cwsox Posted January 21, 2004 Share Posted January 21, 2004 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Wednesday, January 21, 2003 WHITE SOX SIGN EIGHT PLAYERS TO MINOR-LEAGUE CONTRACTS; INVITE 15 PLAYERS TO SPRING TRAINING CHICAGO – The Chicago White Sox have agreed to terms on minor-league contracts with pitchers pitchers Vic Darensbourg, Mike Jackson, Robert Person and Jose Santiago, infielders Mike Bell, Kelly Dransfeldt and Bobby Smith and outfielder Marvin Benard. All eight players, in addition to seven players within the White Sox system, have received non-roster invites to the club’s spring training camp in Tucson, Ariz. Jackson, 39, was out of baseball in 2003 but is 60-67 with a 3.35 ERA (425 ER/1,141.2 IP), 142 saves and 980 strikeouts in 960 games (seven starts) over 17 major-league seasons. He combined for 79 saves with Cleveland in 1998-99 and was 2-3 with a 3.27 ERA (20 ER/55.0 IP) in 58 games with Minnesota in 2002. Person, 34, owns a 51-42 record with a 4.64 ERA (463 ER/897.1 IP) and 773 strikeouts in 206 games (135 starts) over nine major-league seasons. The right-hander was 15-7 with a 4.19 ERA (97 ER/208.1 IP) and 183 strikeouts in 33 starts with Philadelphia in 2001. Benard, 34, has spent his entire nine-year career with San Francisco, hitting .271 (714-2,630) with 54 home runs and 260 RBI. He ranks 11th among active players with 52 career pinch hits. Smith, 29, is a .232 (192-826) hitter in five major-league seasons with Tampa Bay (1998-2002). He was named to the Topps All-Rookie Team in 1998 after hitting .276 (102-370) with 11 home runs and 55 RBI and has played all four infield positions as well as the outfield during his career. Also invited to spring training is outfielder Jeremy Reed, the 2003 Topps/Minor League Baseball Player of the Year. The 22-year-old Reed combined to bat .373 (173-464) with 11 home runs, 95 RBI and 45 stolen bases between Class A Winston-Salem and Class AA Birmingham last season. His .373 average led the entire minor-league circuit and was the 11th-highest figure since 1980. Reed, the Sox second-round selection in 2002, was a member of the USA Baseball Olympic qualifying team in 2003. In addition, seven other Sox non-roster invitees have major-league experience. Bell played in 19 games with Cincinnati in 2000. Darensbourg, a left-hander, has appeared in 280 games with Florida (1998-2002), Colorado (2003) and Montreal (2003). Dransfeldt played in 36 games with Texas (1999-2001), and Santiago has pitched in 225 games with Kansas City (1997-2001), the Phillies (2001-02) and Cleveland (2003). Right-handed pitcher Carlos Castillo appeared in 111 games with the White Sox (1998-2000) and Boston (2001). Right-hander Ryan Kohlmeier has made 59 appearances with Baltimore (2000-01), and lefty Josh Stewart made five starts with the White Sox in 2003. White Sox pitchers and catchers report on Friday, February 20, with physicals and a workout scheduled for later that day. Position players are to report, undergo physicals and work out on Wednesday, February 25. -MORE- White Sox Press Release – Page 2 Non-roster players invited to spring training by the White Sox (with 2003 statistics): Pitchers (7) B T Ht Wt 2003 Club(s) W-L ERA SO Carlos Castillo R R 6-2 240 Class AAA Charlotte 0-1 9.77 9 Class A Winston-Salem 0-2 7.20 4 Class AA Birmingham 3-1 3.96 19 Vic Darensbourg L L 5-8 170 Class AAA Colorado Springs 2-2 3.57 15 COLORADO 0-0 0.00 0 Class AAA Edmonton 1-1 1.98 11 MONTREAL 0-0 10.80 4 Mike Jackson R R 6-0 220 DID NOT PLAY Ryan Kohlmeier R R 6-2 220 Class AAA Charlotte 7-4 4.71 73 Robert Person R R 6-0 195 Class A Sarasota 1-1 2.92 17 Class AAA Pawtucket 0-0 4.70 6 BOSTON 0-0 7.71 10 Rookie Red Sox 0-0 0.00 4 Jose Santiago R R 6-3 225 CLEVELAND 1-3 2.84 15 Class AAA Buffalo 3-3 2.43 33 Josh Stewart L L 6-3 205 WHITE SOX 1-2 5.96 13 Class AAA Charlotte 0-3 6.15 10 Advanced Rookie Bristol 0-0 0.00 5 Catchers (2) B T Ht Wt 2003 Club(s) AVG HR RBI Jonathan Aceves R R 6-2 220 Class AA Birmingham .230 3 16 Class A Kannapolis .284 5 15 Class AAA Charlotte .360 0 4 Carlos Maldonado R R 6-2 240 Class AA Birmingham .262 6 63 Infielders (3) B T Ht Wt 2003 Club(s) AVG HR RBI Mike Bell R R 6-2 190 Class AAA Tucson .262 11 70 Kelly Dransfeldt R R 6-2 190 Class AAA Louisville .214 2 12 Class AAA Pawtucket .210 6 34 Bobby Smith R R 6-3 210 Class AAA Columbus .282 8 69 Outfielders (3) B T Ht Wt 2003 Club(s) AVG HR RBI Marvin Benard L L 5-9 190 SAN FRANCISCO .197 0 4 Class AAA Fresno .220 1 8 Class A San Jose .222 0 0 Jeremy Reed L L 6-0 185 Class A Winston-Salem .333 4 52 Class AA Birmingham .409 7 43 Mario Valenzuela R R 6-2 210 Class AAA Charlotte .250 3 10 Advanced Rookie Great Falls .355 3 20 -30- © 2004 Chicago White Sox Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SuperSteve Posted January 21, 2004 Share Posted January 21, 2004 Um, ya were a half hour late. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cwsox Posted January 21, 2004 Author Share Posted January 21, 2004 Um, ya were a half hour late. was at lunch and didn;t see the other topic as speaking of these signings when I saw my enmail and scanned the topics Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
YASNY Posted January 21, 2004 Share Posted January 21, 2004 was at lunch and didn;t see the other topic as speaking of these signings when I saw my enmail and scanned the topics It's spam! ... This thread was just about icreasing your post totals. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SuperSteve Posted January 21, 2004 Share Posted January 21, 2004 It's spam! ... This thread was just about icreasing your post totals. The ironic thing is that I was going to post the exact same thing that you just posted, but decided not to because maybe it would be considered spam, but s***, maybe this post is spam? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
YASNY Posted January 21, 2004 Share Posted January 21, 2004 The ironic thing is that I was going to post the exact same thing that you just posted, but decided not to because maybe it would be considered spam, but s***, maybe this post is spam? Pointing out spam to another poster, is NOT spam. Just saying. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KipWellsFan Posted January 21, 2004 Share Posted January 21, 2004 After teams release their list of non-roster invitees do they ever still sign players to minor league contracts and invite them to camp? I can't remember what the did in past years. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SuperSteve Posted January 21, 2004 Share Posted January 21, 2004 After teams release their list of non-roster invitees do they ever still sign players to minor league contracts and invite them to camp? I can't remember what the did in past years. I think at that point they are just invited to camp...to see cotton candy and clean up after the games are over. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Loaiza21 Posted January 21, 2004 Share Posted January 21, 2004 I think Jackson could be great for us next year, good pickup. Benard? Why Benard? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bigred3535 Posted January 21, 2004 Share Posted January 21, 2004 I think Jackson could be great for us next year, good pickup. Benard? Why Benard? Jackson was pretty good in 2002 so he could be productive. As for Bernard, the Sox don't have a backup outfielder this year and would probably prefer that Reed and Borchard work on their games in AAA than sit on the bench. The Sox also sorely lacked a solid pinch hitter last year (Brian Daubach anyone?) and Benard is reputedly pretty good at that. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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