THIS DATE IN SOX HISTORY: FEB. 23

[StatManDu]

THIS DATE IN SOX HISTORY: FEB. 23

 

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TROUBLE FOR THE MATRIARCH

1942: A trip to Ted Lyons’ bowling alley turned into a disaster for Mrs. Charles Comiskey. While waiting in the waiting room, the wife of the “Old Roman” was taken at gunpoint by two men. The assailants took a $3,500 diamond ring and $12 after driving her around for 45 minutes. The perps released her unharmed and with mink still in tow after giving her $1 for cab fare.

 

CARLOS GOES

1992: First baseman Carlos Martinez refused his assignment to Triple-A and exercised his right to free agency. The Sox designated Martinez for assignment eight days earlier to free up a roster spot for pitcher Mario Brito, who was acquired from the Montreal Expos as the player to be named later in the Ivan Calderon-Tim Raines trade. The move endedMartinez’s three-year stint with the Sox. His best year was 1989 when he hit .300 with five homers and 32 RBIs in earning a spot on the Topps Rooke All-Star team. Martinez playing time and and average dropped in 1990. That and the presence of Frank Thomas and Dan Pasqua at first base made Martinez expendable.

 

ANOTHER “MOCK” SOX SIGNED

1995: The White Sox signed left-hander pitcher Brent Blum, who hadn’t pitched professionally in seven years, as a free agent apparently to be part of their “replacement team.” Owners were assembling “replacement teams” for the 1995 campaign in response to the union walkout that transpired in August of 1994 and prompted the cancellation of the World Series. Blum was a member of the Yankee organization from 1985 to 1988 and barely pitched above Class-A. He joined the likes of other Mock Sox Dennis “Oil Can” Boyd, Al Chambers and Henry Cotto with a 22-10 record and a 3.97 ERA in 91 minor league games. Blum never got a chance to pitch in the “big leagues.” All ideas of replacement teams were dropped when the work stoppage ended late in the regularly scheduled spring training of 1995.