Whether it be Harold Baines, Frank Thomas, or Tony Graffanino, White Sox fans all have their favorite players. But what about the other end of the spectrum...what about those players who caused you to grit your teeth and sit on your hands when they came to bat? Today, we honor this dubious team of my least favorite White Sox. (Full disclosure: I started following the Sox during the mid-80s which limits the pool of players.)First Base: Adam Dunn (2011-Present)
When the Frank Thomas/Jim Thome era came to an end, I was hopeful that the Sox would rid of the all-or-nothing home run or strike out designated hitters. Unfortunately, Kenny Williams went out and signed Adam Dunn to a 4-year contract that pays him handsomely to be an automatic out. Dunn is a likeable character, but he has done very little with his bat for the White Sox. Dunn hit .159 with 11 home runs while striking 177 times during the 2011 season. By comparison, diminutive utility player Brent Lillibridge hit 13 HRs in nearly one-third of the at-bats as Dunn. Somehow, Dunn bounced back in 2012, and was named Comeback Player of the Year. While he did hit 41 home runs, his average barely climbed above the Mendoza Line at .204. His 2013 season smells a lot like his 2011 season leaving us all to wonder if surgeons removed more than just his appendix in 2011. I can't see Reinsdorf eating the remainder of Dunn's lucrative contract, so I will have to wait for the conclusion of the 2014 season to gladly drive Dunn and his millions of dollars to O'Hare. Second Base: Steve Sax (1992-93)
Young Royce Clayton had the dubious distinction of being the successor to longtime Cardinals shortstop Ozzie Smith in 1996. It led to a feud between then manager Tony LaRussa and the future Hall of famer that still burns today. After playing for the Cardinals, Royce bounced from team to team before ending up with the Sox in 2001. Aside from having a super-cool name, Royce was famous for playing excellent defense. Whatever offensive numbers he put up was simply added value. Unfortunately, during his first two months in a Sox uniform, Royce hit a robust .115. He followed the same script in 2002 (hitting .195 during the first two months) and found himself sitting on Jerry Manuel's bench. He was released in September 2002. Despite his offensive limitations, Clayton did set a team record in 2002 with his .989 fielding percentage.
Third Base: Mark Teahen (2010-2011)
Left Field: Albert Belle (1997-98)
Aside from hitting lots of home runs, Albert Belle was known for throwing a ball at a fan in the stands, destroying visitor clubhouses, hitting some kid with his car on Halloween, and corking his bat and then having a player climb through the ceiling rafters to replace the corked bat with another bat...hardly the kind of guy you want to root root root for. Despite all of that, Jerry Reinsdorf threw tons of money at Belle in 1997 to join a lineup that featured Frank Thomas, Harold Baines, and Robin Ventura. It was the fist time I ever struggled with cheering for a player I disliked who played for a team I loved. Unlike most of the players on this list, Belle actually put up some serious numbers. He smacked 79 home runs and 83 doubles in his two seasons on the Southside. Belle's contract had a out-clause that triggered if he was not one of the three highest paid players in baseball. Thankfully that happened in 1998 and Belle left for the Orioles where he played for two seasons before hip trouble prematurely ended his career.
After an August '05 injury to Scott Podsednik, the Sox called up their top prospect: Brian Anderson. Anderson didn't do much in his limited play (.176 Avg.), but Sox beat writers took notice after he clubbed two home runs off Felix Hernandez during one game. Perhaps blinded by Brian's blonde locks, Sox beat writers seemed to overlook Brian's constant whiffs and chose to focus on those two home runs as hope that he was the real deal. After the glow of the World Series faded, Aaron Roward was shipped to Philadelphia for Jim Thome which opened up CF for Brian. In 2006, he looked completely over-matched at the plate hitting just .225 with 90 strikeouts. He went on to post averages of .118 and .232 during limited playing time the following seasons. This left a hole in centerfield that Darrin Erstad, Jerry Owens, Rob Mackowiak, and even Ken Griffey Jr. unsuccessfully attempted to plug. If Brian's bat would have backed up the amount of cockiness he dripped, he would be honored alongside A.J. Pierzynski as a fan favorite. Instead, he will be remembered as the reason Aaron Rowand was traded. Brian later reinvented himself as a pitcher, but should seriously consider moonlighting as an Owen Wilson impersonator.
Swisher was a White Sox killer when he played for the A's. Despite a low batting average, he always managed to play well against the Sox. Williams then traded Gio Gonzalez, Ryan Sweeney, and Fautino De Los Santos for Swisher. A right fielder by trade, Swisher bounced between RF, CF, LF, and 1B and even was inserted into the lead off spot. Swisher immediately suffered a bout of Steve Sax Syndrome batting a paltry .219 (despite clubbing 24 HRs). With the nickname "Dirty 30", Swisher's frat boy personality immediately clashed with other players and manager Ozzie Guillen. By the time the Sox were in the playoffs, Swisher was riding the bench ("pouting," according to Guillen) while journeyman Dewayne Wise took over in left field. After just one lowly season, Swisher was traded away to the Yankees for a pair of prospects and Wilson Betemit. Both trades for Swisher (from the A's and later to the Yankees) were major dents to Kenny Williams' legacy as GM as Williams grossly overpaid to get Swisher and got next to nothing in return when he traded him. Swisher continues to torture the White Sox today and will hear the grumbles of Sox fans every time he visits.
Catcher: ???
You never want the task of following a legend (see Rover's Morning Glory, for example). The Sox have had two really good catchers over the past 30-years: fan-favorite A.J. Pierzynski and Hall of Famer Carlton Fisk. Fisk was my all-time favorite Sox player and the reason that I am a White Sox fan while Pierzynski gave his heart and soul to the Sox when no other team wanted him. I cannot find an unlikable catcher over the past 30 years of team rosters, so the award will have to go to the guy who had to replace a White Sox legend. Here is a snapshot of the two heirs to the catching throne:
Ron Karkovice (1986-97)
By the time Fisk was shown the door in 1993, Ron Karkovice was handling the bulk of the catching duties. Officer Karko was a likable fellow: he sported a mustache, looked 20 years older than he was, and apparently took phone calls during games (see baseball card to left). He was your typical back-up catcher who would hit .230 while playing tremendous defense. During his career spent entirely in Chicago, he threw out 41% of would-be base stealers including a career-best 54% during the 1993 season--numbers that Pierzynski could never achieve. My earliest memories of Karko was as his low-water mark during the 1987 season when he struck out in 40 of his 85 plate appearances while batting a robust .071. I also recall a radio commercial in the early-90s in which he kept whispering, "Screwball. Throw the screwball." When I got his autograph at a car dealership in 1992, I kept saying to him, "Screwball. Throw the screwball." He wasn't amused.Tyler Flowers (2009-Present)
Tyler Flowers came to the White Sox from the Atlanta Braves in a trade for Javier Vazquez (who, like Swisher, had worn out his welcome). Kenny Williams immediately predicted that Flowers was going to be an All-Star (no pressure, kid!). Perhaps Williams thought the Braves were as foolish as he was and engaged in trades of top prospects for established veterans. Would the Braves really trade away a future all-star for Javier Vazquez?!? Or did the Braves sour on Flowers after his 50-game suspension for using PEDs in 2006. Whatever the case, Tyler came to the Sox as an offensively-skilled catcher whose his skills behind the plate needed some fine-tuning. After some minor league seasoning, Tyler assumed backup duties in the majors and admitted to a cold relationship with Pierzynski. During '09-'12 Flowers hit .188, .091, .209, and .213 showing that he wasn't quite deserving of a punch on your All-State ballot. This deprived newspaper headline writers from writing such catchy headlines as: Flowers Blooms for Sox. After Pierzynski's inevitable exit after the 2012 season, Tyler took over as the every day catcher in 2013. He homered on Opening Day and that has been his lone highlight in 2013. He's underwhelmed both offensively and defensively and, with each strikeout, is fast on his way to cementing his name on this dubious list. Pitcher: Jamie Navarro (1997-1999)
After one decent year on the North Side, Navarro signed a 4-year/$20M contract to pitch for the White Sox. At the time, it was the largest contract that the Sox ever handed out to a pitcher. Navarro responded by turning in ERA's of 5.79, 6.36, and 6.06. Before leading the league with 16 losses in 1998, he led the league in hits allowed, earned runs allowed, and wild pitches during the1997 season. Since Navarro was usually good one time through the batting order and then would completely unravel (later coined as Javier Vazquez Disease), the Sox put him in the bullpen in 1999 despite his objection. Navarro told the Tribune: "I told them at the beginning of the year that the bullpen was not an option. They had a chance to trade me and they didn't. Now they are stuck with me." He was eventually traded to Milwaukee after the 1999 season for a guy whose throwing arm was held together with a 5-inch stainless steel screw (true story). The trade also did net shortstop Jose Valentin who went on to be an offensive force and a fan-favorite (thanks in part to his mustache). Unfortunately, the Navarro Experience led to Sox management's refusal to sign pitchers to contracts beyond three years. This would later complicate contract negotiations with Mark Buehrle in the 2000s. Closer: Billy Koch (2003-04)
Keith Foulke was the only jewel from the infamous 1997 "White Flag" trade that saw the Sox ship Wilson Alvarez, Danny Darwin, and Roberto Hernandez to the Giants for a group of prospects. Foulke racked up 89 saves and never had an ERA over 2.97 during his stretch as Sox closer from 2000-02. That was apparently too good for Kenny Williams who traded Foulke, catcher Mark Johnson, and cash to the A's for Koch and Neil Cotts in late-2002. In his four seasons as a closer before coming to the Sox, Koch notched 104 saves. All changed when Koch put on a Sox uniform. In the third game of the 2003 season, Koch was called on to close a game against the Royals. He faced six hitters and did not record an out. That set the tone as Koch was paid handsomely (more than Foulke) and blowing saves and seeing his velocity disappear. He posted ERAs of 5.70 and 5.40 in his year-plus on the Southside. After being demoted to mop up duty, he was eventually traded to the Marlins in 2004. Koch made headlines after his baseball career ended when he and his family all reportedly contracted a mysterious skin disorder called Morgellons--a disorder where it feels like creatures are crawling under your skin. 
Designated Hitter: Jose Canseco (2001) Jose Canseco will always be linked to a few things: steroids, a fly ball bouncing off his head and over the fence for a home run, and for hitting a foul ball that hit the White Sox batboy in the balls (oh, and don't forget Madonna). Sometimes I forget that Canseco actually played for the White Sox, but indeed he spent half a season as DH while Frank Thomas was injured. Canseco's presence in the Sox organization did have one major plus: in 2003, the Sox as a team threatened to boycott steroid testing in order to force MLB to take a stronger stance on steroid testing. At the time, testing was anonymous and at least 5% of active players had to test positive in order for MLB to conduct more rigorous testing. Sox players thought that by abstaining from testing that they would automatically be labeled positive which would force MLB to step up their testing efforts. As we now know, Canseco joyously admitted to juicing, and MLB now has a strict steroid testing program in place.
Manager: Terry Bevington (1995-1997)
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