StatManDu

THIS DATE IN WHITE SOX HISTORY: OCTOBER 24TH For more, see www.whitesoxalmanac.com 1956: Marty Marion resigned as White Sox manager after consecutive third place finishes. Marion took over for Paul Richards at the end of the 1954 season after Richards took the Baltimore job. Marion guided the Sox to a 91-63 record in 1955 and an 85-69 mark in 1956. Marion resigned after learning that club president Chuck Comiskey was negotiating for the services of Indians’ skipper Al Lopez. Five days later, Lopez was hired as Sox manager. 2000: Ron Schueler resigned as White Sox general manager and was replaced by Kenny Williams, setting in motion the World Series championship run of 2005. Schueler left behind a legacy which saw the White Sox win division titles in 1993 and 2000. Williams brought to the job an aggressiveness that landed the Sox some gems (Juan Uribe, Freddy Garcia) but also some garbage (Royce Clayton, Todd Ritchie). Of the 25 men on the 2005 World Series roster, 18 were acquired by Williams. Other top Williams acquisitions: A.J. Pierzynski, Bobby Jenks, Jermaine Dye, Aaron Rowand and Geoff Blum. 2002: The White Sox released Jose Canseco, ending the slugger’s second stint with the franchise. The Sox signed Canseco, who had been with the team in 2001, on April 24. He was assigned to Triple-A Charlotte where hit an undistinguished .172 with five home runs and 18 RBIs in 18 games. This was a far cry from Canseco’s prime or even the numbers he posted with the Sox in 2001 (.258, 16 HR, 49 RBI). Canseco would play briefly in the independent leagues in 2006

Tadahito Iguchi and Scott Podsednik tied for the White Sox lead with four triples in 2007. That was the lowest total to lead the team since Carlos May's four three-baggers in 1970. ... 4 is the lowest total to lead the Sox in triples. Now you know how many holes it takes to fill the Albert Hall

THIS DATE IN WHITE SOX HISTORY: OCTOBER 23RD For more, see www.whitesoxalmanac.com! 2005: Let’s just call it the greatest game in the 106-year history of the franchise known as the Chicago American League ballclub. On a cold and wet Sunday night in Chicago, Scott Podsednik’s walkoff home run lifted the White Sox to a 7-6 mind-blowing win over Houston before 41,432 in Game 2 of the World Series at U.S. Cellular Field. Podsednik’s heroics, the 14th game-ending blast in Fall Classic history and the first by a player who had no dingers during the regular-season, came with one out in the ninth off Brad Lidge. The shocking blast put the White Sox up 2-0 in the Series. The Sox looked to be control of this one in the seventh when Paul Konerko’s grand slam – the first by a Sox player in postseason and the 18th in World Series history -- gave them a 6-4 lead. Konerko’s blast was the first slam in Series history that came in the seventh inning or later and erased a deficit. This game was not without controversy. With one out in the seventh, Jermaine Dye was hit by a pitch to load the bases. The Astros protested that the ball hit the bat and not Dye and replays backed that up. However, Dye took first and Konerko followed with the slam. Those feisty Astros tied the game with two in the ninth off Bobby Jenks with the tying run scoring on a close but clearly safe play at the plate. In the ninth, Juan Uribe led off with a fly out to center before Podsednik sent Lidge’s 2-1 pitch into the right field stands to put the Sox two wins from their first World Series title since 1917. When I walked out of the park that night – for the last time during that magical season – I knew I had not only witnessed the greatest game inthe history of the Sox but in the history of the great City of Chicago as well. 1978: The White Sox traded relief pitcher Jim Willoughby to the St. Louis Cardinals for outfielder John Scott. Willoughby logged 13 saves and a 3.86 ERA in 59 appearances in 1978 – his only season with the Sox. Scott never played for the White Sox. 1988: The White Sox hired Walt Hriniak as hitting coordinator. Hriniak, one of the most respecting hitting coaches in the game, served with the White Sox until 1995. The disciple of former White Sox hitting coach Charlie Lau, oversaw an offense that improved their average 22 points from 1993 to 1994 – the fifth highest increase in club history. In his last season with the club – 1995 – the White Sox finished second in the American League with a .280 average.

Boston Red Sox skipper Terry Francona cut his managerial teeth in the White Sox organization. After being his career as the hitting instructor at the Sox Rookie League team in 1991, Francona led the Sox Class-A affiliate in South Bend in 1992 and then led the franchise's Double-A Birmingham club from 1993 to 1995. Francona's experience in Birmingham certainly prepped him for the craziness that would accompany a Major League job, particulalry in a big-market baseball nuts market like Boston. In 1994, Francona was the Barons bench boss when Michael Jordan manned the outfield for the team and created a circus every single day of the team played. Among the players he managed in the Sox chain were Mike Cameron (South Bend 1992, Birmingham 1995), Olmedo Saenz (South Bend 1992, Birmingham 1993), James Baldwin (South Bend 1992, Birmingham 1993), Mike Bertotti (South Bend 1992, Birmingham 1994), Al Levine (South Bend 1992, Birmingham 1994), Luis Andujar (Birmingham 1993), Ron Coomer (Birmingham 1993), Ray Durham (Birmingham 1993), Brian Keyser (Birmingham 1993), Scott Ruffcorn (Birmingham 1994, 1995), Matt Karchner (Birmingham 1994), Chris Snopek (Birmingham 1994), Jeff Abbott (Birmingham 1995), Greg Norton (Birmingham 1995), Pete Rose (Birmingham 1995), Mike Sirotka (Birmingham 1995). Francona's 1993 team won the Southern League championship and earned Francona the circuit's manager of the year award from Baseball America.

THIS DATE IN WHITE SOX HISTORY: OCTOBER 22ND For more, see www.whitesoxalamanac.com 2005: The White Sox opened their first World Series in 46 years by defeating the Houston Astros 5-3 before 41,206 delirious fans at U.S. Cellular Field. There were plenty of heroes as the White Sox won their fifth consecutive postseason game and eighth in nine outings. Starter Jose Contreras got the win with seven solid innings; Neal Cotts struck out two in the eighth with runners on second and third; Bobby Jenks earned the save with three strikeouts in 1.1 innings and Joe Crede clubbed the go-ahead homer in the fourth inning. The biggest and most dramatic play of the game occurred when Jenks fanned pinch-hitter Jeff Bagwell with the tying run on second base to end the eighth inning, setting the park into the first of many postseason frenzies. The Sox took the lead in the first World Series game in Chicago since 1959 on Jermaine Dye’s two-out home run in the first. Houston retaliated with a Jason Lamb homer in the second but the Sox regained the lead on RBIs by AJ Pierzynski (fielder’s choice) and Juan Uribe (double) in the bottom of the frame. Feisty Houston pulled even in the next half but the Sox finally took the lead for good on Crede’s blast in the fourth. The Sox added a run in the eighth after Jenks’ showdown with Bagwell. 1941: Wilbur Wood, one of the most durable pitchers in White Sox history, was born in Cambridge, Massachusetts. The White Sox acquired the knuckleballing Wood from Columbus, a Pittsburgh Pirate farm team, for Juan Pizarro on Oct. 12, 1966. Wood, a left-hander, worked out of the White Sox bullpen from 1967 to 1970 and led the league in appearances for three consecutive seasons. Wood set an American League record with 88 appearances in 1968. Upon moving to the starting rotation, Wood thrived between 1971 and 1975. Wood won 20 games in each season between 1971 and 1974 while working at least 291.1 innings in each campaign between 1971 and 1975. Wood struggled after having his kneecap shattered by a line drive in Detroit in 1976. He came back and pitched in 1977 and 1978 before retiring with a 164-156 lifetime record.

There's just a lot of "misinformation" over there, too. Just clueless. The more I read on that message board the more their credibility sinks. But this is what the Internet is ... it's posted, it's fact no matter what it is.

Cleveland closer Joe Borowski was drafted and signed by the White Sox in 1989. The Sox took Borowski in the 32nd round out of Marist High School in Bayonne, N.J., in 1989. This was a draft that also saw them take Frank Thomas in the first round, Brian Keyser in the 19th round and University of Wisconsin punter Scott Cepicky in the 23rd round. If it weren't for Frank, this would have to be considered one of the worst drafts not only in the history of the Sox but in the history of baseball as well. Good thing, Simeon's Jeff Jackson wasn't available (Phillies took him three picks prior to the Sox) because if he were, GM Larry Himes would have taken him. Borowski wasn't signed by the Sox until Aug. 13, 1989 so he did not pitch professionally that season. In 1990, the 19-year old Borowski, who was listed at 6-2, 225 in the 1991 Sox media guide, was a member of the Sox Gulf Coast (Rookie) League affiliate. Playing for manager Mike Gellinger, currently the White Sox Major League Computer Scouting Analyst, the right-hander was 2-8 with a 5.58 ERA in 12 games (11 starts). In 61.1 innings, Borowski gave up 74 hits with 25 walks and a team-leading 67 strikeouts. Borowski's teammates on that squad that went 21-42 included 2nd baseman Ray Durham and pitchers James Baldwin, Jason Bere, Alex Fernandez and Bob Wickman. Borowski went to spring training with the Sox the following season and was traded to Baltimore for infielder Pete Rose Jr. on March 31, 1991.

"Nice" is not a word I would ever describe that site. For a bunch of amateurs, it's OK. I just wish they were a little more tolerant and welcome.

THIS DATE IN WHITE SOX HISTORY: OCTOBER 20TH (Ooops, I titled it the 19th above but these are some of the things that happened in Sox history on the 20th ...duh! For more, see www.whitesoxalmanac.com 1912: Two days after winning the postseason City Series, the Sox dropped a 7-5 decision to the Cubs before 1,100 at Comiskey Park. The game for charity was played in 57 minutes. “Rivals hurry through benefit farce … Cubs and White Sox went through the motions,” the Tribune declared the next day. … Also on this day, each White Sox player was given a check for $809.16 as the winners share for the City Series. 1943: In accordance with Commissioner Landis’ decree that all teams will hold spring training camps in the north, Sox revealed they will be returning to French Lick, Ind., for preseason drills. During World War II, Major League teams held their camps in the north because of travel restrictions. The Sox trained in French Lick in 1943 and 1944 and Terre Haute, Ind., in 1945 before returning to Pasadena, Calif., in 1946 where they were from 1933 to 1942. 1976: With Soldier Field scheduled to be renovated in 1978, the Chicago Tribune published an article on this day headlined “Bears may play 1978 season in Comiskey Park.” The first paragraph read “The CHICAGO Bears probably will be playing in Comiskey Park in 1978.” History tells us that the Bears never graced the arches at 35th and Shields. In fact, the team played every home game in 1978 at Soldier Field.

Jim Thome led the 2007 White Sox with 79 runs, the lowest total to lead the team since Steve Lyons and Dave Gallagher paced the 1988 Pale Hose with 59 runs. ... 79 runs, Lyons, Gallagher, 1988, it really was a horrible offensive year in 2007!

THIS DATE IN WHITE SOX HISTORY: OCTOBER 19TH www.whitesoxalmanac.com 1949: In one of the all-time great trades in club history, the White Sox acquired secondbaseman Nellie Fox from the Philadelphia Athletics for catcher Joe Tipton, who had literally fought with manager Jack Onslow during the 1949 campaign. Fox went on to have a Hall of Fame career with the White Sox, amassing 2,470 hits, three Gold Gloves, the 1959 American League MVP Award and 12 All-Star appearances. He was the heart and soul of the White Sox teams of the “Go Go Era.” Shortly after his death in 1975, the White Sox retired his No. 2. Tipton, who played just one season for the Sox, kicked around the American League until 1954 as a backup backstop. 1978: The White Sox named Don Kessinger player-manager, making him the first person to hold that position in club annals since Jimmy Dykes (1933-1939). Kessinger, a shortstop, took over Larry Doby, who went 37-50 after succeeding Bob Lemon in 1978. Kessinger didn’t last the 1979 season. The affable former Cub, who was acquired from the Cardinals late in 1977, guided the Sox to a 46-80 record before stepping down on Aug. 2. The Sox named Tony LaRussa as Kessinger’s successor, a post he would hold into the 1986 season. 2005: The White Sox found out who their World Series opponent would be when the Astros clinched the National League pennant in six games with a 4-2 win in St. Louis. The World Series would start three days later in Chicago.

Juan Uribe's stolen base "success" rate of .100 (1-for-10) in 2007 was the worst by far in White Sox history for a player with at least 10 attempts in a season. ... I couldn't find any player who was close to being this bad (10 SBA).

THIS DATE IN WHITE SOX HISTORY: OCTOBER 18TH For the rest of the day, see www.whitesoxalmanac.com 1911: The visiting White Sox captured the fourth postseason City Series with a 7-2 sweep-clinching triumph of the Cubs before 22,986 at the West Side Grounds. In matchup of future Hall of Famers, Ed Walsh outdueled Mordecai “Three Finger” Brown. Walsh retired the final nine Cubs he faced and Sox supporters celebrated the conquest of their rivals by carrying Walsh off the field on their shoulders. 1912: The White Sox nailed down the fifth postseason City Series by blasting the Cubs 16-0 before 14,985 in Game 9 at Comiskey Park. An eight-run second broke the game open and made things easy on winner Ed Walsh. 1983: Pitcher Dennis Lamp filed for free agency, effectively ending histime with the White Sox. The rubber-armed right-handed reliever would eventually sign with Toronto. Lamp was a key part of the White Sox run to the American League West title, winning seven games and saving 15 others. Happy Birthday Ed Farmer: Evergreen Park, Ill., native Ed Farmer, the first White Sox pitcher to save 30 games in a season, is celebrating his 58th birthday today. Farmer, a right-hander, was originally signed by the Cleveland Indians. After playing for six teams, the White Sox acquired Farmer from the Texas Rangers with Gary Holle for third baseman Eric Soderholm June 15, 1979. The St. Rita High School graduate celebrated his Chicago homecoming by posting a 2.43 ERA with 14 saves for the 1979 Sox. In 1980, Farmer posted the season of his 11-year career. Farmer went 7-9 with a 3.34 ERA while posting a franchise-record 30 saves and earning a spot on the American League All-Star team. Farmer finished third in the A.L. in saves that year and his Sox mark stood until 1985 when Bob James posted 32 saves. After leaving the Sox following the 1981 season, Farmer pitched for Philadelphia and Oakland before retiring in 1983. He later spent time as a scout and currently works as a White Sox radio broadcaster.

That is awesome. I nearly croaked when I saw Tony Pena got some PT at the hot corner!

The Sox had six players man third base in 2007, their most at that position in a decade. The last time that number was higher was in 1997. Here's the breakdowns: 2007: Joe Crede, Josh Fields, Pablo Ozuna, Andy Gonzalez, Rob Mackowiak, Alex Cintron 1997: Paco Martin, Greg Norton, Tony Pena, Tony Phillips, Chris Snopek Mario Valdez, Robin Ventura. The Sox also had six players man third base in 2000: Joe Crede, Tony Graffanino, Paul Koenerko, Greg Norton, Herbert Perry, Craig Wilson

THIS DATE IN WHITE SOX HISTORY: OCTOBER 17 www.whitesoxalmanac.com 1911: With the White Sox on the brink of clinching, Game 4 of the City Series was postponed. Up 3-0, the Sox clinched the series the next time the rivals took the field with a 7-2 victory. 1912: The visiting White Sox scored four runs in the ninth to overtake the Cubs for an 8-5 win in Game 8 of the City Series before 11,903 at West Side Park. The big blow was a bases-clearing triple by Walter Mattick. Shano Collins and Buck Weaver homered and Frank Lange got the win for the Sox, who could clinch the series the next time the teams would take the field with a 16-0 triumph. 1966: The White Sox released pinch-hitter deluxe Smoky Burgess. The rotund Burgess hit .313 with a club-record 21 pinch-hits and 66 pinch-at bats in 1966. This wasn’t the last the Sox would see of the 39-year old Burgess. He hooked on with the Sox again in 1967 and hit .133 strictly as a pinch-hitter. He was released for good on Oct. 16, 1967, ending his career. 1977: After guiding the “Southside Hitmen” to a 90-72 record, the White Sox Bob Lemon was named American League Manager of the Year in a vote of United Press International sports writers. In his first year with the Sox, Lemon oversaw a 26-win improvement in one fun season at 35th and Shields. 1983: The Sporting News rewarded White Sox ace LaMarr Hoyt for his 24-win season by naming him the American League’s top pitcher for 1983. TSN, known as the “baseball bible,” also placed catcher Carlton Fisk and DH Greg Luzinski on its All-Star team and named Tony LaRussa its Manager of the Year. 2005: The American League champion White Sox, who clinched the pennant the day before, watched as the St. Louis Cardinals staved off elimination in the National League Championship Series with a 5-4 win in Houston. A two-strike single by David Eckstein and a walk by Jim Emonds brought Albert Pujols to the plate, who shocked he Minute Maid Park crowd with a three-run homer off Brad Lidge. The Astros eventually took the series to set up a World Series meeting with the White Sox.

Dewon Day's 11.25 ERA in 13 games was the highest by a Sox pitcher making that many appearances since Atlee Hammaker was rocked for a 12.79 ERA in 13 outings in 1995. BTW, Day is unscored upon with three strikeouts in two outings covering two innings in the Arizona Fall League.

THIS DATE IN WHITE SOX HISTORY: OCTOBER 16 For more, see www.whitesoxalmanac.com 1995: The White Sox designated catcher Mike LaValliere designated for assignment. LaValliere played for the White Sox between 1993 and 1995 and was essentially the backstop who replaced the great Carlton Fisk. “Spanky” hit .263 with two home runs and 51 RBIs in 142 games for the White Sox serving mainly as Ron Karkovice’s backup. 1996: The White Sox named Doug Rader as their third base coach for the 1997 season. Rader would last one season in his second tour as a White Sox. Rader, who coined the term “winning ugly” in reference to the 1983 White Sox, also coached on South Side in 1986 and 1987. His tenure in 1986 included a two-game managing stint between the departure of Tony LaRussa and the arrival of Jim Fregosi. Rader split his two games as Sox skipper. 2005: For the first time since 1959, the White Sox were American League champions! The Sox clinched the pennant with a 6-3 win over the Angels in Game 5 of the American League Championship Series in Anaheim. Jose Contreras went the distance for the win, giving the White Sox four consecutive complete games in the ALCS making the Sox first team to accomplish that feat in the postseason since the 1928 Yankees. The Sox were trailing after six but tied it when Joe Crede led off the seventh with a homer. An inning later, the Sox took the lead when Aaron Rowand crossed on Crede’s infield roller up the middle. The Sox added two in the ninth on Paul Konerko’s RBI double and Rowand’s sac fly. Contreras cruised with the lead, retiring the final 15 batters he faced in the 114-pitch effort. Konerko, who made the final putout, was named the series MVP, hitting .286 with two home runs and seven RBIs. Crede didn’t have a bad go of it either, hitting .368 with two homers and seven RBIs. Three days later, the White Sox would learn that their World Series opponent would be the Houston Astros and three days after that, the Fall Classic would commence.

Could he be "hidden" in LF much the way Pods was in 2005. If the Sox had Rowand/Hunter/Jones in CF and Dye in RF, maybe Owens could take on the Pods role of 2005. ... Just a thought

Damn funny

I like Owens' speed but I wish he got on base more and had a better arm.

Jerry Owens' 32 stolen bases were the most by a Sox rookie since John Cangelosi's White Sox and AL rookie record (since broken) 50 steals in 1986. ... Owens' 32 steals are the fourth-highest output by a rookie in Sox annals behind Cangelosi, Rollie Zeider (49 in 1910) and Tommie Agee (44 in 1966).

THIS DATE IN WHITE SOX HISTORY: OCTOBER 15TH For more, www.whitesoxalmanac.com 1917: WORLD CHAMPIONS! The White Sox defeated the New York Giants 4-2 in New York to claim the 1917 World Series title in six games. It was the White Sox second World Series championship and their first since the 1906 “Hitless Wonders” turned the trick against the Cubs. The White Sox broke a scoreless tie in Game 6 in the fourth thanks to a defensive lapse by Heinie Zimmerman. During a rundown, Zimmerman chased Eddie Collins – who reached on Zimmerman’s error -- across the plate with the game’s first run. As the rundown was taking place, Joe Jackson took third and Happy Felsch checked into second. Gandil gave the Sox a 3-0 lead when he followed with a single over first. The Giants scored two in the fifth but could not dent starter Red Faber any further. Faber went the distance in notching his third win of the series. Each White Sox player received a winner’s share of $3,669 while the Giants each received $2,442. 1994: The White Sox purchased the contracts of infielder Ron Coomer and pitcher Steve Schrenk from Triple-A Nashville. Coomer, a Chicago native, had been in the minors since 1987 and spent 1991 to 1993 in the Sox chain, accruing some fair numbers at Double-A and Triple-A. With Robin Ventura at third and Frank Thomas at first, Coomer never got a shot with the Sox. The Lockport High School graduate left the Sox organization prior to the 1994 season and hooked on with Albuquerque of the Dodger system. Coomer eventually made it to the Majors with Minnesota in 1995 and played in the bigs until 2003. The peak of his career came in 1999 when he was named to the American League All-Star team. In other moves, reliever Terry Leach was designated for assignment and the Sox declined the option on left-handed pitcher Chuck Cary. 2005: Behind their third consecutive complete game – this one from Freddy Garcia, the White Sox moved within one game of the pennant with an 8-2 win over the Angels in Game 3 of the American League Championship Series in Anaheim. Garcia followed the route-going efforts of Mark Buehrle and Jon Garland by limiting the Angels to six hits in his first action since starting and winning the clincher in the American League Division Series in Boston. The three consecutive complete games were the first in the postseason since Jon Matlack, Tom Seaver and Jerry Koosman accomplished the feat for the 1973 New York Mets. For the second game in a row, Paul Konerko, bound for the ALCS MVP Award, gave the Sox an early cushion with a home run in the first inning. Konerko’s blast came with Scott Podsednik and Tadahito Iguchi on base and fronted the Sox for good. The Sox later added to their lead on a home run by AJ Pierzynski and two RBIs each from Carl Everett and Joe Crede.

You're right ... Made the fix! It's still early in some parts of my brain!

Since the advent of interleague play in 1997, 2007 marked only the second time a White Sox pitcher failed to get at least one hit (1998 was the other).