This is going to be short and sweet. Timo was not exactly my favorite player, so I feel no need to torture myself by reliving his time on the south side in great detail.
Timo was signed as a free agent in 2000 by the NY Mets. Having previously played in Japan, Timo needed just a year to make it to the big leagues. He will best be remembered for watching what he thought was a HR off the bat of Todd Zeile, but was actually a double, allowing himself to be gunned down at the plate trying to score.
The White Sox ended up with Timo not because they wanted him, but because they had nobody else. Going into the 2004 season, Kenny Williams had signed Marvin Bernard to be the Sox 4th outfielder. A week into spring training, Bernard tested positive for steroids, and was released. The Sox let in-house candidates such as Joe Borchard compete for the final roster spot for a couple of weeks before deciding they needed to bring in a "proven veteran."
Kenny sent Matt Ginter to the Mets in exchange for Timo with just a few days left of spring training. The rest, as they say, is history. Timo's critics loathe his one-handed catches, his .235/.278/.322 batting line with the Sox, and the mere sight of him in the on-deck circle. Meanwhile, his supporters will cite his clutch hitting and jovial demeanor as worthwhile contributions to a championship club.
It took two years, but it appears Joe Borchard and his $5.3M signing bonus are ready to take over the 4th outfielder duties. Timo will probably be looking for work in Japan again, that is if the Twins don't snatch him up first.
Good Riddance.