Jack McDowell was a first round pick for the White Sox in the 1987 draft. By September 1987, he was pitching in the Sox rotation. That's even faster than Gordon Beckham's rise!The Sox were that bad in 1987 and Jack was just that good. It was a perfect combination for a meteoric rise through the Sox system. After some growing pains in 1988, Jack was sent down to the minors in 1989. He returned stronger than ever and eventually appeared in three All-Star games and won a Cy Young award with the White Sox.
How did Jack McDowell fare after the White Sox? On December 14, 1994, Jack was traded to the New York Yankees for a minor leaguer and a player to be named later, which turned out to be Lyle Mouton. Jack did well in 1995, but had a very rocky relationship with the Yankees and their fans. After getting shelled by his former team, he famously gave the booing New York fans the finger. Still, he posted a 15-10 record that year.
After New York, Jack spent years in Cleveland and Anaheim. The Sox sold at the right time on Black Jack, but the return was nothing spectacular. His last appearance was in 1999, with the Angels. He spends his time now with his band, stickfigure, and does an occasional broadcasting gig and blogs about the White Sox.
Interestiug feature. Will there be more?
ReplyDeleteThere should be. Unlike the older "player profiles" (which cover the entire career), the "ex files" feature explores the impact of the trade and how each player fared after leaving the White Sox.
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