SportingPost

Chicago White Sox

Frank Fleming
Author: 
Frank Fleming
102 mins
October 30th, 2023
Bet With Confidence
Ad Disclosure
  • 120th Season

  • First Game Played April 22, 1901

  • 333 West 35th Street, Chicago, IL 60616

  • (312) 674-1000

  • http://www.whitesox.com

Historical Moments

1901:Entering their first season as a Major League franchise, the White Sox were the defending champions of the Western League, and it was clear that in the inaugural season of the American League, the Chicago White Sox were the team to beat. It would only seem fitting that the new league’s best team plays in the first official game. The Sox would win that game 8-2 over the Cleveland Blues on April 22nd. With a team built around strong pitching, the White Sox would finish 83-53, which was good enough for first place and the first American League Championship.

1902:The White Sox are unable to defend their crown and fall to fourth place with a 74-60 record, finishing eight games out of first place.

1903:The White Stockings struggle all season, falling into seventh place with a disappointing record of 60-77.

1904:With their name shortened to White Sox, the team climbs back into contention, finishing within six games of first place with a solid 89-65 record that landed them in third place.

1905:The White Sox pitching staff helps carry a weak lineup all year as the Chisox hold off American League hitters to an incredible 1.99 team ERA. It is not enough to get them a birth in the World Series as the Sox finish in second Place two games behind the Philadelphia Athletics, posting a record of 92-60.

1906:The hitting problems of the White Sox became so prevalent that the local newspapers gave the nickname ‘The Hitless Wonders”. The Sox hit an embarrassing .230 as a team and just had seven home runs from the entire team all season. However, White Sox pitching was strong enough to carry the load, and as the team compiled a 19-game August winning streak to catapult them into the driver’s seat for the American League Pennant. The Sox would end up winning 93 games and held off the New York Highlanders by three games to earn a trip to their first World Series. Not many people in Chicago noticed the White Sox hitting struggles and sudden rise to the top because across town, the Chicago Cubs were compiling a Major League all-time best regular-season record of 116-36. The Cubs sat tall and cruised into the first intra-city World Series, while the White Sox struggled until the very end. Going into the World Series, no one gave the White Sox a chance, but for the hitless wonders more, the bragging rights were on the line, and they wanted to show the entire city of Chicago they belonged. With both teams from the Windy City, it was decided that the games would alternate between the Westside home of the Cubs and the Southside home of the Sox. Game 1 was played in cold conditions with intermittent snow flurries holding down turnout. The White Sox would catch the series’ first break when Cubs catcher Johnny Kling who dropped the ball and allowed the Sox first run to score. The Sox would add another to hold on to a 2-1 win in enemy territory. In Game 2, the Cubs got revenge by invading the Sox home with a 7-1 whitewashing. The Sox would bounce back in the third game as Ed Walsh frustrated Cubs batters all day to a two-hit shutout. In Game 4, it was the White Sox who were frustrated as they fell victim of a two-hit shutout from Mordecai “Three Fingers” Brown. With each team alternating wins on the other team’s field in the first four games, the series would come down to the best two of three, and the winner of Game 5 would in Cubs territorial West Side Grounds hold the upper hand. Things looked bleak early for the White Sox as the Cubs soared to a 3-1 lead after the first inning. For the White Sox to win, they would need a rare offensive performance from the hitless wonders. Led by Frank Isbell, who smacked four doubles, and George Davis, who drove in four runs, the White Sox scored eight runs on 12 hits and beat the Cubs 8-6 to gain a 3-2 lead in the series. In Game 6, back at Southside Park, the White Sox knew if they were to claim the World Championship and city bragging rights winning the sixth game was a must. The Cubs would score in the top of the first, but the lead, and hopes of tying the series again, lasted for less than half an inning. The Sox loaded the bases in the bottom half of the Inning when George Davis hit one into the crowd of fans standing in right field. Wildfire Schulte claimed that as he tried to catch the ball, a fan pushed him from behind the rope that separated the standing-room crowd from the players. The umpires missed that little detail and awarded Davis a double. Jiggs Donahue then doubled to left field, driving in two more. In the second inning, the Sox would get the knockout punch with three more runs. The White Sox would go on to win 8-3 to claim their first-ever World Series Championship.

1907:Hitting would prove the weak spot again as the White Sox strong pitching was unable to get the hitless wonders into a World Series rematch against the Cubs. The White Sox would post an 87-64 record but would finish in third place five and a half games out of first.

1908:Ed Walsh would win 40 games falling just one short of the American League record held by Jack Chesbro. However, the Sox hitting problems got worse, as the team hits a woeful .224 and only hits three Home Runs. The pitching would keep the team in the pennant race, but there were no miracles in-store, and the team finished in third, one and a half games behind the first-place Detroit Tigers, with a record of 88-64.

1909:The White Sox play mediocre baseball all season while finishing in fourth place with a record of 78-74.

1910:On July 1st, in front of a packed house, the White Sox opened their new state of the art concrete stadium, White Sox Park; the stadium would play home for the Sox over the next 80 seasons. In the first game, the Sox fans would go home disappointed as the St. Louis Browns blanked the hitless wonders 2-0. The year ends with disappointment as the pitching is no longer able to carry the weak-hitting lineup, which hits an anemic .211. The Sox would go on to finish in sixth place with a 68-85 record.

1911:The White Sox rebound off a losing season to climb back up to a fourth-place with a record of 77-74.

1912:The White Sox continue to play mediocre baseball finishing in fourth place for the second straight season with a record of 78-76.

1913:Following another mediocre fifth Place 78-74 season, the White Sox join the New York Giants on a barnstorming tour of Europe, including playing games in front of the British Royal Family.

1914:The White Sox struggle most of the season, finishing in sixth place with a disappointing record of 70-84.

1915:On August 20th, the White Sox purchased the contract of Shoeless Joe Jackson from the Cleveland Indians, as the White Sox make a run for the pennant before finishing in third place with a solid 93-61 record.

1916:In his first full season with the White Sox Shoeless Joe Jackson bats an impressive .341, and becomes an instant hit with Chicago fans. Along the way, Jackson hits a league-high 21 triples, and makes the Sox contenders again, as they finish with an 86-65 record, would fall just five games short of the pennant.

1917:With a team built on pitching and speed on the bases, the White Sox were poised to become the class of the American League. On the mound, Eddie Cicotte would dominate the American League Hitters all year, compiling a 28-12 record with a league-low 1.53. Also dominating the league on the mound for the ChiSox were Red Farber and Reb Russell, who each held AL batters to ERAs under 2.00. The White Sox would go on to win a franchise-record 100 games and would win the pennant by nine games. In the World Series, the White Sox would be matched up against the New York Giants. The White Sox wore Red, White, and Blue uniforms all season in support of US forces fighting a World War in Europe. To further honor the troops, the Sox decide to play “The Star-Spangled Banner” before Game 1 at Comiskey Park. It was the first time the song was played before, a game, and it would soon go on to be standard practice. The Sox would go on to win that game 2-1 on Happy Felch’s fourth inning HR. The Chisox would also take Game 2 with the help of six singles in the fourth inning, which brought in five runs. With the series shifting to New York for the next two games, the Giants bounced back to shut the Sox out twice to the series at two games apiece. With the final three games set to alternate between Chicago and New York. Game 5 would most likely be the key to claiming the World Championship. Things looked bleak for the Sox as the Giants took a 5-2 lead into the bottom of the seventh. With the help of big two-run double by Chick Gandil, the Sox would even the score in the seventh inning, in the following Inning, Eddie Collins singled in the go-ahead run. The Sox would tack on two insurance runs to capture the pivotal 5th game 8-5. In Game 6, back in New York, the White Sox would score four runs thanks to three Giant errors to win their second World Championship 4-2. Little did anyone know at the time it would be the last World Championship for the White Sox in the 20th Century.

1918:Injuries would play critical a role as the White Sox struggle all season and finish in sixth place with a disappointing 57-67 record.

1919:As the White Sox returned to health it was like 1918 never happened, and the Sox were once again the class of the American League. Eddie Cicotte was the key, winning 29 games and posting an impressive 1.82 ERA. Near the end of the season, White Sox owner Charles Comiskey ordered manager Kid Gleason to rest Cicotte to prevent him from collecting on a bonus he would have received if he had won 30 games. This would not be the only time players on the Sox would be angry with Comiskey failing to provide a good bonus. The Sox would go on to win the American League Pennant by three and a half games over the Cleveland Indians. After the Sox clinched the pennant, they learned that their bonus was the Champaign traditionally given to players after achieving such a lofty goal. There was no doubt the players were upset with management, and it would open the door for gamblers who could prey upon this sentiment.

1919:Heading into the World Series against the Cincinnati Reds, (which was the best of nine-game series that season), many key White Sox players were angry with management, and it would lead to one of the worst scandals in the history of professional sports. One of the players most angered by the cheap ways of Charles Comiskey was 1B Chick Gandil, who was once a hobo, and a street brawler. Gandil had many underworld connections and wanted to cash in before his career was over. Gandil let it be known to these connections he would be willing to get a few teammates to throw the World Series if the money was right. Making the trip between the gamblers and Gandil were Abe Attel, an ex-boxer, and Bill Burns, a former Major League Pitcher who once played for the White Sox. Gandil was able to get several teammates to join in the scheme. Arnold Rothstein, a well-known underworld gambler from New York, was the cash supply behind the whole plan, but he wanted to get Eddie Cicotte involved before he committed. Cicotte, who was still steaming over losing his 30-win bonus agreed and the fix, was in. Eight players agreed to take part in Gandil, Cicotte, Lefty Williams, Happy Felsh, Swede Risberg, Fred McMullen, Buck Weaver, and Shoeless Joe Jackson. Weaver and Jackson had only agreed to take the money, but both planned to double-cross the gamblers by playing their best in the series. Eddie Cicotte, who demanded his money upfront, was named the starter for Game 1 in Cincinnati. In New York, Arnold Rothstein gave the order to Cicotte to hit the first batter to provide him with the signal the fix was in. With $5,000 on his pillow the night before, Cicotte hit Reds leadoff hitter Morrie Rath on the third pitch of the game. It was clear from the start Cicotte was not himself, and the Reds would take the opener 9-1. As the series started, rumors began to fly that something was not right, and New York World reporter Hugh Fullerton and legendary pitcher Christy Matthewson began to look at the games with extra scrutiny. The Sox would lose the second game with co-conspirator Lefty Williams on the mound. The Sox would win Game 3 behind the stellar pitching of Davie Keer, who was not in on the fix. With Cicotte on the mound in Game 4 and Williams in Game 5, the Sox would lose each with several players committing critical errors. Heading into Game 6, the Sox were backed against the wall down four games to one. Making matters worse, the players who were throwing the games were not paid their money yet and were getting restless. The fact the Sox were throwing games had become apparent to just about everyone by now. Based on these factors, several of the Sox had decided to start playing their best and won Game 6 in extra innings. Following up, the dramatic win was Eddie Cicotte, who won Game 7 after refusing to throw another, saying he was only paid to throw two games. The series returned to Chicago for Game 8, and gamblers knew their bets were in danger, so they threatened Left Williams that they would harm his wife unless he lost the eighth game. Williams would give up four runs, and only retire one batter before being removed in the 1st. The Reds would go on to win the game to wrap up the series. However, it was clear the series was not on the level, Weaver, and Shoeless Joe did have terrific numbers offensively, but the rest of the eight players were terrible in the field and at the plate and were almost flaunting the fact they were throwing games. As it turns out, many of the players were never even paid for throwing the games and had done it for nothing, and as baseball began an investigation, a black eye that threatened the very existence of the sport had been caused for nothing.

1920:Despite an ongoing investigation from the American League and a criminal investigation from Chicago, the White Sox managed to stay in the pennant race all season. As the season drew to an end, it became apparent the eight players would face criminal charges. As a Grand Jury called each player to testify, several players confessed, including Eddie Cicotte and Shoeless Joe. As Jackson left the courthouse, a kid called out to him, “Say it ain’t so Joe,” Jackson just crawled into his car without saying a word. As the season in which the Sox finished two games out with 96-58 ended, criminal charges were placed against the eight Sox who by now was known as the Black Sox. While the trail was begging, baseball hired a hard-handed judge named Kennesaw Mountain Landis as the first commissioner. The trial would take an odd turn as the confessions disappeared, allowing the players to be acquitted of all charges. The vindication was short-lived as all eight players were forever banished from the game by Commissioner Landis, who used it to send a message to any other players that thought about throwing games for money. None of the players were reinstated and are ineligible for the Hall of Fame. There is a movement to get Shoeless Joe, who holds the third-highest career batting average all-time reinstated to gain hall of fame membership. Still, nothing has come of it yet, and he remains a pariah with his other seven teammates, despite having the series best average, and only Home Run.

1921:With the loss of key players who were expelled from baseball, the White Sox struggled all season and finished in 7th place with a 62-92 record.

1922:On April 30th, rookie Charlie Robertson frustrated the Detroit Tigers all game pitching the 1st perfect game in White Sox history. Several Tigers, including Ty Cobb, asked to inspect Robertson’s uniform because they thought he was doctoring the ball. Cobb himself could find no evidence when he patted down the Sox 26-year old rookie. The game would be Robertson’s only moment of glory in a less than stellar eight-year career. The Sox would go on to finish the season with a 77-77 record finishing in fifth place.

1923:The White Sox struggle all season landing in 7th place with a poor record of 69-85.

1924:The White Sox fall from grace continues as the team finishes in last place for the first time with a 66-87 record. Following the season, the White Sox and New York Giants take another barnstorming tour of Europe.

1925:The White Sox finish above .500 for the first time since eight players were banned by baseball for life in 1920 for throwing the 1919 World Series posting a 79-75 record while finishing in fifth place.

1926:The White Sox continue to show signs of a rebound as the team manages to put up a solid 81-72 season, which was good enough for fifth place.

1927:Comiskey Park is expanded as a new outfield upper deck accommodates 23,200 additional fans. The Sox would finish the season with a disappointing 67-87 record, which lands them in sixth place.

1928:The White Sox continue to struggle as they finish in fifth place with a record of 72-82.

1929:The White Sox continue to struggle as they finish in seventh place with a terrible record of 59-93.

1930:The White Sox finishes in seventh place for the second straight season posting a horrible record of 62-92.

1931:Following a last-place 56-97 season, owner Charles Comiskey dies at his summer resort in Eagle River, Wisconsin, leaving an estate valued at $1,529,707 to his son J. Louis.

1932:After a terrible seventh-place 49-102 season, J. Louis Comiskey attempts to rebuild the White Sox by purchasing Jimmy Dykes, Al Simmons, and Mule Haas from the Philadelphia A’s for $150,000.

1933:In connection with Chicago hosting the World’s Fair Chicago Tribune editor Arch Ward proposed setting up a Major League “Game of the Century” involving the best player of each league facing each other. Baseball’s owners were reluctant at first, but Ward was able to persuade the owners, and the game was held on July 6th at Comiskey Park. The American League was managed by legendary manager Connie Mack. John McGraw, who was so excited about the All-Star concept that he agreed to come out of retirement just to manage the game, headed the National League up. The AL would win the game 4-2 as Babe Ruth hit the game’s lone Home Run. The game drew so much attention that owners who were once reluctant decide to make it an annual event, and the All-Star Game was born. However, it was not a stellar year for the White Sox, who finished in 6th place with a record of 67-83.

1934:Despite the addition of some star players form the Philadelphia Athletics, the White Sox continues to struggle and finish in last place with a woeful 53-99 record.

1935:After finishing in last place the year before the White Sox have a promising season finishing in fifth place with a 74-78.

1936:The White Sox continue to improve finishing in third place with a solid record of 81-70 that ends a ten-year string of losing seasons.

1937:The White Sox posted their second straight winning season landing in third place again with a record of 86-68.

1938:After two straight positive seasons, the White Sox come back to earth, posting a disappointing record of 65-83 while landing in 6th place.

1939:On August 14th, in front of 30,000 fans, the White Sox played their first night game ever at Comiskey Park. The Sox would win the first game under the lights 5-2 over the St. Louis Browns. However, the passing of Owner J. Louis Comiskey a month earlier put a damper on the event. The Sox would go on to finish in fourth place with an 85-69 record.

1940:Uncertainty surrounded the White Sox, as a Federal Judge awards Grace Comiskey, J. Lou’s widow, her dower rights, and denies the First National Bank of Chicago a petition to seek outside bids to sell the Sox. Despite the turmoil, the Sox managed a respectable fourth place 82-72 record.

1941:The White Sox play mediocre baseball all season finishing in third place with a .500 record of 77-77.

1942:The White Sox struggle all season and land in sixth place with a record of 66-82.

1943:Luke Appling collects his 2,000th hit in a season in which the White Sox finished in fourth place with an 82-72 record.

1944:The White Sox fall back down into 7th place struggling all season to post a disappointing record 71-83.

1945:The White Sox continue to struggle to finish in fifth place with a record of 71-78.

1946:In the middle of a 74-80 season, manager Jimmy Dukes resigns, ending a 12-year reign as the Sox skipper.

1947:The White Sox continue to reside in the middle of the pack as they finish in fifth place with a record of 70-84.

1948:After several mediocre seasons, the White Sox hit bottom, finishing in last place with a 51-101 record.

1949:Despite posting another poor record of 63-91, the White Sox managed to climb out of last place, landing in sixth.

1950:Seventeen years after the first mid-summer classic, the All-Star returned to Comiskey Park, and history was made again. In the ninth inning, Pittsburgh Pirates star Ralph Kiner tied the game with a homer, and for the first-ever, the game would go into extra innings. The NL would end up winning the game 4-3 on Red Schoendienst of the St. Louis Cardinals homer. The White Sox would finish in sixth place with a 60-94 record, in what would be the final season of Luke Appling’s 20-year White Sox career.

1951:The White Sox end a seven-year string of losing seasons as they land in fourth place with a record of 81-73.

1952:The White Sox posted a record of 81-73 for the second straight season, this time, however, it would lift them to third place.

1953:The White Sox continue to improve as they finish in third place for the second straight season with a solid 89-65 record.

1954:The White Sox continue a pattern of a solid season, but for the fourth year in a row finish more than double digits behind the first Place team, as the Sox finish in third place with a solid 94-60 record.

1955:The White Sox tallied a franchise record 29 runs at Kansas City on April 23rd. Sherm Lollar was 5-6 with a pair of home runs and five RBI while reserve outfielder Bob Nieman and infielder Walt Dropo drove in seven runs apiece in the 29-6 victory over the Athletics. The Sox would go down to the wire, before finishing 3rd in a 3-team race with a 91-63 record.

1956:The White Sox finish in third place for the fifth straight season posting a record of 85-69.

1957:The White Sox come within eight games of first place while finishing in second place with a solid record of 90-64.

1958:Bill Veeck and his partners gain majority control of the White Sox after a lengthy court battle with the Comiskey heirs. Veeck, owner of the Cleveland Indians, St. Louis Browns, and the White Sox during his lifetime, consistently broke attendance records with pennant-winning teams and with outrageous door prizes, enthusiastic fan participation, and ingenious promotional schemes. An inveterate hustler and energetic maverick, Veeck, who introduced a midget player (Eddie Gaedel), Bat Day, fireworks, previously would shortly bring exploding scoreboards and player names on backs of uniforms to the White Sox. In Veeck’s first season as owner of the Sox would finish 82-72 in second place, ten games behind the New York Yankees.

1959:Forty years after the Black Sox scandal almost destroyed the integrity of baseball and forever put a scar on the White Sox franchise, the Southsiders were still waiting for a return to the World Series. Going into the season, the ChiSox had shown some improvement, but with the Yankees master of the AL domain, not much was thought of the Sox chances for the pennant. With Yankees struggling all season, suddenly, the door opened. The White Sox had assembled a veteran ball club sprinkled with just the right mixture of youth. The press had given the team the nickname of the “Go-Go” Sox because of their exciting style of play. Veteran catcher Sherman Lollar led the club in HR and RBI. In tandem with Luis Aparicio, Nelson Fox, the eventual 1959 American League MVP, gave Chicago the best double-play combination in baseball. In addition, Aparicio led the league in stolen bases. On the mound, the Sox were paced by the Cy Young efforts of Early Wynn, who led the way with 22 wins. However, to beat the Indians for the pennant, one more piece was needed, and that came in the form of slugging first baseman Ted Kluszewski who the Sox acquired from the Cincinnati Reds on August 25th. The move could not come at a better time since shortly after arriving, Klu helped the Sox sweep the Indians to gain a five and a half-game cushion they would never relinquish. The Sox would go on to win the pennant by five games with a 94-50 record. In the World Series, the White Sox would be matched up against the Los Angeles Dodgers. The Sox could not have gotten off to a better start in Game 1 with Ted Kluszewski hitting two homers and driving in five runs to spur the Sox onto an 11-0 whitewashing. In Game 2, the Sox would gain an early lead, but the Dodgers would score three runs in the seventh and take the steam out of the Sox as the series headed to Los Angeles tied at one game apiece. The Dodgers would go on to take the next two games to gain a 3-1 series edge. The Go-Go sox still had some fight in them, and they would win a thrilling 1-0 pitchers duel to send the series back to Chicago. Keying the 1-0 win was Dick Donovan’s timely relief pitching and a clutch catch by Jim Rivera. In Game 6, a crowd of 47,653 gathered in Comiskey Park, as dark clouds and the threat of rain hung over the ballyard. The gloomy weather conditions were a precursor for the on-field events. The drama ended quickly as the White Sox dream of a world title vanished as the Dodgers jumped out to an 8-0 lead after four innings. The final score of the game was 9-3, as the Dodgers brought the first World Series title to the west coast.

1960:Thirty-one years after the New York Yankees first wore numbers on the back of their uniforms, Bill Veeck, the innovative Barnum of baseball, would add players’ names to the back of the uniforms. This practice would eventually spread to all but a few hold out teams. However, not all went smoothly as slugger Ted Kluszewski had his name misspelled. In another innovative turn, Comiskey Park’s scoreboard would explode with fireworks after every Home Run and win. As for the Sox, they remained competitive with an 87-67 record, but could only muster a third-place finish ten games behind the Yankees.

1961:Even with the turmoil surrounding Bill Veeck’s departure, the White Sox put together another strong 87-75 season. Veeck, despite owning several major league franchises, was never a wealthy man. He usually just scraped by every year to hold on to the team. Other owners around baseball hated his use of promotions, and the way he treated the game. They felt he did not take the game as seriously as he should have. So help from other owners were out of the question, and Veeck’s Sox partners would eventually force him out.

1962:Despite a record of 85-77, the White Sox slide down to 5th place, finishing 11 games out of first in a competitive season for the American League.

1963:The White Sox put together a solid 94-68 season, but have to settle for second place, behind the New York Yankees.

1964:The White Sox were determined to leapfrog the New York Yankees after four years of frustration, and by July, it looked like that might happen, after the White Sox swept the Yankees in a critical four-game series at White Sox Park. However, the Yankees would start playing their typical pennant-winning ball and would catch-up to Sox quickly. Desperate to hold on the White Sox, would acquire Moose Skowron and Smoky Burgess. The moves would help the Sox finish with a 98-64 record, their best mark since the 1917 World Championship team. However, it was not enough, as the Yanks would win 99 to take the pennant by one game.

1965:Following another solid but unfulfilling second Place 95-67 season, Manager Al Lopez resigns, ending a successful nine-year reign as White Sox skipper.

1966:Under new manager Eddie Stanky, the White Sox play mediocre baseball all season while landing in fourth place with a record of 83-79.

1967:After struggling to finish over .500, the White Sox bounced back and were in the thick of a five-team pennant race in 1967. The Sox would stay in the race all year, spending most of the time at or near the top spot. A late-season slump would see the Sox fade into fourth place with a solid 89-73 season, which landed them a slim four games out of first place.

1968:To bolster sagging attendance, the White Sox play “home” games at County Stadium in Milwaukee against each American League opponent, going 1-8 in nine games. The White Sox would struggle in Milwaukee, but they would struggle at White Sox Park and on the road. After a slow start, the White Sox tried to spark a comeback by coaxing Al Lopez out of retirement to manage again. However, not even Lopez could help the Sox who finished in 8th place with a 67-95 record.

1969:The White Sox would finish the first season of divisional play with a woeful 68-94 record that was even worse than that of the expansion Kansas City Royals. However, as the season dragged a much worse loss to fans of the ChiSox nearly became a reality. Bud Selig and other Milwaukee interests spent most of the season making overtures to bring the Sox up to Milwaukee. The threat was enough that White Sox even rescheduled a series against the Seattle Pilots to be played in Milwaukee. However, Sox owner Arthur Allyn would sell the team to his brother John, and the Sox would remain in Chicago.

1970:Despite the security that the team would remain in Chicago, the team hits rock bottom, finishing in last place with a franchise-worst 56-106 record.

1971:The White Sox rebound nicely off their horrid 106-loss season with a 79-83 record that lands them in third place. Helping to spur the bounce back is Bill Melton, who becomes the first White Sox player to win an American League home run crown.

1972:After the threat of the franchise shift and four miserable seasons, the White Sox were as about as popular in Chicago as Eliot Ness was in a speak-easy 40 years earlier. However, one player would lift the Sox out of the doldrums and make White Sox fans care again. That player was Dick Allen, who had earned the refutation of malcontent and was joining his fourth team in as many years. Allen, who had the reputation of not playing 100% all the time, would have his finest season in his first year in Chicago with something to prove. Dick Allen would capture both the Home Run and RBI crowns on the way to earning American League MVP honors. Allen’s heroics even put the Sox back into contention, as they would finish in second place with a solid 87-67 record.

1973:After a promising season, the White Sox comes back to earth, finishing in fifth place with a disappointing record of 77-85.

1974:The White Sox play mediocre baseball all season as they finish in fourth place with a .500 record of 80-80.

1975:After Bud Selig was rejected in his attempt to bring the White Sox to Milwaukee, he pounced on the Seattle Pilots financial problems and brought them to Milwaukee after just one season in the Northwest. This would lead to a lawsuit against Major League Baseball by officials from the emerald city. With finical problems still plaguing the Sox, and owner John Allyn officials in Seattle began to make overtures towards the White Sox. However, Chicago community leaders did not want to lose their American League presence and helped former owner Bill Veeck structure an offer to save the team. Most owners still did not like him, but they were so desperate to keep the White Sox in Chicago that they eventually agreed to let him take over the team after a 15-year exile. Amidst all the relocation rumors, the White Sox would struggle to finish in fifth place with a 75-86 record.

1976:In another mediocre season, the White Sox finish in last place with a woeful 64-97 record. Bill Veeck put his stamp on the team as they introduce Navy Blue and White pajama-style uniforms. The uniforms would pale in comparison to what Veeck introduced during the hot days of summer. Veeck came up with the idea that on hot days his team would wear Bermuda shorts. These would not go over well as players became reluctant to slide fearing leg injuries and would ban together to refuse ever to wear them again.

1977:Ever the innovator Bill Veeck came up with a new idea to compete. He would trade for players one year away from free agency and gamble since he couldn’t afford to pay the best players. They might make the team winners before leaving. This “rent a player” scheme was far-fetched, and it ultimately failed, but the illusion had everyone believing in the summer of 1977. Nobody in the AL West Division had started quickly, and the Sox soon climbed into the race. Winning 6 of 7 games in early May, the Sox were suddenly in second place and just one-half game off the pace. They began an unwavering march towards improbable glory. A 15-9 record in May left the club six games over .500, still hanging in second place. A 10-8 Sox victory on July 3rd completed a four-game sweep over the Minnesota Twins and began the greatest July in White Sox history. The 22 victories tell only part of the story. Sox fans had never seen such a sight at Comiskey Park, for their White Sox were hitting HRs at a record pace. A barrage of 192 home runs by the ’77 South Side Hitmen would obliterate the old franchise record of 138 round-trippers. Every home run was greeted with standing ovations, and dugout curtain calls. Shelled opposing pitchers were serenaded by Sox fans to the taunting melody of Nancy Faust’s organ rendition of Na Na, Hey Hey, Good-bye. The White Sox would take three of four in a key late July series to take a five-and-a-half-game lead for first place over the Kansas City Royals. A week later, in a series highlighted by a bench-clearing brawl, the Royals would sweep the Sox. The sweep would turn out to be the turning point as the Sox struggled over the next two weeks, and saw the Royals fly past them on the way to the Western Division title, as the Sox ended up in third place with a 90-72 record.

1978:With the loss of several key players to Free Agency, the White Sox struggled for the start. Manager Bob Lemon would be fired by the middle of the season and replaced by Larry Doby. Lemon would take over the Yankees a few weeks after being fired and would guide them to an improbable comeback, and World Championship. Doby could not work the same magic as the Sox finished in fifth place with a 71-90 record.

1979:Popular Music in culture tends to grow in stages. First, it is a fresh new phenomenon coming from some underground location. Then an already popular music act bridges it into the mainstream if it is destined to catch on here is where it happens. After that success comes copycats, and if it experiences further success, over-saturation begins to occur. In the late 1970s disco had become so over-saturated that one could not avoid it even the TV news was tuned to a new disco beat. This would lead to a backlash. Sensing his was Mike Veeck, the son of White Sox owner Bill. He decided that between games of a July 12th Double Header against the Detroit Tigers, the White Sox would host a disco demolition. Admission for the twi-nighter was $1 and a disco record. The records were collected for a “Disco Sucks!” rally between games, concluding in a massive explosion to destroy all the disco records collected in Comiskey’s center field. However, the rally got out of hand, and the fans would run onto the field, trying to find other things to be destroyed. This would lead to the White Sox forfeiting the second game. Disco Demolition wasn’t the only bust in Chicago was the White Sox struggled all year to finish with a 79-83. Along the way, the White Sox would change managers hiring Tony LaRussa in the middle of the season.

1980:Amid another bleak 70-90 season, Bill Veeck realizes that he would not be able to save the White Sox and put them up for sale. With no serious investors in Chicago, Veeck begins filtering with outside interest to move the team if they were purchased it. A group of Denver interests led by Eddie Debartolo had agreed to buy the team. However, Baseball commissioner Bowie Kuhn rejected the deal on the basis that Debartolo was the “right type of person.” With the deal falling apart, Veeck was forced to take the next best offer from Jerry Reinsdorf, who agreed to keep the team in Chicago. In one last sideshow by Veeck, 58-year old White Sox legend came out of retirement to become the first player to play in six different decades. Minoso, who made a similar come back in 1976 to become the first five-decade man, would be held hitless in two pinch-hit at-bats.

1981:To help revitalize White Sox baseball, one of Jerry Reinsdorf’s first moves as the owner is to sign All-Star Catcher Carlton Fisk to a long-term deal. Despite Fisk struggling most of his first season in Chicago, the White Sox are only two and a half games out when a player strikes interrupt the season for two months. After the strike was settled, the Sox struggled and were never a factor in the race for the second half-title, as they posted an overall record of 54-52.

1982:The White Sox make a serious push for the division title, before finishing five games out in third place with a solid 87-75 record.

1983:Fifty years after the first All-Star Game was played as a one-time affair in Comiskey Park, the White Sox hosted the mid-summer classic once again. Going into the game, the AL had a losing streak that would make some of the bleak White Sox team of 1970 look good. The NL had won 11 straight, and 19 out of 20. The AL put all that frustration in one big 3rd inning. The AL would score seven runs that inning highlighted by Fred Lynn of the Angels Grand Slam that was unbelievably the 1st Slam in All-Star history. The American League would go on to win the game 11-3. Going into the All-Star Break, the White Sox had begun to play good baseball after struggling most of the first two months of the season. Nearing the break, the Sox finally climbed above the .500 mark after hitting the low water mark of five games below on June 13th. Maybe it was the electricity hanging over the city after the All-Star Game, but no matter what, it was the Sox caught fire and would play there best baseball in over 20 years. The Sox climbed into first place on July 18th and never looked back. Their second-half record was 59-26, a .694 winning percentage. Floyd Bannister was nearly unbeatable, winning 13 and losing just once. LaMarr Hoyt and Rich Dotson compiled the greatest number of wins in the entire league, 24 and 22, respectively. The surge was good enough to earn the White Sox 99 wins and their first-ever division title. Also receiving honors along the way were Manager of the Year Tony LaRussa, Rookie of the Year Ron Kittle, and Cy Young LaMarr Hoyt. In the ALCS the White Sox faced the Baltimore Orioles, the White Sox got off on the right foot in Game 1 when LaMarr Hoyt went the full none innings and outdueled Scott McGregor 2-1. The Orioles would bounce back the next game to knot the series at one game apiece. However, with the remainder of the series set to be played at Comiskey, there was no reason not to believe the Sox would not make the World Series. However, after the Sox were blown out in Game 3, the Sox needed desperately to win Game 4 just to force a fifth and deciding game. Game 4 was a scoreless tie after nine innings, with Jerry Dybzinski killing the Sox’s best scoring chance in the sixth inning, when he rounded second base with his head down and steamed towards Vance Law. The latter had been held up at third by coach Jim Leyland, creating a force out that killed the Chicago rally. Britt Burns went out to pitch his tenth inning of work, but it was clear he was out of gas. The Orioles would score three runs to win the game and the series.

1984:On May 9th, the White Sox win the longest game in AL history, 5-4, against the Milwaukee Brewers at Comiskey Park, when Harold Baines ends the two-day, 25-inning marathon with a Home Run. However, there were not many other highlights that season as the Sox finished in fifth place with a disappointing 75-87 record.

1985:In a game at Yankee Stadium on August 4th, the White Sox must have been confused, as a stadium full of Mets fans came to cheer for the Sox. The reason was Tom Seaver, who only needed to win the Sunday afternoon game to capture his 300th career win. Seaver was the Tom Terrific of old and went the distance to earn his milestone. The day would go on to be known as milestone Sunday after Rod Carew of the Angels delivered his 3,000th career hit. The Sox would go on to finish the season in third place with an 85-77 record.

1986: In the middle of a disappointing fifth Place 70-92 season manager Tony LaRussa is fired. LaRussa would find work quickly as the Oakland Athletics hired him within a few weeks of the firing. LaRussa would help build the A’s into a serious contender, while the Sox continued to struggle.

1987:The White Sox continue to struggle as they finish in fifth place for the third time in four years with a record of 77-85.

1988:After flirting with moving out of Chicago for 20 years the stadium issue finally came to a head, as the White Sox were in the last year of their lease, and made it be known that if they didn’t get funding for a new stadium by June 30th, they would move to Florida. Officials in St. Petersburg even sped up construction of the Suncoast Dome to prepare for the 1989 season. The leading politician was Illinois Governor Jim Thompson. The tragic death of Chicago Mayor Harold Washington prevented any real leadership on the issue from the city. They had agreed to the creation of a public sports stadium authority (jointly controlled) with the requirement that the park that would be built next to Old Comiskey Park to save on the costs of infrastructure improvements and preserve the history of the team at that southside location. The downstate politicians were openly hostile to any suggestion of new public spending in Chicago. Many of them were fans of the Cubs and St. Louis Cardinals. The Illinois State Legislature could build nothing without approval, and there simply weren’t the votes to pass it. The odds did not look good for Chicago, Sox fans, or the governor. While fans in Florida began wearing shirts that said Florida White Sox, fans in Chicago began making trips to the state capital, to hold large “Save Our Sox” rallies. As the deadline for funding got, close votes began to pile up. The vote was passed just as the deadline struck, and the White Sox would remain in Chicago with a brand new stadium that would open in 1991. On the field, it would not be as easy for the Sox who struggled again to finish in fifth place with a 71-90 record.

1989:While ground was broken, on a new Comiskey Park, the White Sox continued to struggle and finished in last place with a woeful 69-92 record.

1990:In their 80th and final season at Comiskey Park, the White Sox came out of nowhere and challenged for the Western Davison title. Leading the way was the Sox bullpen that won many close games. Leading this was closer Bobby Thigpen who was automatic in relief saving a Major League Record 57 games. Perhaps the highlight of the season came on July 1st, the 80th anniversary of the first game at the old stadium Andy Hawkins of the Yankees held the Sox hitless. However, the game was 0-0 in the eighth, all day, Hawkins was a bit wild all day, and when he walked a few hitters in the eighth, he would get in trouble. He would walk in the first run, and the Sox had a 1-0 lead despite being no-hit. Just as Hawkins seemed to escape without further damaged Left Fielder, Jim Leyritz dropped a fly ball, allowing three more runs to score. The Sox would go on to win the game 4-0 despite not getting a hit. The Sox would post a 94-68 record, but it was not enough as the Oakland Athletics won 103 games to capture the third straight division title.

1991:Stately new Comiskey Park officially opened its doors on April 18 before a sell-out crowd of 42,191 fans, the new home of the White Sox would welcome a club record 2,934,154 fans for the season. The season was another solid one, as a young and fast-improving core of players won 87 games and finished in second place for the second year in a row. Leading the way are Frank Thomas and Robin Ventura, who have bust out 100 RBI seasons.

1992:The White Sox finish with an 86-76 record but must fell unfulfilled as they were never really in the pennant race while finishing in third place.

1993:The young White Sox were determined to come of age and win the division title. However, the Sox struggled early, managing only a 24-23 record through the end of May. However, the Sox would win 13 of their next 22 and suddenly found themselves all alone in 1st place, but the Sox rise to the division title was about to be threatened by significant controversy. Carlton Fisk was close to achieving the career record in games caught, and although he was no longer the everyday backstop, he remained a valued part of the Sox clubhouse. In late June, Fisk finally reached the record, and without warning, he was suddenly and unceremoniously released. However, the Sox would keep rolling, posting a 35-21 record over the next two months. The Texas Rangers proved to be the Sox only competition, but they simply weren’t good enough to compete. The Sox took the first two of a showdown series with the Rangers on September 24 and 25. Texas crept out of town by salvaging the final game and avoided the humiliation of watching the Sox clinch the title against them. One night later, Bo Jackson’s moon shot homer against the Seattle Mariners clinched the West in front of a sold-out crowd at Comiskey Park. The 94-67 AL Western Championship season helped earn MVP honors for Frank Thomas, and Cy Young honors for Jack McDowell. In the ALCS, the White Sox faced the defending World Champion Toronto Blue Jays. After losing the first two games at Comiskey Park, the Sox bounced back to take the next two in Toronto to even the series behind the solid pitching of Jason Bere in Game 3, and the unlikely power of Lance Johnson in Game 4. However, Game 5 would turn out to be the critical game of the series. Jack McDowell was roughed up again, and the Jays won the game 5-3. Not even a return home could help the Sox as the Jays won 6-3 to capture the pennant and return to defend their World Title.

1994:Coming off their first Weston Division title in ten years, the White Sox were heavy favorites in the newly formed AL Central. The Sox found a new challenge in the Cleveland Indians, and the two battled back and forth over the first few months of the season. Even if the Sox would wind up second to the Tribe, there was the possibility that they could lay claim to the Wild Card that was to be used for the first time. However, a dark cloud lay on the horizon, and as the Sox hung on to first place on August 12th, with a record of 67-46 as a player’s strike was declared. Determined to break the players, several owners led by Sox owner Jerry Reinsdorf were willing even to give up the World Series to break the union. The two sides butted heads, and the rest of the season would wind up being canceled. With the White Sox coming off a division title, and fighting their way for a second one the White Sox player gaining the most attention was a first-year rookie playing in Double A. This rookie was not your ordinary first-year professional, he was NBA great Michael Jordan. After three consecutive championships, Jordan, who retired from Reinsdorf’s Chicago Bulls, chose to honor his father, who was murdered by pursuing a career in baseball. Jordan had not played baseball in 14 years, and it showed that Jordan would be an attraction all year for the Birmingham Barons, and when the strike hit, he would become earn the spotlight as fans hungry for baseball was forced to settle for the minor leagues. Eventually, the desire to return to the NBA overpowered Jordan, and he wisely returned to the Bulls. He would capture three more NBA titles forever, cementing himself as the greatest Basketball Player ever.

1995:The strike that ruined the 1994 season had continued into spring training where replacement players were used. Eventually, a judge would issue an injunction shortly before the scheduled start of the season with replacements in toe. The ruing delayed the beginning of the season, and shortened the schedule to 144 games, but resolved none of the issues the owner’s led by Jerry Reinsdorf wanted. Reinsdorf would let several key players get away, and the Sox would fade early. The White Sox would end up finishing the season an incredible 32 games out of first with a 68-76 record.

1996:The White Sox would rebound off a terrible season to finish in second place with a respectable 85-77 record, following the season the White Sox would sign Free Agent slugger Albert Belle with hopes of rising back to the top of the American League Central.

1997:The signing of Albert Belle brought excitement to Chicago. However, a big slugger like Belle was not what the Sox needed, as the team ignored their pitching problems. The White Sox would also enter the season hobbled as Robin Ventura missed most of the season because of a devastating ankle injury suffered in a Spring Training Game. The Sox would struggle early, and the Indians grabbed a foothold on the division title. However, the Tribe would not a breakaway, and despite struggling to reach .500, the Sox were still in the race. As the trade deadline approached, the Sox were in the market for the player that could help the team get over the top, or so the fans thought. Instead, the White Sox decided to waive the white flag, trading away several key pitchers ending any hope for a division title. Despite the trade and finishing 80-81, the Sox were just six games behind the Tribe when the season ended.

1998:Led by the power of Albert Belle, the White Sox set a new franchise record for Home Runs in a season. However, the pitching still struggled, and the Sox could only manage a distant second-place finish with a record of 80-82.

1999:With the loss of Albert Belle, and Robin Ventura to Free Agency, the Sox struggled all season and finished in second place with a 75-86 record.

2000:After a 75-86 season, not much was expected form the Sox in 2000. The White Sox would get off to a fast start and would lead the division into early June. However, with a seven-game road trip into Cleveland, and New York most expected, the Sox would fade. The Chisox would thrive instead sweeping both the Indians and Yankees to increase their Central Division lead. Upon returning home, a large Comiskey Park crowd greeted them with a standing ovation. The Sox would win that game against the Boston Red Sox and pull out to a double-digit division lead. The lead was good enough, and the Sox won an AL-best 95-67 record to capture the AL Central title, and earn a trip to the postseason. In the Division Series, the White Sox faced the Seattle Mariners. In Game 1, at Comiskey Park, the Sox rallied from a 3-0 deficit to take a 4-3 lead on Ray Durham’s solo homer and Magglio Ordoñez’ RBI triple. However, after the M’s tied the score and sent the game into extra innings, Edgar Martinez and John Olerud hit back-to-back home runs off closer to Keith Foulke to edge the Sox, 7-4. The Mariners would also win Game 2 to take a 2-0 series lead to Seattle. In Game 3, James Baldwin, pitching with a sore arm, threw six solid innings, but a squeeze bunt by pinch-hitter Carlos Guillen scored the winning run in the bottom of the 9th inning as the Mariners completed the sweep.

2001:The White Sox get off to a slow start as they are hampered with controversy and injuries. In the off-season, the Sox hoped to land the final piece of a Championship team by acquiring David Wells form the Toronto Blue Jays. However, the deal would turn into a big bust as Wells struggled with his weight and injuries all season. Making matters worse for the struggling Sox Wells questioned the legitimacy of Frank Thomas’ injury. However, Wells would end up with egg on his face when Thomas was forced to end his season before May with surgery on his right triceps muscle. The Sox would fall ten games below .500, and out of the race, Wells would also be lost due to injury in the middle of the season. After the loss of Wells, the Sox seemed to play better, and would finish the season with an 83-79 record, landed them in third place.

2002:Through the first five weeks of the season, the White Sox appeared set to challenge for the American League Central holding a record of 21-13. The White Sox would struggle most of the next two and half months, falling as far ten games below .500 while all hopes of the playoffs vanished. However, the Sox would end the season on a strong note landing in 2nd place with an 81-81 record, as Mark Buehrle won 19 games.

2003:With the hopes of winning the American League Central, the White Sox bolstered their pitching staff by acquiring Bartolo Colon from the Montreal Expos, while acquiring reigning AL Fireman Billy Koch from the Oakland Athletics in exchange for Keith Foulke. Unfortunately for the Chisox, both would have disappointing seasons; Colon would sport a mediocre 15-13 record. At the same time, Koch struggled all season-saving just 11 games while posting a horrible 5.77 ERA, as Foulke added insult to injury by winning the fireman award in Oakland. However, all was not lost for the White Sox pitching staff as Esteban Loaiza, a non-roster invitee to Spring Training, had a career year, posting a 21-9 record with a solid 2.90 ERA while finishing second in the Cy Young voting. While Loaiza led the way on the mound, the White Sox offense was led by Frank Thomas, who rebounded from a disappointing 2002 season to hit 42 homers and drive in 105 RBI. While Thomas was bouncing back, Paul Konerko was scuffling hitting around .200 for most of the season, as the White Sox hovered around .500 almost all season. After the All-Star Game, held at US Cellular Field, the White Sox went on a run winning 17 of 22 games, which would put them in a three-way race for the division title. However, the Chisox could never quite get over the hump as they settled for second place with a record of 86-76. Following the season, the White Sox would fire manager Jerry Manuel, replacing him with former fan favorite Ozzie Guillen, who played shortstop for the White Sox over a decade.

2004:With Paul Konerko leading the way with 41 home runs, balls were flying out of US Cellular Field all season as the White Sox hit 242 home runs tying the New York Yankees for the most in all of baseball, as six Sox hit 20 or more home runs. To improve the pitching staff, the White Sox would acquire Freddy Garcia in a trade with the Seattle Mariners, giving them a true ace at the top of their young pitching staff. The power-hitting ChiSox seemed ready to make a run for the division title when disaster struck as the season reached the midway as both Frank Thomas and Magglio Ordoñez were lost to season-ending injuries. Without Thomas and Ordoñez, the White Sox would struggle through most of the summer posting losing records in June, July, and August as they fell nine games short of the division title with an 83-79 record that landed them in second place for the third straight year.

2005: Heading into the season, not much was expected from the White Sox, as Magglio Ordoñez was allowed to walk away as a free agent, while slugger Carlos Lee was traded to the Milwaukee Brewers for the speedy Scott Podsednik. Not much attention was paid to the Free Agent signings of Jermaine Dye, Orlando Hernandez, and AJ Pierzynski. However, right away, the chemistry clicked as the new reliance on speed, defense, and strong starting pitching helped the Sox break out of the gate, quickly winning 16 of their first 20 games to establish a lead in the AL Central. Through May and June, the lead expanded 15 and a half games. Still leading by 15 games with a 69-35 record on August 1st, the dog days of August would have a mean bite as the Sox went into a sudden tailspin at one point, losing seven straight. At the same time, the Cleveland Indians on second-half surge began to cut away at the White Sox lead. The Sox lead would be trimmed down to one and a half games as the struggles continued in September. Going into the final game, fans and the National Media were expecting the White Sox to choke as some were comparing them to the 1964 Phillies. Still, somehow the White Sox didn’t follow the script. Instead of folding the final week, finished strong, winning eight of their last ten games, including a three-game series sweep of the Indians. The White Sox won the Central Division as they finished the season with a 99-63 record, which helped Ozzie Guillen win the manager of the Year Award. Beating the Indians in the final three games allowed the defending Champion Boston Red Sox to back into the playoffs. In 2004 the Red Sox ended 86 years of World Series frustration with a memorable playoff run. If the White Sox were to end their 88 years of futility, they would have to start by dethroning the Champs, who was a heavy favorite despite the White Sox having the best record in the American League. Game 1 of the ALDS would end up being a statement as the White Sox pounded the Red Sox 14-2 led by two homers from AJ Pierzynski and a three-run homer by Scott Podsednik who didn’t hit a single home run during the regular season. Game 2 would be entirely different as Boston jumped out to an early 4-0 over Mark Buehrle. Buhrle would settle down the rest of the way as the White Sox rallied in the fifth inning as they took advantage of a Tony Graffanino error by scoring five runs capped off by a three-run homer from Tadahito Iguchi. With the game on the line hard-throwing, Bobby Jenks, who took over the closer role in the final weeks, nailed down a two-inning save to send the White Sox to Boston leading 2-0. Game 3 would go back and forth as the White Sox held a 4-2 lead in the sixth inning. The Red Sox looked poised to explode as Manny Ramirez led off with a Home Run to cut the lead to 4-3 and loaded the bases with nobody out. Hoping just to prevent the Red Sox from taking the lead, Orlando Hernandez was brought into relieving Damaso Marte, who didn’t retire a batter. However, El Duque would top all expectations first, getting Jason Veritek to pop up to first, then getting Graffanino to pop up to short, and striking out Johnny Damon to hold the lead. The White Sox would get an insurance run while the Red Sox would not threaten again as the White Sox won their first playoff series since 1917 with a three-game sweep over the Red Sox.

2005: In the ALCS against the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim the White Sox again would be an underdog, dropping Game 1 against at home 3-2 didn’t help matters as the Angels pitchers frustrated the Sox all day despite playing in 3 different time zones in three straight days. Game 2 would see the White Sox hitters frustrated again as 4 Angels pitchers held the Sox to just a first-inning run. However, Mark Buehrle held the Angels in check, and the score was tied 1-1 heading to the bottom of the 9th when fate finally smiled on the Southside. With Carl Everett and Aaron Rowand striking out to start the ending, Angels Reliever Kelvim Escobar struck out the side by getting AJ Pierzynski swinging at a ball in the dirt. Homeplate umpire Doug Eddings would rule that Catcher Josh Paul didn’t hold onto the ball as Pierzynski ran down the line and was safe at first. After the Angels argued pinch runner, Pablo Ozuna stole second then scored the winning run on Joe Crede’s double. As the series shifted to Anaheim, the bat of Paul Konerko would make noise as his three RBI would be the difference as Jon Garland got a complete game of 5-2. Konerko again would get the Sox offense off to a fast start in Game 4 with another two-run homer and three RBI game as the Sox won 8-2 behind a third straight complete game this time turned in by Freddy Garcia. Leading the series 3-1, the White Sox would be the first team since the 1927 Yankees to have four straight Postseason Complete Games as Jose Contreras rebounded from a Game 1 loss by beating the Angels 6-3 to send the Sox to the Fall Classic as Konerko was named ALCS MVP. After nearly a week off, the White Sox played host to the first World Series Game in Chicago since 1959 when the Go-Go Sox lost the Los Angeles Dodgers in six games. This time their opponent would be the Houston Astros who were making their first-ever appearance in the Fall Classic. Game 1 would see Jose Contreras on the mound again as Joe Crede provided the big hit with a solo HR in the fourth inning of a 5-3 win as Closer Bobby Jenks didn’t show any rust after not pitching in two weeks striking out three of the four batters he faced. Game 2 would be a different game as the offenses were the story with Mark Buehrle struggling, allowing four runs in seven innings. However, the Sox would suddenly find themselves with a 6-4 lead a Paul Konerko hit a dramatic two-out Grand Slam in the seventh inning. However, Jenks could not close out the game as Jose Vizcaino tied the game with a 2-out single. In the bottom of the ninth, the Sox would quickly recover as Scott Podsednik, who had no Homer Run in the regular season, won the game with a walk-off homer off Astros ace closer Brad Lidge. As the series shifted to Houston, the Astros were rejuvenated, jumping out to a 4-0 lead in Game 3. However, the Sox would rally to take a 5-5 lead with a five-run fifth. The Astros would tie the game as the teams battled late into the Houston night before former Astro Geoff Blum gave the Sox a 7-5 lead in the 14th inning with a two-run homer. From there, the Sox used Damaso Marte and Mark Buehrle to close out the win. Leading 3-0 even Cub fans had to be pinching themselves, could Chicago finally be home to baseball’s World Champs? Game 4 would be a pitcher’s duel as neither team could break through Freddy Garcia or Brandon Backe. In the 8th Inning, Backe, who was pinch-hit for by Jeff Bagwell, was relieved by Brad Lidge, who struggled again as World Series MVP Jermaine Dye drove in the game’s lone run. In the ninth inning, it would be Bobby Jenks on the hill to end 88 years of Chicago frustration as Juan Uribe made two stellar plays for the final two outs. In the glorious aftermath, Manager Ozzie Guillen became the new King of Chicago, while the entire team was celebrated with a parade.

2006: Coming off their first World Championship in 88 years there were high hopes for an encore on the South Side, as the White Sox if anything improved themselves by acquiring Jim Thome in a trade with the Philadelphia Phillies for Aaron Rowand to replace Frank Thomas who ended his 16 years in Chicago on the Disabled List while taking parting shots at GM Kenny Williams. The White Sox also acquired more starting pitching landing Javier Vazquez from the Arizona Diamondbacks in exchange for Orlando Hernandez, Luis Vizcaino, and prospect Chris Young. While Thome lived up to and beyond expectations, with 42 homers and 109 RBI, Vazquez was a disappointment with a record of 11-12 and a high 4.84 ERA. The White Sox season started well as they posted a 17-7 record in April. The Sox would also put together a winning May as their first battle with the cross-town Cubs featured a battle of catchers as the Cubs Michael Barrett and AJ Pierzynski. The Sox continued to play well until the All-Star Break as they battled the Detroit Tigers for the Division lead and the best overall record in the American League at 57-31. The definitive pitching star of the first half was Jose Contreras, who had a 9-0 record. Contreras’ winning streak would come to an end on July 14th with a loss to the New York Yankees as the Sox started the second half by getting swept in the Bronx. The Sweep in the Bronx would single bad things to come for the White Sox as they lost 11 of 13, as the Tigers pulled away in the Central. Worse off a three-game sweep at the hands of the Minnesota Twins had the Sox now fighting for the Wild Card. The White Sox would rebound in August, taking two of three for the Yankees and sweeping the Tigers at US Cellular Field. The hard-charging Twins had turned the race for the division and the Wild Card into a three-team race. Needing every possible win, the Sox started September on the wrong foot losing two of three to the lowly Kansas City Royals. The Sox continued to play mediocre baseball the next two weeks when their season was delivered a Big Hurt by Frank Thomas now with the Oakland Athletics, who looked like his MVP days of the early ’90s hammered the White Sox with seeming glee in a three-game sweep. The Sox would never recover as Contreras was shut down the final two weeks with a hamstring injury and a 4-9 second-half record as the White Sox limped to the finish line with a 12-16 September they finished in third place with a record of 90-72.

2007: After their disappointing finish, the White Sox entered the season, hoping to regain the crown, as they still had much of their 2005 team intact as they battled one of the toughest divisions in baseball. For much of the first month, the White Sox would play mediocre baseball as they posted a 12-11 record. One early highlight had fans feeling reliving the run of 2005 as Mark Buhrle hurled a No-Hitter on April 18th in a 6-0 win over the Texas Rangers. The White Sox continued to hover around .500 through May. As the month came to an end, the bottom started to fall out. The White Sox hitting slump seemed to be contagious, with the same players who all clicked two years earlier, seemingly perplexed by how to hit a baseball as they ranked last in the American League on average and runs. Chicago ended the month on a five-game losing streak that carried over into June, with the Sox falling below .500 with a 5-22 stretch, that saw the White Sox drop five of six to the rivals from the North Side. The White Sox would never recover from the June swoon as they resigned themselves to a lost season as they traded some of their World Series heroes, including Scott Podsednik and Tadahito Iguchi. While they made sure they locked up Buhrele to a long-term extension. August would bring more pain to the South Side, as a frustrated Ozzie Guillen ripped his team publically, as they dropped into last place with a stretch where they lost 18 of 21. One positive was the Sox ability to hold the lead whenever they got one. Closer Bobby Jenks was untouchable, saving 40 games, while at one stretch retiring an American League record 41 straight batters. The Sox would escape embarrassment by avoiding last place with a solid September. It was highlighted by Jim Thome’s dramatic 500th career homer, as he became the first player to achieve the historic milestone with a walk-off home run in the Sox September 9th win over the Los Angeles Angels. However, their 72-90 season was still a crushing disappointment.

2008: After a 90-loss season, the White Sox began the season just hoping to get back into the thick of the race at the top of the American League Central Division. Despite a seven-game losing streak in early May, the Sox looked well on their way to a rebound season as they spent much of April and May in first place. The Sox would get even better in June, as they posted a solid 17-10 record and ended the month with a two-game division lead. One of the reasons behind the White Sox strong play was Carlos Quentin, who was acquired from the Arizona Diamondbacks for Christopher Carter, a minor league prospect. Quentin was in serious discussion all season to be the American League MVP as he led the American League in homers through August 18th with 35, while ranking third with 96 RBI. On September 3rd, after slamming his bat in frustration during a 4-2 win over the Cleveland Indians on the road, Quentin was lost for the season with a fractured wrist. Without Quentin, the White Sox had to rely on their other players, like rookie Alexei Ramirez, a Cuban defector who finished second in rookie of the year voting, with a knack of delivering with the bases loaded, and future Hall of Famer Ken Griffey Jr., who was acquired at the trade deadline to keep pace with the Minnesota Twins. Leading by two and a half games, the Sox just needed one win in Minnesota to control their own destiny to win the Central Division. However, they would lose all three games and found themselves reeling down a half-game with just three to play. Despite losing two straight games to the Indians, the Sox still were breathing; down a half-game entering the final day of the regular season, a win would mean their season would continue no matter what as an early rainout against the Detroit Tigers was set to be played if the Sox and Twins remained within a half-game of each other. A 5-1 win over the Tribe would set up that extra day, as the Tigers who ended the season in a tailspin that saw them finish in last place was forced to return to Chicago to give the Sox a complete 162-game season. A win and they would host the Twins in a one-game playoff, while a loss meant they would go home. Down 2-1 in the sixth inning, the Sox would rally, as Alexei Ramirez hit his fourth grand slam of the season, setting a new record for rookies, as the White Sox ended the regular season with a record of 88-74; in a flat-footed tie with the Twins. The division tiebreaker at US Cellular Field would be a classic pitcher’s duel as Sox pitcher John Danks and Nick Blackburn of the Twins gave out nothing but zeroes through the first six innings. In the seventh Inning the White Sox finally broke through as Jim Thome homered to Center Field, Danks would continue to deliver zeroes as he allowed just two hits in eight innings, before handing the ball off Bobby Jenks. The latter pitched a perfect ninth as the Sox won the division 1-0. There would not time to celebrate as just two days later. They began the ALDS against the Tampa Bay Rays. With Javier Vazquez on the mound the White Sox found themselves in an early hole Evan Longoria homered in the second inning, the Sox would quickly get it back as Dewayne Wise hit a three-run homer in the third inning. However, the Rays would come storming back in the bottom of the inning, as Longoria homered again to give the Rays the lead for good as they went on to win the opener 6-4. After a 6-2 loss in Game 2, dropped them into a 2-0 hole, the Sox returned home and gave the ball to John Danks to keep their hopes alive. Danks would deliver again, getting the win 5-3, while pitching into the seventh inning. It was not enough as the Rays closed the series in four games, with a 6-2 win in Game 4.

2009: Coming off a divisional title, the White Sox played mediocre baseball as they posted an 11-10 record during April. The Sox would not improve much off their sluggish start, as they played .500 baseball over the next two months. In an attempt to improve the team, the White Sox had a deal to acquire San Diego Padres ace Jake Peavy in place. However, when the deal was first worked out, Peavy refused to waive his no-trade clause. Eventually, the Padres and White Sox would talk deal again, as the trade deadline approached. This time Peavy would agree to come to the Southside and joined the White Sox on July 31st, as Aaron Poreda, Clayton Richard, Adam Russell, and Dexter Carter went to San Diego in return. Due to a tendon injury in his ankle, Peavy would come to the White Sox while on the disabled list. Peavy would make just three starts for the White Sox, posting a 3-0 record with a 1.35 ERA. A week before the Sox acquired Peavy, they made news on the mound of a different factor, as Mark Buhrle pitched his second career no-hitter on July 23rd. This time it would be a Perfect Game, as he retired all 27 batters he faced in blanking the Tampa Bay Rays 5-0, as defensive replacement DeWayne Wise made a terrific wall-climbing catch in Centerfield to steal a home run from Gabe Kapler in the 9th inning. The win allowed the White Sox to move into a tie for first place with the Detroit Tigers. However, it would not last as the Sox were swept by the Tigers in a doubleheader in Detroit one day later. In his next start, Buhrle would set a new record by retiring 45 straight batters. However, the Minnesota Twins would beat Buhrle and the Sox 5-3. In August, the White Sox would struggle to post an 11-17 record as they faded out of the race on the way to finishing in third place the Central Division with a record of 79-83.

2010: After a disappointing season, the White Sox rebound as they underwent several roster changes, including the departure of 2005 World Series MVP Jermaine Dye, who retired after the Sox declined to pick up his option. Opening Day on the Southside was positive for the Sox, as they beat the Cleveland Indians 6-0 behind a strong effort from Mark Buehrle. However, they would drop their next four games, as they struggled in April with a record of 9-14. One player that excelled in April was Paul Konerko, who hit a team record 11 home runs in the first month. May would bring more frustration for the White Sox, as their bullpen struggled, blowing several late leads, as they entered June in third place with a record of 22-28. As June began, the Sox continue to struggle as they were nine games below .500 at 24-33 on June 8th. At the same time, the Sox went into a power slump, going eight straight games without a home run. However, a funny thing happened in the power outage, the Sox started to win, winning seven of eight games during the homerless streak. On June 22nd, the power slump ended when Carlos Quintana blasted a three-run home run against the Atlanta Braves. The win was part of an 11-game winning streak, as the White Sox excelled in interleague play, helping them post an 18-9 record in June. The Sox continued their strong play in July, as they won eight straight games heading into the All-Star Break to take over first place in the American League Central Division. Coming out of the break, the White Sox faced the Minnesota Twins in a critical four-game series at Target Field. The Sox would win the opener 8-7, but lost the next three, as their bullpen faltered, blowing a 6-3 lead in the ninth inning of the series finale on July 18th. Despite their continued bullpen problems, the White Sox had another strong month in July, posting an 18-8 record, as they won 12 of 13 games at home. As August began, the White Sox were still in first place as they faced a crucial series against the Twins at US Cellular Field, entering the series, which started on August 10th, the Sox, and Twins were in a flat-footed tie. The Twins would take two of three, ending the Sox streak of seven straight home series wins. It would be the last time they were first place, as the Sox bullpen continued to fail in big spots against the Detroit Tigers. The Sox would lose two of three in Minnesota a week later, as they posted a 14-15 record and ended the month four games out of first. The Sox would never get any closer as they suffered an eight-game losing streak in September, suffering back to back sweeps at home against the Twins and Tigers. With the playoffs out of reach, the White Sox would end the season on a strong note, as they won nine of their last 11 games to finish in second place with a solid 88-74 record.

2011:Hoping to add more power to the lineup the White Sox signed Adam Dunn to a four-year contract worth $56 million. At the same time, they re-signed both 1B Paul Konerko and catcher AJ Pierzynski. On Opening Day, the White Sox showed their muscle as they beat the Cleveland Indians 15-10, as they took their first two games on the road. However, before their home opener, the Sox started to hit some bumps in the road, as Adam Dunn was briefly out of the lineup after an emergency appendectomy. Despite the setback, the White Sox would come home with a 3-2 record as they defeated the Tampa Bay Rays 5-1 on the way to a 6-3 start. However, things quickly began to unravel for the pale hose, as their bullpen proved to be unreliable, as they struggled to find a new closer to replacing Bobby Jenks, who departed after not being given a tender offer for the 2011 season. The White Sox bullpen would blow six saves in April as they posted a terrible 10-18 record. In May, things would not get much better, as the Sox were no-hit at home by Francisco Liriano of the Minnesota Twins 1-0 on May 3rd. Holding an 11-21 record, the White Sox appeared to get back on track with a solid 6-3 record on a West Coast trip. The White Sox would end May on a high note as they swept the Boston Red Sox at Fenway Park to improve to 27-31 on June 1st. With a 1-0 win over the Chicago Cubs at Wrigley on July 2nd, the White Sox got back to .500, as Phillip Humber outdueled Matt Garza. It would be a breakout season for Humber, who, after years of bouncing around between AAA and the majors, finally had a full season in the majors and posted a 9-9 record with a solid 3.75 ERA. Meanwhile, it would not be such a good a season for the White Sox big off-season signing, as Adam Dunn, who missed a few games early in the season, had an utterly miserable season, hitting just 11 home runs, with 42 RBI as he batted a measly .159. After reaching .500 just before the 4th of July, the White Sox hovered around .500 for the rest of July, never peaking above the break-even mark. In August, the White Sox would struggle at home, posting a 7-9 record at US Cellular Field, which included a gut-wrenching four-game sweep at the hands of the New York Yankees. The White Sox would soar on the road, as they finally climbed above .500 on August 27th with a 3-0 win over the Seattle Mariners, as they ended the month within reach of the first-place Detroit Tigers. They sat in second place with a record of 68-66, just six games out of first entering a three-game Labor Day weekend series in Detroit. It would be the White Sox pitchers who would labor all weekend, as the Tigers put the White Sox away with a three-game sweep, as they were outscored 35-11. Ten days later, it was more of the same in the return series on the Southside, as the Sox again were swept by the Tigers, as they were outscored 25-9 in three games. The series would be the start of a seven-game losing streak as the White Sox slipped into third place and went on to finish with a record of 79-83. Finishing the season against the Toronto Blue Jays, the White Sox and manager Ozzie Guillen parted ways. They allowed the skipper that won the 2005 World Series, ending an 88-year drought in Chicago signed a contract with the Miami Marlins, as Don Cooper managed the final two games of the season. Following the season, the White Sox would hire former All-Star Robin Ventura to be their new manager.

2012:With Robin Ventura taking over as manager of the White Sox, there were changes all over the Southside as Mark Buehrle joined Ozzie Guillen with the Miami Marlins, and Carlos Quentin was traded to the San Diego Padres. The White Sox consequently had several small signing and entered the season without expectations, as Ventura had never managed at any level. The White Sox played well early in the season, winning five of their first seven games. A five-game losing streak erased their early momentum as they finished April with a record of 11-11. One early highlight came on April 21st when Philip Humber threw a perfect game against the Seattle Mariners in a 4-0 win at Safeco Field. Another April star was Paul Konerko, who batted .383 with five home runs and 15 RBI as he hit his 400th career home run on April 25th against the Oakland Athletics. After struggling in the early part of May, the White Sox played their best baseball of the season, winning 13 of 14 games, including a sweep of the Cubs at Wrigley Field to take over first place in the American League Central. Despite struggling at times, the White Sox remained in first place until the All-Star Break as they held a three-game lead over the Detroit Tigers, with a record of 47-38. IN June, the White Sox add some power to the lineup as they acquired Kevin Youkilis from the Boston Red Sox for Brent Lillibridge and Zach Stewart. After the break, the White Sox would hit another rough patch, suffering a five-game losing streak against the Boston Red Sox and Detroit Tigers, which saw them slip into second place. However, they would quickly recover, ending July with six wins in eight games to retake command of the Central Division. Hoping to strengthen their pitching staff, the White Sox were active leading up to the trade deadline, picking up Brett Meyers in a trade from the Houston Astros and Francisco Liriano in a trade from the Minnesota Twins. The White Sox would have a strong August as they continued to stay in front of the Tigers. Helping to boost the Tigers was Adam Dunn, who joined Konerko in the 400 home run club, with an August 18th blast against the Kansas City Royals. Dunn would see his power bat return after an awful 2011, as he led the team with 41 home runs and 96 RBI. Dunn and Paul Konerko were the first teammates to hit their 400th home run in the same season. The White Sox would have plenty of power throughout the lineup as Konerko A. J. Pierzynski, Alex Rios, and Dayan Viciedo all had at least 25 homers. However, when facing the Tigers head to head, the Sox struggled, losing 12 of 18 games, this would take its toll as they were swept by the Tigers again to lose their divisional lead over Labor Day Weekend. Despite their struggles against the Tigers, the White Sox had a three-game lead as late as September 18th. Over the next 12 days, the Sox would lose ten games as the Tigers surged to a second straight division title. The White Sox would finish the season with a record of 85-77, settling for second place.

2013:After challenging the division title, the White Sox looked to stay competitive in the American League Central while beginning to retool for the future as several key players started to depart, including Catcher AJ Pierzynski was a crucial part of the 2005 Championship team. The White Sox started the season strong as Chris Sale blanked the Kansas City Royals 1-0 as they won both opening series at US Cellular Field. However, when the White Sox hit the road, they began to sputter as they were swept by the Washington Nationals. The Sox posted a 3-8 record away from their Southside home, as they finished April with a record of 10-15. Chris Sale would be got off to a strong start, winning five of his first seven decisions, including back to back 3-0 wins over the Los Angeles Angels in May, one of which was a complete game one-hitter on May 12th. However, the White Sox themselves were held to one hit just a few days earlier loss to the New York Mets 1-0 in ten innings in their first-ever road trip to Flushing. The White Sox hitting woes would soon become the story of the season, as Sale, who was the team’s ace, often pitched in hard luck and finished the season with a record of 11-14 despite a solid ERA of 3.01. The White Sox ranked last or next to last in several major hitting categories, including runs scored. Only one player had more than 20 home runs and more than 65 RBI, and that was Adam Dunn, who led the team with 34 homers and 82 RBI, but of course, his .218 average underscored the unreliability of the Sox lineup. The White Sox season would begin to unravel on Memorial Day as they were blanked at home by the Chicago Cubs 7-0, staring an eight-game losing streak. The White Sox would lose all four games to the neighbors to the north as they posted a 16-46 record between May 27th and August 4th. Long losing streaks became the hallmark of the White Sox as they suffered streaks of eight, ten, and nine during the season often coming as one month became another. The Sox would suffer a 7-21 mark in September, as they narrowly avoided a 100 loss season by finishing in last place with a record of 63-99. Even loyal play by play announcer Ken Harrelson declared how much he hated the team as their struggles led to US Cellular Field looking like a ghost town at the end of the season.

2014:Looking to rebound off a terrible season, the Chicago White Sox started the season with a 5-3 win over the Minnesota Twins, as Chris Sale earned the win. Sale, who pitched in hard luck in 2013, would win his first three starts in April, but soon landed on the disabled list with a sore elbow, missing a month of action. The White Sox would play solid baseball through most of April, posting a record of 14-15. Another player getting off to a big start for the White Sox was Rookie Jose Abreu. A member of the Cuban National team, Abreu signed a six-year contract with the Chicago White Sox worth $68 million after defecting to the Dominican Republic and becoming an international free agent in 2013. Jose Abreu would set records for most home runs with ten and RBI with 31 for a player in his first month in the big leagues. During Jose Abreu’s first season, the only bump in the road was a two-week stint on the Disabled List at the end of May with a sore ankle. Abreu would win the Player of the Month and Rookie of the Month in April and July, adding Rookie of the Month in June. Abreu would make the All-Star team along with Chris Sale and Alexei Ramirez, leading the American League 29 homers along with 73 RBI and an average of .292. At the break, the White Sox hanging on at the fringe of the playoff race with a record of 45-51. Chris Sale returned from his month-long stint on the disabled list as was the White Sox’s most reliable starter taking an 8-1 record and 2.08 ERA into the All-Star break. Sale would finish the season with a 12-4 record and a 2.17 ERA and finished third in voting for the American League Cy Young. August would see the White Sox playoff hopes fade away, as they endured a team-wide slump, posting a record of 9-19. Even Jose Abreu struggled to match his power numbers in the second half of the season, finishing the year with 36 home runs and 107 RBI. Abreu would finish the season with an average of .317 and would be the unanimous choice for Rookie of the Year in the American League. As August came to an end, the White Sox would deal away Alejandro De Aza and Adam Dunn. Before leaving the Southside, Dunn would hit 20 home runs with 54 RBI in the final season of his career. The White Sox bullpen would once again be a sore spot as Jake Petricka led the team with 14 saves. The White Sox would finish the season with a record of 73-89, placing fourth in the American League Central Division. As the season came to an end, so did the career of White Sox captain Paul Konerko, who spent 16 years on the Southside and was a vital member of the 2005 Championship team.

2015:After making a ten-game improvement, the Chicago White Sox looked to get back in playoff contention by focusing on the struggling bullpen as David Robertson signed a four-year deal worth $46 million. Robertson was coming off a successful season with the New York Yankees saving 39 games after replacing the legendary Mariano Rivera. The Sox had to replace their legend with the retirement of Paul Konerko, which they did by signing Adam LaRoche to a two-year deal worth $25 million. Additionally, the White Sox signed Melky Cabrera to a three-year, $42 million contract. At the same time, they acquired starter Jeff Samardzija and Michael Ynoa from the Oakland Athletics for Marcus Semien, Rangel Ravelo, Josh Phegley, and Chris Bassitt. David Robertson had a solid season, saving 34 games while posting a record of 6-5 with an ERA of 3.41. However, Samardzija had an underwhelming season posting a record of 11-13 with an inflated ERA of 4.96. Melky Cabrera had a workmanlike .273 average with 12 home runs and 77 RBI at the top of the lineup, while Adam LaRoche was a major disappointment hitting just 12 home runs with 44 RBI and an awful average of .207. The Chisox got off to a sluggish start, losing their first four games, as they ended April with a record of 8-11. After a mediocre 15-15 May, the White Sox struggled in June, posting a record of 10-16 to bounce back and reverse it with a 16-10 record in July. Such would be the theme of the White Sox season as the muddled along to finish in fourth place with a record of 76-86. Chris Sale was the star of the White Sox once again, posting a record of 13-11 with an ERA of 3.41 as he set a new team record for 274 strikeouts in the season. The leading hitter on the Southside was Jose Abreau, who followed up his Rookie of the Year season by hitting .290 with 30 home runs and 101 RBI.

2016:While fans on the Northside were excited over the prospects of the Cubs, fans on the Southside had plenty to cheer in April as the Chicago White Sox got off to a fast start, winning eight of their first ten games. The White Sox would finish April atop the American League Central, as they posted a record of 17-8. The Southsiders continued to play solid baseball into May, as they built a six-game lead for first place while holding a record of 23-10 on May 9th. A key to the White Sox earl success was Chris Sale, who was dominant early in the season, winning his first nine starts. However, the Sox great start was more of a mirage than anything, as they quickly unraveled losing 15 of their last 20 games in May, losing their grip on first place. The White Sox continued to slide in June, dipping below .500 as they started the month at 5-11. Despite the Sox struggles, Chris Sale continued his strong efforts on the mound, as he held a record of 14-3, with an ERA of 3.38. Sale would go on to start the All-Star Game in San Diego for the American League. Hoping to give Chris Sale some backup on the mound, the White Sox acquired James Shields from the San Diego Padres in early June. Shields pitched poorly after the deal, posting a record of 4-12 with a 6.77 ERA in the 114.1 innings after coming to Chicago. After holding 45-43 record at the break, the bottom fell out for the White Sox, as they lost seven of eight. Things would take a bizarre turn for the White Sox on July 23rd when Chris Sale took a scissor and destroyed the 1970’s “Leisure Suit” throwback uniforms the team was scheduled to wear against the Detroit Tigers. The Sox would win their next four games after the Sale incident, including two games against the Cubs at US Cellular Field. The White Sox would suspend Chris Sale for insubordination and attempted to deal with their ace at the trade deadline but found no satisfactory offers. Despite lowering his ERA, Sale struggled the rest of the season and finished the year with a record of 17-10, with a 3.34 ERA, while record 233 strikeouts. The White Sox got good power production in the middle of the lineup as Todd Frazier hit a team-best 40 home runs with 98 RBI, while Jose Abreu had 25 homers and 100 RBI while batting .293. The lack of success for Chris Sale was reflected on the rest of the White Sox as they suffered their fourth straight losing season, finishing in fourth place with a record of 78-84. This would lead to manager Robin Ventura being replaced at the end of the season by former Cubs manager Rick Renteria.

2017:A name change to the stadium was symbolic for the Chicago White Sox, as Guaranteed Rate Field included a logo with an arrow pointing down. This seemed to fit with the plan as they White traded Chris Sale to the Boston Red Sox as part of a rebuilding plan, getting prospects Luis Alexander, Basabe, Víctor Diaz, Michael Kopech, and Yoan Moncada in return. The Sox also traded away Adam Eaton to the Washington Nationals for pitching prospects Dane Dunning, Lucas Giolito, and Reynaldo López. Despite the doom and gloom, fans had to enter the season; a six-game winning streak at the end of April had them briefly in first place under new manager Rick Renteria. As May arrived, so did the reality of a team that was rebuilding as the White Sox slipped below .500 for the remainder of the season. The White Sox won just six games in July as they shed several big contracts as the trade deadline approached. The most stunning deal came right after the All-Star Break when they sent their top starter Jose Quintana to the Chicago Cubs for Dylan Cease, Bryant Flete, Eloy Jimenez, and Matt Rose. A few days later, they sent Todd Frazier, and relievers Tommy Kahnle and David Robertson to the New York Yankees for Ian Clarkin, Tito Polo, Blake Rutherford, and Tyler Clippard. Some of the players that will make up the core group of the White Sox came up in September and helped the White Sox finish the season strong as they crawled out of the basement and finished in fourth place with a record of 67-95. Players like Yoan Moncada, who hit eight home runs in 54 games. On August 27th Lucas Giolito earned his first major league win as the White Sox beat the Detroit Tigers 7-1, while Reynold Lopez earned three wins in the final month. One player who was a bright spot in an otherwise bleak season all season was Jose Abreu, who hit .304 with 35 home runs and 102 RBI.

2018:The Chicago White Sox were a full season removed from tearing everything down to the wire in a full-blown rebuild. The White Sox hope the players they got in the Chris Sale trade would help turn things around. However, Lucas Giolito, and Yoan Moncada, along with homegrown prospect Tim Anderson had their struggles. Moncada had a strikeout rate at the top of MLB at 217, with 17 home runs and 61 RBI. The same went for Lucas Giolito, who was statistically the worst pitcher in MLB at 10-13 with a 6.13 ERA. The White Sox finished the season with a 62-100 record, in the historically lousy AL Central, finishing fourth. Even Jose Abreu had a down year with 22 home runs and 78 RBI. A lot of it had to do with the talent around him. Opposing pitchers were able to attack him; however, they wanted to know that there was little to no protection of him in the White Sox starting lineup. One of the major highlights of the dreadful season was when they called up starting pitcher Michael Kopech from the AAA Charlotte. Kopech came to the Chicago White Sox in the Sale trade. He got his first career start towards the end of that season. He was a little up and down to start, but he showed the fireball arm he has could be effective in the MLB. Unfortunately, in a season of disappointments, Kopech made just four starts before the Chisox were forced to shut him down for the end of the season and the entire 2019 season because he underwent Tommy John surgery.

Written by Vinnie Parise

2019:The Chicago White Sox started the season, still recovering from their perceived failure from the off-season. The entire winter was spent trying to recruit Manny Machado to come to play on the South Side. In the end, Machado shockingly chose to take his talents to the San Diego Padres, leaving the White Sox with Yonder Alonso and Jon Jay. It was a little bit of an embarrassment for White Sox fans, but the show had to go on. If the White Sox were going to be successful, they would need the young stars that underwhelmed in 2018 to improve. Yoan Moncada moved from second base to third base, which changed everything. Moncada was better in the field, and he was better at the plate, finishing third in the American League with a .315 average. One of the players ahead of him was Tim Anderson, who won the batting title with an MLB best average of .335. Jose Abreu bounced back from an underwhelming year, hitting 36 home runs with 123 RBI. Abreu would earn a contract extension for his efforts. James McCann also came to Chicago and made even more of a name for himself. He was sort of just there at the beginning of the year before he started to go off. McCann represented the White Sox at the All-Star Game, with 18 home runs and 60 RBI while batting .273. The most fun story of the season had to be the play of Eloy Jimenez. Jimenez casually hit over 30 home runs as a rookie, while spending two somewhat lengthy stints on the injured list. The season could go down as the last year of the rebuild, as the White Sox showed signs of improvement by finishing with a record of 72-89.

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Ted Lyons

1923-1941, 1946

Thornton Lee

1937-1947

Mike Thresh

1938-1948

Taffy Wright

1940-1942, 1946-1948

Luke Appling

1930-1950

Chico Carraquel

1950-1955

Dick Donovan

1955-1960

Ted Kluszewski

1959-1960

First team with NOB

Billy Pierce

1949-1961

Minnie Minoso

1951-1957, 1960-1961, 1964,1976, 1980

Jim Rivera

1952-1961

Luis Aparicio

1956-1962, 1968-1970

1956 Rookie of the Year

Early Wynn

1958-1962

1959 Cy Young

Nellie Fox

1950-1963

1959 AL MVP

Luis Aparicio

1956-1962, 1968-1970

1956 Rookie of the Year

Early Wynn

1958-1962

1959 Cy Young

Nellie Fox

1950-1963

1959 AL MVP

Sherm Lollar

1952-1963

Jim Landis

1957-1964

Floyd Robinson

1960-1966

Al Weis

1962-1967

Tommie Agee

1965-1967

1966 Rookie of the Year

Hoyt Wilhelm

1963-1968

Al Lopez

MGR 1957-65, 1968-69

Gary Peters

1959-1969

1963 Rookie of the Year

Pete Ward

1963-1969

Joe Horlen

1961-1971

Tommy John

1965-1971

Dick Allen

1972-1974

1972 AL MVP

Bill Melton

1968-1975

Carlos May

1968-1976

Bill Veeck

Owner 1958-61, 76-80

Goose Gossage

1972-1976

Bucky Dent

1973-1976

Jim Spencer

1976-1977

Oscar Gamble

1977, 1985

Richie Zisk

1977

Wilbur Wood

1967-1978

Jorge Orta

1972-1979

Disco Demolition Nigh

Chet Lemon

1976-1981

Ed Farmer

1979-1981

La Marr Hoyt

1978-1984

1983 AL Cy Young

Greg Luzinski

1981-1984

Britt Burns

1978-1985

Tom Paciorek

1982-1985

Tony LaRussa

MGR 1979-198

Ron Kittle

1982-1986, 1989-1990

1983 Rookie of the Year

Julio Cruz

1983-1986

Tom Seaver

1984-1986

1985: 300th Career Win

Ozzie Guillen

1985 Rookie of the Year

Rich Dotson

1979-1987, 1989

Greg Walker

1982-1990

Carlton Fisk

1981-1993

Ivan Calderon

1986-1990, 1993

Bobby Thigpen

1986-1993

Bo Jackson

1991-1993

Jack McDowell

1987-1994

1993 AL Cy Young

Frank Thomas

1993 & 1994 AL MVP

Michael Jordan

1994 Baseball Career

Lance Johnson

1988-1995

Tim Raines

1991-1995

Alex Fernandez

1990-1996

Ozzie Guillen

1985-1997

Ron Karkovice

1986-1997

Wilson Alvarez

1991-1997

Roberto Hernandez

1991-1997

Robin Ventura

1989-1998

Jason Bere

1993-1998

Albert Belle

1997-1998

Harold Baines

1980-1989, 1996-1997, 2000-2001

James Baldwin

1995-2001

Ray Durham

1995-2002

Keith Foulke

1997-2002

Magglio Ordonez

1997-200

Carlos Lee

1999-2004

Jose Valentin

2000-2004

Esteban Loaiza

2003-2004

Frank Thomas

1990-2005

Aaron Rowand

2001-2005

Carl Everett

2003, 2004-2005

Jon Garland

2000-2007

Tadahito Iguchi

2005-2007

Joe Crede

2000-2008

Juan Uribe

2004-2008

Javier Vazquez

2006-2008

Jose Contreras

2004-2009

Jermaine Dye

2005-2009

2005 World Series MVP

Scott Podsednik

2005-2007, 2009

Jim Thome

2006-2009

500th Career HR

Freddy Garcia

2004-2006, 2009-2010

Bobby Jenks

2005-2010

Mark Buehrle

2000-2011

Ozzie Guillen

MGR 2004-2011

Carlos Quentin

2008-2011

Juan Pierre

2010-2011

Sergio Santos

2010-2011

A.J. Pierzynski

2005-2012

Brett Lillibridge

2009-2012

Phil Humber

2011-2012

Gavin Floyd

2007-2013

Jake Peavy

2009-2013

Alex Rios

2009-2013

Addison Reed

2011-2013

Paul Konerko

1999-2014

2005 ALCS MVP

Alejandro De Aza

2010-2014

Dayan Viciedo

2010-2014

Adam Dunn

2011-2014

Matt Lindstrom

2013-2014

Alexei Ramirez

2008-2015

Gordon Beckham

2009-2014, 2015

Tyler Flowers

2009-2015

Conor Gillaspie

2013-2015

Hector Noesi

2014-2015

Adam LaRoche

2015

Jeff Samardzija

2015

John Danks

2007-2016

Chris Sale

2010-2016

Adam Eaton

2014-2016

Jose Quintana

2012-2017

Jake Petricka

2013-2017

Melky Cabrera

2015-2017

David Robertson

2015-2017

Todd Frazier

2016-2017

Avisail Garcia

2013-2018

Matt Davidson

2016-2018

James Shields

2016-2018

Yolmer Sanchez

2015-2019

Jose Abreu

2014-Present

2014 Rookie of the Year

Carlos Rodon

2015-Present

Tim Anderson

2016-Present

Lucas Giolito

2016-Present

Reynaldo Lopez

2017-Present

Yoan Moncada

2017-Present

Daniel Palka

2018-Present

Michael Kopech

2018-Present

Alex Colome

2019-Present

James McCann

2019-Present

Eloy Jimenez

2019-Present

Dallas Kuechel

2020-Present

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Author

Frank Fleming
Frank Fleming founded the Sports Ecyclopedia in 2001 & is a passionate Devils fan.