Wednesday, April 22, 2015

Meet The 2015 Candidates

It's time to vote again for the WSC Hall of Fame.

Some names may look familiar, others may not. The voting encompasses the White Sox from 1894 through five seasons ago. I try to keep a healthy mix of players from all throughout White Sox history. Here's a little about each candidate.

Oscar Gamble (1977, 1985)
Oscar was originally part of the '77 South Side Hitmen, endearing himself to the south side faithful with his outlandish hair, unusual batting stance and machismo. He hit .297 with 31 homers for the 1977 team. He returned to the Sox in 1985 for a good chunk of the season to wrap up his MLB career.

Jerry Hairston (1973-1977, 1981-1989)
Jerry specialized in pinch hitting, which is why he spent parts of 14 seasons with the Pale Hose. Hairston pinch hit in his last game and fittingly singled.

Dummy Hoy (1900-1901)
William joined the Sox in 1900, during the last season as a minor league team. He was with the team when the Sox became a major league team in 1901. The 39 year old Hoy led off  and played center in 1901 becoming the first MLB batter for the ChiSox. He led the league in walks and hit-by-pitches, while helping the Sox to their first MLB AL pennant.

Frank Isbell (1896-1909)
Frank played first, second and outfield. He led the AL in stolen bases in 1901 with 52. Isbell was a pennant winner in 1901 and a World Champion in 1906. He was first in first base assists in 1901 and 1902. He was first in fielding range at first base in 1909. Frank is linked all the way back to the St. Paul Apostles team in 1896, two years removed from the beginning of the club in Sioux City, Iowa.

Fielder Jones (1901-1908)
Fielder led the league in sacrifice hits in 1904. He was first in fielding percentage in the outfield in 1903 and 1906. Jones also managed the team from 1904 until 1908. He was a pennant winner in 1901 and a World Champion in 1906.

Ron Karkovice (1986-1997)
Ron was the steady backup for Carlton Fisk until he finally became the first string catcher. He was first in caught stealing percentage in 1989, 1990 and 1993. He won the AL West pennant in 1993 and the AL Central pennant in 1994.

Al Lopez (1957-1965, 1968, 1968-1969)
Al managed the Sox to the pennant in 1959 to go along with five second place finishes during his tenure.

Jorge Orta (1972-1979)
Jorge was an All-Star for the Sox in 1975. He was the AL Player of the Week three times and finished second in AL batting average in 1974.

Gary Peters (1959-1969)
Gary was AL Rookie of the Year in 1963. He was an All-Star in 1964 and 1967. He was first in ERA in 1963 and 1966 and second in ERA in 1967. Peters won 20 games for the Sox in 1964.

Bobby Thigpen (1986-1993)
Bobby established a then MLB record 57 saves in a season in 1990. He was an All-Star in 1990. Thigpen was first in finished games in 1988 and 1990. He was first in games pitched in 1990. Bobby was AL Pitcher of the Month for May 1990 and won the AL Rolaids Relief award in 1990.

Robin Ventura (1989-1998)
Robin won five Gold Gloves at third base. He was an All-Star for the Sox in 1992. He was first in Intentional Walks in 1998. Ventura was Player of the Month in July 1991. He was known for solidifying the defense at third base, which was a sore spot for many years before Robin took over.

Buck Weaver (1912-1920)
Buck was a World Champion in 1917 and an AL pennant winner in 1919. He was first in sacrifice hits in 1915 and 1916. Weaver batted .333 in the 1917 World Series and .324 in the 1919 World Series. He was the only third baseman that Ty Cobb would not bunt against.

Hoyt Wilhelm (1963-1968)
Hoyt had an ERA of 1.92 over the six seasons he spent with the White Sox. He racked up 41 wins and 99 saves during his tenure with the Pale Hose, mostly in relief appearances, all while perplexing hitters with his knuckleball.


Sunday, April 19, 2015

WSC Birth Years: Kyle Drabek

Card #175 - Kyle Drabek

Born: December 8, 1987

Kyle was drafted by the Philadelphia Phillies in the first round of the 2006 amateur draft. While in the Phillies minor league system in 2009, Drabek received the Paul Owens award, which are presented to the top pitcher and top position player in the Phillies farm system. On December 16, 2009, Kyle was part of a deal that sent pitcher Roy Halladay to the Phillies, from the Blue Jays. Drabek made his MLB debut for the Blue Jays on September 15, 2010. Since his debut, Kyle has been plagued with injuries which have limited his potential.

On March 27, 2015, Drabek was claimed off of waivers by the Chicago White Sox. He made his White Sox debut on Opening Day, April 6, 2015. Kyle finished his outing with a horrific 13.50 ERA, helped in part by a three-run homer to former White Sox outfielder Alex Rios, as his first batter. He has gotten a little better in later appearances, but time will tell if he regains any of his former glory.

Monday, April 6, 2015

2015 WSC Hall Of Fame Ballot

Here's a Hall of Fame that anyone can vote for: The White Sox Cards Hall Of Fame.

You can vote for as many or as few players as you want. The rules are the same as the MLB Hall of Fame. 75% of the vote will get a player in. At least 5% of the vote will keep a player on the ballot for next year. A player has to be away from the White Sox for a minimum of five years for ballot consideration. If a player cannot get 75% of the vote after 15 tries, he is taken off the ballot.

Last ballot, no one was voted into the WSC Hall Of Fame. Who will make it in this year?

The 2015 ballot includes a player for each positional spot on the field, a designated hitter, a manager, and pitching has been split into spots for starter, middle relief and closer.

Oscar Gamble - DH (5th year) 
Jerry Hairston - OF (3rd year) 
Dummy Hoy  – OF (2nd year)
Frank Isbell – 1st Base (4th year)
Fielder Jones – OF (5th year) 
Ron Karkovice - C (1st year)
Al Lopez – MGR (5th year) 
Jorge Orta  – 2nd Base (2nd year)
Gary Peters - P (5th year)
Bobby Thigpen - P (4th year)
Robin Ventura – 3rd Base (5th year) 
Buck Weaver - SS (3rd year)
Hoyt Wilhelm – P (4th year)

Voting will be through July 14, 2015, with the results announced shortly after. You can vote on the right sidebar. Any position left open due to election or cuts will be filled by another player next year.

The results should prove interesting. Have fun!