Tag / White Sox

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#114 – Mike LaValliere

Mike_LaValliere

Name: Mike LaValliere

Rank: 114

Position: C

Years With White Sox: 1993-1995

After being released by the Pirates just days into the 1993 season, Mike LaValliere signed a minor league deal with the White Sox.  He was recalled in June when Ron Karkovice landed on the disabled list.  He became the primary catcher after Carlton Fisk was released on June 28th, and moved back into a reserve role once Karkovice returned.  He finished the year with a .258 average in only 97 at bats.  LaValliere made two appearances during the ALCS against the Blue Jays, picking up 1 hit in 3 at bats.

LaValliere returned to the White Sox in 1994, again as a backup to Karkovice.  He hit a robust .281 in only 139 at bats before the season came to a premature end due to the player’s strike.

When baseball resumed in 1995, LaValliere was back behind the plate for the White Sox.  He again was used sparingly, ending the year with a .245 average in a scant 98 at bats.  Following the season, he became a free agent and retired.

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

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#115 – Tom Paciorek

wimpyName: Tom Paciorek

Rank: 115

Position: 1B/LF

Years With White Sox: 1982-1985

Tom Paciorek was traded to the White Sox from the Mariners in December of 1981, for Rod Allen, Todd Cruz, and Jim Essian.  He became the primary first baseman for the White Sox in 1982 and finished the year second on the team with a .312 average.

In 1983, Paciorek split time between first base and the outfield, due to the emergence of young players like Greg Walker and Ron Kittle.  He finished the year with a team-leading .307 average as the White Sox took home their first division title, by a record 20 games.  Paciorek appeared in all 4 games of the ALCS, picking up 4 hits in 16 at bats as the White Sox fell to the Orioles.

Paciorek saw his playing time diminish further in 1984, as the White Sox struggled to repeat their success of the prior year.  His personal highlight came on May 8th (and 9th), when he set an odd major league record, garnering 5 hits in a game he did not start.  Paciorek replaced Ron Kittle in the 4th inning of what would become the longest game in major league history, with the White Sox eventually defeating the Brewers in 25 innings, with Paciorek going 5-9.

By 1985, Paciorek’s playing time was decreased even further.  He had only 122 at bats when, on July 16, he was traded to the Mets for outfielder Dave Cochrane, drawing his White Sox playing career to an end.

Following his playing career, Paciorek rejoined the White Sox as color commentator on their television broadcasts from 1988 through 1999, and appeared as an occasional fill-in in more recent times.

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

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#116 – Kip Wells

kipwellsName: Kip Wells

Rank: 116

Position: P

Years With White Sox: 1999-2001

Kip Wells joined the White Sox organization as the 16th overall pick of the 1998 draft.  After splitting most of the 1999 season between A and AA, he was called up to the White Sox to make his major league debut August 2nd against the Tigers in Detroit.  In a game I just so happened to attend, he earned his first major league win, going 5 1/3 innings in the Sox 6-2 victory.  He started 6 more games for the White Sox, winning 3 of them and finishing with a respectable, if unspectacular, 4.04.

2000 again saw Wells splitting time between the minor leagues and the big leagues.  As the White Sox ran away and hid with the AL Central crown, Wells started 20 games, struggling through most of them.  He finished with less than 100 innings pitched, which averages out to less than 5 innings per start, and an ERA over 6.  While the White Sox battled the Mariners in the ALDS, he did not see any post-season action.

Wells again spent most of 2001 in Chicago, though he split time between the bullpen and the rotation.  He again started 20 games, but also appeared in another 20 in relief.  He did manage to win 10 games for the first time in his career, but finished with a losing record for the second straight year, despite lowering his ERA by 1 and a quarter runs.  That December, he was packaged with fellow pitchers Josh Fogg and Sean Lowe in a trade to the Pirates for Todd Ritchie.

Wells rejoined the White Sox organization on a minor league deal in April of 2012, but he was released 10 days later.

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

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#117 – Dustin Hermanson

dustinhermName: Dustin Hermanson

Rank: 117

Position: P

Years With White Sox: 2005-2006

Dustin Hermanson signed with the White Sox as a free agent in December of 2004.  He started the 2005 season as the set-up man, but moved into the closer role when the incumbent, Shingo Takatsu, failed to perform.  As the White Sox cruised to a big lead in the AL Central, Hermanson put together the best season of his career, with a stellar 2.04 ERA and 34 saves.

Hermanson lost his closer position due to a back injury in September, when he was replaced by Bobby Jenks as the White Sox tried to keep their tenuous grasp on the AL Central lead.  As the White Sox cruised through the playoffs on their way to their first World Championship in 88 years, Hermanson sat on the sidelines.  He made his only post-season appearance in Game 3 of the World Series, throwing 1/3 of scoreless relief in the south sider’s 14 inning victory over the Astros.

When 2006 got underway, Hermanson’s back was still causing him issues.  He only appeared in 6 games for the White Sox, before spending most of the year on the disabled list.  Following the season, he became a free agent and never pitched in the major leagues again.

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

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#118 – Jim Parque

parque

Name: Jim Parque

Rank: 118

Position: P

Years With White Sox: 1998-2002

Jim Parque was selected by the White Sox in the first round of the 1997 draft, signing less than a week later.  He spent less than a year in the minor leagues, making his big league debut on May 26, 1998 against the Yankees.  Parque spent the rest of the season in the White Sox rotation, finishing with a winning record but with an inflated 5.10 ERA.

Parque spent the entire 1999 season in the big leagues, starting 30 games, but finding little success.  He finished with a 9-15 record and saw his ERA rise to 5.13.

2000 was Parque’s best year in the big leagues.  His most infamous moment in a White Sox uniform came in early April, when the White Sox and Tigers were involved in 2 brawls during the Sox’s 14-6 victory.  Parque hit Dean Palmer with the first pitch of the 7th inning, igniting the first brawl of the day and earning himself a 3 game suspension.  Many claim that the brawl united the young White Sox team, spurring them on to winning the AL Central title.  Parque finished the year with a 13-6 record and lowered his ERA to 4.28.  He started game one of the ALDS against the Mariners, giving up 3 runs in 6 innings and getting a no decision in the White Sox loss.

Parque’s career began to fall apart in 2001, as a torn labrum limited him to 13 games for the White Sox over the 2001 and 2002 seasons, with ERAs of 8.04 and 9.95 respectively.  With his recovery in doubt, he was non-tendered in December of 2002, making him a free agent.

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

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He (Nearly) Gone

Ken-HarrelsonBack in October, the White Sox announced that Ken Harrelson, the play by play man for White Sox television broadcasts since 1990, will be cutting back his role this year, working road games, the home opener, and the Cubs series.  The 74 year old Harrelson, who has a 100 mile commute each way from his home in Indiana to US Cellular Field, had hinted at reducing his schedule prior to last season, but changed his mind after the team’s off-season moves offered the promise of an exciting summer.

Yesterday, the White Sox made the move official and announced the hiring of Jason Benetti, a 32-year old Homewood native who cut his professional broadcasting teeth with the Syracuse Chiefs, the Triple A affiliate of the Nationals.  Benetti becomes the first actual broadcaster hired by the White Sox since John Rooney in 1988.  The White Sox also announced that Harrelson and Steve Stone have signed multi-year extensions, settling the television booth for years to come.

I’ve never heard Benetti’s work (he also does college basketball on ESPN), but am looking forward to a younger and competent voice joining the broadcast booth.  An improved team and an improved broadcast booth should lead to an enjoyable summer.

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Book 1 (of 52) – Pudge: The Biography Of Carlton Fisk

Pudge: The Biography of Carlton Fisk - Doug Wilson

Pudge: The Biography of Carlton Fisk – Doug Wilson

Doug Wilson traces the life of Carlton Fisk, from his upbringing in New Hampshire, to his time in Boston as a leader for the Red Sox, and, finally, to his tenure as the under-appreciated All Star on the south side of Chicago.  Along the way, Fisk overcame injuries and slights, both perceived and real, to become one of the greatest catchers ever to take the field.

Wilson manages to get great insight into Fisk, even if he didn’t get much input from Fisk himself, thanks to those around him.  For the most part, his time in Boston was mostly a mystery to me, besides his home run in Game 6 of the 1975 World Series.  I was mostly looking forward to reading about his time in Chicago, where he signed as a free agent in 1981 after the Red Sox were late in offering him a contact.

New White Sox ownership was looking to make a splash, and the signing of Fisk certainly gave them what they were looking for.  Despite putting up good numbers, Fisk’s advancing age seemed to always put him at odds with White Sox leadership, who either tried to replace him with unready rookies like Joel Skinner and Ron Karkovice, or move him to a new position, such as the ill-fated attempt to play left field during the 1986 season.  Finally, six days after breaking Bob Boone’s record for games caught, he was released by the White Sox in 1993, leading to years of resentment that continued into the 21st century.

I enjoyed the look back at Fisk’s time with the White Sox, despite dreading the later years when the team was not particularly good.  Reading about the seasons I had lived through as a child, I was able to gain greater insight in to why his career ended the way it did and the rift that existed between him and the White Sox, seemingly until former teammate Ozzie Guillen became manager in 2004.

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#119 – Tim Belcher

belcher

Name: Tim Belcher

Rank: 119

Position: P

Year With White Sox: 1993

With the White Sox looking for their first division title in a decade, the team bolstered their pitching staff at the trade deadline in 1993, acquiring Tim Belcher from the Reds for Jeff Pierce and Johnny Ruffin.  Belcher was inserted into the rotation, starting 11 games down the stretch and finishing with a pedestrian 3-5 record and a 4.40 ERA.

Belcher made one appearance in the ALCS, picking up the win in relief in game 4 against the Blue Jays by giving up 1 run in 3 2/3 innings.  Following the season, Belcher left the White Sox as a free agent.

Belcher’s numbers in a White Sox uniform were:

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HOF Election Thoughts

baseballhofAll eyes turned towards Cooperstown yesterday as the votes were tallied and two new members were announced as the Hall of Fame class of 2016: Ken Griffey Jr. and Mike Piazza.  Griffey, in his first year of eligibility, set the all time record by being named on 99.3% of the ballots, eclipsing Tom Seaver’s mark of 98.8% in 1992.  Piazza earned 83% of the vote in his 4th year of eligibility, an increase 13.1 point increase from last year.

Four others tallied greater than 50% of the vote, led by Jeff Bagwell, who fell a mere 15 votes shy of election.  Next was Tim Raines, who only has one more chance to boost his total from 69.8% to the required 75%.  Trevor Hoffman had a surprisingly strong showing in his first year, garnering 67.3% of the vote.  Finally, Curt Schilling showed a big improvement in his 4th year on the ballot, going from 39.2% to 52.3%.

The news continued to be bleak for the alleged PED users, as Barry Bonds, Roger Clemens, Mark McGwire, and Sammy Sosa still failed to gain entry.  McGwire, in his 10th year of eligibility, now falls off the ballot, as does former Tigers shortstop Alan Trammel.  13 others failed to reach 5% and will also fall off the ballot.

As for the newest Hall of Famers, I’ve seen Griffey play 37 times, mostly during his stint with the White Sox in 2008, including the ALDS against the Rays. I only saw Piazza play 7 times over the course of his career.

Ken Griffey Jr’s numbers in games I attended were:

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Mariners All Time Leaders – Through 2015

marinersWith 3 months until baseball in Chicago returns, I thought it would be interesting to look at the all time leaders in both offensive and defensive categories for all 30 teams. We continue today with the Seattle Mariners.

The Mariners began life in 1977, joining the American League along with the Toronto Blue Jays. I’ve seen them play 30 times, including the final night game at the original Comiskey Park and the first 2 games of their sweep of the White Sox in the 2000 ALDS.

Home Runs

Name Total
Kyle Seager 4
Franklin Gutierrez 3
Richie Sexson 3

Hits

Name Total
Ichiro Suzuki 19
Michael Saunders 12
Raul Ibanez 11

Runs

Name Total
Ichiro Suzuki 8
Raul Ibanez 6
Michael Saunders 5
Jose Lopez 5

RBI

Name Total
Kyle Seager 8
Mike Cameron 8
Alvin Davis 7

Doubles

Name Total
Michael Saunders 3
6 tied with 2

Triples Continue reading →