StatManDu
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THIS DATE IN WHITE SOX HISTORY: MARCH 2ND
For more, see www.whitesoxalmanac.com
BAD NEWS FOR RAD
1994: The White Sox placed ailing reliever Scot Radinsky on the 60-day emergency disabled list. The left-hander, who had been a stalwart in the Sox pen since 1990, was disabled after he was diagnosed with Hodgkin’s disease prior to spring training. Radinsky would spend the 1994 season undergoing chemotherapy and radiation treatments at his home in Southern California. Radinsky came back in 1995 and appeared in 46 games for the Sox. He later pitched with the Dodgers, Cardinals and Indians before leaving the game in 2002.
PHILLIPS RETURNS
1996: Tony Phillips rejoined the White Sox at their spring training site in Sarasota, Fla., after unretiring. Phillips, slated to be the Sox leadoff hitter and left fielder, retired two days earlier citing family problems. "I wouldn't call it a comeback," Phillips said in the Chicago Tribune. "Actually, what really happened is I retired and went home and my wife said, `No, no.' " There was some speculation that Phillips left the game because he was disgruntled over a lowball salary despite a career year in 1995. Reports had Dusty Baker and Dave Stewart coaxing Phillips back to baseball.
A YANKEE DOODLE VICTORY
1997: The White Sox treated a crowd of 10,232 in Tampa to a 2-1 Grapefruit League win over the New York Yankees. The Sox improved to 2-1 in exhibitions, marking the only time all spring they would be above .500.
FINALLY, A WIN IN THE DESERT
1998: On their fifth try, the White Sox finally posted their first Cactus League victory and it couldn’t have come against a better opponent. Before 7,384 in Mesa, Ariz., the White Sox defeated the Cubs 8-3 in their first Cactus League tilt with their city rivals to improve to 1-4. Mike Sirotka was the Sox pitching star. The crafty left-hander faced one over the minimum in three innings while striking out three including Sammy Sosa. This was also the first win for rookie manager Jerry Manuel.
THE FIRST OF THE SPRING
2003: With Mark Buehrle and Bartolo Colon both tossing three innings – and looking sharp – the White Sox topped Arizona 3-2 as the visiting team at Tucson Electric Park to pick their first Cactus League win of the season in game No. 3.
THE FIRST OF 207 GAMES
2005: The White Sox began their journey to the 2005 World Series title with an 8-4 loss to Colorado in their Cactus League opener before 2,864 at Tucson Electric Park. Scott Podsednik made a good first impression, going 3-for-3 with a stolen base.
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THIS DATE IN WHITE SOX HISTORY: MARCH 1ST
SCOTT SANDERSON SIGNED
1994: Seeking a fifth starter, the White Sox signed veteran pitcher Scott Sanderson to a minor league contract and invited him to spring training, which was well under way, as a non-roster player. The 37-year-old right-hander earned a spot in the Sox rotation and got off to a searing start. Sanderson was 2-0 with a 3.57 ERA in April , 2-0 with a 3.32 ERA in May and 3-2 with a 3.55 ERA in June. Sanderson’s best outing with the Sox came in June. On June 19, the Glenbrook High School graduate held the Angels hitless into the seventh and took a shutout into the ninth before settling for a three-hit victory in a 3-1 triumph at Comiskey Park. Things went south for Sanderson in July when he went 1-2 with a 10.24 ERA. In his final stint with the Sox, Sanderson gave up two runs – both on homers – in one-third of an inning Aug. 6 at California. The outing turned out to be his last with the Sox because of the work stoppage. All told, Sanderson went 8-4 with a 5.09 ERA in 18 games (14 starts) for the 1994 Sox. The Vanderbilt product went the free agent route after the season and signed with the Angels.
FLORIDA REPORT
1997: The White Sox dropped their final Grapefruit League home opener with a 12-8 setback to the Texas Rangers in Sarasota. 3,249 fans at Ed Smith Stadium watched the Sox fall to 1-1 on the spring. This was the Sox final spring in Florida after 44 years. The team would set up spring shop in Tucson, Ariz., and the Cactus League in the next spring.
STILL WINLESS IN THE DESERT
1998: Despite a two-run single from Robert Machado and two hits from Jeff Abbott, the White Sox remained winless in the Cactus League. The Sox, in their first year in Arizona, fell to 0-4 with a 7-6 loss to the host Diamondbacks at Tucson Electric Park.
THEY’RE BAAAACK
2006: In their first game since winning the World Series, the White Sox lost to the Colorado Rockies 6-1 in their Cactus League opener before 3,468 at Tucson Electric Park. The defending World Series champions would not win in the Cactus League until their seventh try.
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THIS DATE IN WHITE SOX HISTORY: FEBRUARY 29TH
For more, see www.whitesoxalmanac.com
TEAM COMISKEY STAYS
1940: A judge made sure the White Sox would stay in the Comiskey family when he denied an attempt by a bank to sell the franchise. The First National Bank of Chicago, the club’s principal lender, tried to force a sale by the heirs of the late J. Louis Comiskey, the son of the team’s founder. A judge ruled in favor of the Comiskeys saying that Mrs. Grace Comiskey could keep the club for their 14-year-old son‚ Charles II‚ until he is 35. History tells us that Charles II never got the club. Grace wound up selling to Bill Veeck before the 1959 season.
ROBIN FOR TWO
1992: The White Sox and Robin Ventura agreed on a two-year contract. The deal extended through what would have been Ventura’s first year of arbitration.
PHILLIPS UNRETIRES
1996: Two days after suddenly retiring, White Sox left fielder Tony Phillips unretired and rejoined the club in spring training in Sarasota, Fla. Two days earlier, the Sox announced Phillips was retiring for family reasons. Upon his return, the Sox released a statement saying Phillips’ family problems had been resolved. Speculation had Phillips leaving the game because he felt unappreciated after having to take a $2.5 million paycut for 1996 despite a banner year with the Angels. General manager Ron Schueler said three of Phillips’ closest friends – including Dusty Baker and Dave Stewart – were able to persuade Phillips to return. It’s a good thing they did, too. Phillips went on to have one of the great seasons ever by a Sox leadoff hitter. Phillips hit .277 with a league-best 125 walks and a sensational .404 on-base percentage spearheading an attack that should have carried the White Sox to at least a wild card berth that year. In addition, Phillips played a stellar left field, leading the league with 345 putouts, 13 assists and three double plays.
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THIS DATE IN WHITE SOX HISTORY: FEBRUARY 28TH
For more, see www.whitesoxalmanac.com
TAKING OFF THE BIBB
1929: The White Sox traded one of their stalwarts of the 1920s in outfielder Bibb Falk to the Cleveland Indians for catcher Chick Autry. Falk came up with the Sox briefly in 1920 and became a regular the next year -- taking over for the banned “Shoeless” Joe Jackson in left field -- when he hit .285 with five homers and 82 RBIs. The native of Austin, Texas hit at least .285 – including a career-high .352 in 1924 -- in each of his nine seasons with the Sox. The trade of Falk to Cleveland didn’t work out. Falk hit over .300 for the Tribe from 1929 to 1931 while Autry put in two non-descript seasons with the Sox.
THE BEGINNING OF THE END IN FLORIDA
1997: The White Sox began their final season in the Grapefruit League with a 15-9 win over the Minnesota Twins in Fort Myers, Fla. In his White Sox debut, left fielder Albert Belle, who had signed a $55 million contract in the offseason, was 0-for-2 with a walk and a run-scoring groundout.
TURN ON THE LIGHTS
1998: There wasn’t any Sox power in the franchise’s first home game at Tucson Electric Park in Arizona. The White Sox managed just three hits in a 3-1 loss to the Arizona Diamondbacks before 6,642 fans on an unseasonably cold night in Tucson. The loss dropped the Sox to 0-3 in their first season in the Cactus League. This wasn’t the Sox first game in Tucson Electric Park. The day before the Sox lost as the visiting team to Arizona, their co-tenant.
Editor's Note: Information for these entries is gleaned from the author's files, retrosheet.org, various Internet sources, press reports of the day, White Sox media guides and the many White Sox books written by the great Rich Lindberg.
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THIS DATE IN WHITE SOX HISTORY: FEBRUARY 27TH
For more, see www.whitesoxalmanac.com/ ENJOY!
A WAMPUM OF A CONTRACT
1973: The White Sox rewarded 1972 American League Most Valuable Player Dick Allen with the richest contract in Major League history. Allen signed a three-year contract for an estimated $325,000 after he hit .308 with 37 homers and 113 RBIs in the White Sox renaissance season of 1972. It would be a rocky three years for Allen and the White Sox. His 1973 campaign was cut short by a broken leg and he led the A.L. with 32 homers in 1974 but he retired on September 14. Allen was plagued by nagging injuries in 1974 and, according to White Sox historian Rich Lindberg, “crossed swords” with Ron Santo during the season. Allen came out of retirement for the next season but the Sox dealt him to Atlanta before the start of the 1975 season.
HE GONE … BUT HE’LL BE BACK SOON
1996: A little less than two months after being signed as a free agent, 36-year old outfielder Tony Phillips announced his retirement. Phillips would unretire two days later and it’s a good thing he did. The feisty Phillips would go on to have one of the great offensive seasons in White Sox history in 1996. Phillips led the A.L. with 125 walks, was second with a .403 on-base percentage and ninth with 119 runs.
A HOME DEBUT … SORT OF
1998: The White Sox played their first game in their new spring training home of Tucson Electric Park in Tucson, Ariz., but they were the visiting team while the co-tenant Arizona Diamondbacks were the home team. The Diamondbacks prevailed 6-5 before 11,269 as the Sox dropped to 0-2 in their inaugural Cactus League season. The Sox would play as the home team in TEP the next day.
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THIS DATE IN SOX HISTORY: FEB. 26/Veeck, Cactus
For more, see www.whitesoxalmanac.com/ ENJOY!
VEECK AS IN … HALL OF FAMER
1991: Former White Sox owner Bill Veeck was elected to the Hall of Fame through a vote of the Veterans Committee. Veeck had two stints as White Sox owner with the latter coming amidst reports that the team was headed out of Chicago in 1976. Veeck was in control of the club from 1959 to 1961 and from 1976 to 1980. In addition to the many wacky promotions which ranged from martian landings to blowing up disco records, Veeck gave White Sox fans two memorable teams. Under Veeck’s watch, the White Sox won the 1959 American League pennant and pounded their way into contention as the rollicking “Hit Men” in 1977. “Barnum Bill” or “Veeck as in Wreck” was elected to the Hall five years after his death. Veeck was the first person with White Sox ties to be voted into the Hall since pitcher Hoyt Wilhelm was approved in 1985.
DESERT DEBUT
1998: The White Sox opened their first Cactus League season with an 11-8 loss to the Colorado Rockies before 3,425 at Hi Corbett Field in Tucson, Ariz. For the record, Magglio Ordonez hit the White Sox first Cactus League home run. Thiswas the franchise’s first spring training in Arizona after spending the previous 44 years in Florida. The White Sox would make their debut in their Arizona home stadium – Tucson Electric Park – two days later.
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Although I hated it at the time, that Bucky Dent trade turned out pretty well for the Sox. Gamble was a huge part of '77 Southside Hitmen team, which was one of the funnest seasons to be a Sox fan. Hoyt was the ace and CY winner during the '83 winning ugly, division championship season who was traded after '84 for Ozzie Guillen.
Of course, the trade payed off handsomely for the Yankees too, when Dent's HR sealed Boston's fate in that playoff game in Fenway.
Agreed and I wouldn't give that deal back. However, you have to wonder what that 77 team would have been like with Dent at shortstop instead of Alan Bannister and his league-leading 40 errors. 40 errors!
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THIS DATE IN WHITE SOX HISTORY: FEBRUARY 25TH
For more, see www.whitesoxalmanac.com
FUTURE TROUBLE ARRIVES
1917: The White Sox purchased first baseman Chick Gandil from the Cleveland Indians for $3,500. Gandil was a slick-fielder who swung a pretty good bat. He hit .273, .271 and .290 while leading A.L. first basemen in fielding in 1917 and 1919. Gandil, though, is best known for his role in the “Black Sox” scandal. Labeled as an angry malcontent by Sox historian Rich Lindeberg in Total White Sox, Gandil was the won who sought out the gamblers for the 1919 World Series fix. At the urging of his wife, Gandil did not sign a contract with the Sox in 1920 and played semi-pro ball instead. Any hopes he had of returning to the bigs were shattered when Commissioner Landis banished those involved in the fix from baseball for life. Note—Lindberg and Total White Sox have the Sox acquiring Gandil from Cleveland on Feb. 15, 1917.
BYE BROSNAN
1964: The White Sox released pitcher Jim Brosnan. Five days earlier, the Sox requested waivers on the veteran reliever who went 3-9 with four saves and a respectable 2.84 ERA for the 1963 Sox. After his release, Brosnan, an accomplished author during and after his career, never played in the bigs again.
TRADING WITH TEXAS
1975: The Sox traded East Chicago, Ind., native Stan Perzanowski to the Texas Rangers for Steve Dunning. The swap of pitchers didn’t amount to much. Perzanowski pitched in just 30 big league games after appearing in just seven for the Sox in 1971 and 1974. Dunning, who had a modicum of success with Cleveland in the early 1970s after being the second overall pick in the 1970 draft, never pitched for the Sox. He was dealt to the Angels with Bill Melton for outfielder Morris Nettles for first baseman Jim Spencer after the 1975 season.
FEBRUARY 24TH
A BUM DEAL
1948: In what would become one of the worst deals in franchise history, the White Sox traded pitcher Eddie Lopat to the New York Yankees for catcher Aaron Robinson and pitchers Bill Wight and Fred Bradley. White Sox Historian Richard C. Lindberg rated this swap as the third-worst in club annals in “Total White Sox.” Lopat, a left-hander, went 50-49 for the White Sox between 1944 and 1947. According to Lopat’s Society for American Baseball Research biography, the Yankees were watching Lopat. “Any pitcher who can get the ball aver the plate can win for us,” Yankee general manager George Weiss said of the precise Lopat upon making the deal. Using a slow curve and a variety of deliveries shown to him by Ted Lyons during his days with the Sox, Lopat went on to star on the powerhouse Yankee teams of the 1940s and mid-1950s. The New York native won 113 games between 1948 and 1955 for the Yankees. He led the A.L. with a 2.42 ERA in 1953 and went 4-1 with a 2.60 ERA in seven World Series starts for the Yankees. Wight lost 20 games in his first year with the Sox but then recovered to have two decent years on the Southside (15-13, 10-16, 3.58 ERA). Bradley was barely a blip for the Sox while the best thing that can be said about Robinson’s tenure with the team was that he was used to acquire Billy Pierce after the 1948 season.
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THIS DATE IN SOX HISTORY: FEB. 23
For more, see www.whitesoxalmanac.com
TROUBLE FOR THE MATRIARCH
1942: A trip to Ted Lyons’ bowling alley turned into a disaster for Mrs. Charles Comiskey. While waiting in the waiting room, the wife of the “Old Roman” was taken at gunpoint by two men. The assailants took a $3,500 diamond ring and $12 after driving her around for 45 minutes. The perps released her unharmed and with mink still in tow after giving her $1 for cab fare.
CARLOS GOES
1992: First baseman Carlos Martinez refused his assignment to Triple-A and exercised his right to free agency. The Sox designated Martinez for assignment eight days earlier to free up a roster spot for pitcher Mario Brito, who was acquired from the Montreal Expos as the player to be named later in the Ivan Calderon-Tim Raines trade. The move endedMartinez’s three-year stint with the Sox. His best year was 1989 when he hit .300 with five homers and 32 RBIs in earning a spot on the Topps Rooke All-Star team. Martinez playing time and and average dropped in 1990. That and the presence of Frank Thomas and Dan Pasqua at first base made Martinez expendable.
ANOTHER “MOCK” SOX SIGNED
1995: The White Sox signed left-hander pitcher Brent Blum, who hadn’t pitched professionally in seven years, as a free agent apparently to be part of their “replacement team.” Owners were assembling “replacement teams” for the 1995 campaign in response to the union walkout that transpired in August of 1994 and prompted the cancellation of the World Series. Blum was a member of the Yankee organization from 1985 to 1988 and barely pitched above Class-A. He joined the likes of other Mock Sox Dennis “Oil Can” Boyd, Al Chambers and Henry Cotto with a 22-10 record and a 3.97 ERA in 91 minor league games. Blum never got a chance to pitch in the “big leagues.” All ideas of replacement teams were dropped when the work stoppage ended late in the regularly scheduled spring training of 1995.
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THIS DATE IN WHITE SOX HISTORY: FEBRUARY 22ND
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TAKING A FLIER ON FLOYD
1991: The White Sox invited hard-throwing but enigmatic right-hander Floyd Youmans to their spring traning camp as a non-roster invitee. Youmans had been one of the most promising pitchers in the National League in the mid-1980s but everything from a bulge battle to injuries to a stint in a drug rehab derailed him. Youmans, who attended the same high school – Hillsborough in Tampa -- as the Mets’ Dwight Gooden, was 13-12 with a 3.53 ERA with 202 strikeouts in 219 innings as a 22-year old for the Expos. After winning nine games in 1987, Youmans won just four times over the next two seasons. He had been out of the game in 1990 and 1991 when the Sox came calling. His tryout with the Sox didn’t amount to anything. The next time Youmans appeared in professional baseball was for a five-game stint with independent Saskatoon in 2003.
NO BILLY JOE
1994: The White Sox announced that outfielder Billy Joe Hobert would not be attending spring training as a non-roster invitee. The future NFL quarterback was the White Sox 16th round pick in the June 1993 draft out of the University of Washington despite never playing college baseball. Hobert, a left-handed hitter, batted .256 with four RBIs in 15 games at the Sox Rookie League affiliate at Sarasota in 1993. That, however, was the extent of his professional baseball career. Hobert went on to quarterback 29 games in the NFL for Oakland, Buffalo and New Orleans between 1995 and 1998. Hobert gained some “fame” for admitting he didn’t thoroughly prepare for a 1997 Bills’ game against New England in which two of his first three passes were intercepted. He was quickly cut.
TOUGH BREAK FOR RAD
1994: The White Sox announced that test performed on reliever Scot Radinsky revealed that a lymph node on the left side of his neck contained Hodgkins Disease. The 25-year old Radinsky, who was a key part of the Sox pen from 1990 to 1993, returned to his California home to begin chemotherapy and radiation treatments. The disease cost Radinsky the 1994 campaign but he did return in 1995 and went 2-1 with a 5.45 ERA and one save. Radinsky went the free agent route after the 1995 season and signed with the Dodgers. He pitched in the big leagues until 2001 and retired after a brief stint in the minors in 1992.
FEBRUARY 21ST
THE SOX AT NIGHT, SHINE BIG & BRIGHT, DEEP IN THE HEART OF TEXAS
1931: The White Sox were part of history when they played the New York Giants in the first night game between two big league teams at Buffs Stadium in Houston, Texas. The teams combined to collected 23 hits in the 10-inning exhibition. Despite countless searches, I was unable to find the score of the game. The Sox wouldn’t play their first night game at Comiskey Park until Aug. 14, 1939.
DENT: I WANT TO STAY WITH THE SOX
1977: Even with his future with the White Sox uncertain, shortstop Bucky Dent began working out at the team’s spring training complex in Sarasota, Fla., according to the Chicago Tribune. Dent, who had given the Sox three solid seasons, arrived in Florida more than a week before the rest of the Sox were required to be there. “I want to stay with the Sox,” Dent told the Tribune. Dent would last through spring training through with the Sox but he was dealt to the Yankees for Oscar Gamble, LaMarr Hoyt, a minor leaguer and $200,000 on April 5, 1977 – two days before Opening Day.
THE MAD HUNGARIAN ON DISPLAY
1983: Even with a stocked and talented pitching staff, White Sox manager Tony LaRussa decided to take a look at a familiar name during spring training in Sarasota, Fla. Al Hrabosky, the “Mad Hungarian” was given the chance to win a spot in the Sox bullpen, according to Chicago Tribune reports of the day. Hrabosky, a colorful lefty who led the N.L. with 22 saves for the 1975 Cardinals, was signed by the Sox on April 8, 1983 but he never played in a game for the Sox.
MJ GOES DEEP … BUT NOT FOR 3
1994: Recently-signed White Sox minor leaguer Michael Jordan socked his first batting practice home run, according to Chicago Tribune reports of the day. Hitting with Frank Thomas, Jordan’s fly ball just cleared the billboards in left field at the Sox complex in Sarasota, Fla., according to the Tribune.
Editor's Note: Information for these entries is gleaned from the author's files, retrosheet.org, various Internet sources, press reports of the day, White Sox media guides and the many White Sox books written by the great Rich Lindberg.
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THIS DATE IN WHITE SOX HISTORY: FEBRUARY 20TH
For more, see www.whitesoxalmanac.com
ONE LAST HURRAH FOR BILLY
1961: Billy Pierce agreed to a contract for the 1961 season in a telephone conversation with White Sox executive Hank Greenberg, according to the Chicago Tribune. 1961 turned out to be Pierce’s 13th and last with the White Sox. After going 10-9 to raise his Sox victory total to 186, Pierce was dealt to the San Francisco Giants.
BOOKISH BROSNAN BOOTED
1964: The White Sox requested waivers on pitcher Jim Brosnan for the purpose of giving the right-hander his unconditional release, according to a Chicago Tribune article of the day. Brosnan was the Jim Bouton of his day, having released “The Long Season,” a diary of his 1959 campaign with the St. Louis Cardinals that gave the public rare insight into the life a big leaguer. Brosnan was acquired from the Reds for Dom Zanni on May 5, 1963. Brosnan went 3-9 with 4 saves and a respectable 2.84 ERA for the 1963 Sox. After getting his walking papers from the Sox, the author-pitcher never played in the big leagues again.
PETERS SIGNED
1968: Gary Peters became the last White Sox player to sign for the 1968 season when general manager got the left-hander to sign on the dotted line in Sarasota, Fla. Peters was coming off a year in which he went 16-11 with a 2.18 ERA. 1968 turned out to be a bummer for Peters. Despite a decent 3.76 ERA, Peters posted a career full-season low four wins against 13 setbacks.
OZZIE HITS THE GROUND RUNNING
2004: The Ozzie Guillen regime hit full stride when the White Sox first-year manager oversaw his first day of camp at the team’s spring training facility in Tucson, Ariz. According to the reports of the day, Guillen exuded the same spirited attitude he had as a player and was a stark contrast from his predecessor – the staid Jerry Manuel.
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FEBRURARY 19TH
THIS DATE IN SOX HISTORY: FEB. 19
For more see, www.whitesoxalmanac.com
DONOVAN ON THE DOTTED LINE
1958: The White Sox announced that pitcher Dick Donovan had agreed to a contract that would give him a 70 percent raise from his 1957 salary. Donovan’s salary made the Sox pitching the highest-paid in history, according to Chicago Tribune reports of the day. Donovan was rewarded for his 1957 campaign when he went 16-6 with a 2.77 ERA. He never had another year like that with the Sox but did win 20 games for the 1962 Indians.
FOX IN THE FOLD
1960: Nellie Fox agreed to his contract with the White Sox, according to a report in the Chicago Tribune. Fox, the reigning American League MVP, was reported to have agreed to a salary close to $50,000 in a phone conversation with White Sox vice-president Hank Greenberg.
RUSTY RETURNS FOR A SPELL
1980: The White Sox decided to give outfielder Rusty Torres another chance when they signed him as a free agent. The Sox acquired Torres from the Texas Rangers with Claudell Washington for Bobby Bonds on May 16, 1978. The switch-hitter showed some promise, hitting .280 with 16 home runs and 55 RBIs in just 91 games at Triple-A Iowa. He was promoted to Chicago in September and hit .318 with three homers and six RBIs in 16 games. Torres made the Sox 1979 Opening Day roster but couldn’t win a regular job as Chet Lemon, Washington and Ralph Garr sopped up most of the time in the outfield. He got into 90 games and hit eight home runs with 24 RBIs while playing at least 18 games at each outfield position. While he didn’t crack the starting lineup, Torres’ home run total was the highest by a White Sox switch-hitter in four years. Torres was granted free agency after the 1979 season but re-signed with the Sox. He failed to make the 1980 Sox but he did hook up with the Royals on May 5. That stint lasted 51 games. Torres was released by the Royals Aug. 29, 1980, ending his career.
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THIS DATE IN WHITE SOX HISTORY: FEBRUARY 18TH
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MR. VERSATILITY IN THE FOLD
1993: Craig Grebeck, one of the great utilitymen in franchise history, agreed to terms on a one-year contract. Grebeck rose from the ranks of the undrafted to become a valuable part of the White Sox in the early to mid-1990s. The diminutive Grebeck played at least second, short and third in each of his six seasons with the Sox. In 1992, Grebeck even got into two games in the outfield. Grebeck played with the Sox through the 1995 season and played six more years with Florida, Anaheim, Toronto and Boston before retiring in 2001.
RIP HARRY
1998: Hall of Fame broadcaster Harry Caray, who spent 11 seasons with the White Sox, died in Rancho Mirage, Calif. Despite his strong affiliation with the Cubs, Caray remains one of the most popular broadcasters in White Sox history.
FOUR MORE YEARS?
2001: In the wake of the 2000 American League Central Division title, the White Sox signed manager Jerry Manuel to a contract extension through 2004 with an option for 2005. Manuel wouldn’t last the contract. He was let go after the 2003 campaign and succeeded by Ozzie Guillen. The record shows it wasn’t a bad run for Manuel. In addition to the division title, Manuel fashioned four second-place finishes and a third-place finish in his tenure with the Sox. He left Chicago with three winning seasons, one .500 season and 497 wins, which rank fourth in club history. The downfall of the Manuel era was that he could never elevate the Sox to the next level -- something Guillen was able to do in his second year on the job.
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THIS DATE IN WHITE SOX HISTORY: FEBRUARY 17TH
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THANKS FOR THE MEMORIES, RED
1934: Legendary White Sox pitcher Red Faber, bound for the Hall of Fame, announced his retirement after 20 seasons with the franchise. According to his Society of American Baseball Research biography, Faber was upset with his 1934 contract offer from the White Sox. The Sox wanted to cut his pay by one-third to $5,000. Faber got his release with the hopes of joining another team but there no offers. A right-hander who took up the spitter after injuring his arm, Faber went 254-213 with a 3.15 ERA in 669 games (483 starts) for the Sox. The native of Cascade, Iowa was a four-time 20-game winner and he led the American League in ERA in 1921 and 1922. Faber was at his best in the 1917 World Series when he went 3-1 with a 2.33 ERA as the White Sox captured their first championship since 1906. Faber retired as the franchise’s all-time leader in wins, starts, complete games, innings, losses, walks and games. He was surpassed in most categories by Ted Lyons except games and walks. In 1964, Faber was inducted into the Hall. Faber had an interesting background, career and baseball afterlife. His SABR bio is worth reading at http://bioproj.sabr.org/bioproj.cfm?a=v&am...49&pid=4233.
IT’S ABOUT TIME! APPLING VOTED INTO HALL
1964: Legendary White Sox shortstop Luke Appling was voted into the Hall of Fame in a “run off” election. After no player received the necessary 75 percent of the votes for election, the Baseball Writers Association of America held a “run off” election in which only the top vote-getter would gain induction. Appling topped the list with 84 percent of the vote. Why “Old Aches and Pains” was not voted in earlier is anybody’s guess. Appling, a shortstop, played 20 seasons for the Sox and retired as the franchise’s all-time leader in games, doubles, extra-base hits, at bats, runs, walks, hits, RBIs, singles and total bases. In addition, “Lucious Luke” won two batting titles, hitting a searing .388 in 1936, and he played in four in All-Star Games. In 1975, the White Sox retired Appling’s No. 4.
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THIS DATE IN WHITE SOX HISTORY: FEB. 16
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DEADBALL ERA SLUGGER COMES AND QUICKLY GOES
1909: The White Sox purchased outfielder Gavvy Cravath from the Boston Red Sox. Cravath did not last long with the White Sox. According to his Society for American Baseball Research biography, a slow start with the Sox got Cravath traded to Washington with Nick Altrock and Jiggs Donahue for Sleepy Bill Burns in May of 1909. Cravath hit .180 with one home run and eight RBIs for the 1909 Sox before being traded. The one home run tied three others for the team lead that season. It’s a shame the Sox didn’t keep Cravath because he turned out to be the premiere slugger of the “dead ball” era. After leaving Washington for Philadelphia, Cravath led the A.L. in home runs from 1913 to 1915 and from 1917 to 1919. Cravath hit at least 19 home runs in each season between 1913 and 1915. By comparison, the White Sox didn’t have a player reach double digits in home runs in until Hap Felsch rounded the bases 14 times in 1920. In addition, it wasn’t until 1934 (Zeke Bonura 27) that the Sox had a player eclipse the career-high 24 homers that Cravath hit in 1915.
CONGRATULATIONS, RED HEAD
1967: Pitcher Red Ruffing, who spent the last year of his career with the White Sox, was finally elected to the Hall of Fame. Ruffing, who won 270 games with the Yankees and three with the White Sox, actually made the Hall in a special “run off” election (which are no longer held) after no candidate received the necessary 75 percent for induction in the first ballot executed by the Baseball Writers Association of America. In the first election, Ruffing and Joe “Ducky” Medwick topped the balloting but fell seven votes shy of getting in. In the “run off,” Ruffing, a three-time All-Star who went 7-2 with a 2.63 ERA in 10 World Series appearances for the Yankees, earned election by being named on 86.93 percent of the ballots. He was the only candidates that received enough votes for induction and the first player with any White Sox affiliation to make the Hall since Luke Appling was voted in three years earlier. Ruffing went 3-5 with a 6.11 ERA in nine games (all starts) for the 1947 Sox. His victory in the nightcap of the White Sox sweep of an Aug. 31, 1947 doubleheader at Cleveland was the 273rd and final triumph of his career.
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THIS DATE IN WHITE SOX HISTORY: FEB. 15TH
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FRITZ, THAT’S IT
1977: The White Sox signed former 20-game winner Fritz Peterson, who was best known for swapping wives and kids with Yankee teammate Mike Kekich in 1973. Peterson, a left-hander who attended Arlington Heights High School in suburban Chicago, never made out of spring training with the White Sox and never pitched in the big leagues after 1976.
RAINES TRADE COMPLETED
1992: The White Sox received minor league pitcher Mario Brito from the Montreal Expos to complete the Tim Raines trade of the previous Dec. 24 with the Montreal Expos. Along with Brito and Raines, the Sox got minor league pitcher Jeff Carter from Les Expos for outfielder Ivan Calderon and pitcher Barry Jones. The Sox added Brito to the 40-man roster and had to designate infielder Carlos Martinez to free up a spot on the roster. Eight days later, Martinez, who had dropped off badly in 1990 after a solid rookie season in 1989, would refuse his assignment to Triple-A and exercised his right to become a free agent. Brito never pitched for the Sox and here’s why: He went 0-10 with a 7.12 ERA in 19 games (13 starts) for the team’s Triple-A affiliate at Vancouver in 1992.
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THIS DATE IN WHITE SOX HISTORY: FEBRUARY 14TH
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SO LONG, SMALLEY
1985: After 47 forgettable games, the White Sox dealt Roy Smalley to the Minnesota Twins in a three player swap. The Sox received “the other” Randy Johnson and minor leaguer Ron Scheer for the switch-hitting shortstop. Smalley was acquired by the White Sox during the malaise that was the 1984 campaign but he could not provide that bummer of a team with a jumpstart. Smalley, who had hit at least 12 home runs in all but one season between 1978 and 1983, was acquired by the Sox from the Yankees for two players to be named later on July 18, 1984. Unfortunately, one of those players to be named later turned out to be future Cy Young winner Doug Drabek, who as a White Sox Class-A farmhand at the time. Smalley was a bust for theSox. He hit a paltry .170 with four homers and 13 RBIs for one of the most disappointing teams in franchise history.
M.J. WORKS OUT IN PRIVATE
1994: White Sox minor leaguer Michael Jordan worked out in private at the team’s spring training complex in Sarasota, Fla. Jordan was in the seventh day of his baseball career, which began when he signed a contract with the Sox and received a non-roster invitation to spring training. According to press reports of the day, 22 members of the media and six onlookers tried to take in the workout but were denied.
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THIS DATE IN WHITE SOX HISTORY: FEBRUARY 13TH
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BOYD BROUGHT ABOARD
1951: The White Sox took another step towards breaking their color barrier when they purched African-American first baseman Bob Boyd from Colorado Springs, their affiliate in the Western League. The slugger, a star in the Negro Leagues, made his big league debut for the Sox in September, four months after Minnie Minoso broke the color barrier for the Sox.
MMM BOP … HANSEN DEALT TO D.C.
1968: The White Sox said goodbye to the most prolific power-hitting shortstop in their history when the dealt Ron Hansen to the Washington Senators as part of a six-player swap. In addition to Hansen, the Sox sent pitchers Dennis Higgins and Steve Jones to the Senators for infielder Tim Cullen and pitchers Buster Narum and Bob Priddy. Hansen set a Sox record for shortstops with 20 homers in 1964. The record stood until 2000 when Jose Valentin hit 25 home runs. Valentin would break the record again and settle on 30 homers in 2004. This would not be the last the Sox would see of Hansen. The Sox re-acquired Hansen from Washington for Cullen on Aug. 2, 1968.
TRAGEDY STRIKES
1970: Promising White Sox pitcher Paul Edmondson was killed in an auto accident in California one day after his 27th birthday. Edmondson, the Sox 21st round pick in the June 1965 draft, went 1-6 with a 3.70 ERA in 14 games (13 starts) for the 1969 Sox. The right-hander most memorable game was his first. Edmondson was brilliant in winning his Major League debut as the White Sox plastered the Angels 9-1 in the second game of a doubleheader in Anaheim on June 20, 1969. Edmondson went the distance and gave up two hits and three walks while striking out two as the Sox salvaged a split. Edmondson was also 2-for-4 with an RBI and scored on hits by Luis Aparicio in both the third and ninth innings.
HASSEY TRADED … AGAIN AND AGAIN AND AGAIN
1986: For the second time in about two months, the White Sox and Yankees swung a deal involving catcher Ron Hassey. Two months and a day after being acquired from the Yankees with Joe Cowley for Britt Burns and two minor leagers, the Sox returned Hassey to the Bronx. Hassey went back to New York with three farmhands in exchange for pitcher Neil Allen, catcher Scott Bradley, minor leaguer Glen Braxton and cash. This would not be the last the Sox would see of Hassey. The left-handed hitter came back to the Sox with Carlos Martinez the following July 30 in a wildly unpopular trade that sent fan favorite Ron Kittle, Wayne Tolleson and Joel Skinner to the Yankees. For all that movement, the Sox didn’t get much production out of Hassey. In just 98 games covering two seasons, Hassey hit .285 with six homers and 32 RBIs.
A NATIONAL MOVE: OWENS ACQUIRED
2005: The White Sox acquired Jerry Owens from Washington for fellow outfielder Alex Escobar. In the first trade executed between the teams, the Sox acquired a 24-year old speedster who hit .292 with 30 steals at Class-A Savannah in his first full year of pro ball. Escobar, claimed on waivers in August, never played for the Sox.
HAIL TO THE WHITE SOX
2006: The World Champion White Sox were honored at the White House in a ceremony that included President Bush but not manager Ozzie Guillen, who said he was on vacation. Many of the champs were at the ceremony and Jermaine Dye and Paul Konerko presented the Chief Executive with a White Sox jacket. The President, a former rival of the Sox as owner of the Texas Rangers, recognized many members of the Sox party and touched on many subjects during his remarks, which lasted about 11 minutes. Take a look and listen at http://www.whitehouse.gov/news/releases/20...0060213-3.html#.
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THIS DATE IN WHITE SOX HISTORY: FEBRUARY 12TH
FISK IS FREE
1981: An arbitrator declared Carlton Fisk a free agent paving “Pudge’s” way to sign with the White Sox. Arbitrator Raymond Goetz upheld the Players’ Association’s claim that Fisk should be free based on the fact that the Red Sox mailed the All-Star catcher his contract two days after the Dec. 20 deadline. This set in motion the White Sox’s pursuit of Fisk, which would culminate with his signing March 10.
HAMMAKER SIGNS
1992: The White Sox signed the pitcher who gave up arguably the most famous home run in All-Star Game history when they inked Atlee Hammaker to a minor league contract. Along with the contract, the Sox gave the left-hander a non-roster invitation to spring training. Hammaker was in the middle of the best season of his career in 1983 and earned a spot on the National League All-Star for the Mid-Summer Classic at Comiskey Park. He entered the game in the third inning and gave up a home run to Jim Rice. Three batters later, he gave up another run. Five batters after that, Hammaker served up the first grand slam in All-Star Game history to Fred Lynn. When the smoke from the Comiskey Park scoreboard fireworks had cleared, Hammaker had given up seven runs on six hits in just two-thirds of an inning. Hammaker did lead the N.L. with a 2.25 ERA in 1983 but, aside from his injury-shortened season of 1984, he never had another winning campaign in the big leagues. Hammaker’s stint with the Sox didn’t last long. He was released on March 18. After sitting out the 1992 and 1993 seasons, the Sox gave Hammaker another chance. He signed with the Sox on April 12, 1994 and joined the team after going 3-1 with a 2.49 ERA in 44 relief outings with Double-A Birmingham and Triple-A Nashville. Hammaker got into two games for the 1994 Sox but had the misfortune of joining the team in early August right before the work stoppage which ended the season. The Sox brought Hammaker back for the 1995 campaign but released him after he posted a 12.79 ERA in 13 outings.
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THIS DATE IN SOX HISTORY: FEBRUARY 11TH
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KARKO IN THE FOLD
1992: The White Sox signed catcher Ron Karkovice to a one-year contract. “Karko” was coming off a year in which he hit .246 with five homers and 22 RBIs in 75 games. In 69 games behind the plate, Karkovice continued to show that he was among the best at his position. In addition to compiling a .988 fielding percentage, Karkovice threw out 16 of 40 basestealers. 1992 proved to be an important one in Karkovice’s constantly-improving career. Injuries to Carlton Fisk – the man he had patiently been waiting on to move on – made him a regular for the first time in his seven-year career. He responded by hitting .237 with 13 home runs and 50 RBIs in 123 games. This was a far cry from the .070 average he posted in his second year in the big leagues in 1987. Following the 1992 campaign, the Sox rewarded Karkovice with a three-year contract and he would serve as the franchise’s regular backstop through the 1996 season. He took the free agent route after playing in 51 games for the 1997 White Sox but never played in the Majors again.
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THIS DATE IN SOX HISTORY: FEB. 10
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A ROLLS REUSS OF A MOVE
1988: The White Sox announced that they are inviting veteran left-handed pitcher Jerry Reuss to training camp as a non-roster player. Reuss, 39, was a steady performer throughout the 1970s and mid-1980s for the Astros, Pirates and Dodgers. His numbers suffered a severe decline following the 1985 season. After going 2-6 for the 1986 Dodgers, Reuss bounced between the Dodgers, Reds and Angels in 1987, posting a 4-10 record with a 5.97 ERA. Reuss rebounded with the White Sox in 1988. He started the season as the fifth starter and he made just three appearances in April before his season took off. Reuss led the White Sox with 13 wins while posting a 3.44 ERA, which was lowest among the team’s starting pitchers. The highlight of Reuss’ season came May 9 when he notched his 200th victory in the Sox triumph at Baltimore. Reuss was the White Sox Opening Day starter in 1989 and lasted until July 31 when he and his 8-5 record were traded to the contending Milwaukee Brewers for minor leaguer reliever Brian Drahman.
WHITESOXALMANAC.COM BONUS:
200TH WIN WITH WHITE SOX
Pitcher Date Foe Site
Clark Griffith 10th win of 1902 Unknown Unknown
Ed Cicotte July 28, 1920 Philadelphia Comiskey Park
Red Faber Sept. 13, 1926 Philadelphia Philadelphia
Sam Jones July 14, 1932 Boston Fenway Park (Relief)
Ted Lyons May 22, 1938 Washington Washington
Jim Kaat June 18, 1974 Cleveland Cleveland
Jerry Koosman August 19, 1983 Texas Arlington Stadium
Jerry Reuss May 9, 1988 Baltimore Memorial Stadium
Charlie Hough August 5, 1992 Minnesota Comiskey Park
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THIS DATE IN WHITE SOX HISTORY: FEBRUARY 8TH
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EL CABALLO IN THE STABLE
1994: The White Sox signed 17-year old Panamanian Carlos Lee as a free agent. White Sox Panamanian and Central American scout Miguel Ibarra recommended and signed Lee and it turned out to be a great move. While he struggled to find a position, Lee’s offensive numbers in the minors were so good that his defensive deficiencieswere overlooked. Lee served notice from the beginning of his big league career that he would be an offensive force. On May 7, 1999, Lee became the first player in White Sox history to homer in his first big league at bat when he victimized Oakland’s Tom Candiotti at Comiskey Park. Lee was an staple in the Sox lineup through the 2004 season, hitting 152 home runs. That total ranked ninth in Sox annals when he was dealt to Milwaukee on Dec. 14, 2004 for outfielder Scott Podsednik and pitcher Luis Vizcaino. It was that trade that played a major role in the White Sox winning the 2005 World Series.
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THIS DATE IN WHITE SOX HISTORY: FEBRUARY 7TH
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JORDAN JOINS THE SOXGiving him the opportunity to live out a dream, the White Sox signed NBA legend Michael Jordan – who hadn’t played baseball since his senior year in high school -- as a free agent and gave him a non-roster invitation to spring training.1994
After retiring from the NBA following three titles and three MVP Awards with the Bulls, Jordan began working out with White Sox trainer Herm Schneider at Comiskey Park in December. On the day he signed with the Sox, Jordan went through a baseball workout in front of the media at the Illinois Institute of Chicago in the shadows of Comiskey Park.
Jordan was signed as an outfielder and was assigned No. 45. Jordan hit .150 in 13 Grapefruit League games before being assigned to the White Sox minor league camp on March 21st. Things didn’t get much easier with the minor leaguers as Jordan’s .154 average showed. The White Sox placed Jordan on Double-A Birmingham’s roster on March 31st.
He got a taste of the big time when he started in right field for the Sox in an April 7th exhibition game against the Cubs before 37,825 at Wrigley Field. Jordan went 2-for-5 with a double and two RBIs as the Sox remained unbeaten against the Cubs since the resumption of the crosstown rivalry in 1984 with a 4-4 tie. Jordan touched relievers Dave Otto and Chuck Crim for hits but was also charged with an error in right field.
With the Barons, Jordan hit .202 with three homers, 51 RBIs, 30 steals and a league-leading 11 errors in the outfield as Birmingham played to record crowds throughout the 1994 season. Jordan continued his dream after the season in the Arizona Fall League and instructional league.
Jordan went to spring training in 1995 but he retired on March 10. Whether he didn’t want to get mixed up in the contentious labor situation going on at the time (he was listed in the Sox “replacement” players 1995 media guide) or he had grown tired of the criticism (Sports Illustrated put him on a cover flailing at a baseball and told him to “Bag It) or he just wanted to play basketball again, Jordan walked away from baseball quicker than he had picked it up.
Eight days later, Jordan announced his return to the NBA with a press release that simply said: “I’m back.”
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THIS DATE IN WHITE SOX HISTORY: FEBRUARY 7TH
For more, see www.whitesoxalmanac.com
JORDAN JOINS THE SOXGiving him the opportunity to live out a dream, the White Sox signed NBA legend Michael Jordan – who hadn’t played baseball since his senior year in high school -- as a free agent and gave him a non-roster invitation to spring training.1994
After retiring from the NBA following three titles and three MVP Awards with the Bulls, Jordan began working out with White Sox trainer Herm Schneider at Comiskey Park in December. On the day he signed with the Sox, Jordan went through a baseball workout in front of the media at the Illinois Institute of Chicago in the shadows of Comiskey Park.
Jordan was signed as an outfielder and was assigned No. 45. Jordan hit .150 in 13 Grapefruit League games before being assigned to the White Sox minor league camp on March 21st. Things didn’t get much easier with the minor leaguers as Jordan’s .154 average showed. The White Sox placed Jordan on Double-A Birmingham’s roster on March 31st.
He got a taste of the big time when he started in right field for the Sox in an April 7th exhibition game against the Cubs before 37,825 at Wrigley Field. Jordan went 2-for-5 with a double and two RBIs as the Sox remained unbeaten against the Cubs since the resumption of the crosstown rivalry in 1984 with a 4-4 tie. Jordan touched relievers Dave Otto and Chuck Crim for hits but was also charged with an error in right field.
With the Barons, Jordan hit .202 with three homers, 51 RBIs, 30 steals and a league-leading 11 errors in the outfield as Birmingham played to record crowds throughout the 1994 season. Jordan continued his dream after the season in the Arizona Fall League and instructional league.
Jordan went to spring training in 1995 but he retired on March 10. Whether he didn’t want to get mixed up in the contentious labor situation going on at the time (he was listed in the Sox “replacement” players 1995 media guide) or he had grown tired of the criticism (Sports Illustrated put him on a cover flailing at a baseball and told him to “Bag It) or he just wanted to play basketball again, Jordan walked away from baseball quicker than he had picked it up.
Eight days later, Jordan announced his return to the NBA with a press release that simply said: “I’m back.”
THIS DATE IN WHITE SOX HISTORY: MARCH 3rd/Jordan, Pudge, Oil Can
in Pale Hose Talk
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THIS DATE IN WHITE SOX HISTORY: MARCH 3rd
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THE FORERUNNER TO THE DH
1967: The White Sox were given permission to use a semi-designated hitter during spring training. With the OK of the home club, teams will be permitted to use a “designated pinch-hitter” twice in a game.
ONE LAST PACT FOR PUDGE
1993: Catcher Carlton Fisk signed what turned out to be his final contract with the White Sox when he signed a minor league agreement. The 45-year old Fisk entered the season 24 games shy of the all-time games caught record. He would eclipse the mark in June and then be released.
JORDAN COMES UP EMPTY IN SCRIMMAGE
1994: Michael Jordan went 0-for-3 with two strikeouts in an intrasquad game before 1,736 at the White Sox minor league camp in Sarasota, Fla. Jordan batted sixth and played for coach Joe Nossek’s team. In his first at bat, Jordan made good contact against James Baldwin but Warren Newson snared the liner in left with a backhanded grab. In his final two at bats, Jordan was whiffed on offspeed pitches by Rodney Bolton and Scott Christman. “It was my first game and I felt nervous out of element,” said Jordan, who signed a minor league contract with the Sox on Feb. 7. “Hopefully, I’ll get another chance and be a little more comfortable.”
‘MOCK’ SOX PREVAIL IN DEBUT
1995: Behind starter Dennis “Oil Can” Boyd’s three strong innings and Shawn Buchanan’s “walkoff” single, the White Sox – absent of any union players – defeated the Kansas City Royals 4-3 in their Grapefruit League opener before 1,504 at Ed Smith Stadium in Sarasota, Fla. With the owners and players still at loggerheads, spring training games went ahead as scheduled with teams fielding non-union veterans and minor leaguers. The 35-year old Boyd, who hadn’t pitched in a big league game since 1991, gave up one run on four hits while striking out two. “I feel good to be in a game atmosphere,” said Boyd, who indicated he was not worried about being labeled a strikebreaker. “It’s what I live for. I showed I can still pitch and that’s what it’s all about.” The Sox tied the game in the ninth and then won it in the 10th on Buchanan’s RBI single. Among those in the Sox lineup were Pete Rose Jr., former Cub Fernando Ramsey, ex-Angel Kent Anderson and one-time Sox players Chris Cron and Bill Lindsey.
A HOME WIN … FINALLY
1998: A split squad of White Sox defeated the Arizona Diamondbacks 6-4 for their first victory as the home team at Tucson Electric Park. The victory was witnessed by 3,262 fans, came against the Sox co-tenant at TEP and improved them to 2-5 in their inaugural season in the Cactus League.
LONG OVERDUE FOR LARRY
1998: Former White Sox outfielder and manager Larry Doby was elected to the Hall of Fame via the Veterans Committee. Doby, the first African American to play in the American League, played for the Sox in 1956 and 1957 and 1959 and he managed the team in 1978. Also elected by the Vets was George Davis, the starting shortstop on the White Sox 1906 “Hitless Wonder” team that beat the Cubs in the World Series.