Top home run hitters in Chicago White Sox history
By Phil Watson
White Sox all-time home run hitters – No. 7: Robin Ventura
171 home runs from 1989-1998
Robin Ventura grew into a slugger with the Chicago White Sox, eventually finishing with 171 home runs over his 10 seasons with the team after hitting just five in his first full season and change.
Ventura was the 10th overall pick by Chicago out of Oklahoma State in 1988 and signed with the White Sox in October of that year. It did not take him long to reach the show, debuting for Chicago on Sept. 12, 1989. His first career home run came off Roger Clemens in a 7-5 loss to the Boston Red Sox at Comiskey Park on April 18, 1990.
Ventura went on to be named an All-Star in 1992 and was a five-time Gold Glove winner at third base for the White Sox, as well, hitting a career-high 34 home runs in 1996, while topping the 20-home run mark four times (1991, 1993, 1995 and 1998).
Ventura recovered from a horrific ankle injury in 1997 with a strong 1998 season before signing with the New York Mets in December 1998. His last homer with the Sox came off Kansas City Royals right-hander Tim Belcher on Sept, 27, 1998, at Kaufman Stadium.
Ventura had one postseason homer with the White Sox, taking Duane Ward out for a two-run shot in the top of the ninth inning of a 5-3 loss to the Toronto Blue Jays in Game 5 of the 1993 ALCS. He later managed the White Sox to a 375-435 record from 2012-16.