This Day In Sox History...December 11

[Lip Man 1]

December 11, 1973 - It was one of the worst deals ever made by G.M. Roland Hemond.

The Sox acquired Cubs star Ron Santo after Santo refused a deal to the Angels invoking his rights as a 5/10 player, meaning five years with the same team and 10 seasons in Major League Baseball. Santo, who may have been able to be picked up on waivers, was acquired for three players, including pitcher Steve Stone.

Santo did very little in his one season with the White Sox and was considered a clubhouse cancer often getting into disagreements with Dick Allen.

His highlight was probably the inside the park home run he hit on June 9, 1974 against Boston’s Bill Lee at Comiskey Park.  Santo was also one of the few players who disliked playing under manager Chuck Tanner. He’d hit a paltry .221 for the Sox with five home runs and 41 RBI’s.

 

December 11, 1975 – Sox G.M. Roland Hemond sent third baseman Bill Melton, a former A.L. home run champ, and pitcher Steve Dunning to California for first baseman Jim Spencer and outfielder Morris Nettles.

Melton had a bad back and had worn out his welcome with the team, getting into a shouting match in a Milwaukee hotel lobby with broadcaster Harry Caray.

Spencer meanwhile would win a Gold Glove for his defensive prowess saving many errors. He also had 18 home runs and 69 RBI’s for the “South Side Hit Men”, twice driving in eight runs in a game in 1977. Both came at Comiskey Park against the Indians and then the Twins.

 

December 11, 1980 - Edward DeBartolo was voted down by other American League owners in his attempt to buy the White Sox from Bill Veeck.

DeBartolo, the man who invented the modern shopping mall in Boardman, Ohio may have had connections with organized crime. He also owned horse racing tracks, the Pittsburgh Penguins of the NHL and wasn’t from the Chicago area. All were ‘red flags’ for the other owners.

In an effort to appease then Commissioner Bowie Kuhn, DeBartolo agreed to move to Chicago at least 20 per cent of the time to have a direct idea of what was going on with the franchise. His compromises fell on deaf ears as he only received three affirmative votes. Originally back in October at the first vote on his attempt to buy the club, he fell two votes short of approval.

The way was then opened for the group headed by Jerry Reinsdorf and Eddie Einhorn to get the franchise.

 

December 11, 1981 - Another fine deal pulled off by G.M. Roland Hemond. He sent shortstop Todd Cruz and outfielder Rod Allen to the Mariners for Tom “Wimpy” Paciorek.

Tom made the All-Star team with the M’s in 1981. He’d hit over .300 for the White Sox both in 1982 and 1983. He was also one of the craziest guys to ever do commercials for the club. After he retired, he worked in the Sox broadcasting booth from 1988 through 1999.

 

December 11, 1996 - After losing star pitcher Alex Fernandez to free agency and claiming that starting pitcher Kevin Tapani was faking an injury to his pitching hand (an injury that would force Tapani to miss the first half of the 1997 season with the Cubs after he signed a free agent deal with them), Sox G.M. Ron Schueler signed pitcher Jaime Navarro to a four year, $20-million-dollar deal.

Navarro was a complete bust. His three-year record with the Sox was 25-43 and he often publicly blamed his teammates for his pitching issues

Making matters worse was Schueler’s refusal to talk with the agents for Roger Clemens after he had expressed an interest in joining the team. Schueler offered this comment on the matter, "Roger Clemens is over the hill." During that same three-year period that Navarro was with the Sox, Clemens would win two Cy Young awards and 55 games.

Navarro eventually did do something positive for the franchise…he was part of a deal that brought Jose Valentin and Cal Eldred to the Sox in January 2000.

[The Mighty Mite]

1 hour ago, Lip Man 1 said:

December 11, 1973 - It was one of the worst deals ever made by G.M. Roland Hemond.

The Sox acquired Cubs star Ron Santo after Santo refused a deal to the Angels invoking his rights as a 5/10 player, meaning five years with the same team and 10 seasons in Major League Baseball. Santo, who may have been able to be picked up on waivers, was acquired for three players, including pitcher Steve Stone.

Santo did very little in his one season with the White Sox and was considered a clubhouse cancer often getting into disagreements with Dick Allen.

His highlight was probably the inside the park home run he hit on June 9, 1974 against Boston’s Bill Lee at Comiskey Park.  Santo was also one of the few players who disliked playing under manager Chuck Tanner. He’d hit a paltry .221 for the Sox with five home runs and 41 RBI’s.

 

December 11, 1975 – Sox G.M. Roland Hemond sent third baseman Bill Melton, a former A.L. home run champ, and pitcher Steve Dunning to California for first baseman Jim Spencer and outfielder Morris Nettles.

Melton had a bad back and had worn out his welcome with the team, getting into a shouting match in a Milwaukee hotel lobby with broadcaster Harry Caray.

Spencer meanwhile would win a Gold Glove for his defensive prowess saving many errors. He also had 18 home runs and 69 RBI’s for the “South Side Hit Men”, twice driving in eight runs in a game in 1977. Both came at Comiskey Park against the Indians and then the Twins.

 

December 11, 1980 - Edward DeBartolo was voted down by other American League owners in his attempt to buy the White Sox from Bill Veeck.

DeBartolo, the man who invented the modern shopping mall in Boardman, Ohio may have had connections with organized crime. He also owned horse racing tracks, the Pittsburgh Penguins of the NHL and wasn’t from the Chicago area. All were ‘red flags’ for the other owners.

In an effort to appease then Commissioner Bowie Kuhn, DeBartolo agreed to move to Chicago at least 20 per cent of the time to have a direct idea of what was going on with the franchise. His compromises fell on deaf ears as he only received three affirmative votes. Originally back in October at the first vote on his attempt to buy the club, he fell two votes short of approval.

The way was then opened for the group headed by Jerry Reinsdorf and Eddie Einhorn to get the franchise.

 

December 11, 1981 - Another fine deal pulled off by G.M. Roland Hemond. He sent shortstop Todd Cruz and outfielder Rod Allen to the Mariners for Tom “Wimpy” Paciorek.

Tom made the All-Star team with the M’s in 1981. He’d hit over .300 for the White Sox both in 1982 and 1983. He was also one of the craziest guys to ever do commercials for the club. After he retired, he worked in the Sox broadcasting booth from 1988 through 1999.

 

December 11, 1996 - After losing star pitcher Alex Fernandez to free agency and claiming that starting pitcher Kevin Tapani was faking an injury to his pitching hand (an injury that would force Tapani to miss the first half of the 1997 season with the Cubs after he signed a free agent deal with them), Sox G.M. Ron Schueler signed pitcher Jaime Navarro to a four year, $20-million-dollar deal.

Navarro was a complete bust. His three-year record with the Sox was 25-43 and he often publicly blamed his teammates for his pitching issues

Making matters worse was Schueler’s refusal to talk with the agents for Roger Clemens after he had expressed an interest in joining the team. Schueler offered this comment on the matter, "Roger Clemens is over the hill." During that same three-year period that Navarro was with the Sox, Clemens would win two Cy Young awards and 55 games.

Navarro eventually did do something positive for the franchise…he was part of a deal that brought Jose Valentin and Cal Eldred to the Sox in January 2000.

Hate to speak ill of the dead but Santo was a jerk and IMHO should not be in the Hall of Fame.

[WestEddy]

2 hours ago, The Mighty Mite said:

Hate to speak ill of the dead but Santo was a jerk and IMHO should not be in the Hall of Fame.

My dad always hated Santo for yelling at Don Young after Young made a couple errors in a key, late-season game against the Mets. I think my dad pretty much had a problem with any baseball player. He thought they were all prima donnas, and anytime I expressed excitement about any player, my dad was sure to let me know what jerks they probably were. I liked Santo as a kid. I think he belonged in the HOF. 

[The Mighty Mite]

30 minutes ago, WestEddy said:

My dad always hated Santo for yelling at Don Young after Young made a couple errors in a key, late-season game against the Mets. I think my dad pretty much had a problem with any baseball player. He thought they were all prima donnas, and anytime I expressed excitement about any player, my dad was sure to let me know what jerks they probably were. I liked Santo as a kid. I think he belonged in the HOF. 

I remember the Don Young incident and that’s when the downhill slide started for the 69 Flubs . Do you remember Santo clicking his heels after a Wrigley Field win on the way to the Flubs clubhouse which was way down the left field line in those days, stupid antics.

[WestEddy]

14 minutes ago, The Mighty Mite said:

Do you remember Santo clicking his heels after a Wrigley Field win on the way to the Flubs clubhouse which was way down the left field line in those days, stupid antics.

Yes. I started out as a Cub fan (northwest sider), but became more enamored of the Sox between 71-74. 

[The Mighty Mite]

12 minutes ago, WestEddy said:

Yes. I started out as a Cub fan (northwest sider), but became more enamored of the Sox between 71-74. 

I have to say I always liked Ernie Banks, I was a die hard Sox fan but lived in Rogers Park and up to 1960 attended a lot more Cubs games because they played day games and my parents allowed me to go to Wrigley with friends, my first Cub game was in 1955 with my Cub Scout Pack and 1957 was the first time I went to Wrigley with friends naturally on the “L” from the Loyola-Sheridan station, we were 11 years old, can anyone imagine parents allowing 11 year olds to go anywhere in this day age without adults.

Edited December 11, 2023 by The Mighty Mite

[WestEddy]

15 minutes ago, The Mighty Mite said:

can anyone imagine parents allowing 11 year olds to go anywhere in this day age without adults.

Back in the 90s, my brother let his 9-year-old and a friend walk up to the concourse and to the gift shop alone, and we thought he was crazy. 

[zisk]

5 hours ago, Lip Man 1 said:

December 11, 1973 - It was one of the worst deals ever made by G.M. Roland Hemond.

The Sox acquired Cubs star Ron Santo after Santo refused a deal to the Angels invoking his rights as a 5/10 player, meaning five years with the same team and 10 seasons in Major League Baseball. Santo, who may have been able to be picked up on waivers, was acquired for three players, including pitcher Steve Stone.

Santo did very little in his one season with the White Sox and was considered a clubhouse cancer often getting into disagreements with Dick Allen.

His highlight was probably the inside the park home run he hit on June 9, 1974 against Boston’s Bill Lee at Comiskey Park.  Santo was also one of the few players who disliked playing under manager Chuck Tanner. He’d hit a paltry .221 for the Sox with five home runs and 41 RBI’s.

 

December 11, 1975 – Sox G.M. Roland Hemond sent third baseman Bill Melton, a former A.L. home run champ, and pitcher Steve Dunning to California for first baseman Jim Spencer and outfielder Morris Nettles.

Melton had a bad back and had worn out his welcome with the team, getting into a shouting match in a Milwaukee hotel lobby with broadcaster Harry Caray.

Spencer meanwhile would win a Gold Glove for his defensive prowess saving many errors. He also had 18 home runs and 69 RBI’s for the “South Side Hit Men”, twice driving in eight runs in a game in 1977. Both came at Comiskey Park against the Indians and then the Twins.

 

December 11, 1980 - Edward DeBartolo was voted down by other American League owners in his attempt to buy the White Sox from Bill Veeck.

DeBartolo, the man who invented the modern shopping mall in Boardman, Ohio may have had connections with organized crime. He also owned horse racing tracks, the Pittsburgh Penguins of the NHL and wasn’t from the Chicago area. All were ‘red flags’ for the other owners.

In an effort to appease then Commissioner Bowie Kuhn, DeBartolo agreed to move to Chicago at least 20 per cent of the time to have a direct idea of what was going on with the franchise. His compromises fell on deaf ears as he only received three affirmative votes. Originally back in October at the first vote on his attempt to buy the club, he fell two votes short of approval.

The way was then opened for the group headed by Jerry Reinsdorf and Eddie Einhorn to get the franchise.

 

December 11, 1981 - Another fine deal pulled off by G.M. Roland Hemond. He sent shortstop Todd Cruz and outfielder Rod Allen to the Mariners for Tom “Wimpy” Paciorek.

Tom made the All-Star team with the M’s in 1981. He’d hit over .300 for the White Sox both in 1982 and 1983. He was also one of the craziest guys to ever do commercials for the club. After he retired, he worked in the Sox broadcasting booth from 1988 through 1999.

 

December 11, 1996 - After losing star pitcher Alex Fernandez to free agency and claiming that starting pitcher Kevin Tapani was faking an injury to his pitching hand (an injury that would force Tapani to miss the first half of the 1997 season with the Cubs after he signed a free agent deal with them), Sox G.M. Ron Schueler signed pitcher Jaime Navarro to a four year, $20-million-dollar deal.

Navarro was a complete bust. His three-year record with the Sox was 25-43 and he often publicly blamed his teammates for his pitching issues

Making matters worse was Schueler’s refusal to talk with the agents for Roger Clemens after he had expressed an interest in joining the team. Schueler offered this comment on the matter, "Roger Clemens is over the hill." During that same three-year period that Navarro was with the Sox, Clemens would win two Cy Young awards and 55 games.

Navarro eventually did do something positive for the franchise…he was part of a deal that brought Jose Valentin and Cal Eldred to the Sox in January 2000.

I thought Wimpy was a great announcer  and a good player. His imitation of Mr. Haney(Pat Buttram) from Green Acres every time Chris Haney of the Royals

pitched made me laugh every time.