1978 looked like it was going to be a good year for the pajama-clad ChiSox - they were coming off their first 90-win season since 1965, Bill Veeck's experiment with uniform shorts was now a full year in the rear view mirror, and Disco Demolition Night was still a year away. 1977 had been a success - the team went 90-72, good for a 3rd place finish, 12 games behind the Royals. Sluggers Richie Zisk and Oscar Gamble were gone, but the team traded for Bobby Bonds before the season started. Could 1978 bring the team its first pennant since 1959, and perhaps its first title since 1917? No. Their record stood at 4-3 on April 15th, but that was the last day they were over .500. They lost 12 of 15 from late April through early May, and by May 28 were tied for last place with the Mariners, their .333 win percentage tied for worst in the game. They turned it around for a while, winning 17 of 20 from the end of May through mid-June, and managed to climb to within 2.5 games of Kansas City. From then on out, however, it was one step forward, two steps back for the rest of the season. The worst was a 9 game losing streak in the second half of July. They went .500 in September, but it was only enough to see them finish a very disappointing 71-90, good only for 5th place, a distant 20.5 games behind Kansas City.
Their minor league system was beginning to develop players who would eventually contribute to the Sox' runaway division title of 1983 - LaMarr Hoyt was at single-A Appleton, and Harold Baines played in AA Knoxville.
Bob Lemon returned for his second year as skipper in 1978, aided by hitting coach Larry Doby, pitching coach Stan Williams, 1st base coach Minnie Minoso and 3rd base coach Bobby Knoop. On June 29, with the team mired in 5th, Bill Veeck fired Bob Lemon and promoted Doby to the manager's chair. Also out were Stan Williams and Minnie Minoso (the latter was given an off-field job with the club). Bruce Dal Canton was brought in as pitching coach and Tony LaRussa became the 1st base coach.
Opening Day Roster:
Francisco Barrios, SP:
1978 was Francisco's third season as part of the Chicago rotation. He had gone 14-7 in 1977, but after starting '78 1-5, including losses in 4 straight starts, he was temporarily demoted to bullpen duty. Back in the rotation on May 28, he won 4 straight starts, and ended the season at 9-15. His best performance came at Seattle on September 16 - a sixth inning single by Julio Cruz was the only hit he surrendered in his complete game 9-1 win over the Mariners (the run came in the second off 2 walks, an error and a sacrifice fly).
Steve Stone, SP:
Yet another Chicago starter to regress in 1978, Steve dropped from 15-12 in 1977 to 12-12 in '78. He led the team with his 12 wins, and with 212 innings pitched. Like Kravec, the inexperience of the catching corps forced him to call some of his own games, something he was not used to doing when Brian Downing was behind the plate. He was also undone by poor fielding behing him - on September 7 in Seattle a misplay by Chet Lemon and Thad Bosley in the 9th turned a sure 3-2 win into a 5-3 loss. Steve was signed by Baltimore as a free agent after the season, and won the Cy Young with the O's in 1980.
Rich Hinton, RP:
The journeyman lefty got into 29 games in 1978, including 4 spot-starts in late September. He finished out 12 games, saving 1. He had an ERA of just 1.09 through June 22, but it eventually climbed to almost 4.00, and he was sent to Iowa on August 11 when Pablo Torrealba came off the DL. He was recalled in September when rosters expanded.
Ken Kravec, SP:
Ken seemed liked a rising star on the Sox' staff when he went 11-8 as a rookie in 1977. Like Barrios, however, he couldn't find his groove in 1978, and after going 1-3, including losses in 3 straight starts, he was demoted to Iowa on April 30. His teammates were surprised and Ken attributed it to panic on the part of management. He was called back on May 16 after 2 AAA starts, and won 5 straight starts in late May and June. He struggled again in July - he was throwing well, but like some of his rotation mates, he was probably ill-served by the inexperienced game calling of Nahorodny and Colbern. He finished 11-16 with a team-best 154 strikeouts and a rotation-best 4.08 ERA.
Wilbur Wood, SP:
The 17-year veteran came to camp lighter and seemingly fully recovered from two surgeries after having had his left knee split by a Ron LeFlore line drive in May of 1976. The 4-time 20-game winner's record stood at 10-10 when Larry Doby sent him to the pen in late August to give rookie Ross Baumgarten starting experience. Wood was angry, and was certain the call had been made by Veeck. He was a free agent after the season but had no takers. His final major league game was on August 22 against the Royals. He pitched 2 innings of relief to close out a White Sox loss.
Ron Schueler, RP:
Schueler opened the year in the Sox' bullpen, a situation which at one point prompted him to ask for a trade. He was promoted to the rotation in mid-June. He won 2 consecutive starts, June 14 and 18, and was more or less in the rotation through the end of July when he went back out to the pen. All in all, he made 30 appearances, including 7 starts, and posted a record of 3-5 with a 4.30 ERA. After his playing days were over, Ron moved on to front-office work, and was the ChiSox' GM when they won the division in 1993.
Pablo Torrealba, RP:
One of Oakland's most reliable bullpen hands in 1977 (he sported the best ERA on the club), Pablo was acquired from the A's for Steve Renko and Jim Essian late in spring training. He had a disappointing year, going 2-4 with a 4.71 ERA, mainly in relief. He went to the DL with a kidney ailment on June 16, came back momentarily on July 17, but was placed back on the DL that same day for the same ailment. He eventually returned to stay on August 11. The highlight of his season was the 4-hit shutout he spun against the Angels in Comiskey on May 29.
Lerrin LaGrow, CL:
The White Sox' big right-handed closer saved 16 games in 1978, down from 25 the year before. This was principally due to the fact that the team could now also call on Jim Willoughby in save situations. He struck out 41 against 38 walks in 88 innings pitched. He was sold to the Dodgers during the 1979 season, and wound up his career saving 3 games for the 1980 champion Phillies.
Jim Willoughby, RP:
After three years as one of Boston's most dependable relief arms, Jim was sold to Chicago on April 5 (probably due in part to his inclusion in the Loyal Order of the Buffalo Heads, Bill Lee's clubhouse clique dedicated to second-guessing Don Zimmer). He led the White Sox in appearances with 59, and in relief innings with 93.1. He posted a team-best ERA of 3.86 and recorded 13 saves. His final major league appearance came on September 28 in California when he threw 1.1 innings of mop-up work in an 11-7 White Sox loss. Jim was traded to St. Louis on November 11, and spent 1979 in the Cubs' and Pirates' systems before calling it quits.
Bill Nahorodny, C:
Brian Downing's departure allowed the rookie Nahorodny to burst onto the scene in 1978. He started almost 100 games behind the plate, hitting 8 HR and gathering 35 RBI along the way. He was never able to duplicate this performance, however, and after one more season in Chicago, he lingered around with Seattle, Atlanta, Cleveland and Detroit until 1984.
Wayne Nordhagen, C:
Normally an outfielder, Wayne was nevertheless carried as a back-up catcher on the Sox' opening day roster. He got into 11 games behind the plate in 1978, primarily in April, and otherwise assumed his usual role of outfield reserve and occasional DH. He went on the DL on July 17 with what was initially just a fever, but which was eventually diagnosed as hepatitis. The whole team received shots as a precaution, and Wayne wasn't able to return to action until September 2.
Alan Bannister, IF:
The White Sox' starting shortstop from 1977 came to camp saying if he couldn't play regularly, he'd ask to be traded. An odd demand, perhaps, from the man who made the most errors (40) of any player at any position in the game the previous year. He was diagnosed with chronic tendinitis in his throwing shoulder as camp ended, and was never able to play every day. Unable to play more than sparingly in the field, he was limited largely to DH and pinch-hitting duty until the team placed him on the DL to stay on July 29.
Mike Eden, IF:
After making the team to start the season, Mike only appeared in 5 games before being sent to Iowa on May 16. He was used as a shortstop, starting four games in April. He was recalled in September when rosters expanded, and got into 5 games at second base. His final major league appearance was on September 11 against the Twins when he was a late-inning defensive replacement at second.
Lamar Johnson, IF:
Lamar entered his second year in a starting role for the Sox in 1978, taking over first from the departed Jim Spencer. He held the first base job for much of the first half of the season, but platooned with Jim Breazeale for much of June. When Larry Doby took over, he gave the position back to Lamar full time. Doby tried Ron Blomberg there for a week or so in late July, but Lamar won it back only to move almost exclusively to the DH role when Mike Squires was called up in August. Lamar hit .273 for the year, with 72 RBI and a team-best 136 hits.
Don Kessinger, IF:
The long-time Cubs veteran shifted to the South Side mid-way through 1977 after a year and a half in St. Louis. In 1978 he was the Sox' starting shortstop, although he missed some games in April and May due to a severe muscle pull in his right thigh. He proved to be a team leader and, at least in Steve Stone's opinion, the team MVP. He said of the 1978 Sox that they had the best comaradarie of any team he'd ever played for. On September 8, he was feted at "Don Kessinger Day" in Comiskey, and in November it was announced he'd be player-manager for the 1979 season.
Jorge Orta, IF:
1978 was Jorge's 6th year as the Sox' second baseman. He missed some games due to spike wounds in his left shin and some more because of a bad wrist, but still managed to have one of his most productive seasons. There was speculation he'd be named an All Star reserve, but Chicago's lone representative wound up being Chet Lemon, even though Orta led him in average, RBI and HR by the break. His greatest notoriety would come in 1985 when he was wrongly called safe at first by Don Denkinger in game 6 of the World Series between the Royals and the Cardinals.
Eric Soderholm, IF:
Eric was Chicago's starting third baseman in 1978. He was in a slump for much of the first half, but managed to raise his average by 50 points between June and the end of the year. At the beginning of August he missed 3 games with dizzines and nausea, around the same time Nordhagen was diagnosed with hepatitis. He led the team in home runs with 20, and was the tenth-best fielding third baseman in the major leagues.
Bobby Bonds, OF:
Bobby was acquired by Chicago in December of 1977 in a trade with the Angels. His acquisition, like Blomberg's, was intended to replenish the Sox' depleted offense. He was the club's righ fielder and an occasional DH before finding himself traded to Texas for Claudell Washington on May 16. His teammates were stunned - they were losing a power hitter for a line-drive artist. But Bonds was unsigned and playing out his option, so the team probably figured they needed to try to get something for him when they could.
Junior Moore, IF:
Atlanta's starting third baseman in 1977 came to the White Sox in 1978 with high expectations. However, after only sproradic activity at third, DH and in the outfield, Junior was sent to Iowa on June 16 and wouldn't appear with the big club again until 1979.
Greg Pryor, IF:
A rookie in 1978, Greg spent the year as the White Sox' all-purpose infield reserve, getting into 82 games at second, short and third. He played regularly when Don Kessinger and then Jorge Orta were forced to sit due to injury. He authored a 10-game hit streak in May, and played brilliantly in the field in September when Orta was out with a wrist injury. His hot September, in the field and at the plate (13 hits in the final 9 games), prompted Chicago to sign him for 1979 in early October. In 1985, he and Jorge Orta teamed up again in Kansas City, where they both earned World Series rings.
Ron Blomberg, OF:
Ron missed all of 1977 after tearing up a knee running into a wall during spring training. Chicago took a chance that he could return to his former form and replace some of the pop they lost when Zisk and Gamble left town when they signed him away from the Yankees for 1978. He worked hard, but his knee still troubled him, to the point where he couldn't play on turf. He was a part-time DH, other than an abortive attempt by Larry Doby to use him at first in late July. He did hit the only grand slam of his career on Septemer 19 in Oakland, but his final major league appearance was on September 28 at California. He was hitless in 2 at-bats.
Henry Cruz, OF:
Henry was the White Sox' primary reserve outfielder in 1978 until being sent to Iowa on August 3. In 53 games, he hit only .221 with 2 HR and 10 RBI. His final major league appearance was on July 30 against the Rangers when he was used as a late-inning defensive replacement for Ralph Garr in left.
Ralph Garr, OF:
Ralph was the Sox' primary left fielder in 1978. He started 106 games there (and also played some DH), and hit .275 with 3 HR and 29 RBI. His most valuable contribution may have come on September 4 in Minnesota. In a game which saw Chet Lemon, Wayne Nordhagen, Ron Schueler and Larry Doby ejected by Joe Brinkman, Garr probably prevented Doby from being suspended or worse when he kept Doby from getting at Brinkman physically for what Doby said were "racially slanted" comments in the wake of a controversial call at first.
Chet Lemon, OF:
As the White Sox' primary center fielder, Chet hit .300, highest on the team, and had 13 HR to go with 55 RBI. It was good enough for him to be selected as the White Sox' sole representative at the All Star Game. He played some DH in the first half because of a sore hamstring, and was unable play for most of July and August due to a groin strain which landed him on the DL from August 12 through 27.
Bob Molinaro, OF:
10 years of minor league frustration, which saw him almost quit the game, paid off for Bob in 1978 - he got into 108 games for Chicago, playing mostly in the outfield, but he also DH'd a fair bit. He hit .262 with 6 HR and 27 RBI and his 22 stolen bases led the team.
A shirtless Harry Carey hangs out with a very lucky fan during a game in Comiskey in 1978
In-Season Moves:
Rich Wortham, SP:
Rich was called up from Iowa on April 30 when Ken Kravec was sent down. He made his major league debut on May 3 in a start in Milwaukee. He gave up 7 hits and 3 earned runs in 6.2 and was credited with the loss. He made two addtional starts before being sent back to Iowa when Kravec was recalled on May 16. Rich was brought back up in September and made 5 more starts, including 2 consecutive complete game wins against Seattle, one of which saw him throw 10 innings.
Claudell Washington, OF:
Claudell was obtained in a trade with the Rangers for Bobby Bonds on May 16. He took more than the allowed 72 hours to join the club, which didn't help his introduction to his new team. Then, after only appearing in a single game, he went on the DL from May 22 through June 16 with bone chips in his ankle. He had hurt himself playing basketball in January, which left Veeck upset with both him and Texas. After his return, he was a regular the rest of the way, starting mainly in right, but also some in left. He hit .264 with 6 HR and 34 RBI.
Larry Johnson, C:
Coincidentally named for his hitting coach, Larry Doby Johnson was called up from Iowa to take Mike Eden's roster spot on May 16. He got into 3 games, 2 behind the plate and 1 at DH, collecting just one hit in 8 at-bats. His final major league appearance was on May 25 at California. He started at DH, and went 1-for-3. He was sent back to Iowa two days later to accomodate Jim Breazeale's arrival from the same club.
Thad Bosley, OF:
Acquired from the Angels in the Bonds deal, Thad was summoned from Iowa when Claudell Washington was put on the DL on May 22. He went to the DL on June 29 with a groin pull, was reactivated on July 17, and immediately sent back to Iowa to play his way back into shape. He returned to the big club on July 29. In all, he played in 66 games, appearing in center, left and right. He hit .269 and stole 12 bases in limited action.
Jim Breazeale, IF:
Jim was called up from Iowa on May 27 when Larry Johnson was sent down to the same club. He was sent back to Iowa on July 19 in exchange for Kevin Bell. During this time, he got into 25 games, mainly at 1st. He hit only .208 but had 13 RBI and had a 2 HR game against the Mariners on June 20. His final major league appearance was on July 19. He started at DH and went 0-for-4 against the Orioles.
Jack Kucek, RP:
Claiming God had given him a better arm than brain, Jack came to camp vowing to be smarter about his craft. It wasn't enough to keep him from starting the year in Iowa. He was eventually called up on June 16 when Pablo Torrealba went on the DL. He made 4 unimpressive appearances and was sent back to Iowa on July 3. He returned in September, having just won the AAA ERA title with a 2.46 mark. He was better in September - he went 2-2 with a save in 6 appearances with a 3.29 ERA.
Steve Trout, SP :
Steve was called up from Knoxville on June 29 when Thad Bosley went to the DL. He made his major league debut on July 1 working a single inning of relief to finish a Sox 10-0 loss at Minnesota. He was sent down to Iowa on July 12, and was later called back up in September. He started 3 games during the final month, winning all 3 including a 4-hit complete game in Oakland.
Mike Proly, RP:
Mike came up from Iowa on July 3 when Jack Kucek was sent down. Initially used in relief, he made 8 appearances in July, earning a save, and then was in the rotation in August. In 6 starts, he went 4-2 and his ERA stood at 2.74 at season's end. He sufferred a fractured finger at the beginning of September and didn't see any action after August 29.
Tom Spencer, OF:
Tom was brought up from Knoxville, where he was leading the Southern League in hitting with a .335 average, on July 17 and made his major league debut that same day in Milwaukee. He appeared in 29 games, filling in for Chet Lemon in center field many times when Lemon was on the DL. He was hitting .185 and was mired in a 1-for-27 slump when he was returned to Knoxville on August 27 to make room for Lemon to come off the DL. His final major league appearance was on August 26 against the Indians.
Mike Colbern, C :
Summoned from Iowa on July 17, Mike made his major league debut the next day starting behind the plate in Milwaukee. He appeared in 47 games the rest of the way, working as the starter for much of August and September. In this limited action, he hit .270 with 2 HR and 20 RBI. On August 12, he went 3-for-3 with 4 RBI against Detroit.
Kevin Bell, IF:
Kevin hurt his knee in a collision at home in June of 1977, and started 1978 in Iowa trying to play his way back into shape. He was called up on July 19, and saw action in 52 games as a back-up and late-inning defensiue replacement for Eric Soderholm at third.
Britt Burns, SP:
Britt was called up from Appleton when Henry Cruz was sent to Iowa on August 5. He made his major league debut on August 5 in Detroit, giving up 6 runs in 5 innings and taking the loss. He started again on August 11 at home against the Tigers, and gave up 6 runs in 2.2 innings, taking another loss, and was packed off to Knoxville on August 12.
Mike Squires, IF:
Having had previous auditions with the big club in 1975 and 1977, Mike was called up from Iowa for good on August 12 when Chet Lemon was placed on the DL. He immediately fell into the role of starting first baseman, relegating Lamar Johnson to DH duty. In 46 games, he hit .280 with 19 RBI.
Ross Baumgarten, SP:
Having spent a portion of the year at the A, AA, and AAA levels, it might have seemed inevitable that Ross would find himself playing at the major league level before the season was over. He was brought up from Iowa when Britt Burns was sent down on August 12. He made made his major league debut on August 16 at Texas - he got the start and threw 6 innings, giving up 2 runs on 5 hits, and gaining the win. He started another 3 games, and also worked a bit out of the pen in late September. His best performance was a 5-hit complete game shutout against the Indians on August 27.
Harry Chappas, IF:
Given an audition in September, Harry made his major league debut on the 7th, and made a total of 19 starts at short, hitting .267 along the way, including a 9 game streak along the way. At just 5'7", Harry was the shortest major league player since, appropriately, Bill Veeck used Eddie Gaedel as a pinch hitter for the St. Louis Browns in 1951.
Marv Foley, C:
A September call-up, Marv made his major league debut on September 11, and started a total of 9 games behind the plate as the season ran out. In limited action, he hit .353.
Joe Gates, IF:
Called up with the expansion of the rosters in September, Joe made his major league debut starting at second on September 12. He made 7 more starts at second before the season came to an end.
Rusty Torres, OF:
A throw-in by the Rangers as part of the trade which sent Bobby Bonds to Texas for Claudell Washington earlier in the year, the veteran and former Cleveland and California starter was called up and got into 16 games in the outfield in September.
Other 1978 White Sox Stuff:
White Sox' Coaches:
Comiskey Park
324 W. 35th St.
Chicago, IL
Owner - Bill Veeck
General Manager - Roland Hemond
Minor League Affiliates:
A: Appleton Foxes (Midwest League)
97-40, 1st of 4
Manager: Gordy Lund
Future Star: LaMarr Hoyt
AA: Knoxville Sox (Southern League)
88-56, 1st of 5
Manager: Tony LaRussa/Joe Jones
Future Star: Harold Baines
AAA: Iowa Oaks (American Association)
66-70, 4th of 4
Manager: Joe Sparks
Future Star: Former star/future coach: Bruce Dal Canton
Bobby Knoop
Larry Doby
Tony LaRussa
Stan Williams
Summary of Roster Moves:
April 30 - Kravec to Iowa, Wortham from Iowa
May 16 - Bonds to Rangers for Claudell Washington
May 16 - Wortham to Iowa, Kravec from Iowa
May 16 - Eden to Iowa, Larry Johnson from Iowa
May 22 - Washington to DL, Bosley from Iowa
May 27 - Larry Johnson to Iowa, Breazeale from Iowa
June 16 - Moore to Iowa, Washington from DL
June 16 - Torrealba to DL, Kucek from Iowa
June 29 - Bosley to DL, Trout from Knoxville
July 3 - Kucek to Iowa, Proly from Iowa
July 12 - Trout to Iowa (active roster to 24)
July 17 - Torrealba from DL, immediately back to DL
July 17 - Bosley from DL, to Iowa
July 17 - Nordhagen to DL, Spencer from Knoxville, Colbern from Iowa (active roster to 25)
July 19 - Bell from Iowa, Breazeale to Iowa
July 29 - Bannister to DL, Bosley from Iowa
August 5 - Cruz to Iowa, Burns from Appleton
August 11 - Hinton to Iowa, Torrealba from DL
August 12 - Lemon to DL, Squires from Iowa
August 12, Burns to Iowa, Baumgarten from Iowa
August 27 - Spencer to Iowa, Lemon from DL
September 1 - Nordhagen from DL
September Call-Ups: Trout, Wortham, Kucek, Hinton, Foley, Eden, Gates, Chappas and Torres
Bruce Dal Canton
Minnie Minoso
