to date, Jonson hit .300 with 16 stolen bases and a .360 OBP.

In 1990, Johnson patrolled centerfield for the final season at Comiskey Park.  He hit .285 and managed 36 stolen bases, despite leading the league with 22 caught stealings, easily his career high.  He also hit his first career home run.

1991 saw the White Sox move across the street to their new home, and Johnson continued his steady presence in the lineup.  Hitting .274 while appearing in 159 games, he stole 26 bases and hit 13 triples, leading the American League for the first of four consecutive seasons, the first player in Major League history to accomplish this feat.

Johnson hit .279 in 1992, with another 12 triples and 41 stolen bases.  He also managed to hit the ball out of the ballpark 3 times, setting a new career high.

1993 saw Johnson and the White Sox finally put everything together.  Johnson raised his average to .311, hitting 14 triples and stealing 35 bases while the White Sox won their first divisional title in a decade.  Unfortunately, Johnson struggled in the ALCS against the Blue Jays, hitting only .217 in the 6 game series, though knocking in 6 runs and hitting his only home run of the season.

The strike-shortened 1994 season cut down what could have been a tremendous season for Johnson.  He again hit 14 triples, but in only 106 games.  He tied his career high with 3 home runs and managed 26 stolen bases, while hitting .277.

When baseball resumed in 1995, Johnson turned in his finest season in a White Sox uniform.  He hit .306 and set a career high with a .766 OPS.  He led the league in at bats and hits, though he saw his streak of triples crowns end despite hitting a solid 12.  He set a career high with 10 home runs, 3 more than his previous career total.  On September 23, he became the first White Sox hitter to get 6 hits in a game since Floyd Robinson in 1962.  Following the season, he became a free agent and his White Sox career came to an end.

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

Continue reading →

by admin

Fitbit III: Week 13

We are one step closer to tying last summer’s record of 14 straight 50,000 step weeks, thanks to my highest total in 4 weeks.  Things got off to a strong start on Sunday, thanks to a tilt between the White Sox and Indians at Guaranteed Rate Field followed by Michael’s birthday celebration at Outback Steakhouse.  Monday scored an impressive total of over 12,000 steps, thanks to an after-work session trying to get the Mercury out of the garage and running again.  Tuesday was even better, falling less than 200 steps short of 13,000 due to another trip to the South Side, minus a parking pass.  Wednesday fell back down to my goal territory, despite trips to Target and Meijer for car fluids.  Thursday had a bit of a bounce back up nearly 9000 steps, thanks to a trip to North plaza and a few smoking breaks with Val.  Friday broke 7300 steps, with more car work.  The weather turned bad on Saturday, as rain kept me inside most of the day, leading to a disappointing total of 3100 steps.

Total steps: 58,534

Daily average: 8362

by jim

6 In A Row

For the first time in over a year, the White Sox have strung together six consecutive wins, all against AL Central foes.  The streak has put the surprising White Sox in first place for the second straight year as April comes to a close.  Will they fall apart, as they did last year?  It’s too soon to tell, and the rebuilding plan may require sending useful pieces away as the season progresses to serve the greater good.

by admin

#30 – Greg Walker

Name: Greg Walker

Rank: 30

Position: 1B

Years With White Sox: 1982-1990

Acquired as a rule 5 selection from the Phillies in 1979, Greg Walker made his major league debut for the White Sox on September 18, 1982, pinch hitting for Marc Hill and getting a hit against Brian Kingman in the White Sox 5-4 loss to the A’s at Comiskey Park.  During his brief cup of coffee with the big league club, Walker took advantage, hitting .412 with 2 home runs in 11 games.

Walker split time with Tom Paciorek in 1983, hitting .270 with 10 home runs and 55 RBIs in 118 games.  He led the American League with 15 pinch hit RBIs.  He appeared in 2 games during the ALCS against the Orioles, going 1-3 with a walk.

In 1984, Walker started to establish himself as the every day first baseman.  In 136 games, he hit 24 home runs while posting a .294 average.  He hit another 24 home runs in 1985 while tying a White Sox record with 163 games played.

1986 saw Walker spend time on the disabled list, limiting him to 78 games and only 13 home runs, with a .277 average.  He bounced back in 1987, appearing in 157 games and setting career highs with 27 home runs and 94 RBIs while hitting a career low .256.

Walker’s 1988 season came to a premature end on July 30, when he suffered a seizure during batting practice while fielding grounders from coach Ed Brinkman.  Four trainers were needed to hold Walker down and pry open his mouth to prevent Walker from swallowing his own tongue.  During the ordeal, Walker bit his tongue and chipped a tooth from biting down on a pair of scissors.  A subsequent seizure the following day kept Walker in the hospital for 11 days.  A third seizure, days after being released from the hospital, left him in a daze for months.

He returned in 1989, unsure if he would be able to continue his career, until a .308 spring average with 7 home runs convinced him, and the White Sox, that he once again could be a productive member of the lineup.  He wasted little time in getting back in the swing of things, participating in an Opening Day brawl against the Angels after Bob McClure hit Ivan Calderon with a pitch in the ninth inning.  The good feelings did not last, though, as he appeared in only 77 games due to a shoulder injury and hit a career low .210 with only 5 home runs.

Walker found himself the odd man out in 1990, appearing in only 2 games before being released on April 30.

Walker rejoined the White Sox organization on May 19, 2003 as hitting coach, a position he would hold until September 28, 2011 in the waning days of Ozzie Guillen’s tenure.

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

Continue reading →

by admin

Fitbit III: Week 12

My streak of 50,000+ step weeks hits 12 and closes on in last summer’s record of 14 straight weeks.  Things got off to a slow start on Sunday thanks to Easter activities, which left me just under 2500 steps.  A big bounce back once the work week got under way, as I put together a streak of 3 10,000 step days.  Monday benefited from a midday escape to bowl with my friends from the lab.  Tuesday had a lunch meeting in North plaza, which helped boost my total.  Wednesday was more time spent with my lab friends, including a game (or 2) of ping pong.  Thursday surpassed 9000 steps, thanks to more time up in the lab and then an after work farewell to Hayley.  Friday managed to just surpass 6500 steps, thanks to more time spent in the lab with Val.  Saturday finished with a little more thanks to the White Sox/Indians tilt at Guaranteed Rate Field.

Total steps: 56,743

Daily average: 8106.1

by admin

#31 – Tadahito Iguchi

Name: Tadahito Iguchi

Rank: 31

Position: 2B

Years With White Sox: 2005-2007

After an impressive career in the Japanese league, Tadahito Iguchi signed with the White Sox prior to the 2005 season.  As a 30 year old rookie, the second baseman locked down the #2 spot in the batting order, hitting .278 with 15 home runs.  The personal highlight of his season came in Game 2 of the ALDS against the Red Sox, hitting a 3 run homer off of David Wells to give the White Sox the lead.  Later that month, when the White Sox won their first title in 88 years, he became the first Japanese-born position player to win a World Series.  His numbers earned him fourth place in the Rookie of the Year voting.

2006 was an even more impressive year for Iguchi.  He made his mark on defense, going horizontal to make a tremendous play against the Blue Jays on April 15.  Offensively, he shined on June 25, hitting a 3 run homer in the bottom of the 8th to cut the Astros lead to 4 and then smacking a grand slam in the 9th to send the game to extra innings.  He finished the year with a .281 average, 18 home runs, and 67 RBIs.

2007 was a rough year for both Iguchi and the White Sox.  After signing a contract extension, he struggled as the White Sox fell to 4th in the AL Central, losing 90 games for the first time since 1989.  Iguchi’s average dropped to .251 with only 6 home runs.  With the White Sox not going anywhere, they traded Iguchi to the Philles on July 27 for a busted prospect.

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

Continue reading →

by admin

iTunes Top 200 Artists: #71-79

3 years ago, we first counted down the then Top 100 artists in my iTunes library.  Since that time, I’ve successfully managed to migrate my music collection to a new PC with the stats intact.  So, I figured it was time to take another look, expanding out the field to the top 200 artists, based on number of plays from late 2007 through January 1, 2017.

An eclectic group of musicians as we continue our march towards the top of the charts.

#79: Ludacris
iTunes stats: 58 plays
Previous ranking: #63

A 16 spot drop for the Atlanta-based rapper, despite 20 additional listens to his 3 songs over the past 3 years.

#79: Florence + The Machine
iTunes stats: 58 plays
Previous ranking: N/A

An impressive debut appearance, thanks mostly to their inclusion in last year’s road trip mix to placate Val.

#76: Ron Funches
iTunes stats: 59 plays
Previous ranking: N/A

The comic makes his debut thanks to the tracks from his first album.

#76: Nancy Faust
iTunes stats: 59 plays
Previous ranking: #57

The former organist for the White Sox drops 19 spots due to the removal of her final performance of Take Me Out To The Ballgame from my victory playlist.

#76: Bell Biv DeVoe
iTunes stats: 59 plays
Previous ranking: #66

22 new listens for the former members of New Edition cause them to drop 10 spots in the rankings.

#74: Red Hot Chili Peppers
iTunes stats: 60 plays
Previous ranking: #84

A 10 spot leap for the California-based rockers due in part to 32 new listens over the past 3 years.

#74: Black Eyed Peas
Continue reading →

by admin

#32 – Julio Cruz

Name: Julio Cruz

Rank: 32

Position: 2B

Years With White Sox: 1983-1986

Acquired by the White Sox on June 15, 1983 from the Mariners for counterpart Tony Bernazard, Julio Cruz gave the White Sox the spark they were looking for, helping the team go on a 72-31 run to finish the season and go from 6 1/2 games back to 20 games ahead.  Cruz scored the winning run on a Harold Baines sacrifice fly against, of all teams, the Mariners on September 17, clinching the first division title in White Sox history.  Cruz hit .333 during the ALCS against the Orioles, swiping 2 bases in the 4 game series.

In January of 1984, after nearly leaving to join the Angels, Cruz re-signed with the White Sox on a 6 year deal, thought to be worth between $3.6 to $4.8 million.  Unfortunately, time, and injuries, were starting to take their toll.  1984 was the best year of the deal, and Cruz saw his average drop to .222 and he stole only 14 bases, a career low to date.

1985 saw the bottom fall out for Cruz.  Dealing with a toe injury, he was limited to 91 games and he finished the year with a .197 average with only 8 stolen bases.  1986 was more of the same, as he managed to only get in to 81 games, swiping a mere 7 bases while hitting .215.

With Donnie Hill, Jerry Royster, and Fred Manrique in camp in 1987, things did not look good for Cruz.  General Manager Larry Himes hoped that a deal could be made to find Cruz a new home, but nothing materialized and, on March 23, Cruz was told he was being released.  He never played in the major leagues again.

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

Continue reading →

by admin

iTunes Top 200 Artists: #81-88

3 years ago, we first counted down the then Top 100 artists in my iTunes library.  Since that time, I’ve successfully managed to migrate my music collection to a new PC with the stats intact.  So, I figured it was time to take another look, expanding out the field to the top 200 artists, based on number of plays from late 2007 through January 1, 2017.

We continue our march up through the the top 100 with this next batch of artists, which includes:

#88: Soul Asylum
iTunes stats: 54 plays
Previous ranking: #70

20 new listens for the Minneapolis-based band causes them to drop 18 spots in the rankings.

#88: John Morris
iTunes stats: 54 plays
Previous ranking: N/A

The composer of the score from the best movie ever made, Clue: The Movie.

#88: Artie Lange
iTunes stats: 54 plays
Previous ranking: #76

The comedy stylings of Arthur Lange drop 12 spots despite 23 new listens in the past 3 years.

#84: The Cranberries
iTunes stats: 56 plays
Previous ranking: #80

A small 4 spot drop for the Irish band, who picked up 26 new listens to their 8 tracks over the last 3 years.

#84: The Beastie Boys
iTunes stats: 56 plays
Previous ranking: #91

30 new listens in the last 3 years bumps the Beastie Boys up 7 spots in the rankings.

#84: Gin Blossoms
iTunes stats: 56 plays
Previous ranking: #63

25 years after the release of their debut album, the Arizona group drops 21 spots due to a small increase of 18 listens over the past 3 years.

#84: Christina Aguilera
Continue reading →