THIS DATE IN SOX HISTORY: MARCH 30/Sosa dealt, Bull, Miller Park

[StatManDu]

THIS DATE IN WHITE SOX HISTORY: MARCH 30TH

 

For more, see www.whitesoxalmanac.com

 

NYMAN MOVED

1970: The White Sox dealt left-handed pitcher Gerry Nyman, who showed promise in 1969, to the San Diego Padres for pitcher Tommie Sisk. Nyman, a left-hander from Logan, Utah, was 4-4 with a 5.29 ERA in 20 appearances for the Sox during the eminently forgettable 1969 campaign. In his first start of both the 1968 and 1969 seasons, Nyman threw a complete game. In 1968, he bested the Yankees and in 1969 it was a one-hitter against Washington. Like Sisk with the Sox, Nyman lasted just one year with the Padres.

 

ROLLIE'S ROLL CONTINUES

1971: General manager Roland Hemond capped a 16-day trading frenzy with a four-player exchange with the Red Sox which saw the White Sox acquire first baseman Tony Muser and reliever Vicente Romo for catcher Duane Josephson and pitcher Danny Murphy. Muser proved to be a valuable acquisition, serving as a backup and fill-in for Dick Allen. Muser's footnote in franchise history came on July 3, 1973 when he drew a club-record five walks in a game. In addition to Josephson, a 1968 All-Star, other stalwarts unloaded by Hemond during this spree were Bobby Knoop, Tommy McCraw, Steve Hamilton and Art Kusyner. What did Hemond have to lose? He was overhauling a team that lost a club-record 106 games in 1970.

 

SOX ACQUIRE PABLO

1978: Seeking left-handed help out of the bullpen, the White Sox picked up Pablo Torrealba from the Oakland A's for pitcher Steve Renko and Jim Essian. Unfortunately, Torrealba couldn't replicate the year he had with the A's in 1977 when he posted a 2.62 ERA in 41 outings. With the Sox, Torrealba was a pedestrian 2-4 with a 4.71 ERA in 1978 and pitched in just three games -- the last of his career -- in 1979. Renko still had 45 wins left in his arm upon departing the Sox. Essian played three seasons with Oakland before returning to the Sox in 1981.

 

NO BULL: LUZINSKI ARRIVES

1981: In another credibility-establishing move, the White Sox purchased the contract of Chicago-area product Greg Luzinski from the Philadelphia Phillies. The acquisition of the four-time All-Star, coupled with the pickup of Carlton Fisk, Jim Essian, Bill Almon andDennis Lamp, showed that the new ownership group headed by Jerry Reinsdorf and Eddie Einhorn was willing to spend money and make a splash. Luzinski, a graduate of Notre Dame High School in Niles, Ill., was an ideal designated hitter and he took to the role. "The Bull" hit 21 homers in the strike-shortened season of 1981, drove in 101 runs in 1982 and hit 32 homers with 95 RBIs for the A.L. West champs in 1983. Sadly, Luzinski, like the rest of the Sox hitters, did not have a good playoff series against Baltimore (2-for-15) or a good season in 1984 (.238, 13 homers), which was the last of his 15-year career.

 

RUUUUUUUUUUUU-DEEEEEEEEEE

1982: The White Sox acquired outfielder Rudy Law from the Los Angeles Dodgers for outfield prospect Cecil Espy and fellow minor leaguer Bert Geiger. The lanky Law hit .318 for the 1982 Sox and then went on to have a historic season for the 1983 American League West Division champions. As the team's leadoff hitter, Law hit .283 and swiped a franchise-record 77 bases. The amazing thing about his steal total was that Law was only thrown out 12 times. Law and Julio Cruz (.333) were the only Sox players whose bats showed any life in the 1983 American League Championship Series. Law amassed seven hits and hit a team-best .389 in the four-game loss to the Orioles. Much like the rest of the 1983 team, Law's production leveled off in 1984. After a mediocre 1985 season, the Sox released Law on April 1, 1986 when he couldn't beat out rookie John Cangelosi for the starting center fielder's job.

 

ASK NOT FOR WHOM THE BELL TOLLS, IT TOLLS FOR SAMMY

1992: The White Sox acquired George Bell from the Cubs for outfielder Sammy Sosa and left-handed reliever Kenny Patterson. Bell gave the Sox an extremely productive 1992 campaign, hitting .255 with 25 homers and 112 RBIs while giving Frank Thomas some protection. Bell's productivity dipped in 1993 although he did have some big games during that division-championship season. As for Sosa, his track record is well known and history will judge him accordingly. However, it should be pointed out that in the years following Sosa's departure from the South side, offense was not the White Sox problem, particularly in right field where the Sox employed heavy-hitters such as Ellis Burks, Darrin Jackson and Danny Tartabull until Magglio Ordonez arrived in 1998.

 

HELLO MILWAUKEE

2001: The White Sox lost to the Brewers 5-4 in Milwaukee in the inaugural game – albeit an exhibition – at Miller Park. For the record, 41,544, many of them Sox fans, saw Sandy Alomar Jr. hit the first homer in the retractable roof stadium.

 

[lvjeremylv]

ASK NOT FOR WHOM THE BELL TOLLS, IT TOLLS FOR SAMMY

1992: The White Sox acquired George Bell from the Cubs for outfielder Sammy Sosa and left-handed reliever Kenny Patterson. Bell gave the Sox an extremely productive 1992 campaign, hitting .255 with 25 homers and 112 RBIs while giving Frank Thomas some protection. Bell's productivity dipped in 1993 although he did have some big games during that division-championship season. As for Sosa, his track record is well known and history will judge him accordingly. However, it should be pointed out that in the years following Sosa's departure from the South side, offense was not the White Sox problem, particularly in right field where the Sox employed heavy-hitters such as Ellis Burks, Darrin Jackson and Danny Tartabull until Magglio Ordonez arrived in 1998.

 

Darrin Jackson? Heavy hitter? He hit 80 career HR in 960 games.

Edited March 30, 2008 by lvjeremylv

[StatManDu]

Darrin Jackson? Heavy hitter? He hit 80 career HR in 960 games.

That is a great point but Jackson was a huge part of that potent 1994 lineup. When the strike arrived, he was hitting .312 with a .362 OBP and a .455 slugging percentage with 10 homers and 51 RBIs. Maybe heavy hitter is a reach but there wasn't much of a dropoff from Burks.