This article takes a look at how the Chicago White Sox did
in the 1999 season relative to pre-season expectations. For an
overview of the approach used in this review, and a definition
of some of the key terms and statistics, please see the overview
page called 1999 Team-by-Team Performance
Reviews.
Capsule Summary
Projected Actual
Runs for 764 777
Runs allowed 917 870
Run Margin -153 -93
Wins 66 75
Pythagorean wins 66 72
Placement 4th 2nd
Here's what we wrote about the White Sox before the season
started:
"This is the first of the teams that appears to have
no chance. The loss of Albert Belle and Robin Ventura gutted
their offense. The loss of Ventura and Mike Cameron significantly
reduces the range of a defense that will be even less mobile
if Frank Thomas plays 1B again this year. And, to make matters
worse, the White Sox consistently led the league in errors by
a wide margin in our simulations. The best reason to watch this
team is its youth. There are young arms and young hitters everywhere
you look, and it's quite possible that some of them will blossom
this year. Not enough to make them a contender, but perhaps enough
to make them interesting. By the way, we're projecting Frank
Thomas to bounce back to hit .305 with 31 homers and 101 RBI."
In some ways, this was prophetic, and it others, it was a little
off the mark. The club was a surprise from the start, flirting
with .500 for the first half of the season and finishing nine
games better than projected. Even though Thomas didn't hit for
power and Mike Caruso couldn't match his rookie year, the offense
was just about where it was expected to be because Chris Singleton
and Magglio Ordonez stepped up. The defense was last in the league
in errors, but not by as large a margin as it appeared they would
be, and Singleton did a terrific job of replacing Cameron's defense
in center field. The young pitching staff was in the top five
in team ERA for the first couple of months before they came back
to earth and sunk to 8th in ERA and 10th in runs allowed. All
in all, it was an encouraging start to this rebuilding process.
Key Position Players
Normally, when you think White Sox, you think Frank Thomas.
But Thomas had another subpar season while battling injuries for
the most of the year, and a host of young players stepped up and
provided a nucleus around which the team built its future and
its marketing campaign. "The Kids Can Play" was the
rallying cry in the South Side this year, and play they did. Magglio
Ordonez made the All-Star team and fellow outfielders Carlos Lee
and Chris Singleton received Rookie of the Year votes. New acquisitions
Brook Fordyce and Paul Konerko provided additional offense. With
the exception of Thomas and Ray Durham, the White Sox do not have
players with established major league performance so 2000 will
be a test to see if the young nucleus can develop.
Brook Fordyce, c, age 29 (as of July 1, 1999)
AB H 2B 3B HR R RBI HP W IW K SB CS AVG OBP SPC OPS RC
Projection ChA 463 107 24 1 11 37 50 1 31 6 74 2 2 .231 .280 .359 .638 46
Prorated ChA 335 77 17 0 7 26 36 0 22 4 53 1 1 .230 .277 .343 .620 31
Actual ChA 333 99 25 1 9 36 49 3 21 0 48 2 0 .297 .343 .459 .802 53
Fordyce surprised people offensively this season as he was
given his first real chance in the majors, and his performance
earned him a two year contract with the Sox. He had trouble throwing
out runners and spent time improving his footwork during the season.
He has continued to work on his defensive skills with White Sox
personnel in the offseason.
Mark Johnson, c, age 23
AB H 2B 3B HR R RBI HP W IW K SB CS AVG OBP SPC OPS RC
Projection ChA 89 20 3 1 2 12 10 1 17 0 17 0 0 .225 .355 .348 .703 12
Prorated ChA 206 46 6 2 4 27 23 2 39 0 39 0 0 .223 .352 .330 .682 27
Actual ChA 207 47 11 0 4 27 16 2 36 0 58 3 1 .227 .344 .338 .682 27
The number two catcher, Johnson is noted more for his skills
behind the plate than at it. While not a standout defensively,
he is better than Fordyce.
Josh Paul, c, age 24
AB H 2B 3B HR R RBI HP W IW K SB CS AVG OBP SPC OPS RC
Projection ChA 69 14 2 0 0 7 6 0 4 0 17 2 1 .203 .247 .232 .478 4
Prorated ChA 16 3 0 0 0 1 1 0 0 0 4 0 0
Actual ChA 18 4 1 0 0 2 1 0 0 0 4 0 0 .222 .222 .278 .500 1
The strong armed catcher spent the majority of the season at
AA. With the signing of Fordyce to a two-year contract, Paul will
continue to play in the minors and develop.
Paul Konerko, 1b, age 23
AB H 2B 3B HR R RBI HP W IW K SB CS AVG OBP SPC OPS RC
Projection ChA 547 141 23 0 27 73 107 7 52 2 79 1 2 .258 .326 .448 .774 77
Prorated ChA 502 129 21 0 24 67 98 6 47 1 72 0 1 .257 .324 .442 .766 69
Actual ChA 513 151 31 4 24 71 81 2 45 0 68 1 0 .294 .352 .511 .862 88
In the midst of all the White Sox surprises and steals, Konerko
turned out to be the biggest of both. In a swap of former prospects,
Konerko joined the White Sox from the Reds in exchange for Mike
Cameron. He performed better than the average American League
first baseman offensively, and when compared to the defensive
skills of Frank Thomas, looked like a Gold Glover at first, mainly
because Thomas had the worst range of any 1B in the nine years
for which we have enough good play-by-play data to compute our
defensive ratings. Konerko's range is actually a little below
average compared to other major-league first basemen, but only
four regular 1Bs had a higher fielding percentage than Konerko's
.995. At 23 years of age, Konerko's upside is vast.
Jeff Liefer, 1b, age 24
AB H 2B 3B HR R RBI HP W IW K SB CS AVG OBP SPC OPS RC
Projection ChA 68 15 4 1 2 10 8 1 6 0 17 0 0 .221 .293 .397 .690 8
Prorated ChA 110 24 6 1 3 16 13 1 9 0 27 0 0 .218 .283 .373 .656 11
Actual ChA 113 28 7 1 0 8 14 0 8 0 28 2 0 .248 .295 .327 .623 11
The acquisition of Konerko left Liefer without a position.
He was tried in the outfield but his arm was considered deficient.
He is a slugger but failed to hit a homer in over 100 major league
at bats.
Ray Durham, 2b, age 27
AB H 2B 3B HR R RBI HP W IW K SB CS AVG OBP SPC OPS RC
Projection ChA 612 169 31 6 14 108 60 7 62 2 100 32 10 .276 .346 .415 .761 93
Prorated ChA 613 169 31 6 14 108 60 7 62 2 100 32 10 .276 .346 .414 .760 93
Actual ChA 612 181 30 8 13 109 60 4 73 1 105 34 11 .296 .373 .435 .808 105
Durham put together a season that was virtually a clone of
his 1998 season. Nagging back and hamstring injuries curtailed
his speed in the second half which in turn reduced his power numbers
as the doubles and triples dropped off from the first half. His
fielding deficiencies also continued. Only Chuck Knoblauch committed
more errors and Knoblauch was the only AL second baseman to play
140 games and turn fewer double plays. Durham was originally drafted
as an outfielder (as was his brother Chad who is also in the White
Sox system). It's not a stretch to see Caruso moved to second,
Durham to left, Lee to DH, and Thomas traded in an effort to bolster
the lineup for 2000.
Liu Rodriguez, 2b, age 22
AB H 2B 3B HR R RBI HP W IW K SB CS AVG OBP SPC OPS RC
Actual ChA 93 22 2 2 1 8 12 3 12 0 11 0 0 .237 .343 .333 .676 11
Competent at all infield positions, Rodriguez brings versatility
to a team and contributes nicely at the plate. He is a selective
hitter, having a career minor league walk to strikeout ratio of
almost 1:1. While he doesn't hit for power, he has above average
speed which he uses to stretch doubles ands steal bases.
Tilson Brito, 2b, age 27
AB H 2B 3B HR R RBI HP W IW K SB CS AVG OBP SPC OPS RC
Projection ChA 68 16 4 0 1 8 6 1 4 0 13 0 1 .235 .284 .338 .622 6
The White Sox were Brito's fourth organization in four years.
He spent the season at AAA where he hit over .300 for the season
for the first time in his career. He plays all the infield positions
although he spent the entire season at second last year.
Greg Norton, 3b, age 26
AB H 2B 3B HR R RBI HP W IW K SB CS AVG OBP SPC OPS RC
Projection ChA 571 134 32 3 20 83 77 4 53 3 139 4 5 .235 .302 .406 .709 68
Prorated ChA 459 107 25 2 16 66 61 3 42 2 111 3 4 .233 .300 .401 .701 53
Actual ChA 436 111 26 0 16 62 50 2 69 3 93 4 4 .255 .358 .424 .782 68
Norton had his best season yet offensively, bringing his production
up to that of the average AL third baseman. Defensively, he tied
with Todd Zeile for the AL lead in errors. There is not much room
for improvement offensively for Norton.
Craig Wilson, 3b, age 28
AB H 2B 3B HR R RBI HP W IW K SB CS AVG OBP SPC OPS RC
Projection ChA 93 25 4 0 2 13 10 0 7 0 8 1 1 .269 .317 .376 .693 11
Prorated ChA 254 68 10 0 5 35 27 0 19 0 21 2 2 .268 .316 .366 .683 28
Actual ChA 252 60 8 1 4 28 26 0 23 0 22 1 1 .238 .301 .325 .626 25
Primarily used at third, Wilson was the main bench player and
utility infielder. He made the team in spring training in part
due to Caruso's throwing problems. Wilson is the steadiest infielder
Chicago has, but he will likely be challenged in the spring by
Rodriguez and Brito.
Joe Crede, 3b, age 21
The White Sox third baseman of the future. He missed half of
the AA season with a toe injury and will use the 2000 season to
develop.
Mike Caruso, ss, age 22
AB H 2B 3B HR R RBI HP W IW K SB CS AVG OBP SPC OPS RC
Projection ChA 662 198 22 8 6 101 68 9 24 0 49 28 8 .299 .331 .384 .715 85
Prorated ChA 527 157 17 6 4 80 54 7 19 0 39 22 6 .298 .330 .376 .705 67
Actual ChA 529 132 11 4 2 60 35 3 20 0 36 12 14 .250 .280 .297 .577 42
Caruso performed below expectations both offensively and defensively.
It may be that 1998, not 1999, was the aberrational season.
Based on his minor-league career through 1997, we projected that
Caruso would hit .246 with a .276 on-base percentage and a .299
slugging average in 1998, and that's almost exactly what he did
in 1999. The year before, I was stunned when he was able to keep
his average above .300, and I wasn't the least bit surprised when
he was unable to keep that up in 1999.
Unfortunately, he didn't really get a lot of support from the
organization. Unless you have the ability of a Jeter or Alex Rodriguez,
playing shortstop at the major league level after making the jump
straight from A ball is going to be a challenge that requires
some adjustments. His success as a rookie last year led to high
expectations this year, and when he performed at a substandard
level, he was criticized, benched, had his mechanics tinkered
with, and told that he may be moved to second base, all while
playing the most demanding position in baseball. For a team in
the midst of a youth movement, this hardly seems like the best
way to handle a struggling youngster.
Jason Dellaero, ss, age 22
AB H 2B 3B HR R RBI HP W IW K SB CS AVG OBP SPC OPS RC
Actual ChA 33 3 0 0 0 1 2 0 1 0 13 0 0 .091 .114 .091 .205 0
Considered a top prospect, Dellaero is actually older than
Caruso. And like Caruso, Dallaero has not had much success at
the plate at any level. He was extremely overmatched at the major
league level.
Carlos Lee, lf, age 23
AB H 2B 3B HR R RBI HP W IW K SB CS AVG OBP SPC OPS RC
Projection ChA 74 19 3 0 3 8 9 0 1 0 7 1 0 .257 .267 .419 .686 7
Prorated ChA 502 129 20 0 20 54 61 0 7 0 48 7 0 .257 .267 .416 .683 48
Actual ChA 492 144 32 2 16 66 84 4 13 0 72 4 2 .293 .312 .463 .775 68
Lee was not expected to play much in 1999 as the White Sox
felt they had no where to put him. But after hitting .300 for
the last four seasons in the minors, Chicago wanted his bat in
the lineup. He was originally a third baseman but the White Sox
did not have a need with Norton and prospect Joe Crede already
there. Konerko and Thomas bottled up the first base and DH positions
so Lee was tried in left field. Lee worked very hard on his defense
during the season and while not a serious liability, would be
better off elsewhere. Offensively, he hit well but drew only 13
walks. With his work ethic and age, that aspect of his game may
well improve.
Darrin Jackson, lf, age 36
AB H 2B 3B HR R RBI HP W IW K SB CS AVG OBP SPC OPS RC
Projection ChA 92 22 4 1 2 10 11 0 3 0 16 1 0 .239 .263 .370 .633 9
Prorated ChA 148 35 6 1 3 16 17 0 4 0 25 1 0 .236 .257 .351 .608 13
Actual ChA 149 41 9 1 4 22 16 0 3 0 20 4 1 .275 .288 .430 .717 17
The fifth outfielder and veteran presence in the clubhouse,
Jackson retired after the season to become a broadcaster for the
Sox. Jackson was instrumental in the development of outfielder
Chris Singleton.
Brian Simmons, lf, age 25
AB H 2B 3B HR R RBI HP W IW K SB CS AVG OBP SPC OPS RC
Projection ChA 504 115 19 6 14 82 58 0 51 3 108 11 8 .228 .297 .373 .670 56
Prorated ChA 121 27 4 1 3 19 13 0 12 0 25 2 1 .223 .293 .347 .640 13
Actual ChA 126 29 3 3 4 14 17 0 9 0 30 4 0 .230 .281 .397 .678 14
Simmons performed spectacularly in a brief callup in 1998,
hitting two homers in five games and batting .368. He was originally
slated as the starting center fielder in 1999 but badly injured
his hand in spring training and was passed by Singleton and Lee.
The switch-hitting Simmons has gap power and plays solid defense,
and that may be enough to earn him a role as a fourth outfielder
in 2000.
Jeff Abbott, lf, age 26
AB H 2B 3B HR R RBI HP W IW K SB CS AVG OBP SPC OPS RC
Projection ChA 580 166 34 2 18 88 81 3 30 1 66 9 7 .286 .321 .445 .766 80
Prorated ChA 59 17 3 0 1 9 8 0 3 0 6 0 0 .288 .323 .390 .712 7
Actual ChA 57 9 0 0 2 5 6 0 5 0 12 1 1 .158 .222 .263 .485 3
Next to Frank Thomas, Abbott may be the best natural hitter
on the Sox. He needs to play every day to be sharp, especially
since he doesn't take many pitches. Defensively, he is subpar
to most of the Sox outfielders except Lee. He could be the White
Sox fifth outfielder in 2000 but would be better off if he's traded.
Chris Singleton, cf, age 26
AB H 2B 3B HR R RBI HP W IW K SB CS AVG OBP SPC OPS RC
Projection ChA 78 18 3 1 1 9 8 1 2 0 12 2 1 .231 .256 .333 .589 7
Prorated ChA 498 114 19 6 6 57 51 6 12 0 76 12 6 .229 .256 .327 .583 45
Actual ChA 496 149 31 6 17 72 72 1 22 1 45 20 5 .300 .328 .490 .818 78
Discarded by the Yankees in December for a minor leaguer to
be named later, Singleton stepped up and had a banner season,
earning consideration for Rookie of the Year. Singleton is above
average in all five tools but like his outfield mates, rarely
waits to see if he can get that fourth ball. At 26 years of age,
we're likely seeing the best he can do.
McKay Christensen, cf, age 23
AB H 2B 3B HR R RBI HP W IW K SB CS AVG OBP SPC OPS RC
Projection ChA 68 14 2 1 0 9 7 1 6 0 10 1 0 .206 .280 .265 .545 5
Prorated ChA 54 11 1 0 0 7 5 0 4 0 8 0 0 .204 .259 .222 .481 3
Actual ChA 53 12 1 0 1 10 6 0 4 0 7 2 1 .226 .271 .302 .573 5
Another former number one draft pick the White Sox plucked
from another organization, Christensen saw the amount of playing
time expected of one of his age and ability and he performed as
expected. Christensen is a flashy defensive player and has the
characteristics of a good leadoff hitter. His OBP at AA Birmingham
was .372 and he swiped 18 bases in just 75 games.
Magglio Ordonez, rf, age 25
AB H 2B 3B HR R RBI HP W IW K SB CS AVG OBP SPC OPS RC
Projection ChA 587 167 29 1 17 74 80 7 28 2 63 11 9 .284 .322 .424 .746 73
Prorated ChA 631 179 31 1 18 79 86 7 30 2 67 11 9 .284 .321 .422 .743 78
Actual ChA 624 188 34 3 30 100 117 1 47 4 64 13 6 .301 .349 .510 .858 103
The sole representative for the White Sox at the 1999 All-Star
game, Ordonez showed that he can hit for power as well as average,
posting his first professional season with more than 20 home runs.
For what it's worth, which might be nothing, his production tailed
off somewhat in the second half. After the break, he hit .265
with 12 homers, with an OPS that was only a little above his projected
level. But the improved power and walks augur well for the future.
Frank Thomas, dh/1b, age 31
AB H 2B 3B HR R RBI HP W IW K SB CS AVG OBP SPC OPS RC
Projection ChA 577 168 33 1 32 110 118 6 112 8 88 2 1 .291 .406 .518 .924 127
Prorated ChA 483 140 27 0 26 92 98 5 93 6 73 1 0 .290 .405 .507 .912 104
Actual ChA 486 148 36 0 15 74 77 9 87 13 66 3 3 .305 .414 .471 .885 99
As recently as two years ago, we were hearing comparisons between
Thomas and the all-time greats. Now the baseball world is wondering
if Frank Thomas is washed up. In an era when light-hitting infielders
are hitting ten or more homers, the Big Hurt could only eke out
15. It was the second season that Thomas had a slugging percentage
under .500 and the first season of the last nine where he failed
to score or knock in 100 runs.
But even without the power, Thomas is a big contributor at
the plate. Only leadoff hitter Ray Durham reached base more than
Thomas did for the Sox. He had exactly as many walks as Chicago's
starting three outfielders combined.
Thomas was plagued by ankle and foot injuries throughout the
season which resulted in surgery before the end of the season.
As a result, Thomas played fewer games in 1999 than any season
other than his rookie year and the strike-shortened 1994 season.
He also was involved in continued discussions over whether
he should play first or not. Although Thomas is the worst defensive
1B in the game today, he has posted better numbers when playing
the field than when DHing. As the season progressed, Thomas' attitude
toward playing first changed. In February he said he had not wanted
to play first in 1998. In March, Thomas stated that he saw himself
playing over 120 games at first in 1999. A couple of weeks later,
that number dropped to 60. In August, after being played at first,
he angrily voiced "I'm supposed to be DH'ing. That's it."
So with questions concerning his age, health, and attitude,
what the Frank Thomas of 2000 will do may be the biggest question
mark about this team.
Key Pitchers
The White Sox pitching staff finished just a shade higher than
the American League average for ERA in 1999, despite receiving
just one and a half good seasons from the rotation. Mike Sirotka
pitched solidly the entire season and will be counted on to be
the ace in 2000. Jim Parque received consideration for the All-Star
game but then failed to win a decision during the second half
due to injury. John Snyder pitched hurt the whole year and the
top two starters, James Baldwin and Jaime Navarro were ineffective.
The bullpen prevented things from getting too out of hand.
Keith Foulke and Bob Howry provide a 1-2 punch that can only be
matched by Texas' Wetteland and Zimmerman. Sean Lowe and Bill
Simas also contributed. The Sox will look to young starters in
the next season or two to fill out the rotation and put them back
into contention.
James Baldwin, starter, age 27
Tm ERA G GS W L S INN H HR BB K AVG OPS
Projection ChA 4.44 32 32 11 11 0 193 196 19 70 137 .265 .750
Prorated ChA 4.44 34 34 12 12 0 205 209 20 75 146 .265 .750
Actual ChA 5.10 35 33 12 13 0 199 219 34 81 123 .278 .816
Baldwin is reaching the age where most pitchers begin to reach
their peak. However, his pitching has been in a decline, culminating
in a disappointing 1999 season. Baldwin set personal highs for
homeruns allowed, hits allowed, baserunners per nine innings,
and home runs per nine innings and lows for strikeouts per nine
innings and strikeout to walk ratio. He was demoted to the bullpen
briefly in June where he pitched terribly in two games. He came
on strong in the latter part of the season, going 8-2 with an
ERA of 3.18 from August 1st on. Assuming that Navarro is moved,
Baldwin becomes the most experienced member of the pitching staff
and will need to pitch as such. If he can pitch like he did at
the end of 1999, he will fill that position nicely.
Mike Sirotka, starter, age 28
Tm ERA G GS W L S INN H HR BB K AVG OPS
Projection ChA 5.30 32 32 10 13 0 205 250 30 52 135 .302 .819
Prorated ChA 5.30 32 32 10 13 0 208 254 30 53 137 .302 .819
Actual ChA 4.00 32 32 11 13 0 209 236 24 57 125 .283 .745
Sirotka will likely be counted on as the ace for the 2000 season.
Statistically, he was the ace in 1999 although he was used as
the #3 starter for most of the season. He led the team in K's
and was second in wins. When you give up about a homer per game
and 10.2 hits per inning, your ERA is normally closer to 4.50
than 4.00, even with this low number of walks. If Sirotka is to
emerge as a legitimate #1 or #2 starter, he'll have to get that
opposition batting average down quite a bit.
Jim Parque, starter, age 24
Tm ERA G GS W L S INN H HR BB K AVG OPS
Projection ChA 5.51 32 32 9 11 0 170 193 22 84 115 .290 .839
Prorated ChA 5.51 34 34 9 12 0 178 202 23 88 120 .290 .839
Actual ChA 5.13 31 30 9 15 0 174 210 23 79 111 .299 .816
Parque pitched well in the first half of the season. His ERA
was under four and he kept the extra base hits under control.
He suffered a badly bruised thumb at the end of June and had problems
gripping his off-speed pitches properly. He dropped all nine of
his decisions after the All-Star break with an ERA of 6.95.
Jaime Navarro, starter, age 32
Tm ERA G GS W L S INN H HR BB K AVG OPS
Projection ChA 5.91 27 27 7 12 0 155 195 22 59 85 .311 .851
Prorated ChA 5.91 29 29 7 13 0 166 208 23 63 91 .311 .851
Actual ChA 6.09 32 27 8 13 0 160 206 29 71 74 .313 .878
It took him three years but Navarro finally won 20 games for
the White Sox. His record as a member of the White Sox is now
25-43 with an ERA of 6.06. He has walked more than he has struck
out over the last two seasons. He is a "guy who can give
you innings", though, and as such may actually appeal to
some team. It is highly unlikely he will pitch with the White
Sox this year.
John Snyder, starter, age 24
Tm ERA G GS W L S INN H HR BB K AVG OPS
Projection ChA 5.85 32 32 8 14 0 186 225 29 66 118 .301 .850
Prorated ChA 5.85 23 23 6 10 0 135 163 21 48 85 .301 .850
Actual ChA 6.68 25 25 9 12 0 129 167 27 49 67 .311 .901
What happens to Snyder in the future will be either an example
of the importance of giving 110% or an example of why you should
not play with pain. Snyder had Tommy John surgery in 1996 and
ended the 1998 season early with pain in that elbow. He came to
spring training in 1999 with elbow pain. On May 15th, Snyder
was 6-1 with a 2.00 ERA, but after that he gave up 132 hits and
23 homers in 84 innings, with a 3-11 record and a 9.18 ERA. He
pitched the entire season nursing the elbow, then had bone spurs
removed from that elbow at season's end.
Kip Wells, starter, age 22
Tm ERA G GS W L S INN H HR BB K AVG OPS
Actual ChA 4.04 7 7 4 1 0 36 33 2 15 29 .248 .687
How good do the White Sox think this guy is? The Sox number
one draft pick in 1998, the Sox plan in spring training was to
have him in the rotation by July despite 1999 being his first
professional season. It took him a little longer to develop as
he did not join the rotation until August but once there, he pitched
very well. He's a smart pitcher with a full complement of pitches.
He has the stuff to be a top tier major league pitcher.
Aaron Myette, starter, age 21
Tm ERA G GS W L S INN H HR BB K AVG OPS
Actual ChA 6.32 4 3 0 2 0 16 17 2 14 11 .266 .866
Myette was given a taste of the majors for the Sox at the end
of the season. The 2000 season will be just his third full professional
season. He has an opportunity to make the team as the fifth starter
but will likely be given some more time in the minors.
Jon Garland, minor-league starter, age 19
Another great acquisition for the White Sox, he came to the
South Side in a trade with the Cubs for Matt Karchner. He still
needs some more time in the minors to develop but may be in the
mix for the number five starter job in 2000.
Carlos Castillo, swing man, age 24
Tm ERA G GS W L S INN H HR BB K AVG OPS
Projection ChA 3.97 4 4 1 1 0 23 20 3 8 14 .235 .693
Prorated ChA 3.97 7 7 2 2 0 42 37 6 15 26 .235 .693
Actual ChA 5.71 18 2 2 2 0 41 45 10 14 23 .274 .819
Despite being used strictly as a starter at AAA in 1999, Castillo
only started twice for the Sox. Castillo's career has been an
interesting one. He began the 1997 season with the Sox and stayed
there for almost the entire season, despite having only pitched
six games at the high A level. Listed at 250 pounds, he has battled
weight problems. He could be used as an incentive to a team willing
to take Navarro.
Scott Eyre, swing man, age 27
Tm ERA G GS W L S INN H HR BB K AVG OPS
Projection ChA 6.12 21 4 2 3 0 43 48 9 25 32 .284 .879
Prorated ChA 6.12 14 3 1 2 0 28 31 6 16 21 .284 .879
Actual ChA 7.56 21 0 1 1 0 25 38 6 15 17 .339 .990
Another AAA starter, Eyre was tried in the bullpen because
of a need for a left-hander. He ended the season on the disabled
list with a shoulder injury but has never shown that he is able
to get major league hitters out.
Sean Lowe, long reliever, age 28
Tm ERA G GS W L S INN H HR BB K AVG OPS
Projection ChA 6.51 23 0 1 3 0 37 48 5 19 24 .320 .894
Prorated ChA 6.51 54 0 2 7 0 88 113 12 45 56 .320 .894
Actual ChA 3.67 64 0 4 1 0 96 90 10 46 62 .262 .757
The St. Louis Cardinals' number one draft pick in 1992, Lowe
came to the White Sox before the 1999 season in a "change
of scenery" trade for John Ambrose. Lowe found the Windy
City to his liking and pitched well in long relief.
Bill Simas, middle reliever, age 27
Tm ERA G GS W L S INN H HR BB K AVG OPS
Projection ChA 3.07 70 0 5 5 10 76 64 10 28 67 .228 .688
Prorated ChA 3.07 72 0 5 5 10 79 66 10 29 69 .228 .688
Actual ChA 3.75 70 0 6 3 2 72 73 6 32 41 .263 .757
The closer for the Sox in 1998. Now he's one of the guys that
bridges the gap from the starters to the Foulke-Howry combo. His
strikeouts mysteriously decreased in 1999. He did not seem fatigued
despite pitching in 70 games and did not suffer from any injuries.
David Lundquist, middle reliever, age 26
Tm ERA G GS W L S INN H HR BB K AVG OPS
Projection ChA 4.65 30 0 2 2 0 41 43 4 19 34 .274 .772
Prorated ChA 4.65 18 0 1 1 0 24 25 2 11 20 .274 .772
Actual ChA 8.59 17 0 1 1 0 22 28 3 12 18 .315 .877
Lundquist began the season with the White Sox but was demoted
to AAA in June. His season was ended by injury soon afterwards.
Chad Bradford, middle reliever, age 24
Tm ERA G GS W L S INN H HR BB K AVG OPS
Projection ChA 2.91 23 0 2 1 0 34 32 2 9 15 .252 .654
Prorated ChA 2.91 4 0 0 0 0 6 6 0 2 3 .252 .654
Actual ChA 19.64 3 0 0 0 0 4 9 1 5 0 .474 1.320
Bradford suffered from a broken rib in spring training which
may have cost him an opportunity to stick with the White Sox at
the start of the season. He received a callup in May but was used
sparingly and pitched poorly. At AAA, he dazzled in relief, going
9-3 with a 1.94 ERA.
Bryan Ward, middle reliever, age 27
Tm ERA G GS W L S INN H HR BB K AVG OPS
Projection ChA 5.93 70 0 3 4 1 68 88 12 28 46 .314 .895
Prorated ChA 5.93 41 0 2 2 1 40 51 7 16 27 .314 .895
Actual ChA 7.55 40 0 0 1 0 39 63 10 11 35 .368 1.007
The primary lefty in the pen in 1999. He was hit often and
hard.
Keith Foulke, setup man, age 26
Tm ERA G GS W L S INN H HR BB K AVG OPS
Projection ChA 4.26 53 0 4 4 0 74 77 11 22 57 .268 .779
Prorated ChA 4.26 69 0 5 5 0 96 100 14 28 74 .268 .779
Actual ChA 2.22 67 0 3 3 9 105 72 11 21 123 .188 .556
The number one ranked reliever in the Elias free agent ratings,
Foulke is establishing himself as one of the premier relief pitchers
in the major leagues. A workhorse, he was one of a half dozen
pitchers to work 100 innings in relief and the only one of the
six to strike out 100. He was two strikeouts short of leading
the White Sox in that category.
Bob Howry, closer, age 25
Tm ERA G GS W L S INN H HR BB K AVG OPS
Projection ChA 3.95 70 0 5 3 27 73 72 11 29 54 .258 .770
Prorated ChA 3.95 66 0 5 3 26 69 68 10 27 51 .258 .770
Actual ChA 3.59 69 0 5 3 28 68 58 8 38 80 .229 .699
Howry performed solidly in his first full season as the Sox
closer. Although not as dominant as Foulke, Howry has a great
closer mentality and is an intimidating presence on the mound.
Outlook
The White Sox were the youngest team in the majors last year
and while many of the young players performed well, there are
still holes that need improving before the Sox can hope to contend.
First and foremost is the infield defense. Norton tied for
the AL lead for errors at third base and Caruso and Durham were
second in the league at their positions in errors. Norton and
Caruso did not contribute enough offensively to make up for their
deficiencies in the field.
And with the exception of Frank Thomas, the White Sox do not
see many pitches they don't like. They struck out the fewest times
of any team and had the second fewest walks.
The talent is there, however. Eight former first round picks
played for the Sox last year. The outfield of Lee, Singleton,
and Ordonez helped the team both at the plate and in the field.
The bullpen combination of Foulke and Howry kept opposing hitters
stymied and young starters Aaron Myette and Kip Wells made strong
showings in their brief introductions to the majors.
The biggest question for the Sox in 2000 is how the kids will
grow up. If they can show that their performance last year is
just the beginning, the Sox could find themselves back in their
winning ways (only the Braves, Yankees, and Indians had more wins
in the 1990s). If the Sox hope to be a contending team in the
near future, Frank Thomas will have to show that he can put up
the numbers that he did when he was considered one of the game's
best and the starting pitchers will have to improve.
Projections and text: Copyright © 1999. Diamond Mind, Inc. All rights reserved.
Actual 1999 statistics: Copyright © 1999. STATS, Inc. All
right reserved.
