Luis Robert Jr. will be the first White Sox player to compete in the Home Run Derby since 2016 when he takes the field tonight as the top seed in the event’s overall standings and takes part in the 2023 Home Run Derby. Robert will be competing in the Home Run Derby for the first time with the White Sox this year, and he will be hoping to make history by becoming the White Sox’s second player to win the event.
Keeping this in mind, let’s take a trip through time to investigate the performance of Red Sox players in previous editions of the derby.
2016: Todd Frazier (Lost in Finals)
Third baseman Todd Frazier was the last White Sox player to try his hand at the derby in 2016, when the event was still being held. After winning the World Series with the Cincinnati Reds in 2015, Frazier entered the 2016 tournament as the reigning champion. In the end, Frazier would not be successful and would come out on the losing end of the competition.
Quarterfinals – Todd Frazier (13) overcomes COL Rockies Carlos Gonzalez (12)
Semifinals – Todd Frazier (16) defeats CIN Reds Adam Duvall (15)
The MIA Marlins won the finals. Giancarlo Stanton (20) defeats Todd Frazier (13)
42 home runs were hit, with the longest one going 448 feet.
Jermaine Dye, who was eliminated in the first round in 2006.
After recently winning the World Series, Dye was eager to add further gold to his collection of trophies. The right fielder competed in the derby, but his performance was not very noteworthy. In 2006, the format of the derby was a little bit different from what it is today; only the best four hitters went to the next round, and Dye did not qualify for the competition.
Jermaine Dye is eliminated in the first round by David Wright (16), David Ortiz (10), Miguel Cabrera (9), and Ryan Howard (8).
Seven home runs were hit, with the longest one traveling 476 feet.
2002: Paul Konerko (Lost in Semifinals)
In 2002, Paul Konerko made his first appearance in the derby while playing for the White Sox. Both leagues were represented by four players, and the top four batters from each league advanced to the second round. Although Konerko had a solid performance, he was eliminated in the swing-off and did not advance to the finals.
Round One – Paul Konerko (6) overcomes MIN Twins Torii Hunter (3) and TEX Rangers Alex Rodriguez (2)
Swing-off determined the winner of the semi-final match between Jason Giambi (7) and Paul Konerko (6).
The longest home run was 473 feet, and there were a total of 12 home runs.
Frank Thomas was the victor in 1995.
The Big Hurt competed in the derby for the second time, and this time he was victorious in every event. In the history of the White Sox franchise, Frank Thomas is the first and only player to ever win the World Series.
In the first round, the Cleveland Indians’ Frank Thomas (8) prevailed against the Chicago Cubs’ Sammy Sosa (2), the Cincinnati Reds’ Reggie Sanders (2), and the Los Angeles Dodgers’ Manny Ramirez (3). Raul Mondesi (2)
In Round Two, Frank Thomas (4) prevails over Mo Vaughn (3) of the Boston Red Sox and Ron Gant (3) of the Cincinnati Reds.
Finals: Frank Thomas, with a score of three, prevails over Albert Belle, who has a score of two.
Home runs scored in total: 15 The longest home run was 470 feet.
Frank Thomas finished in fourth place in 1994.
The Home Run Derby in 1994 was the first time that Frank Thomas participated in the competition. In spite of the fact that there is not a lot of information available for this derby, Ken Griffey Jr. was victorious in this one that took place in Pittsburgh.
There were a total of four home runs, and the average distance was 473 feet.
Carlton Fisk in 1985 finished in a tie for third place.
In the very first ever Home Run Derby, White Sox outfielder Carlton Fisk competed on their team’s behalf. Another derby in which there is not a lot of info available to choose from. According to the data that is now available, however, Fisk was able to secure himself a third-place finish, which was tied with a large number of other competitors. The final score of the match was 17-16 in favor of the American League, which narrowly prevailed against the National League.
The conclusion is that there were a total of four home runs, none of which were particularly long.
The White Sox are not a team that participates in the Home Run Derby very frequently, but when they do, they have a history of having respectable results in the competition. The following is a rundown of the White Sox’s overall performance in the derby:
Frank Thomas was the only winner this time.
Runner-Ups – 1 (Todd Frazier)
Carlton Fisk and Paul Konerko tied for third place with two points each.
1 for the position of Fourth Place (Frank Thomas)
Jermaine Dye came in first to take fifth place.
84 home runs were scored in total.
To add his name to the list of White Sox players who have won the Home Run Derby, let’s keep our fingers crossed for Luis Robert Jr.
