The White Sox announced some notable hires at the minor league level Monday, as LaMond Pope of the Chicago Tribune relays. Former major league infielder Wes Helms will manage the White Sox’s Triple-A team in Charlotte. Meanwhile, ex-MLB reliever Danny Farquhar will work as the organization’s pitching coach at High-A Winston-Salem. It was already known Farquhar would serve as a pitching coach in the organization when he retired in August, but the destination was unclear at that point.
Taking over in Charlotte represents a homecoming of sorts for the 43-year-old Helms, a North Carolina native. And he’ll be the second member of his family to manage in Charlotte, joining his uncle, Tommy Helms. Wes Helms spent last season as the bench coach with the White Sox’s Double-A club, and he served in the same role with the Phillies’ top minors affiliate in 2018, but this will be his first experience as a manager.
Of course, Helms is best known for his playing days in the majors. He suited up for the Braves, Brewers, Marlins and Phillies for a combined 1,212 games from 1998-2011.
As for Farquhar, the fact that he’s making news right now is especially interesting, considering the impact he had on the momentous events that just occurred in Houston. The sign-stealing accusations Farquhar made against the Astros in November helped lead to an investigation from Major League Baseball. The league then found enough evidence against the Astros to hit them with a massive penalty on Monday, and the team fired GM Jeff Luhnow and manager A.J. Hinch as a result.
The Astros were also the team Farquhar dealt with a scary health situation against in 2018, as he suffered a life-threatening brain aneurysm while with the White Sox. That upended Farquhar’s MLB career, though he did attempt to return to the game’s highest level last season. Farquhar will now try to help some of Chicago’s young pitchers climb their way up to the bigs.
Nope, Connor, you have it all wrong. The health scared happened in the White Sox dugout at home. Know because I was at the game and the fine Rush med center crew on site responded in the dugout with life saving intervention. When Danny made his triumphant return for a 1st pitch later in the yr, the docs who saved him joined him on the field for an inspiring moment.
Yes. White Sox medical staff and emergency medical personnel attended to Danny Farquhar before he was transported to RUSH University Medical Center hospital which is just west of downtown Chicago off of I-290, about 5 miles NNW of Guaranteed Rate Field. The White Sox utilize doctors on staff at RUSH. Farquhar was later transferred to the neurosurgical intensive care unit at the same facility. The visiting team was the Houston Astros.
Could have just reminded him it was Chicago not Houston where tragedy struck, but good job for being there, we’re all proud of you.
Hey, a minor error is one thing. But Danny’s tragedy and the subsequent heroic efforts of EMS, as superfan Aaron Sapoznik so dutifully notes was an emotional experience and return that was a highlight in an otherwise forgettable year in Chicago. But, hey let’s give credit to the freaking Houston Astros instead for lifesaving intervention. It was such a big part of the narrative. Like the time Bucky Freaking Dent hit the game winning HR down the RF line in Yankee stadium.
Anthony Jeselnik- “Thoughts and Prayers”
youtube.com/watch?v=PTmCxbcRXs4
Wow, salty!
Connor usually has it all wrong in any given subject.
Connor didn’t say it happened in Houston. He said it happened in 2018 while playing Houston.
Me myself: The original article stated the aneurysm specifically occurred in Houston. It has been edited since with that misinformation removed but still with no mention of it happening in Chicago, simply that the opponent was the Astros. A half-truth revision…
The fact that Danny Farquhar is able to live his life is amazing news. That injury was a brutal and a scary moment. Best of luck in High A Danny boy!
It’s hard not to read that first comment in the voice of Cliff Clavin. That said, yep, it happened in Chicago and he went to Rush.
I was excitedly at that game late in the season where he threw out the first pitch…. the whole team was behind the mound cheering him on… wonderful moment. Good luck down on the farm, Danny!
Touche! Kudos for the deep track reference. Yes, you caught me. The undying respect and admiration from anonymous admirers on the world wide web is what one lives for. The masterplan was almost complete until it was foiled by you, the active reader. Lesson learnt. Hey, but while we’re at it, take a bow for being at that game he made his comeback. In fact, for not only attending, but doing so “excitedly!”
Thoughts and Prayers
At least they fired Vizquel and promoted Jirschele.
What’s that all about?
What’s with the ‘aghast’ here? My, my! It wasn’t at all, that long ago that all the Sox fans were buying into what they were being told – by the propagandists within Chisox management (as well as Levine, Merkins and other Sox lap dogs in the media) that Grudzielanak and Vizquel were glowing lights of their future, brain trust.
Gullible fan base. Year 9 of their rebuild.
Your comments are worse than glancing at those tabloid front pages standing in the checkout line at the supermarket. They are also far less entertaining. Your interpretation of events make Rupert Murdoch publications look like Pulitzer Prize winning newspapers. As such, I hereby nominate you for the first annual Putz Prize award for undistinguished journalism!
Go away @dogbone. Your life obviously is not very good if trolling a White Sox Forum is the obvious highlight of your day, you sad sad soul.
Wonder what happened with Mark Grudzielanek.
Yeah, what’s up with that? Maybe he has higher aspirations? Organization is otherwise known to be loyal to staff.
David Ortiz. Was a cheater. It was said, by insiders, that his foot odor increased 50%. There was little doubt Ortiz could make a shoe smell prior to his taking PED’s, but his feet blossomed into truly garbage smelling, stink hooves afterwards. Wow. What some guys won’t do to get ahead.
Lol wtf
What about Danks?
Is that you Bob?
Good ole Wes still kicking things around
Lol, just came across a baseball card of him from 2003 Topps the other day and wondered what he was up to today.
Hey, a minor error is one thing. But Danny’s tragedy and the subsequent heroic efforts of EMS, as superfan Aaron Sapoznik so dutifully notes was an emotional experience and return that was a highlight in an otherwise forgettable year in Chicago. But, hey let’s give credit to the freaking Houston Astros instead for lifesaving intervention. It was such a big part of the narrative. Like the time Bucky Freaking Dent hit the game winning HR down the RF line in Yankee stadium.
Good for Danny. Sometimes, Reinsdorf’s loyalty sometimes annoys me (most notably with GarPax), but in cases like this, I say it’s to his credit. As for Helms, I don’t have strong feelings either way; still don’t get why they let go of Vizquel.
Mark Grudzielanek…..I’m curious on why teams move on from minor league managers outside of poor performance or coaching. Does someone like Grudz ask or make too much money? You’d think when an organization is trying to build consistency and the same message through out system you would try to maintain the same managers and staffs or promote them along the way.
Farquhar’s incident happened in Chicago not Houston.
No disrespect to the writer but it was not just the wrong location but it was not even a complete sentence.
“ The Astros were also the team Farquhar dealt with a scary health situation against in 2018,”. What? Did you mean the White Sox were playing the Astros Farquhar was pitching against when he had a life threatening heath situation” I would also say a scary health situation is underplaying it. I’m Brett The Wolfman and my presence on this site will be known
So you never made a typo in your life. Good job!
Not when I write baseball articles because I read over what I wrote and can immediately see if a sentence does not make sense. I’m not knocking the writer but I am knocking his mistake in not proof reading his work. I think I broke it down perfectly. You must not be a creative like me.
Farguhar was a decent bullpen arm but he’s destined to be remembered for surviving a life=threatening event while in uniform, recognizing Huston’s sign stealing practice and pointing out a flaw in Lucas Giolito’s approach to pitching. Life can be unexpectedly interesting.
I just watched the game (specifically the at-bat) Farquhar was talking about. Wow, when you read the backdrop to the at-bat, then watch it, I can’t believe how blatant that was. It was blatant enough for Farquhar to step off the mound and call Kevan Smith to the mound the 3rd time in that at-bat.
I’m still in disbelief. I’m not sure if it is more that it was so blatant or that the Astros were able to get away with it for as long as they did. That was crazy.
As for Farquhar getting that position with the Sox, another feel-good story. Nice move by JR.
Houston’s cheating was exposed on the 100th anniversary of the Black Sox Scandal.