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1 Chapter 1 : Chicago White Sox - BR Bullpen The Chicago White Sox are an American professional baseball team based in Chicago, Illinois. The White Sox compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) Central division. The White Sox are owned by Jerry Reinsdorf, and play their home games at Guaranteed Rate Field, located on the city's South Side. Owned by Charles Comiskey, the Sox were one of the best teams in baseball for the first two decades of the 20th Century, reaching the World Series three times. In, the first year of the AL, the Sox won the pennant under the leadership of manager and star pitcher Clark Griffith. However, in, it came out that eight Sox players intentionally threw the World Series to the Reds. Those eight players, including Jackson, were banned from baseball. This became known as the Black Sox Scandal, and for years afterwards, a dark cloud hung over the White Sox. Through the s, the White Sox struggled, never finishing higher than third, despite having great players including shortstop Luke Appling and pitcher Ted Lyons. They finished in third place each year from to and finished in second in and In, the Sox finally returned to the World Series after a 40 year absence. Despite winning the first game, they ended up losing the World Series 4 games to 2 to the Los Angeles Dodgers. In the early s, the Sox were consistently an above. Behind the strong pitching of Joel Horlen, Gary Peters, and Tommy John, the team appeared to be headed for the Series until losing both games of a doubleheader to the last place Kansas City Athletics in the final week of the season. They struggled the next few seasons, losing a team record games in, until they acquired Dick Allen from the Los Angeles Dodgers. The team returned to mediocrity until The " South Side Hit Men " hit home runs as a team and finished in third place. However, following the season, the Sox lost Zisk and Gamble to free agency. July 12, was another dark day in White Sox history, when a " Disco Demolition Night " promotion between the games of a doubleheader against the Detroit Tigers got out of control. The Sox had to forfeit the second game. In the White Sox were sold to a group led by Jerry Reinsdorf and Eddie Einhorn, and the fortunes of the club, led by manager Tony LaRussa, began to improve again. In, they added rookie outfielder Ron Kittle and went on to win their division by 20 games. They beat the Baltimore Orioles in the first game of the American League Championship Series but then lost the next two. In Game 4, Burns pitched 9 innings of shutout ball, before giving up a run to the Orioles in the 10th to lose the game and the series. Despite the addition of Hall of Fame pitcher Tom Seaver, they were unable to recapture the magic the following season. LaRussa was fired as manager in, and the Sox struggled for the rest of the decade. In, the Sox left Comiskey Park, their home for the previous 80 years, and moved into new Comiskey Park now known as U. The team struggled the following year and fired manager Gene Lamont, and within the next few seasons, they had gotten rid of all their stars except Thomas. In, the Sox won only 75 games, their worst season in a decade. However, in, the team improved by 20 wins. The White Sox made up for a lack of starting pitching with the bats of young sluggers Magglio Ordonez and Paul Konerko and the veteran Thomas. The next four seasons, the Sox were around. But in, the White Sox, now managed by former player Ozzie Guillen, made a return to the playoffs, despite some stressful moments for Sox fans. On August 1st, the Sox held a game lead over the second-place Cleveland Indians. By late September, the surging Indians had cut the lead to a game and a half before the Sox finally clinched the division on September 29th. Despite their late-season struggles, the Sox did finish the season with the best record in the American League and then swept the Boston Red Sox in the Division Series to advance to the ALCS for the first time in over a decade. The Sox lost the first game to the Los Angeles Angels but came back to take the next four. Not content to rest on their laurels, the Sox made several moves prior to the season, including trading for designated hitter Jim Thome and pitcher Javier Vazquez, and re-signing Konerko to a lucrative deal. However, the Sox stuggled in later July and fell behind the Tigers, before eventually being passed by the Minnesota Twins in the wild card race. Unfortunately for Sox fans, the decline continued in, as the team finished in fourth place with a mark, their worst record since Page 1

2 Chapter 2 : Chicago White Sox (Present) The Chicago White Sox are a Major League Baseball team based on the South Side of Chicago. They are one of eight charter members of the American League, having played in Chicago since the inaugural season. They have won six American League pennants and three World Series titles, most recently in Despite long periods of mediocrity, the White Sox have among the most unusual, challenging, and celebrated histories of any Major League franchise. The White Sox in ranked near the bottom of the league in home attendance with an average of just more than 20, fans per game. Homesteading spiders can find aid and comfort here, is another way of putting it. Things are going to get better on this patch of the South Side, but in the here and now one is free to enjoy the peculiar Zen that is watching a bad baseball team in a mostly empty park. At a certain point, you get a glimpse of Armour Square Park, or at least the lights of Armour Square Park, just a bit north and west of the spider and across the parking lot where Old Comiskey Park once stood It dates back to, as the sign says, and was one of 10 related developments that aimed to ease the strains and indignities of tenement life in Chicago, all designed by the luminous architects Daniel Burnham and the Olmsted Brothers. The park was named for Philip D. Armour, philanthropist and paterfamilias of the famed meatpacking family. The architect Philip Bess was born in the western suburbs of Chicago in, but he moved to Southern California at the age of six. The early love of baseball in tandem with a nascent zeal for the physical structure turned him into a ballpark enthusiast. When he found his calling later in life after earning degrees from Whittier and Harvard attending the latter afforded him numerous trips to Fenway, he studied graduate-level architecture at the University of Virginia starting in Thus he burnished that enthusiasm with expertise. By the mids, Bess was back in Chicago working as an architect. Impressive credentialing mixed with relative youth inclines one toward naivete and boldness -- "idealism" would be a word that captures both. So it was with some degree idealistic naivete that Bess decided he would, unsolicited, design a new ballpark for a team to be determined. He applied for grants to design a prototype ballpark on a constrained site. The idea would be to a demonstrate a dearly held belief of his: Then, however, the nearby White Sox entered the picture. The premise, which is rather easily denied, is that Old Comiskey was no longer seaworthy and could not be salvaged. As later efforts to save Wrigley and Fenway proved Bess, coincidentally, helped design those Fenway refurbishments, parks from that golden age are ushered toward obsolescence rather than meeting it as a natural terminus. As is so often the case when pro teams desire new places of business, the White Sox and owner Jerry Reinsdorf wanted taxpayers to pony up for said new ballpark. Early in the process, the Sox eyeballed suburban Addison, about 25 miles northwest of Comiskey. Eventually, voters in Addison declined to build the Sox a new ballpark by a margin of just 43 ballots Reinsdorf was soon thereafter courted by Denver, Phoenix, Washington, D. That support allowed Bess to leave his job and devote himself fully to the project. He worked mostly on his own for and and eventually hired a single assistant for 12 weeks or so. What can we raze and relocate and eminent-domain out of the way in order to fit it? Thus the street grid-busting "superblocks" on which so many modern ballparks sit. Older parks, in contrast, were "site-driven," in that the architects started with the available plot of land and fit what they could into it. Rather, they were essential design elements that allowed the park to fit into those existing city blocks. The old parks were shaped by their neighborhoods. Wrigley, for instance, is on a site of roughly nine acres, eight of which are covered by the stadium itself. The Ballpark at Arlington, somehow already being phased out, lolls across 14 acres. Miller Park soaks up more than 15 acres. This from an architect who, by his own concession, was educated as a modernist. Perhaps the most acute differences between the Wrigley generation of parks and newer models like Guaranteed Rate, according to Bess, is how the two parks handle vertical circulation -- i. Guaranteed Rate is in essence a set of layered rings -- an open-air Russian nesting doll of sorts. Outside all of that, you have the concrete switchback ramps tacked onto the exterior of the stadium proper, which provide that aforementioned vertical circulation. All that adds up to a big distance between the lower seating bowl and the furthermost ramp. As for the upper deck in Guaranteed Rate, the columns that support it start at the back of the lower deck. Thus the upper deck is not only above the lower deck but also set further back. Here, for instance, is the view from home plate as you look toward the left field seats at Old Page 2

3 Comiskey. Note the close proximity afforded by those columns Page 3

4 Chapter 3 : White Sox: Brief History of Team's Home Ballparks The White Sox defeated Cleveland,, in the first "official" American League game on April The White Sox captured the league crown in when a group of "Hitless Wonders" pulled out a miracle. Architect Zachary Taylor Davis designed the park. Comiskey Park featured the best elements of various ballparks around the U. After the season, Comiskey Park was torn down to make room for a new stadium across 35th Street. At the time, Comiskey Park was the oldest professional baseball park in operation. The new Comiskey Park opened on April 18, It featured an exploding scoreboard, an old-time facade complete with arches and over 40, unobstructed view seats. The newly built ballpark brought in 2,, fans in its first year. In January, Comiskey Park was renamed U. Cellular Field, after the wireless company, U. Cellular Field underwent a five-phase renovation and addition over multiple seasons. Significant updates included the relocation of the bullpen areas, the addition of approximately 4, new seats and the renovation of the 16, square foot, three-level Fundamentals Deck. The Fundamentals Deck is dedicated to the littlest White Sox fans. Cellular Field was renamed Guaranteed Rate Field. Guaranteed Rate is a national mortgage lender whose roots are in Chicago. We view this partnership as an opportunity to connect a successful Chicago business with a historic baseball franchise, and we look forward to growing this important relationship over the coming years as millions of fans enjoy White Sox baseball at Guaranteed Rate Field. There have been several memorable games on 35th Street throughout history, especially at U. Cellular Field, where the first two games of the World Series took place. These games were the first World Series games held in Chicago since White Sox fans hope to see many more memorable games and perhaps a World Series at Guaranteed Rate Field during the upcoming seasons. Want your voice heard? Join the Southside Showdown team! Page 4

5 Chapter 4 : White Sox History Chicago White Sox Please note that players may not be in the uniform of the correct team in these images. After hitting a batter with one of his first pitchesâ supposedly a signal that the fix was onâ Eddie Cicotte went on to make a series of uncharacteristic blunders from the mound. The White Sox continued losing over the next few games, and by October 6, the series stood at in favor the Reds. Everything was proceeding as planned, yet according to later accounts, many of the crooked Sox players had begun to grow restless. After game five, the furious ballplayers supposedly called off the fix once and for all and resolved to play to win for the rest of the series. Over the next two games, the Sox sprang to life, winning and and putting themselves back in the race for the championship. Backing out of a deal with gangsters proved difficult, however, and several of the players later hinted at having received threats against their families. Whether because of intimidation or merely an unexpectedly strong opposition, the Sox went on to lose game eight to the Reds, giving Cincinnati their first ever World Series win. The eight White Sox players implicated in the scandal Rumors of a fix continued to persist in the months after the championship defeat. Around that same time, gambler Bill Maharg went public with an account of his own involvement in the fix. As the accusations mounted, Eddie Cicotte decided to testify before the grand jury. I had the wife and kids. Over the next few days, Lefty Williams and Oscar Felsch also confessed their involvement. Many now believe that Comiskey and gambling kingpin Arnold Rothstein arranged for the papers to be stolen as part of a cover up. On August 2,, the Black Sox were found not guilty on all counts. Some of them later tried to win reinstatement to the league, but Commissioner Landis ensured that none of the disgraced ballplayers ever set foot in a big league diamond again. The decision was especially harsh toward Buck Weaver, who was banned even though he supposedly dropped out of the plot before it started. Joe Jackson, meanwhile, had admitted to accepting money from the Black Sox, but later claimed that he was an unwilling participant and had tried to tip Comiskey to the scheme. Chick Gandil and others would later produce contradictory accounts of what happened, leading to still unanswered questions about who was really involved in the World Series fix and to what degree the games were thrown. Arnold Rothstein, one of the most likely suspects for organizing or financing the fix, was never even charged with a crime. He would maintain his innocence for the rest of his life, despite widespread rumors that he made a fortune betting on the series. Page 5

6 Chapter 5 : Chicago White Sox MLB Team History - Major League Baseball - ESPN The official website of the Chicago White Sox with the most up-to-date information on scores, schedule, stats, tickets, and team news. Entering their first season as a Major League franchise the White Sox were the defending champions of the Western League, and it was a clear that in the inaugural season of the American League the Chicago White Sox were the team to beat. The Sox would win that game over the Cleveland Blues on April 22nd. With a team built around strong pitching the White Sox would go on to finish, witch was good enough for 1st place and the first ever American League Championship. The White Sox are unable to defend their crown and fall to fourth place with a record, finishing eight games out of 1st Place. The White Stockings struggle all season falling into seventh place with a disappointing record of With their name shortened to White Sox, the team climbs back in to contention finishing within six games of first place with a solid record that landed them in third place. The White Sox pitching staff helps carry a poor line-up all year as the Chisox hold off American League hitters to an incredible 1. However it is not enough to get them a birth in the World Series as the Sox finish in second Place two games behind the Philadelphia Athletics, posting a record of The Sox hit an embarrassing. The Sox would end up winning 93 games and held off the New York Highlanders by three games to earn a trip to their first World Series. Not many people in Chicago noticed the White Sox hitting struggles and sudden rise to the top because across town the Chicago Cubs were compiling a Major League all-time best regular season record of The Cubs sat tall and cruised into the first intra-city World Series, while the White Sox struggled until the very end. Going into the World Series no one gave the White Sox a chance, but for the hitless wonders more the bragging rights were on the line, and they wanted to show the entire cit of Chicago they belonged. With both teams being from the Windy City it was decided that the games would alternate between the Westside home of the Cubs, and the Southside home of the Sox. Game 1 was played in cold conditions with periodical snow flurries holding down turnout. The Sox would add another to hold on to a win in enemy territory. In Game 2 the Cubs got revenge by invading the Sox home with a white washing. The Sox would bounce back in the 3rd game as Ed Walsh frustrated Cubs batters all day to a 2-hit shutout. Things looked bleak early for the White Sox as the Cubs soared to a lead after the 1st inning. For the White Sox to win they would need a rare offensive performance from the hitless wonders. Led by Frank Isbell who smacked four doubles, and George Davis who drove in 4 runs the White Sox scored 8 runs on 12 hits and beat the Cubs to gain to gain a lead in the series. In Game 6 back at Southside Park the White Sox knew if they were to claim the World Championship, and city bragging rights winning the 6th game was a must. The Cubs would score in top of the first, but the lead, and hopes of tying the series again, lasted for less than half an inning. The Sox loaded the bases in the bottom half of the inning when George Davis hit one into the crowd of fans standing in right field. Wildfire Schulte claimed that as he tried to catch the ball, a fan pushed him from behind the rope that separated the standing-room crowd from the players. The umpires missed that little detail and awarded Davis a double. Jiggs Donahue then doubled to left field, driving in two more. In the second inning the Sox would get the knock out punch with three more runs. Hitting would prove the weak spot again as the White Sox strong pitching was unable to get the hitless wonders into a World Series rematch against the Cubs. The White Sox would post an record, but would finish in third place five and half games out of first. Ed Walsh would win 40 games falling just one short of the American League record held by Jack Chesboro. However the Sox hitting problems got worse, as the team hits a woeful. The pitching would keep the team in the pennant race, but there were no miracles in store and the team finished in 3rd, one and half games behind the first place Detroit Tigers, with a record of The White Sox play mediocre baseball all season while finishing in fourth place with a record of On July 1st in front of a packed house the White Sox opened their new state of the art concrete stadium, White Sox Park; the stadium would play home for the Sox over the next 80 seasons. In the first game the Sox fans would go home disappointed as the St. Louis Browns blanked the hitless wonders The year ends up being a disappointment as the pitching is no longer able to carry the poor hitting line up which hits an anemic. The Sox would go on to finish in 6th place with a record. The White Sox Page 6

7 rebound off a losing season to climb back up to fourth place with a record of The White Sox continue to play mediocre baseball finishing in fourth place for the second straight season with a record of Following another mediocre 5th Place season, the White Sox, join the New York Giants on a barnstorming tour of Europe including playing games in front of the British Royal Family. The White Sox struggle most of the season finishing in sixth place with a disappointing record of On August 20th the White Sox purchase the contract of Shoeless Joe Jackson from the Cleveland Indians, as the White Sox make a run for the pennant before finishing in third Place with a solid record. Along the way Jackson hits a league high 21 triples, and makes the Sox contenders again, as they finish with an record, would fall just 5 games short of the pennant. With a team built on pitching, and speed on the bases the White Sox were poised to become the class of the American League. On the mound Eddie Cicotte would dominate the American League Hitters all year compiling a record with a league low 1. The White Sox would go on to win a franchise record games, and would win the pennant by nine games. It was the first time the song was played before, a game and it would soon go on to be common practice. The Chisox would also take Game 2 with the help of six singles in the 4th inning, which brought in five runs. With the series shifting to New York for the next two games the Giants would bounce back to shut the Sox out twice to even the series at two games a piece. With the final three games set to alternate between Chicago and New York Game 5 would most likely be the key to claiming the World Championship. Things looked bleak for the Sox as the Giants took a lead into the bottom of the 7th. However, with the help of big two-run double by Chick Gandil the Sox would even the score in the seventh inning, in the following inning Eddie Collins singled in the go ahead run. The Sox would tack on two insurance runs to capture the pivotal 5th game Little did anyone know at the time it would be the last World Championship for the White Sox in the 20th Century. Injuries would a key play a role as the White Sox struggle all season and finish in sixth place with a disappointing record. As the White Sox returned to health it was like never happened and the Sox were once again the class of the American League. Eddie Cicotte was the key winning 29 games and posting an impressive 1. However, near the end of the season White Sox owner Charles Comiskey ordered manager Kid Gleason to rest Cicotte to prevent him from collecting on a bonus he would have received if he had won 30 games. This would not be the only time players on the Sox would be angry with Comiskey failing to provide a good bonus. After the Sox clinched the Pennant they learned that there bonus was the Champaign traditionally given to players after achieving such a lofty goal. There was no doubt the players were upset with management and it would open the door for gamblers who could prey upon this sentiment. Heading into the World Series against the Cincinnati Reds, which was a best five of nine game series that season many key White Sox players were angry with management, and it would lead to one of the worst scandals in the history of professional sports. One of the players most angered by the cheep ways of Charles Comiskey was 1B Chick Gandil who was once a hobo, and a street brawler. Gandil had many underworld connections, and wanted to cash in before his career was over. Gandil let it be known to these connections he would be willing to get a few teammates to throw the World Series if the money was right. Gandil was able to get several teammates to join in the scheme. Arnold Rothstein a well-known underworld gambler from New York was the cash supply behind the whole plan, but before he committed he wanted to get Eddie Cicotte involved. Cicotte, who was still steaming over losing his win bonus agreed and the fix, was in. Weaver and Jackson had only agreed to take the money but both planned to double cross the gamblers by playing their best in the series. Eddie Cicotte who demanded his money up front was named the starter for Game 1 in Cincinnati. Meanwhile in New York Arnold Rothstein gave the order to Cicotte to hit the first batter to give him the signal the fix was in. It was clear from the start Cicotte was not himself and the Reds would take the opener As the series was starting rumors began to fly that something was not right, and New York World reporter Hugh Fullerton, and legendary pitcher Christy Matthewson began to look at the games with extra scrutiny. The Sox would lose the second game with co-conspirator Lefty Williams on the mound. The Sox would win Game 3 behind the stellar pitching of Davie Keer who was not in on the fix. However with Cicotte on the mound in Game 4 and Williams in Game 5 the Sox would lose each with several players committing key errors. Heading into Game 6 the Sox were backed against the wall down four games to one. Making matters worse the players who were throwing the games were not paid their money yet and were Page 7

8 getting restless. The fact the Sox were throwing games had become obvious to just about everyone by now. Based on these factors several of the Sox had decided to start playing their best and won Game 6 in extra Innings. Following up the dramatic win was Eddie Cicotte who won Game 7 after refusing to throw another, saying he was only paid to throw two games. However with the series returning to Chicago for Game 8 gamblers knew their bets were in danger so they threatened Left Williams that they would harm his wife unless he lost the 8th game. Williams would give up four runs, and only retire one batter before being removed in the 1st. The Reds would go on to win the game to wrap up the series. However, it was clear the series was not on the level, Weaver, and Shoeless Joe did have terrific numbers offensively, but the rest of the eight players were bad in the field and at the plate, and were almost flaunting the fact they were throwing games. As it turns out many of the players wee never even paid for throwing the games, and had done it for nothing, and as baseball began an investigation a black eye that threatened the very existence of the sport had been caused for nothing. Despite an ongoing investigation from the American League, and a criminal investigation from Chicago the White Sox managed to stay in the pennant race all season. However, as the season drew to an end it became apparent the eight players would face criminal charges. As the season in which the Sox finished two games out with ended criminal charges were placed against the eight Sox who by now were known as the Black Sox. While the trail was begging baseball hired a tough hard-handed judge named Kennesaw Mountain Landis as the first commissioner. The trial would take an odd turn as the confessions disappeared thus allowing the players to be acquitted of all charges. However, the vindication was short lived as all 8 players were forever banished from the game by Commissioner Landis, who used it to send a massage to any other players that thought about throwing games for money. None of the players were reinstated and are ineligible for the Hall of Fame. There is a movement to get Shoeless Joe, who hold the third highest career batting average all time reinstated to gain hall of fame membership, but nothing has come of it yet, and he remains a pariah with his other seven teammates, despite having the series best Average, and only Home Run. With the loss of key players who were expelled from baseball, the White Sox struggled all season and finished in 7th Place with a record. However, Cobb himself could find no evidence when he patted down the Sox year old rookie. The Sox would go on to finish the season with a record finishing in fifth place. Page 8

9 Chapter 6 : Chicago White Sox Team History & Encyclopedia theinnatdunvilla.com The history of the Chicago White Sox, from records, awards, players, uniforms and more. To learn about our efforts to improve the accessibility and usability of our website, please visit our Accessibility Information page. Johnson, a Cincinnati-based reporter, had been recommended by his friend Charles Comiskey, former major league star with the St. Louis Browns in the s, who was then managing the Cincinnati Reds. He bought the Sioux City team and transferred it to Saint Paul, Minnesota, where it enjoyed some success over the next five seasons. In, the Western League changed its name to the American League. It was still officially a minor league, subject to the governing National Agreement and an underling of the National League. Comiskey moved his St. Headline editors at the Chicago Tribune sports department immediately began shortening the name to "White Sox", and the team officially adopted the shorter name in The name change to the White Sox was brought on after scorekeeper Christoph Hynes wrote White Sox at the top of a scorecard rather than White Stockings, this scorecard was then seen by the press. The White Sox would continue to be built on pitching and defense in the following years, led by pitching workhorse Ed Walsh, who routinely pitched over innings each season in his prime. The Cubs had won a then-record regular-season games and were an overwhelming favorite to defeat the White Sox, especially since the White Sox had the lowest team batting average in the American League that year. However, in a stunning upset, the White Sox took the Series, and intracity bragging rights, in six games. To this day, the White Sox are known as "the Hitless Wonders. April 18,, was the coldest Opening Day ever, when the temperature was 38 degrees. The White Sox finished in third place with a record of 93â In, the White Sox acquired pitcher Lefty Williams and finished 2nd at 89â The world champions[ edit ] Shoeless Joe Jackson was a White Sox outfielder from â, and still holds franchise records for both triples in a season and career batting average. Weaver was moved over to third base. The White Sox roared through the American League in with a record of â 54â still a franchise record for wins and winning percentageâ and won the pennant by nine games over the Boston Red Sox. Their offense, led by Collins. The White Sox pitching staff, led by Eddie Cicotte 28â Felsch hit a home run in the fourth inning that provided the winning margin. The White Sox beat the Giants in Game two by a score of 7â 2 behind another complete game effort by Faber to take a 2â 0 lead in the series. Faber threw another complete game, but the Series was going back to Chicago even at 2â 2. Reb Russell started Game 5 in Chicago, but only faced 3 batters before giving way to Cicotte. Going into the bottom of the seventth inning, Chicago was down 5â 2, but they rallied to score three in the 7th and three in the 8th to win 8â 5. Red Faber pitched the final two innings for the win. In Game six, the White Sox took an early 3â 0 lead and on the strength of another complete game victory from Faber his third of the Series won 4â 2 and clinched the world championship. Eddie Collins was the hitting hero, batting. However, just before the Series, it became known that some big money was being bet on the Reds, fueling talk that the Series was fixed. The White Sox lost to the Reds in eight games. Black Sox Scandal[ edit ] Main article: Black Sox Scandal In September, an investigation into a fixed Cubs game eventually turned in the direction of the Series. During the investigation, Cicotte and Jackson confessed. Comiskey, who himself had turned a blind eye to the rumors, was compelled to suspend the remaining seven players Gandil, eventually perceived as the ringleader, the one "connected" to the gamblers, had retired after the season before their last season series against the St. The suspensions ground the team to a halt; they lost two out of three games to the Browns and finished second, two games behind the Cleveland Indians. However, the evidence of their involvement signed confessions disappeared from the Cook County courthouse, and lacking that tangible evidence, a criminal trial whose scope was limited to the question of defrauding the public ended in acquittals of all the players. From to, the White Sox won four out of a possible 19 pennants. However, they were severely crippled by the loss of seven of their best players in their prime. With a depleted roster, the White Sox dropped into seventh place in and would not contend again until During that stretch, only the and teams even managed to top. However, an outstanding team was never developed around them, or a deep pitching staff. Between the dumping of star players by the Philadelphia Athletics and the Red Sox, and the decimation of the White Sox, a "power vacuum" was created in the Page 9

10 American League, into which the Yankees would soon move. Not until did the team pass out of the family thanks in part to a feud between Dorothy and her brother Chuck to a new ownership group, led by Bill Veeck, who had run the Cleveland Indians and the St. During the s, the team had begun to restore its respectability with manager Paul Richards utilizing an offensive philosophy emphasizing speed and a spectacular style of defense. The White Sox would lead the American League in stolen bases every year from to Although the White Sox had winning records every season from through, the Yankees dynasty of the era often left the White Sox frustrated in second place; they were league runner-up five times between and Health problems forced Veeck to sell the team to brothers Arthur and John Allyn in, and while the team continued to play well, many of the ballpark thrills seemed to be missing. The White Sox had several outstanding pitching staffs in the s, with pitchers who had the best ERA in four different seasons -- Frank Baumann, 2. The White Sox would also acquire slugger Ted Kluszewski, a local area native, from the Pittsburgh Pirates for the final pennant push. Kluszewski gave the team a much-needed slugger for the stretch run, and he hit nearly. Lopez had also managed the Cleveland Indians to the World Series in, making him the only manager to interrupt the New York Yankees pennant run between and inclusive. The Los Angeles Dodgers, however, won three of the next four games and captured their first World Series championship since moving to the west coast in And in, they became the first team in the history of sports to wear last names on the back of their jerseys, a Veeck innovation. Unlike Charles Comiskey, Veeck was considered a player-friendly owner, and players enjoyed playing for him. However, the Red Sox would assert themselves in the final weekend, beating the Twins to take the pennant by a single game. The White Sox finished in fourth place at 89â 73, three games behind. Threats of relocation[ edit ] In, Bud Selig, a former minority owner of the Milwaukee Braves who had been unable to stop the relocation of his team three years earlier, contracted with the Allyn brothers to host nine home games one against each of the other American League clubs at Milwaukee County Stadium as part of an attempt to attract an expansion franchise to Milwaukee, Wisconsin. In Chicago that season, the White Sox drew, fans to their remaining 58 home dates 72 games, 14 doubleheaders. In just a handful of games, the Milwaukee crowds accounted for nearly one-third of the total attendance at White Sox games. In, the league expanded from 10 teams to 12, and the White Sox schedule in Milwaukee was likewise expanded to include 11 home games again, one against every opponent. In the remaining 59 home dates in Chicago 70 games, 11 doubleheaders, the White Sox drew, for an average of 6, per date. His search began close to home with the White Sox themselves. According to Selig, he had a handshake agreement with Arthur Allyn in early to purchase a majority stake in the White Sox and move them north to Milwaukee. Arthur Allyn instead sold his shares to his brother John, who agreed to stay in Chicago. Selig would go on to buy the Seattle Pilots and move them to Milwaukee instead. The White Sox hit rock bottom for the franchise in the post-world War II era, going a Major League worst, nine games worse than the second-year Milwaukee Brewers, and seven worse than another expansion team, the San Diego Padres. An elaborate scheme for a franchise shuffle soon came to light. Besides his customary promotions, Veeck introduced retro uniforms and shorts. The shorts were only worn three times. The first time was during the initial game of a doubleheader against the Kansas City Royals at Comiskey Park on August 8,, followed by appearances on August 21 and August The theory was that the players would strive to put up huge numbers in hopes of getting a big contract at the end of the season, and carry the club with them. The first of these acquisitions was made prior to the season and the last prior to the season. While this approach had the virtue of not having been tried, it was unsustainable. The Sox had to give up several young prospects in exchange for veteran players who invariably signed with other clubs after their single season in Chicago. During this period the Sox acquired several players who were once stars but were past their primes. One was Don Kessinger, a shortstop who had his best years with the crosstown Cubs. Kessinger served as a player-manager in Another was outfielder Ralph Garr, who had his best seasons with the Atlanta Braves. The Sox also brought in Clay Carroll, a right-handed relief pitcher who was a key member of the Cincinnati Reds championship teams in the mids. The club held open tryouts during spring training in They looked at pretty much anyone who showed up. This approach was the subject of an article in Sports Illustrated. The spring training tryout became a White Sox tradition that continues to this day. The team, known by the press and fans as the "South Side Hitmen" hit a since-broken team record home runs and were in Page 10

11 first place in the American League West as late as August en route to a third-place finish 90â They also drew a team-record 1,, fans to Comiskey since broken as well. Veeck began building a farm system that produced several noteworthy players including Harold Baines and Britt Burns. But Veeck could not compete in the free agent market or afford what he called "the high price of mediocrity. Veeck favored Ohio real estate tycoon Edward J. DeBartolo pleaded to be allowed to buy the White Sox and he promised to keep the team in Chicago. Baseball commissioner Bowie Kuhn blocked the deal, because he thought DeBartolo would be bad for baseball. The new owners moved quickly to show that they were committed to winning by signing All-Star catcher Carlton Fisk from the Red Sox as well as power-hitting outfielder Greg Luzinski from the defending champion Phillies during the â 81 offseason. After a mediocre first half, the White Sox decided that they needed speed at the top of the lineup. Doug Rader, then-manager of the Texas Rangers, derisively accused the team of "winning ugly" for their style of play, which reflected a tendency to win games through scrappy play rather than strong hitting or pitching. Rader also thought that if the White Sox played in the Eastern Division, they would finish fifth behind powerhouses such as Baltimore, New York, and Milwaukee. Chicago media and White Sox fans picked up on the phrase, and turned "Winning Ugly" into the team slogan. While they had a great run in the regular season, they were not able to carry that over into the postseason as they lost to a powerful Baltimore Orioles team three games to one in the AL Championship Series. Guillen would win the AL Rookie of the Year award. Closer Bobby Thigpen established a then record of 57 saves. The White Sox of won 94 games, but finished 9 games behind the powerful Oakland Athletics. Page 11

12 Chapter 7 : Chicago White Sox Team History Sports Team History The Chicago White Sox is an American professional baseball team based in Chicago, Illinois. The White Sox compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) Central division. In, Charles Comiskey bought the Cornhuskers and moved them to St. Paul, Minnesota, where they became the St. The very first season in the American League ended with a White Stockings championship. Huge bets on the Reds fueled speculation that the series had been fixed. A criminal investigation went on in the season, and though all players were acquitted, commissioner Kenesaw Mountain Landis banned eight of the White Sox players for life, in what was known as the Black Sox Scandal. The White Sox did not finish in the upper half of the American League again until after club founder Charles Comiskey died and passed ownership of the club to his son, J. Appling and Lyons have their numbers 4 and 16 retired. Louis Comiskey died in, ownership of the club was passed down to his widow, Grace Comiskey. In, Arthur Allyn, Jr. The Sox finished in the upper half of the American League in eight of his nine seasons, including six years in the top two of the league. Allyn and Bud Selig agreed to a handshake deal that would give Selig control of the club and move them to Milwaukee ; however, this was blocked by the American League. However, Chicago had a renewed interest in the Sox after the season, and the American League instead added the expansion Seattle Mariners. Bill Veeck returned as owner of the Sox in, and despite not having much money, they managed to win 90 games in, a team known as the South Side Hitmen. He rejected offers from ownership groups intent on moving the club to Denver, eventually agreeing to sell the club to Ed DeBartolo, who was the only prospective owner who promised to keep the Sox in Chicago. However, DeBartolo was rejected by the owners, and the club was then sold to a group headed by Jerry Reinsdorf and Eddie Einhorn. Louis Cardinals, ending up in the Hall of Fame as the third-winningest manager of all time. Reinsdorf wanted to replace the aging Comiskey Park, and sought public funds to do so. When talks stalled, there was a strong offer to move the team to the Tampa, Florida area. However, it would be rendered obsolete a year later with the opening of the retro-inspired Oriole Park at Camden Yards. The park, now known as Guaranteed Rate Field, underwent many renovations in the early s to give it a more retro feel. The White Sox were fairly successful in the s and early s, with 12 winning seasons between â The White Sox finished the season, their th in Chicago, with a record, a 3-game improvement over Rick Renteria, the White Sox bench coach, was promoted to the role of manager. Chapter 8 : White Sox All-Time Players Chicago White Sox Follow Chicago White Sox Team History, Regular Season Results, Postseason results, and more on theinnatdunvilla.com Chapter 9 : Official Chicago White Sox Website theinnatdunvilla.com Entering their first season as a Major League franchise the White Sox were the defending champions of the Western League, and it was a clear that in the inaugural season of the American League the Chicago White Sox were the team to beat. It would only seem fitting, that the new league's best team plays in the first official game. Page 12