The 2016 baseball season is scheduled to kick off today, with 3 games scheduled for the first time. For the sixth consecutive year, I’ve looked into the crystal ball to make my picks for the upcoming season.
East: Blue Jays
Central: Indians
West: Rangers
Wild Cards: Red Sox, White Sox
AL Champion: Blue Jays
Cy Young: Chris Sale
MVP: Mike Trout
Name: Roberto Alomar
Rank: 103
Position: 2B
Years With White Sox: 2003, 2004
With the White Sox just 3 1/2 games behind the Twins on July 1, 2003, they tried to upgrade the right side of their infield by acquiring Roberto Alomar from the Mets for prospects Royce Ring, Edwin Almonte, and Andrew Salvo. Alomar, nearing the end of a Hall of Fame career, struggled both offensively and defensively with the White Sox, hitting .253 in 67 games with an OPS of just .670.
Following the season, Alomar became a free agent and signed with the Diamondbacks. In August, he was again acquired by the White Sox, this time for a player to be named later. This second stint went much worse, as Alomar, thought to be suffering from vision problems, appeared in only 18 games for the White Sox, hitting an anemic .180 in what would become the final games of his major league career.
Alomar’s numbers in a White Sox uniform, both for games I attended and overall, were:
With the return of Chicago baseball right around the corner, I thought it would be interesting to look at the all time leaders in both offensive and defensive categories for all 30 teams. We finish things off today with the hometown Chicago White Sox.
I’ve seen the White Sox play 472 times at 10 different stadiums in 6 different cities, including every home playoff appearance in 2000, 2005, and 2008 except for Game 1 of the 2005 World Series.
Home Runs
| Name | Total |
|---|---|
| Paul Konerko | 93 |
| Jermaine Dye | 39 |
| Alexei Ramirez | 34 |
Hits
| Name | Total |
|---|---|
| Paul Konerko | 366 |
| Alexei Ramirez | 299 |
| A.J. Pierzynski | 231 |
Runs
| Name | Total |
|---|---|
| Paul Konerko | 200 |
| Alexei Ramirez | 133 |
| A.J. Pierzynski | 104 |
RBI
| Name | Total |
|---|---|
| Paul Konerko | 235 |
| Alexei Ramirez | 138 |
| Jermaine Dye | 107 |
Doubles
| Name | Total |
|---|---|
| Paul Konerko | 57 |
| Alexei Ramirez | 49 |
| A.J. Pierzynski | 41 |
Triples Continue reading →
Name: Tony Phillips
Rank: 104
Position: LF
Years With White Sox: 1996-1997
Tony Phillips signed with the White Sox as a free agent on January 20, 1996. His tenure on the south side got off to a rocky start when he left spring training, vowing to retire rather than play for such a paltry salary. While general manager Ron Schueler told the media Phillips left camp because of a “family matter,” former teammates Dusty Baker and Dave Stewart convinced Phillips not to retire and he returned to the Sox 48 hours later.
His next moment of controversy came in May, when, after being berated by a Brewer fan who Phillips claimed was using racial slurs, he pulled himself out of the game, switched to street clothes, and headed to the County Stadium bleachers to confront him. Despite punching the fan in the face twice, Phillips managed to avoid not only arrest, but also suspension.
Later in the season, he had one final dust-up with Sox management, after a reporter complained that Phillips was playing a Pearl Jam CD too loudly. “The way I was brought up in baseball, our clubhouse is the players’ clubhouse,” Phillips said. “We live here for eight months. The writers are here for a couple of hours a day. For them to come in here and dictate what we do in our clubhouse is not right.”
In between all of those controversies, Phillips found time to produce. He put up a .277 average, with an unbelievable .404 OBP.
Phillips returned in 1997 and once again found himself feuding with a member of the media. In what may have been his lasting contribution to the White Sox clubhouse, he got into a confrontation with Sun-Times columnist Jay Mariotti, causing Mariotti to leave the clubhouse for good, earning Phillips the ever-lasting love of his teammates. His time with the Sox was short, though, as he was traded, along with Chad Kreuter, to the Angels on May 18 for Jorge Fabergas and Chuck McElroy.
Phillips’ numbers in a White Sox uniform, both for games I attended and overall, were:
Name: Juan Pierre
Rank: 105
Position: LF
Years With White Sox: 2010-2011
Juan Pierre came to the White Sox from the Dodgers in exchange for Jon Link and John Ely on December 15, 2009. He moved in to the leadoff spot and left field for the 2010 White Sox, putting up a solid season offensively with a .275 average with 22 extra base hits. He led all of MLB with 68 stolen bases, the second highest total in franchise history behind Rudy Law’s total of 77 in 1983.
2011 saw Pierre just as effective with the bat, but saw large drop-offs both on the basepaths and in the outfield. His stolen base total dropped to 27, while he was caught 17 times. He also tied for the league lead for all left fielders with 7 errors. Following the season, he became a free agent.
Pierre’s numbers in a White Sox uniform, both for games I attended and overall, were:
Shocking developments out of Glendale today as Adam LaRoche walked out of White Sox camp and is expected to retire. After telling team management and his teammates about his plans, they spent an hour trying to change his mind. He is expected to take the next few days mulling over his decision before making things official.
LaRoche signed as a free agent on November 25, 2014, and was expected to provide some left handed power in the middle of the White Sox lineup in 2015. To say things did not work out as planned would be a tremendous understatement. His production fell off a cliff, finishing the year with a .207 batting average with only 12 home runs and 44 RBIs. His second half was even worse, with a .231 OBP and a slugging percentage under .285.
He had appeared in only 2 games this spring while battling a back injury. By walking away now, he leaves $13 million on the table, money the White Sox can use creatively should they find themselves in contention at the trade deadline. Meanwhile, this should give Robin Ventura more flexibility while juggling Melky Cabrera, Adam Eaton, Austin Jackson, and Avisail Garcia.
LaRoche’s numbers in a White Sox uniform, both for games I attended and overall, were:
Name: Octavio Dotel
Rank: 106
Position: P
Years With White Sox: 2008-2009
Octavio Dotel joined the White Sox as a free agent on January 21, 2008, signing a two-year deal. He became a work horse out of the bullpen for Ozzie Guillen during the 2008 season, going 4-4 with a 3.76 ERA in 72 games as the White Sox took home the Central Division title. Dotel then appeared in all 4 games of the ALDS against the Rays, giving up 2 runs in 1 1/3 innings pitched.
2009 was more of the same for Dotel. In 10 fewer appearances, he went 3-3, lowering his ERA to 3.32. Following the season, Dotel became a free agent, ending his White Sox career.
Dotel’s numbers in a White Sox uniform, both for games I attended and overall, were:
Name: Charles Johnson
Rank: 107
Position: C
Year With White Sox: 2000
With the White Sox holding a 9 1/2 game lead in the AL Central just days before the trade deadline in 2000, GM Ron Schueler struck a deal to improve the team for the stretch run and the post-season, picking up Charles Johnson and Harold Baines from the Orioles in exchange for Brook Fordyce and three prospects. In his first game with the White Sox, Johnson hit a game-winning home run off John Wetteland and guided James Baldwin to his best start in his last 11 outings.
In 44 games over the season’s final two months, Johnson hit .326 with 10 home runs and 36 RBIs. He also provided a stabilizing effect behind the plate for a pitching staff that fell apart due to injuries as the post-season approached. As the White Sox battled the Mariners in the ALDS, Johnson was one of the few hitters who showed up, going 3-9 in the 3 game sweep. After the season, he became a free agent, ending his brief, but successful, White Sox career.
Johnson’s numbers in a White Sox uniform, both for games I attended and overall, were:
Name: Dayan Viciedo
Rank: 108
Position: LF
Years With White Sox: 2010-2014
Dayan Viciedo signed a 4-year deal with the White Sox in November of 2008, mere months after defecting from Cuba. He spent the 2009 season in Double A Birmingham and moved to Triple A Charlotte for 2010. He spent some time with the big league club in 2010, making his major league debut on June 20 against the Nationals.
He returned to Triple A in 2011, until Carlos Quentin went down with an injury in late August. Viciedo returned to Chicago, this time to stay. He became the everyday left fielder in 2012, putting up decent, if underwhelming numbers. Viciedo became a bit of a conundrum in 2013, as his average improved slightly, but his power numbers decreased.
Viciedo was slated for a platoon role with Alejandro de Aza in 2014, until Avisail Garcia’s shoulder injury opened up a spot for him. By the time Garcia returned, de Aza was in Baltimore and Viciedo had left field all to himself. He was unable to capitalize on the opportunity, though, as his average and OBP fell to a career lows.
Viciedo appeared to be the odd man out that offseason, with Melky Cabrera signed to play left field and Adam LaRoche on board as DH. With spring training 2015 about to begin and no takers on the trade market, the White Sox cut bait and released Viciedo on February 5th. Viciedo re-signed with the White Sox organization on a minor league deal on August 1st and became a free agent following the season.
Viciedo’s numbers in a White Sox uniform, both for games I attended and overall, were:
Fireworks Night
Aug 27 (Southpaw Star Wars Bobblehead)
Family Day
Apr 10
Apr 24
May 8
May 22
Jun 12 (Southpaw’s Birthday)
Jun 26
Jul 10
Jul 24
Aug 7
Aug 21
Aug 28
Sep 11
Oct 2
Other Fun Stuff
Apr 9 – White Sox Winter Hat
Apr 23 – Abreu Plush Bleacher Creature
May 7 – Chris Sale K-Counter Bobblehead
May 21 – Homecoming Weekend
Jun 11 – White Sox Hawaiian Shirt
Jul 9 – White Sox Cap
Jul 23 – 1976 Throwback Jersey