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1978 Chicago White Sox Season
The 1978 Chicago White Sox season was the team's 78th season in Major League Baseball, and its 79th overall. They finished with a record of 71–90, good enough for fifth place in the American League West, 20.5 games behind the first-place Kansas City Royals. Offseason * November 28, 1977: Rich Hinton was signed as a free agent by the White Sox. * December 5, 1977: Brian Downing, Chris Knapp, and Dave Frost were traded by the White Sox to the California Angels for Bobby Bonds, Thad Bosley and Richard Dotson. Regular season * Larry Doby replaced Bob Lemon as manager of the White Sox in 1978. Doby was the second African-American to lead a major league club. Opening Day lineup * Ralph Garr, LF * Jorge Orta, 2B * Lamar Johnson, 1B * Bobby Bonds, RF * Ron Blomberg, DH * Chet Lemon, CF * Eric Soderholm, 3B * Wayne Nordhagen, C * Don Kessinger, SS * Steve Stone, P Season standings Record vs. opponents Notable transactions * April 1, 1978: Royle Stillman was released ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
American League West
The American League West is one of Major League Baseball's six divisions. The division has five teams as of the 2013 season, but had four teams from 1994 to 2012, and had as many as seven teams before the 1994 realignment. Although its teams currently only reside along the West Coast of the United States, west coast and in Texas, historically the division has had teams as far east as Chicago. From 1998 (when the NL West expanded to five teams) to 2012, the AL West was the only MLB division with four teams. The current champion of this division is the Houston Astros. In 2013, the Houston Astros went from the National League Central to the AL West. That move gives all six MLB divisions an equal five teams and both leagues an equal 15 teams each. Division membership Current members * Houston Astros - Joined in 2013; formerly from the National League West, NL West (1969–1993) and National League Central, NL Central (1994–2012) * Los Angeles AngelsThe Angels were formerly known as ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Chris Knapp (baseball)
Robert Christian Knapp (born September 16, 1953) is an American former professional baseball right-handed pitcher, whose career totals include 122 Major League Baseball (MLB) games pitched, for the Chicago White Sox (–) and California Angels (–). He won 12 and 14 games, respectively, in back-to-back seasons (–). Knapp stood and weighed . After graduating from Central Michigan University, Knapp was selected in the first round of the 1975 Major League Baseball draft by the White Sox. He played parts of the , , and seasons with Chicago, although most of his time in the first two years of his career was spent in the White Sox farm system. In 1977 he appeared in five games for the Triple-A Iowa Oaks, and worked in 27 MLB games for the White Sox, 26 as a starting pitcher, posting a 12–7 record with four complete games. He was traded along with Brian Downing and Dave Frost to the Angels for Bobby Bonds, Richard Dotson and Thad Bosley on December 5, 1977. [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Don Kessinger
Donald Eulon Kessinger (born July 17, 1942) is an American former professional baseball player and manager. He played in Major League Baseball as a shortstop from to , most prominently as a member of the Chicago Cubs where, he was a six-time All-Star player and a two-time Gold Glove Award winner. He ended his career playing for the St. Louis Cardinals and the Chicago White Sox. In the late 1960s and early 1970s, Kessinger was considered one of the best shortstops in baseball. For nine consecutive seasons he formed a productive middle-infield partnership with second baseman Glenn Beckert. He is also notable for being the last player-manager in American League history. Baseball career A four sport All-State and All-America athlete for the Forrest City High School Mustangs, Kessinger graduated high school in 1960 and went on to the University of Mississippi. During his collegiate years, he earned All-Conference, All-SEC, and All-America honors in both basketball and baseball for ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Wayne Nordhagen
Wayne Oren Nordhagen (born July 4, 1948) is an American former Major League Baseball outfielder and designated hitter. He played eight seasons in the majors for the Chicago White Sox (1976–81), Toronto Blue Jays (1982), Pittsburgh Pirates (1982) and Chicago Cubs (1983). Career Drafted by the New York Yankees in 1968, Nordhagen played in 502 games in eight major league seasons. In an oddity, Nordhagen was traded twice in ten days for the same player, outfielder Dick Davis. On June 15, 1982, Nordhagen was traded by the Blue Jays to the Philadelphia Phillies for Davis. Later that day, without having played for the Phillies, he was traded again, this time to the Pirates for outfielder Bill Robinson. On June 25, after playing in just one game for the Pirates (going 2-for-4 with 2 RBI), Nordhagen was traded ''back'' to the Blue Jays as the player to be named later in a trade that occurred on June 22, in which the Pirates had acquired the very same Dick Davis. Personal life Nordha ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Eric Soderholm
Eric Thane Soderholm (born September 24, 1948) is a former Major League Baseball third baseman who played for the Minnesota Twins, Chicago White Sox, Texas Rangers, and New York Yankees from 1971 to 1980. Soderholm was selected with the 1st overall selection in the secondary phase of the 1968 Free Agent draft by the Twins. Soderholm won the Twins regular job at third base in 1974 and had two solid seasons as their starter. He then injured his knee and missed the entire 1976 campaign. The White Sox took a gamble and signed Soderholm as a free agent in November 1976. The move paid off as Soderholm responded with a career year in 1977, hitting .280 and slugging 25 home runs. Soderholm stroked 16 of his 25 homers after the All-Star break to help keep the South Side Hitmen, as the Sox were fondly known that year, in the AL West pennant race into September. Soderholm was named the AL Comeback Player of the Year by The Sporting News after the 1977 campaign. Soderholm followed up his co ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Chet Lemon
Chester Earl Lemon (born February 12, 1955) is a former Major League Baseball outfielder. A native of Jackson, Mississippi, he grew up in Los Angeles. He was drafted in the first round of the 1972 Major League Baseball draft and played 16 seasons in Major League Baseball for the Chicago White Sox from 1975 to 1981 and for the Detroit Tigers from 1982 to 1990. He was selected as an American League All-Star in 1978, 1979, and 1984 and was the starting center fielder for the 1984 Detroit Tigers team that won the 1984 World Series. Lemon was known as one of the best defensive center fielders in baseball from 1977 to 1987. In 1977, he led the American League with 512 outfield putouts, the fourth highest single-season tally in major league history and the highest tally since 1951. He also totaled over 400 outfield putouts in four other years (1979 and 1983-1985). He also led the American League with 44 doubles in 1979 and led the league in times hit by pitch (HBP) four times, inclu ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Ron Blomberg
Ronald Mark Blomberg (born August 23, 1948), nicknamed "Boomer", is an American former professional baseball player and minor league manager. He played in Major League Baseball as a designated hitter, first baseman, and right fielder. He played for the New York Yankees (1969, 1971–1976) and Chicago White Sox (1978), and was the manager of the Bet Shemesh Blue Sox in the Israel Baseball League (2007). He was the first designated hitter in Major League Baseball history. He batted left-handed, and threw right-handed. Over eight seasons, Blomberg compiled a .293 batting average (391-for-1,333) with 52 home runs, 224 RBIs, 184 runs, 67 doubles, and 8 triples in 461 games. He added a .360 on-base percentage and a .473 slugging average. For his career, he hit .304 against right-handers, and .304 with two out and runners in scoring position, as well as .325 when the score was tied. Early and personal life Born in Atlanta, Georgia, Blomberg is Jewish with roots in Romania. Blombe ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Lamar Johnson (baseball)
Lamar Johnson Sr. (born September 2, 1950) is a retired American professional baseball player and former hitting coach for the Milwaukee Brewers, Kansas City Royals, Seattle Mariners and New York Mets. Johnson was a first baseman who played in the Major Leagues from 1974 to 1982 for the Chicago White Sox and Texas Rangers. A right-handed batter and thrower, Johnson stood tall and weighed . On perhaps the best day in his career, on June 19, 1977, against the A's, Johnson sang the National Anthem before the game, and followed up with two homers, the only White Sox hits on the day, as the Sox won 2-1. Coaching career Lamar's coaching career began in 1988, when he was hired by the Milwaukee Brewers as a minor league hitting instructor. He coached in Milwaukee's minor league system through 1994, serving as the hitting coach for their AAA affiliate, the Denver Zephyrs, in 1991 and 1992, and as manager of their highest A ball affiliate, the Stockton Ports, in 1993 and 1994. In De ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Jorge Orta
Jorge Orta Núñez (born November 26, 1950) is a Mexican former professional baseball second baseman and outfielder. He played fifteen seasons in Major League Baseball (MLB) from 1972 to 1987 for the Chicago White Sox, Cleveland Indians, Los Angeles Dodgers, Toronto Blue Jays, and Kansas City Royals. He is best remembered for being at the center of one of the most controversial plays in World Series history. Chicago White Sox Orta signed with the Chicago White Sox out of the Mexican Baseball League, and made the team out of spring training at shortstop without first playing in the minor leagues. He batted just .211 through the middle of May, losing his starting job to Rich Morales. He spent two months as a utility infielder before being optioned to the Southern League's Knoxville Sox in mid-July after compiling a .191 batting average, one home run and seven runs batted in. After batting .316 with seven home runs at Knoxville, he returned to Chicago when rosters expanded that S ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Ralph Garr
Ralph Allen Garr (born December 12, 1945), nicknamed "Road Runner", is an American former professional baseball player, scout, and coach. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) as an outfielder from through — most notably as a member of the Atlanta Braves — and eventually with the Chicago White Sox and California Angels. Garr’s career year was , when he was a National League (NL) All-Star and won the NL batting title. Garr was a free swinger who could confound defenses by hitting to all parts of the outfield. He batted .300 or better five times during his career. In 2006, Garr was inducted into the Atlanta Braves Hall of Fame. Face in the Crowd Garr was born in Monroe, Louisiana, and worked as a shoe shine boy at a local barber shop growing up. After graduation from Lincoln High School in Ruston, Louisiana, he attended historically black Grambling State University in Grambling, Louisiana. In , as a second baseman for the Grambling State Tigers baseball team, Garr ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Richard Dotson
Richard Elliott Dotson (born January 10, 1959) is a former right-handed pitcher in Major League Baseball in the 1980s. He is best noted for his 22-7 performance of , helping the Chicago White Sox win the American League West Division championship that season. Dotson finished fourth in the American League Cy Young Award voting, behind teammate LaMarr Hoyt. Arm injuries came to limit, however, what was a promising baseball career. In a 12-season career, Rich Dotson recorded a record of 111-113 with a 4.23 ERA in 305 games, 295 of them starts. He pitched 55 complete games and 11 shutouts in his career. Dotson gave up 872 earned runs and struck out 973 in innings pitched. Dotson was born in Cincinnati and attended Anderson High School. Dotson's biological father was Turk Farrell who played 14 MLB seasons. He was drafted out of high school by the California Angels in the summer of 1977, but was traded along with Bobby Bonds and Thad Bosley to the White Sox for Brian Downing, Chris ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Thad Bosley
Thaddis Bosley Jr. (born September 17, 1956) is an American former professional baseball outfielder for the Los Angeles Angels, California Angels (, ), Chicago White Sox (–), Milwaukee Brewers (), Seattle Mariners (), Chicago Cubs (–), Kansas City Royals (–1988) and Texas Rangers (baseball), Texas Rangers (–). Playing career Bosley was called up to the Angels after hitting .326 in 69 games for the Salt Lake City Gulls of the Pacific Coast League (PCL), and made his Major League debut on June 29, . He was traded along with Bobby Bonds and Richard Dotson to the White Sox for Brian Downing, Chris Knapp (baseball), Chris Knapp and Dave Frost on December 5, 1977. He remained with the White Sox organization for three years and later played for the Milwaukee Brewers, Seattle Mariners, and Chicago Cubs, distinguishing himself as one of the best pinch hitters in the majors. During the 1985 season, Bosley hit .328 and was voted the best pinch hitter in baseball. After being traded ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
