StatManDu

THIS DATE IN SOX HISTORY: FEB. 6 For more information, see www.whitesoxalmanac.com/ENJOY! KENDALL HIRED 1992: The White Sox named former big league catcher Fred Kendall as manager of their short-season Class-A affiliate in Utica, N.Y. Kendall replaced Mike Gellinger, who became the Sox minor league defensive coordinator when Doug Mansolino left that position to become first base coach for the big club on Dec. 6. Kendall had immediate success, guiding Utica to the postseason as champions of the McNamara Division at 42-22. Among Kendall’s players that were future big leaguers Mike Cameron, Robert Machado, Chris Snopek, Chris Tremie and Mike Bertotti. Kendall also managed full-season Class-A Hickory to the postseason two years later. He stayed in the Sox system until 1995 before joining Buddy Bell’s staff in Detroit as the bullpen coach. Kendall later served as a coach in the Colorado system and was recently with the Royals as their bullpen coach. MAGRANE SIGNED 1996: Seeking a fifth starter or left-handed help in the bullpen, the White Sox signed veteran Joe Magrane and gave him a non-rostered invitation to spring training. Magrane made the Sox out of Sarasota but he could not recapture the form that saw him lead the National League with a 2.18 ERA for the 1988 Cardinals. Magrane went 1-5 with a 6.88 ERA in 19 games (eight starts) before being designated for assignment on June 22nd. He accepted an assignment to Triple-A Nashville six days later but never pitched in the bigs again.

THIS DATE IN WHITE SOX HISTORY: FEBRUARY 5TH For more, see www.whitesoxalmanac.com THE CITY SERIES IS BORN 1903: White Sox president Charles A. Comiskey and Cubs (then known as the Colts) president James A. Hart agreed to play a “City Series” between the Chicago franchises. The agreement covered 15 games in the spring and fall for what was dubbed “the local baseball championship” in the next day’s Chicago Tribune. The Series was held virtually every year until 1943. According to “Total White Sox,” the City Series in that form was halted after the 1942 set because interest was waning due to the White Sox domination in the showdown. The rivalry was revived in later years in the name of charity exhibition games with the Sox still dominating the series. In recent years, Cactus League and interleague play have rendered the charity games obsolete. ONE DOG AND ONE LAST PACT FOR PUDGE 1993: The White Sox agreed to terms on a one-year contract with catcher Carlton Fisk and signed outfielder Lance Johnson to a three-year pact with two options. The contracts would turn out to be the last of Fisk’s decorated career and the last with the White Sox for Johnson. Fisk, at age 45, was on the brink of becoming the career leader in games caught. Shortly after eclipsing that record, Fisk was let go by the White Sox, effectively ending his career. Johnson, affectionately dubbed the “One Dog” by White Sox announcer Ken Harrelson, was coming off a season in which he hit .279 with 41 steals and a league-best 12 triples while covering a lot of ground in center field. Johnson was extremely productive in 1993, 1994 and 1995 both offensively and defensively but his options were not picked up after the 1995 season and he eventually signed with the Mets

Great points about OPS and, no doubt, that is a key stat. Maybe for a board like this, I should have focused or included it more. However, much like holds or even on base percentage, I am not quite sure the average fan or even the average media member can grasp what OPS is. Still, I look at his numbers in June and July, and they are a deviation from his other numbers.

I agree with you. However, I can't think of more than a handful of prospects that the Sox have traded that have haunted them. Stated previously: Young, McLain, Wickman, Drabek, Bonilla. ... Who else? I think the challenge for the Sox and KW now is to furbish the farm system with players that are good enough to keep.

I started on this when the Sox got Nick Swisher but was stalled by a lot of things ... Here it is I attached it as well. It is a lot easier to read when downloaded Breaking down Nick Swisher Some nuggets, notes and nonsense about newest Sox Nick Swisher courtesy of retrosheet.org, yahoo.com, thebaseballcube.com and the author’s personal files: Cell mate If history holds, expect big things from Nick Swisher in home games this season. The only park where Swisher has hit better than US Cellular Field is Tropicana Field in Tampa Bay. Swisher owns a .378 career average (14-for-37) with a home run and nine RBIs in nine games at the Cell. In addition, Swisher has a .455 on-base percentage, a .568 slugging percentage, four doubles and six walks at the corner of 35th and Shields. Swisher hit .308 at the Cell in 2005, .300 in 2006 and .500 in 2007. Swisher is hitting .386 (22-for-57) with four homers and 13 RBIs at Tropicana Field. He has company Swisher is another in a long line of Kenny Williams pickup with a solid offensive resume at US Cellular Field as a visitor. Here’s the rundown: Orlando Cabrera arrived in Chicago with a .302 career average at US Cellular Field. His best year at the park came in 2004 when hit .429 (6-for-14) with two doubles, a homer and four RBIs in three games there for the Red Sox. … When Jim Thome was acquired by the Sox before the 2006 season, he was hitting .286 with a .382 on-base percentage and a .600 slugging percentage with 18 home runs at US Cellular Field. … When Jermaine Dye was signed prior to 2005, he owned a .286 average with five home runs and 19 RBIs as a visitor to U.S. Cellular Field. … AJ Pierzynski donned the Sox “soot and silver” in 2005 with a .326 average at 35th and Shields. In addition, Pierzynski had hit safely 20 of his 23 games as a visitor to U.S. Cellular Field while collecting more hits as a visitor (28) at U.S. Cellular Field than at any park. … Darin Erstad signed with the Sox with a .353 average the Cell. More pain for Carlos Silva It’s almost as if a player has to hit Carlos Silva well to join the White Sox. Swisher is hitting .294 with a .765 slugging percentage, two doubles and two home runs against Silva. Swisher will fit in with the Sox when it comes to punishing the right-hander, who has joined the Seattle Mariners after toiling for Minnesota. Fellow new Sox Orlando Cabrera is hitting .500 (12-for-24) with four doubles, a home run and a .792 slugging percentage against Silva. Others vs. Silva: Brian Anderson (.500, homer), Joe Crede (.355, three homers), Jermaine Dye (.350, two homers), Josh Fields (.333), Jerry Owens (.333), Pablo Ozuna (.667), A.J. Pierzynski (.292, two homers), Jim Thome (.368, three homers) and Juan Uribe (.514, five homers, .946 slugging percentage). All in the Family Nick Swisher is the son of former White Sox first round draft pick Steve Swisher, who never played for the team. The Sox made Steve the 21st overall pick of the June 1973 draft out of Ohio University. Steve joined Ken Piesha (1965) and Danny Goodwin (1971) as the only catchers selected in the first round of the June draft by the Sox to that point. Since then, the team has chosen backstops Rick Seilheimer (1979), Ron Karkovice (1982), Kurt Brown (1985) and Mark Johnson (1994) in the first round of the June draft. Steve signed on June 20, 1973 and began his pro career at the Sox Double-A affiliate in Knoxville, Tenn., where his teammates included the likes of Lamar Johnson and Ken Kravec. After hitting .211 in 54 games, Steve was promoted to Triple-A Iowa where he batted .286 in six games to finish out the season. The following December Steve was part of the largest trade ever executed between the Sox and the Cubs. The Sox packaged Steve with pitchers Ken Frailing, Jim Kremmel and Steve Stone and sent them across town for Ron Santo on Dec. 11, 1973. Steve went to play nine seasons in the National League (four with the Cubs, three with the Cardinals and two with the Padres). He hit .216 with 20 homers, 322 strikeouts and 124 RBIs in 509 games in a career that included a spot on the 1976 National League All-Star team (did not play). Steve never played a game for an American League team and, to this point in his career, Nick has never played a game for a National League team. Call him ‘Swish’ Much has been made about Swisher’s on-base percentage but he swings and misses, too. Swisher has fanned at least 110 times in each of the last three seasons. He struck out a career-high 152 times in 2006. If Swisher had been on the Sox in 2006, the 152 strikeouts would have been the second-highest total in club history behind only Dave “Swish” Nicholson’s 175 whiffs in 1963. Swing early Swisher is kind of a paradox. While one of the main reasons the Sox acquired him was for penchant for patience, he thrives when swinging at the first pitch. For his career, Swisher is hitting .350 with three homer and a .561 slugging percentage with the count 0-0. Last year, while drawing 100 walks, Swisher hit hit a sizzling .487 (19-for-84) with a .744 slugging percentage and a home run. His next highest “count” average in 2007 was .357 after 3-0. Swisher’s highest career “count” average is on 1-1. Swisher is hitting .392 with a .636 slugging percentage with a ball and a strike. *Other robust averages: .371 with 14 homers at 1-0, .344 with six homers at 2-0 and .308 at 2-1. *Badness: .145 on 0-2, .153 after 0-2, .175 after 1-2, .160 on 2-2 and .194 after 2-2. *Bat on shoulder: Swisher has swung just once in his career with the count 3-0. He was retired. *Men on/empty: For his career, Swisher is hitting .254 with 48 homers with the bases empty and .247 with 32 homers with men on base. Central issues Swisher hasn’t fared particularly well against American League Central teams. In fact, Swisher has had his best Central success against the White Sox, hitting .305 with a homer and 12 RBIs. Against Cleveland, Swisher is hitting .290 followed by Minnesota at .250, Kansas City at .236 and Detroit at .211. *Central sites: Outside of US Cellular Field, the only Central venue where Swisher has thrived is the Metrodome. Swisher comes to the Sox with a .378 average at the Cell. He is hitting .292 at the Metrodome. From there, his Central road averages drop signficantly. Swisher is hitting .264 in Cleveland, .188 in Detroit and .175 in Kansas City. *Look out, CC: One of the best things about Swisher is that he comes to Chicago with a solid resume against Sox-killer C.C. Sabathia. Swisher is hitting .385 (5-for-13) with a double, an RBI and a walk against Cleveland’s ace left-hander, who is 14-3 lifetime against the Southsiders. *Other Tribe hurlers: Swisher has tagged Cleveland hurlers Cliff Lee (.444), Fausto Carmona (.429) and Paul Byrd (.333, 7 hits) but struggled against Jake Westbrook (1-for-19, with a strikeout) and Rafael Betancourt (.200). *Tiger tales: When Swisher gets a hit off Justin Verlander, it probably is going for extra-bases. Swisher is 4-for-15 with a double and two home run off the Detroit ace. Against other notable Detroit hurlers, Swisher is 3-for-3 with a homer off Denny Bautista; .167 with a homer vs. Jeremy Bonderman; .105 (2-for-19) vs. Zach Robertson and .267 (4-for-15) vs. Kenny Rogers. *Royal report: Swisher has struggled against Gil Meche, hitting just .214 with seven strikeouts in 14 at bats against the Kansas City ace. Against other notable Royal tossers, Swisher is 2-for-6 with a homer against Brian Banniser; .400 (2-for-5) against Zack Greinke and 1-for-1 against Joakim Soria. *Twin tales: Of the current hurlers on the Twins’ staff, Swisher has had the most success against Francisco Liriano. Swisher is 2-for-4 with a double against the young lefty. Swisher has come up empty while walking once in five plate appearances against Minnesota closer Joe Nathan. Good Wood v. Millwood Count on Swisher being in the lineup if the White Sox face Texas’ Kevin Millwood in 2008. Swisher has hit more homers (3) and hits (9) off Millwood than any other pitcher while hitting him at a .409 clip with a .909 slugging percentage. In addition, Swisher has logged two doubles, seven RBIs and three walks off Millwood. Sign somewhere, Bart! Swisher is probably hoping the unsigned and rehabbing Bartolo Colon ends up in the American League Central. Swisher is hitting .571 (4-for-7) with a double and a home run against the former Sox hurler. How about the Cubs? Being a career American Leaguer, Swisher hasn’t faced many Cubs. However, Swisher ruined a few offerings of current Cubs Ted Lilly and Bob Howry while they were in the American League. Lilly is he is hitting .333 (5-for-15) with two homers, three RBIs, a double and three walks against Lilly. Against Howry, Swisher is 1-for-2 with a home run. Swisher is 0-for-2 with a walk against Jon Lieber and 0-for-1 against Neal Cotts. If you can’t beat ‘em Bet Mark Buehrle, Jose Contreras, John Danks, Boone Logan, Matt Thornton and Javier Vazquez are glad Swisher is on their side now. Swisher has logged at least a .333 average against each those White Sox tossers. Swisher has done the most damage off Vazquez (.500, 4-for-8) and Buehrle (.400, 6-for-15 with a double, an RBI and four walks). Swisher is 2-for-2 against Danks and 2-for-3 vs. Logan. He is hitting .375 with three RBIs and four walks against Contreras and is 2-for-6 with an RBI vs. Thornton. Switch it up The 35 home runs Swisher hit for the 2006 A’s would easily be a Sox record for switch-hitters. Jose Valentin set the standard for Sox switch-hitters with 28 homers in 2003. Valentin hit a career-best 30 homers for the 2004 Sox but he hit exclusively from the left side that season. *Switch it up II: Swisher was a much better hitter against left-handers, hitting .291. Against righties, Swisher hit .250. Swisher hit just six homers in 151 at bats against lefties while pounding 16 homers in 388 at bats against righties. In his career, Swisher is hitting .271 with 17 homers in 425 at bats against lefties and .244 with 63 home runs in 1,192 at bats against righties. Versatile Swisher made 39 starts at first base, 46 in right and 56 in center for the 2007 A’s Not a good sign The left-handed thrower logged three outfield assists in 251 total chances for the 2007 A’s. … He made 90 starts at first, 79 in left and one each in right and center for the 2006 A’s. … In 2005, Swisher made 121 starts in right and 21 at first. … In his cup of coffee year with the A’s in 2004, Swisher started at all three outfield positions and first base. He plays Swisher missed 17 games over the last two years. … The Sox player who comes closest to that figure is Paul Konerko, who missed a total of 21 contests in 2006 and 2007. Buckeye club Swisher attended Ohio State. Among the Sox players who matriculated at that school were Chuck Brinkman, Jim Geddes and Bill Sharp. No speed Swisher has four steals in nine career attempts. The four steals are equal to the amount Steve Swisher posted in his nine-year career (eight attempts). Pack his suitcase Swisher has been a far better hitter on the road than he has been at home in his career. Swisher will enter 2008 with a .260 lifetime mark in road games as opposed to .242 in home games. Leave the lights off Swisher has shown he likes night games better than day games throughout his career. Through 2007, Swisher compiled a .254 average with the moon out while hitting .245 under the sunshine. Clutch concerns Swisher is hitting a paltry .220 with 16 homers with runners in scoring position. His on-base percentage in those situations is a respectable . June (and July) swoon It could be a rough middle of the season for Swisher if his career pattern holds true. Swisher has been horrendous in June and July throughout his four-year career. In those months, he his hitting .227 (.228 in June and .228 in July). With those months out of the equation, Swisher owns a .263 career mark. Best 30 days Swisher’s top month, by far, is May. Swisher is hitting .301 in the season’s second month. Swisher’s next best month (aside from a five-game .300 average in October) is April, where he is hitting .265. Early and late power 44 percent of Swisher’s home runs have come in April and September. aaSWISHER_1_.doc

In hindsight now, if the Sox could have gotten a proven starter or hired gun for Jon Rauch in 2000 ... maybe they win the World Series. Rauch was just another of Sox prospects that they couldn't trade or were hestiant to trade. Among the others: Johnny Ruffin, Scott Ruffcorn, Corwin Malone, Royce Ring. The more I think about this, the more I think the top job of a GM is to find a sucker to take your prospects for good players!

After years of Baseball America ranking the Sox system among the worst and the dubious history of the Sox prospects, I figure if someone wants one or two of them and you can get something good ... do it. I guess it's the old "bird in the hand is worth two in the bush" theory.

I think the whole thing is interesting. ... I think the Sox have done a good job of keeping their good prospects and getting teams to take prospects that aren't so good. The above list is a good example of how good the Sox have been at keeping good prospects. In the wake of the Gio trade, I could think of a handful pitching prospects the Sox unloaded that blossomed: Denny McLain, Doug Drabek and Bob Wickman. Other borderliners: Joe Borowski, Jeff Faserro, John Hudek, Buddy Groom. I more apt to trust the Sox when it comes to trading prospects. The underlying desire here, though, would be for the Sox to beef up their scouting and farm to the point where they are signing and drafting better prospects!

Thank you! I made the change. I appreciate stuff like that. My goal is to be as accurate, thorough and interesting as possible!

Here's the Sox list of top prospects from 2004. Of the 10, there is one -- Chris Young -- I wish the Sox still had. The more I look into prospects and history, the more I am FOR trading them -- within reason -- to improve yourself ASAP. THIS DATE IN WHITE SOX HISTORY: FEBRUARY 4TH FEBRUARY 4TH JEREMY SPOKEN: HE’S NO. 1 2004: Jeremy Reed was picked as the White Sox top prospect in Baseball America’s annual review of the team’s minor leaguers. The left-handed hitting outfielder hit at least .275 in each of his five stops covering three seasons in the Sox system. The Long Beach State product never made it to the Sox. He was part of the trade with Seattle that brought Freddy Garcia to the Sox on June 27, 2004 and he has been with the Mariners ever since. The rest of the list: 2. Kris Honel, pitcher; 3. Neal Cotts, pitcher; 4. Ryan Sweeney, outfielder; 5. Joe Borchard, outfielder; 6. Ryan Wing, pitcher; 7. Brian Anderson, outfielder; 8. Shingo Takatsu, pitcher; 9. Chris Young, outfielder; 10. Arnie Munoz, pitcher. For more, see www.whitesoxalmanac.com

THIS DATE IN WHITE SOX HISTORY: FEBRUARY 3RD For more, see www.whitesoxalmanac.com TAPPING TAPANI 1996: The White Sox dipped into the free agent market to get a starting pitcher when they signed right-hander Kevin Tapani to a one-year contract. The longtime Twin gave the Sox a workmanlike performance in 1996, going 13-10 with a 4.59 ERA in 34 starts. The Michigander missed just one turn -- and it came in April -- despite battling a nerve problem in his pitching hand for much of the second half. Tapani logged 225.1 innngs and fanned 150 strikeouts for a team that was good enough to make playoffs but fell short of a wild card berth. Tapani took the free agent route after the season and signed with the Cubs where he played until his final campaign of 2001.

THIS DATE IN WHITE SOX HISTORY: FEBRUARY 2ND For more, see WWW.WHITESOXALMANAC.COM GOODBYE RUDY 1948: The White Sox gave slugging first baseman Rudy York his walking papers after the Alabama native had slugged 15 home runs in 400 at bats in 1947. The Sox acquired York, who led the A.L. in homers and RBIs for the ’43 Tigers, from Boston in June of 1947. At the time, his 262 homers were the most a player ever had upon joining the Sox. York’s release paved the way for Tony Lupien, the reigning Pacific Coast League MVP, to take over at first base. Lupien, who had played with the Boston Braves and Philadelphia A’s in the mid-1940s before joining navy. The 1948 campaign proved to be the last for Lupien and York, who had hooked on with the A’s. A RED LETTER DAY 1964: Legendary White Sox pitcher Urban “Red” Faber was elected to the Hall of Fame through the vote of a special Veterans Committee. The native of Cascade, Iowa won 254 games for the White Sox between 1914 and 1933. Faber, a member of the Sox All-20th Century Team, retired as the franchise’s all-time leader with 254 victories, a total that would eventually and only be surpassed by Ted Lyons, who also eventually made it to the Hall. Faber, a spitballer, was a four-time 20-game winner. In the 1917 World Series against the Giants, he went 3-1 with a 2.33 ERA and went the distance in the Sox clinching victory in Game 6 at the Polo Grounds. TOP (COMPENSATION) DRAFT CHOICE 1981: The White Sox made a little history when they became the first team to acquire player with a pick from the free agent compensation pool that was part of the settlement of the protracted strike that fractured the 1981 campaign. After losing stopper Ed Farmer to free agency, the Sox selected 21-year old catcher Joel Skinner, who was left unprotected by the Pittsburgh Pirates. Skinner, the son of former big league pitcher Bob Skinner, was coming off a year in which he hit .266 with 11 homers and 63 RBIs for the Pirates’ Class-A Greenwood affiliate. General Manager Roland Hemond made this choice with an obvious eye to the future because, as they say, Carlton Fisk wasn’t getting any young. Skinner was called up by the Sox for short stints in 1983, 1984 and 1985. Skinner was given the starting job and Fisk was moved to left field in 1986 – Ken Harrelson’s only season as Sox GM -- but he was never able to blossom. With Skinner hitting just .154, Fisk regained his familiar spot behind the plate on May 12. On July 30, Skinner’s time with the Sox ended when he was dealt to the Yankees in a six-player swap. … Also on this date, the White Sox signed Bill Almon to a minor league contract.

THIS DATE IN WHITE SOX HISTORY: FEBRUARY 1ST For more, see www.whitesoxalmanac.com NIGHTBOAT TO CAIRO 1914: The White Sox and Giants played to a 3-3 tie in Cairo, Egypt as part of their world tour. The Sox and Giants would also visit Japan, Australia, Ceylon, France, Italy and England as part of the tour. The Sox would return to the United States the following March 6 having won 24 of the 44 exhibitions. A LYTTLE DEAL WITH THE ROYALS 1973: The White Sox traded outfielder Jim Lyttle to the Kansas City Royals in exchange for outfielder Joe Keough. Lyttle spent 1972 – his only year with the organization – splitting time between Triple-A Tucson (.270, 7 HR, 20 RBIs) and the White Sox (.232, 0 HR, 5 RBIs). After leaving the Majors in 1976, Lyttle went on to have a productive career in Japan. In 1980, he was named MVP of the Japan Series as his Hiroshima Carp defeated the Kintetsu Buffaoles in seven games for the title. Keough played in just five games for the 1973 Sox. WE USED TO HATE THIS GUY 2002: Seeking to filla void at the top of the lineup and in center field, the White Sox signed free agent Kenny Lofton, who had spent the better part of the 1990s terrorizing the Sox while he was with the Cleveland Indians.Lofton, who signed a one year contract, got off to asearing start, hitting .400 through April 23. The East Chicago, Ind., native was healthy, fast, enthusiastic and giving opposing pitchers fits – all things he was with Cleveland during his prime. However, it was too good to be true. The 34-year-old Lofton saw his average dip to .301 by the end of May -– the last time he would be over .300 with the Sox. Lofton’s average decreased steadily until he was traded to the Giants for minor league pitchers Ryan Meaux and Felix Diaz on July 28th.

THIS DATE IN WHITE SOX HISTORY: JANUARY 31 For more, see www.whitesoxalmanac.com JANUARY 31ST SUPER FOR HOOPER 1971: Former White Sox outfielder Harry Hooper was elected to the Hall of Fame by a vote of a special Veterans Committee. Hooper played the final four years of his 17-year career in Sox yarns. The Californian hit .302 for the Sox between 1921 and 1925 after playing the first 12 seasons of his career with the Red Sox. Hooper experienced unprecedented power during his time on the Southside. He arrived in Chicago with 30 career home runs. The left-handed hitter exceeded that total in his fourth year in Chicago and finished with 45 roundtrippers with the Sox. Also elected by the Vets with Hooper were Jake Beckley, Joe Kelly, Rube Marquard, Chick Hafey, Dave Bancroft and executive George Weiss. KUDOS TO THE SENOR 1977: Former White Sox manager Al Lopez was elected to the Hall of Fame by vote of a special Veterans Committee. Also voted in by the Vets were Joe Sewell and Amos Rusie. Those three would join Cub great Ernie Banks in induction ceremonies on July 31 in Cooperstown. The popular Lopez managed the Sox from 1957 to 1965 and in 1968 and 1969. The Senor was 840-650 on the Sox bench and the highlight of his tenure was the American League pennant in 1959. ROBIN SECURED 1994: The White Sox signed third baseman Robin Ventura to a four-year contract with an option for an additional season. Ventura was coming off a season in which he hit .262 with 22 homers and 94 RBIs while winning a Gold Glove for the American League West champs. … Also on this date, Bo Jackson, who had spent the previous three seasons with the White Sox, signed with the Angels. WHAT’S IN A NAME? MONEY AND A BETTER PARK 2003: The White Sox signed a naming rights agreement with Chicago-based wireless service provider U.S. Cellular that will pay the club $68 million over 20 years. According to the Sox, the agreement to change the name of their 12-year-old stadium from “New” Comiskey Park to U.S. Cellular Field was forged to “pursue dramatic, fan-focused renovations and improvements to the ballpark …” The money from the deal has transformed the park from a sterile edifice which was dubbed the “Mallpark” to a more classic-looking fan-friendly facility. Recent improvements included new videoboards, scout seats, green seats and a more modest and manageable upper deck.

THIS DATE IN WHITE SOX HISTORY: JANUARY 29TH For more, see www.whitesoxalmanac.com CHUCK DENIED 1960: In ruling handed down by the Illinois Appellate court, Dorothy Rigney was allowed to sell her mother’s shares of the White Sox to Bill Veeck. Charles Comiskey Jr., Dorothy’s brother, brought forth the suit hoping to gain control of the White Sox. JERRY AND EDDIE ARRIVE 1981: American League owners finally approved the sale of the White Sox to a group headed by Jerry Reinsdorf and Eddie Einhorn. The third time proved to be a charm here. Twice before, A.L. owners had rejected Bill Veeck’s sale to Edward DeBartolo. Reinsdorf originally entered the picture with Chicago businessman William Farley, who owned some Sox stock. After Farley withdrew, Reinsdorf hooked up with Einhorn, a TV executive who was a vendor at Comiskey Park during the White Sox pennant-winning campaign of 1959. Once the sale was approved, Reinsdorf’s group worked fast. Among their first acquisitions were big names Carlton Fisk and Greg Luzinski. GOOD BYE, GWRBI 1989: The game-winning RBI is dropped as an official statistic. GWRBIs were kept as official statistics from 1980 and 1988 and were awarded to the player that gave the winning team the lead for good in a game. For the record, Harry Chappas had the White Sox first game-winning RBI in an 8-4 win over Baltimore April 11, 1980 at Comiskey Park and Steve Lyons had the Sox last GWRBI in a 5-1 win at Kansas City Oct. 2, 1988. Harold Baines set the team record, which was a big league record until 1985, with 22 GWRBIs in 1983. SIX MONTHS LATER, A HOMER 1992: The White Sox signed catcher Nelson Santovenia as a free agent. Santovenia’s claim to fame with the White Sox was that he homered in his first at bat for his only hit with the club July 111, 1992 at Fenway Park. The blast came with Joey Cora on first base off John Dopson in the third inning of an 11-2 loss. Santovenia became just the fifth player in franchise history to have his only hit of the season be a homer. The dinger was the last of his 21 career homers and the second-to-last hit of the veteran catcher’s career. OZZIE AN ORIOLE 1998: Free agent Ozzie Guillen signed with the Baltimore Orioles. The spry shortstop had spent the previous 13 seasons with the White Sox. WELCOME WILLIE 2002: The White Sox acquired infielder-outfielder Willie Harris, the player who would score the winning run in the clinching game of the 2005 World Series, from the Baltimore Orioles in exchange for outfielder Chris Singleton. Harris was considered one of the top prospects in the Baltimore organization which is why the White Sox had to give up their regular center fielder to get him. Harris didn’t do much to distinguish himself in his four years with the Sox save for the 2005 postseason. In addition to going 2-for-2, Harris scored the decisive run in Game 4 of the World Series in Houston on Jermaine Dye’s base hit after leading off the eighth inning with a single. That game turned out to be Harris’ last with the Sox. He signed with Boston after being granted free agency following the season.

THIS DATE IN WHITE SOX HISTORY: JANUARY 28TH For more, see www.whitesoxalmanac.com THE A.L.’S DECLARATION OF INDEPENDENCE 1901: The American League declared itself a second Major League in a closed-door meeting in Chicago. The White Sox are joined by the Baltimore Orioles, the Philadelphia Athletics, Boston Somersets, Washington Nationals, Cleveland Blues, Detroit Tigers and Milwaukee Brewers as charter franchises. The league drafted a 140-game schedule and put Charles Comiskey rival Ban Johnson in charge. SAVE FERRIS 1953: The White Sox traded first baseman Eddie Robinson, infielder Joe DeMaestri and outfielder Ed McGhee to Philadelphia for first baseman Ferris Fain and minor leaguer Bob Wilson. Fain was the reigning A.L. batting champion but he could not keep up that pace with the Sox, hitting .256 and.302 in his two years with the club.

THIS DATE IN WHITE SOX HISTORY: JANUARY 27TH For more, see www.whitesoxalmanac.com MICK THE QUICK GETS AWAY 1968: The White Sox selected future big leaguer Mickey Rivers with their first round pick in the regular phase of the January draft. The Sox used the 13th overall pick on the Miami-Dade North Community College outfielder but he did not sign. It wouldn’t be the last time Rivers would not sign after being drafted. He was finally drafted and signed by Atlanta in 1969 after turning the Mets and Senators in addition to the Sox. Rivers went on to have a productive career throughout the 1970s and had his best years with the Yankees as part of their great teams of that decade. It goes without saying Rivers would have looked mighty good in a Sox uniform during that time. TAD IS HAD 2005: The White Sox signed second baseman Tadahito Iguchi, who had been one of the top players in the Japanese Pacific League between 1997 and 2004. Iguchi’s signing turned out to be one of general manager Ken Williams’ best. Iguchi hit .278 with 15 home runs and 71 RBIs for the 2005 White Sox. His steady play was a key element of the team’s charge to the World Series title. In the playoffs, Iguchi delivered the biggest hit of the Division Series against Boston when he launched a three-run home run off David Wells in the Sox 5-4 win in Game 2. In 2006, Iguchi showed his rookie season was no fluke, hitting .281 with 18 homers and 67 RBIs.

THIS DATE IN SOX HISTORY: JANUARY 26TH For more, see www.whitesoxalmanac.com DEALING WITH THE ENEMY 1983: Faced with the prospect of being embarrassed or being swindled by his crosstown rival, Cubs general manager Dallas Green chose the latter. Some would say both happened. The White Sox and general manager Roland Hemond acquired infielders Scott Fletcher and Pat Tabler and pitchers Dick Tidrow and Randy Martz from the Cubs for starting pitcher Steve Trout and reliever Warren Brusstar. The biggest swap between Chicago's Major League teams came after the White Sox flirted with selecting Fergie Jenkins, who was the Cubs' best pitcher in 1982 and one of the most popular players in franchise history, as compensation for losing free agent outfielder Steve Kemp. The compensation for free agent loss was born out of the 1981 players strike and would net the Sox Tom Seaver a year later. The Cubs got to keep Jenkins (the Sox chose pitcher Steve Mura from the Cardinals instead) but had to surrender three promising players and established setup man in exchange for the enigmatic Trout and adequate Brusstar. When the whole matter was settled Green said he was “relieved.” The deal was more sizzle than steak with none of the principles having a long term impact on their new teams. Fletcher and Tidrow were contributors to the Sox A.L. West title team in 1983 and Trout was a member of the Cubs’ 1984 N.L. East Division title team but none of the members of this trade ever blossomed into star.

THIS DATE IN WHITE SOX HISTORY: JAN. 25 For more, visit www.whitesoxalmanac.com FROM WHITE SOX TO WHITE SHOES 2006: The Oakland Athletics signed designated hitter Frank Thomas to an incentive-laden one-year contract worth $500,000. “The Big Hurt” had spent the previous 17 years as one of the most productive hitters in big league history as a member of the White Sox. JENKS IS NO. 1 2006: Baseball America listed relief pitcher Bobby Jenks as the White Sox organization’s top prospect in its annual examination of the franchise’s system. Even though Jenks was a key part of the White Sox drive to the 2005 World Series title, he was still considered a prospect by Baseball America because he had not exceeded 50 innings – the rookie qualification for pitchers. Baseball America did not take into account service time, which is why Jenks was not a rookie in 2006. The rest of the top 10 (in order): Outfielder Brian Anderson, outfielder Ryan Sweeney, third baseman Josh Fields, outfielder Jerry Owens, shortstop Robert Valido, left-handed pitcher Ray Liotta, pitcher Lance Broadway, catcher Francisco Hernandez and pitcher Sean Tracey. ERSTAD ON BOARD 2007: The White Sox signed Darin Erstad as a free agent, who had spent the previous 11 seasons with the Angels. The outfielder-first baseman was one of the best hitters in the American League in early part of the decade but his production declined because of injuries. Erstad was the Sox Opening Day center fielder and hit a homer in his first at bat. That, however, was the highlight of his time with the Sox. Erstad wound up hitting a disappointing .248 in a season that was interrupted by injuries.

THIS DATE IN WHITE SOX HISTORY: JANUARY 24TH For more, see www.whitesoxalmanac.com COLLINS: THE SOX FIRST HALL OF FAMER 1939: Eddie Collins became the first White Sox player voted into the Hall of Fame when he was named on 77.74 percent of the ballots submitted by the Baseball Writers Association of America. In his fourth year on the ballot, Collins exceeded the needed 75 percent for election in finishing second behind George Sisler, who received 85.77 percent of the vote. “Wee” Willie Keeler also received enough votes for induction. He took third at 75.55 percent. Collins, a second baseman, played for the White Sox from 1915 to 1925, amassing a .331 average. Collins ranks among the Sox career leaders in every major statistical category except home runs and slugging percentage. He still ranks second in franchise history with a .426 on-base percentage, third with 1,608 singles and fourth with 2,007 hits. WHAT A DEAL! 2003: The White Sox bagged one of their better bargains when they signed free agent pitcher Esteban Loaiza. Along with the contract, the right-hander was given a non-roster invitation to spring training. Loaiza beat out Gil Heredia among others for the fifth spot in the rotation in becoming the first non-roster invitee to make the club out of spring training since Danny Darwin in 1997. The native of Tijuana went on to have one of the great seasons ever by a White Sox starting pitcher. Using a refined cut fastball, Loaiza went 21-9 with a 2.90 ERA and a league-leading 207 strikeouts. His renaissance season included a record-tying number of victories for Mexican natives and the starting assignment for the American League in the All-Star Game at US Cellular Field. For his efforts, Loaiza finished second to Toronto’s Roy Halladay in the A.L. Cy Young voting. The following July, the Sox dealt Loaiza to the Yankees for pitcher Jose Contreras in a deal that would pay huge dividends for the franchise in 2005.

THIS DATE IN WHITE SOX HISTORY: JANUARY 23RD For more, see www.whitesoxalamanac.com A TERRIFIC PICKUP 1984: Much to the chagrin of the New York Mets, their fans and the man himself, the White Sox selected pitcher Tom Seaver as compensation for losing a “Type A” free agent. The Mets had only themselves to blame for losing Seaver in the compensation pool that was part of the settlement in the 1981 strike. The Mets left Seaver unprotected figuring no one would pick a 39-year old right-hander who had gone 9-14 in 1983 with a hefty salary. The White Sox had a pick in this draft for losing pitcher Dennis Lamp to free agency following the 1983 season. Had the Mets done their homework, they would have known White Sox general manager Roland Hemond had a move like this in him. A year earlier, Hemond had toyed with selecting Cub pitcher Ferguson Jenkins in the same “compensation pool draft.” The White Sox didn’t take Jenkins but did wind up making a blockbuster deal with the Cubs that left Cub general manager Dallas Green saying he was “relieved.” There was no swap this time and Seaver joined a rotation that included LaMarr Hoyt, Floyd Bannister, Richard Dotson and Britt Burns. While he had misgivings about leaving the Mets, a team he had rejoined for the 1983 campaign, Seaver eventually warmed to his first American League home. In retirement, Seaver spoke fondly of his days with the White Sox and his association with Ozzie Guillen. “Tom Terrific” had two excellent seasons with the White Sox. He went 15-11 with a 3.95 ERA in 1984 and 16-11 with a 3.17 ERA in 1985. The highlight of Seaver’s tenure with the White Sox came on Aug. 4, 1985 when he won logged his 300th victory with a complete game effort at Yankee Stadium. Seaver’s time in Chicago came to an end on June 29, 1986 when he was dealt by general manager Ken Harrelson to the Boston Red Sox for utilityman Steve Lyons. Seaver was 33-28 with a 3.67 ERA in 81 outings (79 starts) with 17 complete games and five shutouts with the Sox. Seaver’s numbers could have been markedly better with the Sox considering he was on the losing end of a shutout a total of six times in 1984 and 1985 and he left with a lead that the bullpen blew six times in 1984.

THIS DATE IN WHITE SOX HISTORY: JANUARY 22ND For more (including Jan. 19-21), see www.whitesoxalmanac.com THE LAST 35 BEFORE FRANK 1988: The White Sox signed pitcher Jeff Bittiger. The right-hander had an undistinguished two-year, 27-game stint with the Sox, going 2-6. He will go down in club history as the last player to wear No. 35 before Frank Thomas. DANNY’S DANDY … FOR A YEAR 1996: Danny Tartabull became the White Sox latest right fielder when they acquired the slugger from the Oakland Athletics for pitcher Andrew Lorraine and minor leaguer Charles Poe. Tartabull went on to have a solid campaign for a team that was talented enough to make the playoffs but fell short. Serving as the Sox sixth regular right fielder in the last six seasons, Tartabull hit .254 with 27 home runs and 101 RBIs. THE SHINGO SENSATION IS BORN 2004: The White Sox signed legendary Japanese relief pitcher Shingo Takatsu as a free agent. The 35-year-old submarining right-hander came to the Sox after 13 seasons with the Yakult Swallows of the Japanese Central League where he saved at least 29 games in each year between 1999 and 2003. Takatsu was part of four Japanese League titles and earned the nickname “Mr. Zero” because he was unscored upon in 10 championship series games in his career. Takatsu emerged as the Sox closer and a fan favorite in 2004 when he used his Frisbee type of breaking pitch to log 19 saves a 2.31 ERA in 59 outings. The magic did not last in 2005. After 31 outings, eight saves and a whopping 5.97 ERA, the Sox released Takatsu. When Shingo faltered early in 2005, Dustin Hermanson stepped in as the closer. When Hermanson was hobbled, Bobby Jenks took over and the rest, as they say, was history.

THIS DATE IN WHITE SOX HISTORY: JANUARY 18TH JANUARY 18TH SOX LEGENDS FALL SHORT … THIS TIME 1938: Former longtime White Sox players Eddie Collins, Ed Walsh, Ray Schalk and Red Faber – franchise legends and future Hall of Famers all – received votes but not enough for induction in balloting for the shrine in Cooperstown conducted by the Baseball Writers Association of America. In the third year of voting, only 373-game winner Grover Cleveland Alexander received enough votes for induction. Needing 75 percent, Alexander received 80.92 percent of the vote. Collins, a second baseman, was fourth with 175 votes (66.79 percent), Walsh, a pitcher, was eighth with 110 (41.98 percent), Schalk, a catcher, was 17th with 45 (17.18 percent) and Faber, a pitcher, was tied for last with just one vote (0.38 percent). Collins wouldn’t have long to wait for his induction. He was elected to the Hall the following year. The rest of the Sox legends made the Hall via the Veterans Committee. Walsh was enshrined in 1946 while Schalk went in in 1955 and Faber was inducted in 1964. There were some other familiar names on the 1938 ballot. Future Hall of Famers Johnny Evers, Clark Griffith, Chief Bender, Edd Roush, Hugh Duffy and Frank Chance – all of whom spent some time with the Sox –received votes but not enough for induction. Other notables receiving votes this year were former Sox players Nick Altrock, Harry Hooper, Dickie Kerr,Everett Scott, Fielder Jones and Kid Gleason. CHUCK TAKES A WALK 1952: Charles Comiskey Jr.’s request for a raise from the club’s board of directors was refused in a big way. At a board meeting, Comiskey, an executive and the grandson of White Sox founder Charles Comiskey (aka “The Old Roman”), asked for more money but was turned down. According to Rich Lindberg’s “White Sox Encyclopedia,” Comiskey abruptly quit the organization but was brought by his mother, Grace, months later when a broadcast venture of his did not work out. HERSHBERGER CUT 1972: The White Sox released outfielder Mike Hershberger, ending his 11-year career. The Ohio native gave the team some good years in the early 1960s – including 1963 when he hit a career-high .279 -- before he was dealt to Kansas City for the 1965 campaign. Hershberger returned to the Sox for the 1971 season and hit .260 in 74 games. NICE FIND 1980: The White Sox signed free agent pitcher Juan Agosto. The left-handed reliever was out of the game in 1979 but the Sox took a chance on him and it paid dividends. Agosto made it to the bigs in 1981 and was a contributor form 1983 to 1985 before he was dealt to Minnesota.

THIS DATE IN SOX HISTORY: JANUARY 17TH For more, visit www.whitesoxalmanac.com KUIPER SPURNS THE SOUTHSIDE 1970: The White Sox spent their first round pick in the regular phase of the January draft on junior college shortstop Duane Kuiper. The Sox used the fifth overall pick of the draft on Kuiper, who was at Indian Hills Community College, but couldn’t sign him. The native of Racine, Wisconsin spurned the Sox as he had after being drafted by the Yankees in 1968 and the Seattle Pilots in 1969. This wouldn’t be the last time Kuiper would turn down a suitor. He was picked by Cincinnati in June of 1970 and the Boston in June 1971 but he turned them down, too. Kuiper finally signed with Cleveland after the Indians made him their first round pick (21st overall) out of Southern Illinois in the January 1972 draft. Kuiper went on to have a productive big league career as a second baseman with the Indians and Giants. The sure-handed left-handed hitter would have looked good in the Sox infield in the mid- and late-1970s. Kuiper hit .271 with one home runs and 262 RBIs over his 12 year big league career. He hit the only home run of his big league career off the White Sox Steve Stone on Aug. 29, 1977. This was a fact broadcaster Harry Caray would rib Stone about throughout their time together on Cub broadcasts. This was a horrendous draft for the Sox. None of the 16 picks made it to the big leagues with the Sox and the only other player aside from Kuiper to reach the “show” was catcher John Tamargo. The Sox picked Tamargo in the fourth round of the secondary phase of this draft out of Miami Dade North Community College but couldn’t sign him. Tamargo ultimately signed with St. Louis in 1973 and went on to play 135 games for the Cardinals, Giants and Expos between 1976 and 1980.

THIS DATE IN WHITE SOX HISTORY: JANUARY 16TH For more see, www.whitesoxalmanac.com LAST CHANCE FOR BILLY 1974: Former White Sox pitcher Billy Pierce garnered just four votes in what turned out to be the last of his five years on the Hall of Fame ballot. Pierce, the Sox all-time leader with 1,796 strikeouts, received just 1.1 percent of the vote in balloting by the Baseball Writers Association of America. It was the third straight year he received four votes. Pierce’s Hall of Fame fate was left to the Veteran’s Committee, who have yet to elect him. Yankee teammates Mickey Mantle and Whitey Ford easily surpassed the needed 75 percent for induction. In his fourth year on the ballot, Nellie Fox collected 79 votes, his best showing yet. Others with Sox ties receiving votes were Bob Lemon, George Kell, Phil Cavarretta, Don Larsen, Ted Kluszewski, Smoky Burgess and Rocky Colavito. GOOSE PICKS UP STEAM 2001: In his second year on the Hall of Fame ballot, former White Sox pitcher Rich Gossage picked up 228 votes but still fell short of the needed 75 percent to gain induction into Cooperstown. The good news was that Gossage, who pitched for the Sox from 1972-1976, increased his total by 62 votes in balloting performed by the Baseball Writers Association of America. “Goose” would eventually be voted into the Hall in 2008. Dave Winfield and Kirby Puckett easily earned enough votes for induction. Other with Sox ties who received votes were Tommy John, Jim Kaat, Dave Righetti and John Kruk. AT U.S. CELLULAR FIELD (AND BEYOND), IT WILL COUNT 2003: Major League Baseball announced that the winning league in the annual All-Star Game will receive homefield advantage in that season’s World Series. Owners unanimously approved the proposalafter the 2002 All-Star Game ended in an embarrassing tie in Commissioner Bud Selig’s hometown of Milwaukee. The 2003 All-Star Game at U.S. Cellular Field -- the first hosted by the Sox since 1983 – would be the first game played under these rules. The American League won the game at “the Cell” the following July.