The White Sox have been notorious over the years for signing great players well past their primes. There’s a ton of examples I can list so I decided to put it all together for one super team because, why the hell not? For these purposes I will be listing each players best season and imagining if they were all playing together at that time. So here it is the White Sox all-time washed up lineup.
Catcher: Sandy Alomar Jr 1997
21 Homers 83 RBI with a slash of .325/.354/.545. WAR of 3.8
Avoiding the Carlton Fisk choice even tho we had him well after the prime of his career. Really solid production from catcher and he’s the first half of the Alomar Brother duo is a great choice.
First Base: Jim Thome 2002
52 Homers 118 RBI with a slash of .304/.445/.677. WAR of 7.4.
That’s a lot of production plus he’s heralded as one of the greatest teammates ever. No brainer on this one. Oh and yes I know he wasn’t washed up when he got to the Sox but he was 35 and played 20 total inning at first base in his first season with the Sox.
Second Base: Roberto Alomar 1999
24 Homers 120 RBI with a slash of .336/.415/.541. WAR of 7.4.
Excellent defense and incredible production out of the 2nd base position. Plus he’s a switch hitter and we have activated the Alomar Brother power.
Third Base: Kevin Youkalis 2009
29 Homers 115 RBI with a slash of .312/.390/.569. War of 6.6.
I forget the Sox made this signing all the time. It felt weird at the time but these kind of numbers from the hot corner would be perfect on this squad. Plus his batting stance was always entertaining to watch.
Short Stop: Omar Visquel 1999
5 Homers 66 RBI with a slash of .333/.397/.436. WAR of 6.0.
That’s a very impressive slash line considering he’s known for defense, winning his 7th consecutive Gold Glove in 99. He also swiped 42 bases.
Left Field: Manny Ramirez 1999
44 Homers 165 RBI with a slash of .333/.442/.663. WAR of 7.3.
Never Forget Manny was on the White Sox. What a time to be a fan that was. Manny was never a defensive savant that’s for sure, but his bat makes him an MVP candidate. Plus a little fun in the locker room can be a good thing.
Center Field: Andruw Jones 2000
36 Homers 104 RBI with a slash of .303/.366/.541. WAR of 8.2.
I chose the 23 year old Andrew Jones over the 28 year old “totally not roided out” 51 Home Run Andruw Jones for his incredible defense. 15 less homers yet still has a higher WAR by 1.5, that’s the defense he brings to our outfield.
Right Field: Ken Griffey Jr 1997
56 Homers 147 RBI with a slash of .304/.382/.646. WAR of 9.1.
For our last position player why not throw in a guy who could possibly have been the greatest player of all time. We got ourselves a young healthy Griffey. His outfield range and arm mixed with Andruw Jones will completely negate the black hole that is Manny Ramirez’ defense. Plus he’s now the best hitter on this hall of fame super team we’re creating.
Designated Hitter: Adam Dunn 2004
46 Homers 102 RBI with a slash of .266/.388/.569. WAR of 4.7.
This was a miserable expirament when we signed him in 2011. But in this reality we get 04 Adam Dunn who can hit over .250 and guarantees 40 homers a year.
Utility Infielder: Jimmy Rollins 2007
30 Homers 94 RBI with a slash of .296/.344/.531. WAR of 6.1.
He also had 20 triples in 07 and would be an incredible spot start off the bench.
Starting Lineup
- Omar Visquel R
- Roberto Alomar S
- Ken Griffey Jr L
- Manny Ramirez R
- Jim Thome L
- Kevin Youkalis R
- Adam Dunn L
- Andruw Jones R
- Sandy Alomar Jr R
So what have we learned? Well I learned Kenny Williams really loved late 90s/early 2000s baseball, clearly. I’m not sure there’s an all-time lineup out there that could put slug this one.
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