Lip Man 1 Posted September 1 Share Posted September 1 54 minutes ago, WhiteSox2023 said: Awful. He hit 17 with the Sox and later hit 17+ in 6 seasons with the Tigers, with his single season high being 24 homers. Meanwhile, Steve Kemp topped off at 26 homers in one season and played left field? 😩 Analytics definitely weren’t a big thing back then because they would have said that along with his gold glove defense in CF (how did he never win one?), he was likely among the most valuable players in baseball, and he was still young at only 26. So brutal… He was basically a way better Mike Cameron. To answer your question as to why Chet was traded. He talked about it with me: ML: You hit .302 in the strike shortened season and played your usual solid defense but on November 27, 1981 you were shipped to Detroit for Steve Kemp. The reasoning as I remember it was that the Sox wanted more balance in the lineup and Kemp was left handed. (Author’s Note: Harold Baines was basically the only power threat from the left side as opposed to having guys like Fisk, Luzinski and the newly acquired Tom Paciorek who were all right handed hitters.) Were you ever told by the Sox why they let you go? CL: "That may have been part of it but there was another reason." "In spring training 1981 I had verbally agreed to a five year contract that would have made me the highest paid player on the team. It was a great negotiation. Eddie Einhorn, Jerry Reinsdorf, Roland Hemond, my agent and I all sat around a table one day and worked everything out including some deferred compensation. For some reason I hadn’t gotten around to actually signing the document though. A few weeks later they signed Carlton Fisk and his numbers came out. When I saw those I told my agent “hmmmm maybe we need to renegotiate.” Everything that I did in five years, I did in Chicago and now I wasn’t going to be the highest paid player anymore? I know it was childish on my part but that’s the way I felt at the time." "It created some problems. After a period of time I said that I’d just play my next year out (1982) and then see what happens in that off season. I guess the Sox thought that I was automatically going to go the free agent route and that wasn’t necessarily the case. However I did know that other clubs were interested, I knew that Earl Weaver of the Orioles wanted me badly and that the Sox were close to trading me to them at one time." "It was weird how some things happened. I mean "Bull" Luzinski, whom I respected, and thought did a great job for us by supplying power, came out and said something like ‘if he’s not going to sign then we need to get somebody for him.’ After the trade I did play out my option but Detroit re-signed me to a 10 year deal which gave me security. I had some no trade clauses in it so I had some control if I was going to be uprooted again." 1 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WhiteSox2023 Posted September 1 Share Posted September 1 (edited) 4 hours ago, Lip Man 1 said: To answer your question as to why Chet was traded. He talked about it with me: ML: You hit .302 in the strike shortened season and played your usual solid defense but on November 27, 1981 you were shipped to Detroit for Steve Kemp. The reasoning as I remember it was that the Sox wanted more balance in the lineup and Kemp was left handed. (Author’s Note: Harold Baines was basically the only power threat from the left side as opposed to having guys like Fisk, Luzinski and the newly acquired Tom Paciorek who were all right handed hitters.) Were you ever told by the Sox why they let you go? CL: "That may have been part of it but there was another reason." "In spring training 1981 I had verbally agreed to a five year contract that would have made me the highest paid player on the team. It was a great negotiation. Eddie Einhorn, Jerry Reinsdorf, Roland Hemond, my agent and I all sat around a table one day and worked everything out including some deferred compensation. For some reason I hadn’t gotten around to actually signing the document though. A few weeks later they signed Carlton Fisk and his numbers came out. When I saw those I told my agent “hmmmm maybe we need to renegotiate.” Everything that I did in five years, I did in Chicago and now I wasn’t going to be the highest paid player anymore? I know it was childish on my part but that’s the way I felt at the time." "It created some problems. After a period of time I said that I’d just play my next year out (1982) and then see what happens in that off season. I guess the Sox thought that I was automatically going to go the free agent route and that wasn’t necessarily the case. However I did know that other clubs were interested, I knew that Earl Weaver of the Orioles wanted me badly and that the Sox were close to trading me to them at one time." "It was weird how some things happened. I mean "Bull" Luzinski, whom I respected, and thought did a great job for us by supplying power, came out and said something like ‘if he’s not going to sign then we need to get somebody for him.’ After the trade I did play out my option but Detroit re-signed me to a 10 year deal which gave me security. I had some no trade clauses in it so I had some control if I was going to be uprooted again." @Lip Man 1, fucking absolute amazing stuff here and you basically answered my question with a copy and paste from your own archives. Please never disappear from this site cuz we will miss your historical advantages that none of us have. It’s still just absolutely amazing how Chet Lemon was a sabrmetrics superstar before anyone knew WTF that even meant! What a fvcking stud! Edited September 1 by WhiteSox2023 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tray Posted September 1 Share Posted September 1 Yea they traded Chet the Jet (one of the best center fielders the Sox ever had). The Sox later tried to fill his spot with Ron LeFore. I will let the younger Sox fans Google him.. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
caulfield12 Posted September 1 Share Posted September 1 20 minutes ago, tray said: Yea they traded Chet the Jet (one of the best center fielders the Sox ever had). The Sox later tried to fill his spot with Ron LeFore. I will let the younger Sox fans Google him.. At least he had a movie. More than Moncada Jimenez and Robert will have as their legacy. And 1983. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CaliSoxFanViaSWside Posted September 1 Share Posted September 1 On 8/30/2024 at 3:32 PM, WhiteSox2023 said: 😢 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WhiteSox2023 Posted September 1 Share Posted September 1 13 hours ago, Lip Man 1 said: To answer your question as to why Chet was traded. He talked about it with me: ML: You hit .302 in the strike shortened season and played your usual solid defense but on November 27, 1981 you were shipped to Detroit for Steve Kemp. The reasoning as I remember it was that the Sox wanted more balance in the lineup and Kemp was left handed. (Author’s Note: Harold Baines was basically the only power threat from the left side as opposed to having guys like Fisk, Luzinski and the newly acquired Tom Paciorek who were all right handed hitters.) Were you ever told by the Sox why they let you go? CL: "That may have been part of it but there was another reason." "In spring training 1981 I had verbally agreed to a five year contract that would have made me the highest paid player on the team. It was a great negotiation. Eddie Einhorn, Jerry Reinsdorf, Roland Hemond, my agent and I all sat around a table one day and worked everything out including some deferred compensation. For some reason I hadn’t gotten around to actually signing the document though. A few weeks later they signed Carlton Fisk and his numbers came out. When I saw those I told my agent “hmmmm maybe we need to renegotiate.” Everything that I did in five years, I did in Chicago and now I wasn’t going to be the highest paid player anymore? I know it was childish on my part but that’s the way I felt at the time." "It created some problems. After a period of time I said that I’d just play my next year out (1982) and then see what happens in that off season. I guess the Sox thought that I was automatically going to go the free agent route and that wasn’t necessarily the case. However I did know that other clubs were interested, I knew that Earl Weaver of the Orioles wanted me badly and that the Sox were close to trading me to them at one time." "It was weird how some things happened. I mean "Bull" Luzinski, whom I respected, and thought did a great job for us by supplying power, came out and said something like ‘if he’s not going to sign then we need to get somebody for him.’ After the trade I did play out my option but Detroit re-signed me to a 10 year deal which gave me security. I had some no trade clauses in it so I had some control if I was going to be uprooted again." Also crazy that his teammate interjected about getting something for him. That would never happen nowadays. Back when it was only about winning. Bull didn’t care about Chet earning his living apparently. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WhiteSox2023 Posted September 1 Share Posted September 1 (edited) 6 hours ago, tray said: Yea they traded Chet the Jet (one of the best center fielders the Sox ever had). The Sox later tried to fill his spot with Ron LeFore. I will let the younger Sox fans Google him.. He was before my time but I actually remember his name. He actually wasn’t a bad player in his earlier years for Detroit. He was good earlier in his career but he was done by the time the Sox acquired him. But he was damn sure no where near as good as Lemon. Edited September 1 by WhiteSox2023 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dick Allen Posted September 1 Share Posted September 1 2 hours ago, WhiteSox2023 said: He was before my time but I actually remember his name. He actually wasn’t a bad player in his earlier years for Detroit. He was good earlier in his career but he was done by the time the Sox acquired him. But he was damn sure no where near as good as Lemon. The lasting memory I have of Ron LeFlore as a White Sox was him playing CF. Someone hit a routine flyball that bounced off his head, knocked him down ala TA with Jose Ramirez, and the batter running around the bases for a 4 base error. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WhiteSox2023 Posted September 1 Share Posted September 1 26 minutes ago, Dick Allen said: The lasting memory I have of Ron LeFlore as a White Sox was him playing CF. Someone hit a routine flyball that bounced off his head, knocked him down ala TA with Jose Ramirez, and the batter running around the bases for a 4 base error. His backstory is insane. He may have been high when that ball bounced off of his head… https://www.blessyouboys.com/2018/2/15/17016852/detroit-tigers-history-ron-leflore-former-all-star Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lip Man 1 Posted September 1 Share Posted September 1 1 hour ago, Dick Allen said: The lasting memory I have of Ron LeFlore as a White Sox was him playing CF. Someone hit a routine flyball that bounced off his head, knocked him down ala TA with Jose Ramirez, and the batter running around the bases for a 4 base error. August 1, 1982 - With the White Sox up, 3-0, in the top of the sixth at Comiskey Park, Ron LeFlore committed the worst error of his career. Catcher Gary Allenson lofted a soft liner to center field, and the ball struck LeFlore on his forehead as he drifted back to make the catch. A crazy bounce aided Allenson’s romp around the bases for an inside the park home run, to trim starter Jerry Koosman’s lead to 3-1. LeFlore, however, had a great day at the plate, leading off and going 2-for-3 with two RBIs. It was his double in the third inning that game the White Sox a 1-0 lead that they would not relinquish. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BamaDoc Posted September 2 Share Posted September 2 Anyone know if Chet made it to the reunion? Hope so Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BamaDoc Posted September 2 Share Posted September 2 Looks like he had a great time https://www.detroitnews.com/story/sports/mlb/tigers/2024/08/31/we-were-without-a-doubt-the-best-tigers-celebrate-84-champs-40-years-later/75035378007/ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.