Mark Buehrle

There are many players in a sport franchise’s history that are very good and were important to that franchise even if they are not considered all-time greats. One example of this is Mark Buehrle, who was an important player to the Chicago White Sox. He was honored by having his number retired by the White Sox on June 24th, which is reserved for a franchise’s best players. He may not be an all-time great player in MLB history but he was a very good player for the White Sox in many ways. For many he is one of the reasons why the team won a championship in 2005, which was the first in 88 years. For many others, he is a player they grew up watching and is a major reason why they are White Sox or baseball fans. For either people, he is a major sports figure that deserves recognition for the importance he has for their love of baseball or Chicago sports.

Statistics and Accomplishments

Mark Buehrle was a very good pitcher throughout his 16-year career with defense and durability being his best traits. His statistics are very good with a 214-160 record, 200-plus innings pitched 14 years in a row, 32-plus starts in 12 seasons, 2 or less errors in 13 seasons, and a .960-plus fielding percentage in 11 seasons (baseball reference). These are very good statistics but not enough to make him an all-time great pitcher in MLB history. He is one of the best pitchers in White Sox franchise history being 7th in WAR, 6th in wins, 9th in BB per 9 IP, 8th in games players, 7th in innings pitched, and 4th in games started (baseball reference). These numbers seem to suggest that Mark Buehrle is among the top 10 pitchers in White Sox history. He had several accomplishments with five All-Star selections, four Gold Gloves awards, a no-hitter in 2007, a perfect game in 2009, and won a World Series championship in 2005 (MLB).

What goes beyond his statistics and accomplishments is the way the he played the game. He seemed to just want to pitch the best he could and having fun, which made it fun to watch the games he pitched. He also went for every play he could and never became complacent as evidenced with his defense. He was also never involved in any drama and never caused a distraction for any teams he played for. The best trait that he had while playing was how humble he was by never taking too much credit and never putting himself above the team. The two accomplishments that he will be remembered most for is his perfect game and contributing in winning a championship for the White Sox. He will be remembered by White Sox fans and Chicago sports fans for his accomplishments, his statistics, and the way he played the game.

What He Meant for Fans

There are two types of White Sox that Mark Buehrle affected, which are lifelong fans that wanted to experience a title run and those who grew up watching him. I am 25 so I would be a part of the group of fans that grew up watching him play. I was never into baseball when I was really young but when I was 10 I started to become interested. The two players responsible for that was Paul Konerko and Mark Buehrle. I enjoyed watching him play and him being a major part of the 2005 White Sox cemented him being one of my favorite players. I would eventually become interested in baseball as whole and Mark Buehrle was a major reason why.

Another big group of White Sox fans that are older who always wanted to see a championship team, which is my dad. He is 58 and waited about 40 or so years of his life to see a dominant White Sox team win it all. Mark Buehrle and every player on the championship team made my dad’s dream come true along with the many fans like my dad. Mark Buehrle will be remembered by both groups of White Sox fans the most for the impact he had for their love of the White Sox and baseball.

References

http://www.baseball-reference.com/players/b/buehrma01.shtml

http://m.mlb.com/player/279824/mark-buehrleHisH