THIS DATE IN SOX HISTORY: DEC 20TH/Hough, Javier

[StatManDu]

THIS DATE IN SOX HISTORY: DEC 20TH

 

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CHUCK HOUGH

1990: The White Sox signed veteran free agent pitcher Charlie Hough to a two-year contract. The 41-year old knuckleballer was signed to give the rotation and to sop up innings. Hough joined the Sox with 186 wins. Only seven pitchers joined the Sox with more victories. Hough pitched two seasons with the Sox, going 16-22 but he was victimized by a bad bullpen many times in his short stint in Chicago. Hough won his 200th career game while a member of the Sox on Aug. 5, 1992. His best outing with the Sox was a four-hit shutout in the White Sox 1-0 win over Baltimore Aug. 4, 1991 at Comiskey Park. Hough outdueled Mike Mussina in Mussina’s big league debut and got his only run when Frank Thomas homered in the sixth inning. FOR A LIST OF THE PITCHERS WHO JOINED THE WHITE SOX WITH AT LEAST 100 CAREER VICTORIES, DOWNLOAD THE LIST BELOW.

 

SANDY’S BACK

2002: The White Sox re-signed free agent catcher Sandy Alomar Jr. The Sox traded Alomar to Colorado the previous July 29 with cash considerations for minor league pitcher Enemencio Pacheco. This wouldn’t be the last time the Sox would re-acquire Alomar. He played for the Sox in 2003 and 2004 and then came back again in 2006 in a July 24, 2006 swap with the Dodgers.

 

HELLO PABLO

2004: The White Sox signed free agent utilityman Pablo Ozuna. The 30-year old native of the Dominican Republic spent all of 2004 at Triple-A Scranton-Wilkes Barre in the Philadelphia organization where he hit .307 in 126 games. In Chicago, Ozuna reunited with Ozzie Guillen. The two were together in Florida in 2002 when Guillen was a coach and Ozuna got into 34 games. Ozuna proved to be a valuable performer during the 2005 World Series campaign and the 2006 season when hit .328 in 79 games.

 

STRENGTHENING THE STAFF

2005: The White Sox acquired pitcher Javier Vazquez plus cash considerations from the Arizona Diamondbacks in exchange for pitchers Orlando “El Duque” Hernandez and Luis Vizcaino and outfield prospect Chris Young. With this deal, the Sox were figuring they were seriously upgrading themselves at the No. 5 starter by swapping Hernandez for Vazquez. In addition, Vizcaino wasn’t considered much of a loss because Brandon McCarthy was waiting in the wings. The gem of the deal for Arizona turned out to be Chris Young, who was a key part of the team that advanced to the 2007 NLCS.

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Edited December 20, 2007 by StatManDu