Tag / Willie Harris

by admin

Against The Angels All Time Leaders – Through 2021

laangelsIn the past, we’ve looked at the all time leaders in both offensive and defensive categories for all 30 teams.  This offseason, we will take our first ever look at those leaders against all 30 clubs. We continue today with the Los Angeles Angels.

The Angels began life in 1961, joining the American League along with the second incarnation of the Washington Senators.  They’ve changed their location designation multiple times, starting in Los Angeles, changing to California in 1966, moving to Anaheim in 1997 and, awkwardly incorporating both Los Angeles and Anaheim starting in 2005, and finally returning to just Los Angeles in 2016.  I’ve seen them play 38 times, including games 1 and 2 of the 2005 ALCS against the White Sox and Jim Thome’s 500th career home run in 2008.

Home Runs

Name Total
Carlos Quentin 6
Paul Konerko 6
Jim Thome 4

Hits

Name Total
Paul Konerko 22
A.J. Pierzynski 17
Alexei Ramirez 17

Runs

Name Total
Paul Konerko 14
Alexei Ramirez 8
Carlos Quentin 8

RBI

Name Total
A.J. Pierzynski 10
Paul Konerko 9
Alexei Ramirez 8
Carlos Quentin 8
Juan Uribe 8

Doubles

Name Total
Paul Konerko 4
Juan Uribe 4
Joe Crede 3
Scott Podsednik 3
Javier Baez 3

Triples Continue reading →

by admin

By The Numbers – 30

In 1929, uniform numbers appeared on the back of baseball jerseys for the first time, thanks to the Indians and the Yankees.  By 1937, numbers finally appeared across all uniforms, both home and away, across both major leagues.  Since that time, 81 distinct numbers have been worn by members of the White Sox, while the Cubs boast 76.

Today, we continue our look at those players, picking our favorite, if not the best, player to wear each uniform number for both Chicago teams with #30.  76 different players have donned #30 while playing in Chicago, 32 for the White Sox and 44 for the Cubs, who have retired it for two different players.

Signed by the White Sox as an amateur free agent in 1991, Magglio Ordonez made his major league debut wearing #30 on August 29, 1997, going 2-3 in the interleague victory against the Astros at Comiskey Park.  He became the regular right fielder for the White Sox in 1998, appearing in 145 games and finishing the year with a .282 average, 14 home runs, and 65 RBIs, good enough to finish in 5th place in AL Rookie of the Year voting.  1999 was a breakout year for Ordonez, earning his first All Star selection and finishing the year hitting .301 with 30 home runs, 117 RBIs, and an OPS of .858.

Ordonez’s hot streak continued in to 2000, putting up a .315 average with 32 home runs and 126 RBIs as the White Sox won their first division title since 1993.  While the White Sox failed to replicate their success in 2001, Ordonez kept up his end of the bargain, earning his third straight All Star nod and hitting .305 with 31 home runs, 113 RBIs, and a .914 OPS.  2002 was the his best season to date, setting career highs with a .320 average, 47 doubles, 38 home runs, 135 RBIs, and a .978 OPS while finishing in 8th place for MVP voting and earning his second Silver Slugger award.

2003 was another excellent year for Ordonez.  He was named to his fourth All Star team, going 0-1 in his home stadium of US Cellular Field, and finished the year hitting .317 with 29 home runs and 99 RBIs.  His 2004 season was on track to match his career norms when, during the May 19 game against the Indians, he collided with second baseman Willie Harris on Omar Vizquel’s popup to right field.  Two trips to the disabled list and two surgeries on his left knee later, his season was over after only 52 games.  Following the season, he became a free agent and his White Sox career came to an end.

On the north side, Steve Stone was assigned #30 after being acquired from the White Sox in December of 1973.  Over three seasons with the Cubs, Stone went a combined 23-20 with a 4.04 ERA.  His 1976 season was cut short due to a torn rotator cuff, which he decided to treat with cryotherapy rather than surgery.

by admin

#9 – Magglio Ordonez

Name: Magglio Ordonez

Rank: 9

Position: RF

Years With White Sox: 1997-2004

Signed by the White Sox as an amateur free agent in 1991.  Starting in 1992, he worked his way up the ladder, making his major league debut on August 29, 1997, going 2-3 in the interleague victory against the Astros at Comiskey Park.  Appearing in 21 games down the stretch, Ordonez hit .319 with 4 home runs and 11 RBIs.

Ordonez made the White Sox roster out of spring training in 1998.  He appeared in 145 games, and finished the year with a .282 average, 14 home runs, and 65 RBIs.  Those totals were good enough for him to finish in 5th place in AL Rookie of the Year voting, behind winner Ben Grieve and teammate Mike Caruso.

1999 was a breakout year for Ordonez.  Earning his first All Star selection, he went 0-1 in the AL’s victory at Fenway Park.  He finished the year hitting .301 with 30 home runs, 117 RBIs, and an OPS of .858.

Ordonez’s hot streak continued in to 2000.  In his second straight All Star game, he doubled and hit a sacrifice fly in his 2 plate appearances, driving in one run.  When the season ended, he had a .315 average with 32 home runs and 126 RBIs.  With the White Sox winning their first division title since 1993, Ordonez hit .182 in the ALDS against the Mariners, joining his teammates in not hitting at all during the 3 game sweep.  After the season, Ordonez won the Silver Slugger award and finished 12th in MVP voting.

While the White Sox failed to replicate their success in 2001, Ordonez kept up his end of the bargain.  He earned his third straight All Star nod, going 2-3 with an RBI and a run scored at Safeco Field.  Missing only 2 games, Ordonez ended up hitting .305 with 31 home runs, 113 RBIs, and a .914 OPS.

Ordonez saw his streak of All Star appearances snapped in 2002, mostly due to his .320 average, career high 38 home runs, 135 RBIs, and a .978 OPS.  Following the season, he came in 8th place for MVP voting and earned his second Silver Slugger award.

2003 was another excellent year for Ordonez.  He was named to his fourth All Star team, going 0-1 in his home stadium of US Cellular Field.  He hit .317 with 29 home runs and 99 RBIs, his lowest totals since his rookie year.  Even with that, he finished 18th in MVP voting.  During the off-season, Ordonez was nearly traded to the Red Sox, contingent on the Red Sox acquiring Alex Rodriguez from the Rangers for outfielder Manny Ramirez.  The Red Sox would then send Nomar Garciaparra to the White Sox for Ordonez.  When the Rodriguez-for-Ramirez trade fell through, the Ordonez deal was off as well, and he remained with the White Sox.

Ordonez’s 2004 season was on track to match his career norms when, during the May 19 game against the Indians, he collided with second baseman Willie Harris on Omar Vizquel’s popup to right field.  Two trips to the disabled list and two surgeries on his left knee later, his season was over after only 52 games.  Following the season, he became a free agent and his White Sox career came to an end.

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

Continue reading →

by admin

#38 – Juan Uribe

Name: Juan Uribe

Rank: 38

Position: 2B/SS

Years With White Sox: 2004-2008

Juan Uribe was acquired by the White Sox on December 2, 2003 from the Rockies for Aaron Miles.  He split time with Willie Harris at second base, hitting .283 while setting career highs in home runs, with 23, and RBIs, with 74.  He fell 1 RBI short of the White Sox single game team record on June 19, when he knocked in 7 runs against the Expos.

With the loss of Jose Valentin and the arrival of Tadahito Iguchi in 2005, Uribe moved to shortstop.  His defensive prowess, especially compared to Valentin, helped solidify a team that would go on to win its first division title since 2000.  Offensively, Uribe finished the year with a .252 average and 16 home runs.  In the ALDS, Uribe hit a robust .400 with 4 RBIs in the 3 game sweep of the Red Sox.  He hit .250 in both the ALCS against the Angels and the World Series against the Astros.  Defensively, he dove in to the stands to make the penultimate out in Game 4 of the World Series, before fielding the soft grounder hit by Orlando Palmeiro and throwing over to Paul Konerko to give the White Sox their first title in 88 years.

As the White Sox tried to defend their title, Uribe saw his average fall further in 2006.  He ended the year with a .235 average, though he did put up 21 home runs and 71 RBIs despite being limited to 132 games due to injuries.

2007 was a continuation of the poor offensive contributions from Uribe.  However, as the rest of the White Sox cratered, his holes became more noticeable.  He ended up with a .234 average, 20 home runs, and 68 RBIs.  The White Sox declined his option for 2008, but signed him to a new one year deal for the 2008 season.

After acquiring Orlando Cabrera, Uribe shifted back to second base to start 2008.  Unfortunately, an injury in May led to Alexei Ramirez cementing his place in the starting lineup.  Uribe saw action at third base after a back injury took down Joe Crede in late July.  Appearing in only 110 games, his lowest total since 2003, he finished the year with .247 average, 7 home runs, and 40 RBIs as the White Sox won their second AL Central title in his tenure.  Uribe fell in to a funk during the ALDS, hitting only .167 in the 4 game loss to the Rays.  After the season, Uribe became a free agent.

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

Continue reading →

by admin

#66 – Willie Harris

wharrisName: Willie Harris

Rank: 66

Position: 2B/CF

Years With White Sox: 2002-2005

Willie Harris was acquired by the White Sox in January of 2002 from the Orioles in exchange for Chris Singleton.  Harris spent most of 2002 in Triple A Charlotte, but managed to appear in 49 games following the trade of Ray Durham.  In his extended audition, he hit .233 with 2 home runs and 12 RBI while stealing 8 bases without being caught.

Harris spent more time in Chicago during the 2003 season, but, despite appearing in 30 more games than the year before, his at bats decreased by 26.  He was mostly used as a defensive replacement in center field for Carl Everett.

2004 saw Harris getting his first extended opportunity to start, appearing in 129 games, starting 101 of them, and putting up the best numbers of his career.  He hit a career high .262 with 2 home runs and 27 RBI.

Following the acquisition of Tadahito Iguchi to take over second base, Harris split time between Chicago and Charlotte in 2005 for the first time since 2003.  He appeared in only 56 games for the White Sox, his lowest total since 2002.  He did, however, manage to make the playoff roster, as the White Sox reached post-season play for the first time since 2000.  Harris got only 2 at bats during the White Sox title run, but made the most of them with 2 hits and scoring the winning run in Game 4 of the World Series against the Astros.  Following the year, he became a free agent, ending his White Sox career.

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

Continue reading →

by admin

#132 – Timo Perez

050530_timo_perez

Name: Timo Perez

Rank: 132

Position: OF

Years With White Sox: 2004-2005

Timo Perez came to the White Sox from the Mets in the waning days of spring training in 2004 in exchange for Matt Ginter.  Acquired to be a backup outfielder, Perez saw more action than anyone bargained for when Magglio Ordonez went down with a knee injury following a collision with Willie Harris.  Perez finished the year with a .246 average in 103 games.

Perez returned in 2005, though he saw much less action.  He only appeared in 76 games as his average dropped to .218.  He went 0-2 in the playoffs, getting one at bat each in the ALDS and the World Series.  Following the season, he left as a free agent.

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

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by admin

#205 – Chris Singleton

1384-174FrName: Chris Singleton

Rank: 205

Position: CF

Years With White Sox: 1999-2001

Chris Singleton joined the White Sox after a December, 1998 trade with the Yankees for a player to be named later.  He made the big league club during spring training of 1999 and made his major league debut on April 10, pinch hitting in a White Sox loss to the Royals.  Later that season, on July 6, Singleton became the first White Sox player in 15 years to hit for the cycle, again in a loss to the Royals.  He finished the year with a .300 average and 17 home runs, which earned him 6th place in Rookie of the Year voting, ahead of teammate Carlos Lee.

Singleton had earned the starting job in center field entering the 2000 season, but, while the team caught fire and went on to win their first division title since 1993, Singleton’s numbers regressed.  His average dropped to .254 and he fell to 11 home runs.  His struggles intensified during the Division Series loss against the Mariners, as he went 1 for 9 in the 3 games.

2001 saw Singleton’s playing time reduced, although his average rebounded back to .298.  He appeared in only 7 fewer games as the year before, but his at bats dropped by over 100.  For the second year in a row, his power numbers fell, now down to 7.

A few weeks before spring training was set to begin in 2002, Singleton was dealt to the Orioles, in exchange for Willie Harris.  Singleton would rejoin the organization in 2006 as the new color analyst on the radio broadcasts.  He lasted for two painful seasons, teamed with fellow color man Ed Farmer, before leaving to become an analyst for ESPN on Baseball Tonight.

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

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by admin

#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 →

by jim

Mix Tape Monday – Undated

After my tape deck crapped out in 1997, I was stuck listening to either the radio or full albums in whatever order the artist intended. That all changed in 2001, when the new-fangled MP3 technology got combined with my new CD burner.

From what I can tell, this undated CD was from the lost year of 2004.  In addition to songs that were released in 2004, we also have an ode to former White Sox infielder Willie Harris, which I believe was popular at the ballpark back in 04.

The Muffs – Everywhere I Go

You may recognize this song from a popular Fruitopia commercial.

iTunes stats: 10 plays, most recently on 5/11/2012

J. J. Abrams – Alias theme

This is currently my ring tone for people I work with.

iTunes stats: 10 plays, most recently on 8/21/2012

Avril Lavigne – Don’t Tell Me

The first single from Lavigne’s second album.

iTunes stats: 1 plays, on 8/8/2008

Green Day – American Idiot

Nominated for 4 Grammys, this was Green Day’s first song to chart on the Billboard Hot 100.

iTunes stats: 12 plays, most recently on 1/11/2013

Avril Lavigne – My Happy Ending

The second single from Lavigne’s second album.

iTunes stats: 5 plays, most recently on 8/27/2009

Ashlee Simpson – Pieces Of Me

The debut single from Jessica’s little sister.

iTunes stats: 6 plays, most recently on 9/16/2012

Sweet – Little Willy

The 1972 hit was reintroduced to White Sox fans whenever Willie Harris would do something worthwhile/

iTunes stats: 6 plays, most recently on 11/9/2012

K’s Choice – Something’s Wrong

An album track from K’s Choice’s second album.

iTunes stats: 5 plays, most recently on 1/2/2013

Nitty – Nasty Girl

Features a sample from the Archie’s hit Sugar, Sugar.

iTunes stats: Never played

Snoop Dogg – What’s My Name

The first single from Snoop’s solo debut.

iTunes stats: 9 plays, most recently on 10/8/2012

Continue reading →