Goodbye, old friend. Hello, new enemy.
Former Sox center-fielder Aaron Rowand provided a painful reminder on Wednesday that the Sox have parted ways with some talented players.
His grand slam and five RBIs not only gave the Philadelphia Phillies the edge over the White Sox in their interleague matchup, but they also illustrated how much the South Siders miss his ability, particularly as off-season pickup Darin Erstad sits on the disabled list.
Rowand’s best years arguably were in a Sox uniform, but Philly fans have fallen in love with him. He is just one of many former Sox players to thrive after moving on to another team:
Frank Thomas
(left in 2005)
How dare the Big Hurt have a good year after leaving Chicago? A former Oakland A, Thomas homered twice and drove in seven runs in the final two games of Oakland’s three-game sweep of the Sox in September. It put a serious dent in the wild-card hopes for the defending World Series champions. Thomas hit 39 homers last season with Oakland, leading the A’s to the ALCS, but has been in a slump this season in Toronto.
Magglio Ordonez
(left in 2004)
A fan favorite who had a falling out with Sox management, Maggs added to the Sox’s miseries in September by hitting two homers off Mark Buehrle during an 8-2 victory at U.S. Cellular Field. The Detroit Tigers right-fielder clearly is still in his prime. His major-league-leading .362 batting average puts him at the forefront of the early MVP race.
Carlos Lee
(left in 2004)
He’s been one of the league’s best power hitters since leaving Chicago. Though he hit 31 dingers his last year in a Sox uniform, he topped that total in both 2005 and 2006 with the Brewers and Rangers. Now with the Astros, Lee has hit right around .300 since making the move from Chicago.
Bartolo Colon
(left in 2003)
The round fireballer only stuck around in Chicago for one season. He got his revenge against the Palehose on Sept 12, 2004, pitching seven innings of shutout ball during a 11-0 pasting of the Sox in Anaheim.
David Wells
(left in 2001)
Wells was one Sox fans probably want to forget about. He finished 5-7 with a 4.47 ERA in his one year in Chicago, and the Sox paid for his back surgery. The next year with the Yankees? How about 19-7 with a 3.75 ERA. Ouch. For once, the Sox did get a measure of revenge by tagging Wells for 10 runs on Aug. 27, 2003.
