146-574: 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 1901 season. They have won six American League pennants and three World Series titles, most recently in 2005. The team began as the minor league Sioux City Cornhuskers and played in
292-564: A "multipurpose" stadium), the new Comiskey Park (redubbed U.S. Cellular Field, often nicknamed "The Cell", in 2003 and Guaranteed Rate Field in 2016, after mortgage company Guaranteed Rate ) was built in a 1960s style, similar to Dodger Stadium and Kauffman Stadium . There were ideas for other stadium designs submitted to bring a more neighborhood feel, but ultimately they were not selected. The park opened in 1991 to positive reaction, with many praising its wide-open concourses, excellent sight lines, and natural grass (unlike other stadiums of
438-471: A ballpark filled with a series of promotional stunts which helped draw record crowds, the most obvious being the exploding fireworks Veeck installed in the scoreboard to celebrate home runs and victories. And in 1960, 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. The 1964 season
584-594: A best-of-9. 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. Rumors of a fix continued unabated through the 1920 campaign, even as the White Sox roared through the season and appeared well on their way to a third pennant in four years. The team's pitching was particularly strong that year;
730-745: A cap featuring the batter logo instead of the wordmark "SOX"; this is currently their batting-practice cap prior to games in the throwback uniforms. After the 2023 season, the Sunday throwback uniforms were quietly taken off the team's uniform rotation. In 2021, to commemorate the Field of Dreams game , the White Sox wore special uniforms honoring the 1919 team . That same year, the White Sox wore "City Connect" alternate uniforms introduced by Nike , featuring an all-black design with silver pinstripes, and "Southside" wordmark in front. Note: American League Championship Series began in 1969 The White Sox have retired
876-476: A criminal trial (whose scope was limited to the question of defrauding the public) ended in acquittals of all the players. Regardless, newly installed Commissioner of Baseball Kenesaw Mountain Landis banned all the accused from baseball for life. He argued that even though the players had been acquitted, there was no dispute that they had broken the rules of baseball, and they could not ever be allowed to return if
1022-625: 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". By 1980, the White Sox were looking for new ownership. Veeck favored Ohio real estate tycoon Edward J. DeBartolo, Sr. , whose family owned the NFL's San Francisco 49ers and the NHL's Pittsburgh Penguins and had tried to buy several MLB teams and move them to New Orleans . DeBartolo pleaded to be allowed to buy
1168-503: A former Negro leaguer who became the White Sox' first black player in 1951 , personified both aspects, leading the league in stolen bases while hitting over .300 and providing terrific play in left field. The additions of rookie shortstop Luis Aparicio in 1956 and manager Al López in 1957 continued the strengthening of the team, joining longtime team standouts such as Nellie Fox at second base, pitchers Billy Pierce and Virgil Trucks , and catcher Sherm Lollar . The White Sox would lead
1314-492: A greater percentage of the total White Sox attendance than the previous year — over one-third of the fans who went to White Sox games did so at Milwaukee County Stadium. In the remaining 59 home dates in Chicago (70 games, 11 doubleheaders), the White Sox drew 391,335 for an average of 6,632 per date. Selig was denied an expansion franchise at the 1968 owners' meetings , and turned his efforts toward purchasing and relocating an existing club. His search began close to home with
1460-402: A large lake and river system stocked with fish running throughout the complex. Over the years, the White Sox have become noted for many of their uniform innovations and changes. In 1960, they became the first team in the major sports to put players' last names on jerseys for identification purposes. In 1912, the White Sox debuted a large "S" in a Roman-style font , with a small "O" inside
1606-583: A midseason 1990 game at Comiskey Park, the White Sox appeared once in a uniform based on that of the 1917 White Sox. They then switched their regular uniform style once more. In September, for the final series at the old Comiskey Park, the White Sox rolled out a new logo, a simplified version of the 1949–63 Gothic "SOX" logo. They also introduced a uniform with black pinstripes, also similar to the Go-Go Sox era uniform. The team's primary color changed back to black, this time with silver trim. The team also introduced
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#17327730338921752-420: A more friendly feel. The stadium's steel and concrete were repainted dark gray and black. In 2016, the scoreboard jumbotron was replaced with a new Mitsubishi Diamondvision HDTV screen. The top quarter of the upper deck was removed in 2004 , and a black wrought-metal roof was placed over it, covering all but the first eight rows of seats. This decreased seating capacity from 47,098 to 40,615; 2005 also had
1898-411: A new sock logo—a white silhouette of a sock centered inside a white outline of a baseball diamond—which appeared as a sleeve patch on the away uniform until 2010 (switched to the "SOX" logo in 2011), and on the alternate black uniform since 1993. With minor modifications (i.e., occasionally wearing vests, black game jerseys), the White Sox have used this style ever since. During the 2012 and 2013 seasons,
2044-643: A no-hitter against Oakland , which proved to be Odom's last major league victory. 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 mid-1970s. Unlike most of his fellow owners, Veeck had no income apart from the White Sox. More or less out of necessity, Veeck looked for any edge he could find. The club held open tryouts during spring training in 1978 . They looked at pretty much anyone who showed up. Each player's name
2190-601: A no-hitter for the Tigers in a nationally televised game) and one good (a 25-inning victory over the Brewers , a game which took eight hours, six minutes over two days and is still the longest in American League history by innings and time) for the White Sox. The club slid back into mediocrity for the rest of the 1980s, contending only in 1985 . Before the 1985 season began, the White Sox traded pitcher LaMarr Hoyt to
2336-540: A regular season in MLB history, and the first time since 1968 that all major league teams were scheduled to start the season on the same day, although two games were subsequently rained out and postponed to Friday, March 30). In 2019, MLB scheduled an even earlier opening day for most teams on Thursday, March 28; this excludes a two-game series on March 20 and 21 between the Seattle Mariners and Oakland Athletics at
2482-471: A regular-season game the night before "Opening Day" and recent years have seen the staging of season-opening series in Mexico , Puerto Rico , Japan, and Australia. While these are technically "opening games", Major League Baseball still reserves the title "Opening Day" for the first day in which multiple games are played. (For the first time ever, three televised games were played on Sunday, April 3, 2016, before
2628-449: A symbol of rebirth; writer Thomas Boswell once penned a book titled, Why Time Begins on Opening Day . Many feel that the occasion is a moment to forget last season, in that all teams begin anew with 0–0 records. Pre-season exhibition games are usually played in the month before Opening Day, during spring training . A home opener is a team's first game of the season on their home field. Equivalents to Opening Day occur throughout
2774-1130: A total of 12 jersey numbers: 11 worn by former White Sox and number 42 in honor of Jackie Robinson . Luis Aparicio 's No. 11 was issued at his request for 11-time Gold Glove winner shortstop Omar Vizquel (because No. 13 was used by manager Ozzie Guillén ; Vizquel, like Aparicio and Guillen, play(ed) shortstop and all share a common Venezuelan heritage). Vizquel played for team in 2010 and 2011. Also, Harold Baines had his No. 3 retired in 1989; it has since been 'unretired' 3 times in each of his subsequent returns. Roberto Alomar Luis Aparicio * Luke Appling * Harold Baines * Chief Bender Steve Carlton Eddie Collins * Charles Comiskey * George Davis Larry Doby Hugh Duffy Johnny Evers Red Faber * Carlton Fisk * Nellie Fox * Goose Gossage Ken Griffey Jr. Clark Griffith Harry Hooper Jim Kaat George Kell Tony La Russa Bob Lemon Al López * Ted Lyons * Minnie Miñoso * Tim Raines Edd Roush Red Ruffing Ron Santo Ray Schalk * Opening Day Opening Day
2920-628: Is about the only sport left—now that football players report to training camp before the Fourth of July, and hockey players start skating in Indian summer—that still has a time and is true to it. There is no sports event like Opening Day of baseball, the sense of beating back the forces of darkness and the National Football League. You always get a special kick on Opening Day, no matter how many you go through. You look forward to it like
3066-696: Is located on Chicago's South Side . They are one of two MLB teams based in Chicago, alongside the National League (NL)’s Chicago Cubs . The White Sox originated in the Western League , founded as the Sioux City Cornhuskers in 1894 , moving to Saint Paul, Minnesota , as the St. Paul Saints , and ultimately relocating to Chicago in 1900 . The Chicago White Stockings were one of the American League's eight charter franchises when
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#17327730338923212-575: Is not like any other game. There's that little extra excitement, a faster beating of the heart. You have that anxiety to get off to a good start, for yourself and for the team. You know that when you win the first one, you can't lose 'em all." In 2014, Ozzie Smith , with the support of Anheuser-Busch , began a campaign using the We the People site on WhiteHouse.gov to petition the U.S. government to make Opening Day an official national holiday . In 1907,
3358-483: Is the day on which professional baseball leagues begin their regular season . For Major League Baseball (MLB) and most of the American minor leagues , this day typically falls during the first week of April, although in recent years it has occasionally fallen in the last week of March. In Nippon Professional Baseball , this day typically falls during the last week of March. For baseball fans, Opening Day serves as
3504-466: The 1920 season , and although all players were acquitted, commissioner Kenesaw Mountain Landis banned eight of them for life, in what was known as the Black Sox Scandal . This set the franchise back, as they did not win another pennant for 40 years. The White Sox did not finish in the upper half of the American League again until after founder Charles Comiskey died and passed ownership of
3650-527: The 1962 Mets for the most losses in modern MLB history . In the late 1980s, the franchise threatened to relocate to Tampa Bay (as did the San Francisco Giants ), but frantic lobbying on the part of the Illinois governor James R. Thompson and state legislature resulted in approval (by one vote) of public funding for a new stadium. Designed primarily as a baseball stadium (as opposed to
3796-506: The 1986 season , La Russa was fired by announcer-turned-general manager Ken Harrelson . La Russa went on to manage in six World Series (winning three) with the Oakland A's and St. Louis Cardinals , ending up in the Hall of Fame as the second-winningest manager of all time. The White Sox struggled for the rest of the 1980s, as Chicago fought to keep them in town. Reinsdorf wanted to replace
3942-687: The AL Championship Series . LaMarr Hoyt led the White Sox to a 2–1 victory in Game 1, but the Orioles clinched the series with a 3–0 ten-inning victory in Game 4. White Sox pitcher Burns pitched a "gutsy" game, throwing 9 1 ⁄ 3 shutout innings before a home run by Tito Landrum broke up the game and the hearts of the South Side faithful. The 1984 season was remembered for two games at Comiskey, one bad ( Jack Morris throwing
4088-651: The Kansas City Royals and Milwaukee Brewers , and seven worse than another 1969 expansion team, the San Diego Padres . The White Sox had a brief resurgence in 1972 , with slugger Dick Allen winning the MVP award; but injuries, especially to popular third baseman Bill Melton , took their toll and the team finished 5 + 1 ⁄ 2 games behind Oakland , the eventual world champion. Several lawsuits against Major League Baseball from Seattle over
4234-556: 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 . The experiment was staggeringly successful — those nine games drew 264,297 fans. In Chicago that season,
4380-632: The Milwaukee Brewers , putting enormous pressure on the American League to place a team in Seattle . A plan was in place for the Sox to move to Seattle and for Charlie Finley to move his Oakland A's to Chicago. However, the city had a renewed interest in the Sox after the 1972 season , and the American League instead added the expansion Seattle Mariners . The 1972 White Sox had the lone successful season of this era, as Dick Allen wound up winning
4526-597: The National League . In 1894, Charles Comiskey bought the Cornhuskers and moved them to St. Paul, Minnesota , where they became the St. Paul Saints . In 1900, with the approval of Western League president Ban Johnson , Charles Comiskey moved the Saints into his hometown neighborhood of Armour Square , where they became the Chicago White Stockings, the former name of Chicago's National League team,
History of the Chicago White Sox - Misplaced Pages Continue
4672-692: The National League . The NL gave permission to the AL to put a team in Chicago , provided they not use the city name in the team's branding. Comiskey moved his St. Paul club to the Near South Side and renamed it the White Stockings , grabbing a nickname that had once been used by the Chicago Cubs . The White Stockings won the 1900 American League pennant led by player-manager Dick Padden ,
4818-838: The New York Giants forfeited their game at the Polo Grounds to the Philadelphia Phillies , 9–0, after rowdy fans made and threw snowballs. Without police available to restore order, umpire Bill Klem awarded the game to the Phillies. In 1940, Cleveland Indians pitcher Bob Feller threw a no-hitter to open the season against the Chicago White Sox . It remains the only no-hitter in Opening Day history. Twelve U.S. Presidents have thrown
4964-655: The New York Yankees offered an all-cash deal of $ 100,000. 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 American League, into which the Yankees would soon move. The White Sox finally became competitive again under popular manager Jimmy Dykes , who led them from 1934 to 1946 – still
5110-812: The San Diego Padres in exchange for flashy shortstop Ozzie Guillén . Guillen would win the AL Rookie of the Year award. In 1986, broadcaster-turned-general manager Ken "Hawk" Harrelson fired La Russa after a poor start. The club would not contend again until 1990, the final year in Comiskey Park . That season, most of their young talent blossomed. Closer Bobby Thigpen established a then record of 57 saves. In addition to that, first baseman Frank Thomas , pitchers Alex Fernandez and Jack McDowell , and third baseman Robin Ventura would make their presences felt on
5256-533: The Seattle Pilots and move them to Milwaukee instead. John Allyn renamed Comiskey Park "White Sox Park" and installed artificial turf ("Sox Sod") in the infield (the outfield remained natural grass). The 1970 White Sox hit rock bottom for the franchise in the post-World War II era, going a Major League worst 56–106, nine games worse than two second-year clubs in the American League West ,
5402-471: The South Side Park . Previously a cricket ground, the park was located on the north side of 39th Street (now called Pershing Road) between South Wentworth and South Princeton Avenues. Its massive dimensions yielded few home runs, which was to the advantage of the White Sox's Hitless Wonders teams of the early 20th century. After the 1909 season, the Sox moved five blocks to the north to play in
5548-625: The Tokyo Dome in Japan. The opening of the 2020 season was originally scheduled for Thursday, March 26, but was rescheduled to Thursday, July 23 and Friday, July 24 due to the COVID-19 pandemic . The 2021 season opened on Thursday, April 1. The opening of the 2022 season, originally scheduled for Thursday, March 31, was delayed to Thursday, April 7 due to the 2021–22 lockout . The 2023 Major League Baseball season opened on Thursday, March 30. It
5694-505: The Washington Senators , Walter Johnson pitched a record nine shutouts. Two of his more famous starts include a 3–0 victory over the Philadelphia Athletics in 1910 and a 1–0 marathon victory while battling the A's Eddie Rommel for 15 innings. On March 29, 2018, Matt Davidson of the Chicago White Sox hit three home runs in his team's opener against the Kansas City Royals at Kansas City's Kauffman Stadium . He became
5840-570: The Western League . The WL reorganized itself in November 1893 , with Ban Johnson as president. The Cornhuskers won the Western League Pennant in their first season in 1894. Johnson, a Cincinnati-based reporter, had been recommended by his friend Charles Comiskey , former major league star with the St. Louis Browns in the 1880s, who was then managing the Cincinnati Reds . After the 1894 season, when Comiskey's contract with
5986-629: The White Sox drew 539,478 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 1969 , 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). Although those games were attended by slightly fewer fans (198,211 fans, for an average of 18,019) they represented
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6132-583: The Wild Card Series . The White Sox also made MLB history by being the first team to go undefeated against left-handed pitching, with a 14–0 record. At the end of the season, Renteria and longtime pitching coach Don Cooper were both fired. Jose Abreu became the 4th different White Sox player to win the AL MVP joining Dick Allen, Nellie Fox, and Frank Thomas. During the 2021 offseason, the White Sox brought back Tony La Russa as their manager for 2021. At
6278-538: The ceremonial first pitch of the season. On April 14, 1910, baseball enthusiast William Howard Taft attended the Washington Senators ' home opener at National Park , becoming the first U.S. President to open the season in this manner. Harry S. Truman threw first pitches with both his right and left arm in 1950. On April 4, 1994, Bill Clinton inaugurated the Cleveland Indians ' new ballpark, then known as Jacobs Field and now as Progressive Field , with
6424-477: The 1906 White Sox are known as "the Hitless Wonders". The White Sox spent the next decade alternating between solid and mediocre seasons. During this time, however, they acquired a solid core of players such as catcher Ray Schalk , shortstop / third baseman Buck Weaver , and pitchers Eddie Cicotte , Red Faber and Reb Russell . April 18, 1907, was the coldest Opening Day ever, when the temperature
6570-413: The 1920 White Sox pitching staff was the first in the majors to feature four 20-game winners. In September 1920, an investigation into a fixed Cubs game eventually turned in the direction of the 1919 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
6716-472: The 1950s and 1960s (actually beginning in the 1949 season) was the word "SOX" in Gothic script, diagonally arranged, with the "S" larger than the other two letters. From 1949 through 1963, the primary color was black (trimmed with red after 1951). This is the logo associated with the Go-Go Sox era. In 1964, the primary color went back to navy blue, and the road uniforms changed from gray to pale blue. In 1971,
6862-599: The 1953 spring training, the Braves swapped schedules with the Pirates and the Opening Day opponent for the Reds began to be rotated amongst the rest of the National League . Fittingly, the Reds were also the first team to host an Interleague game on Opening Day when the team hosted the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim in the first year of year-round Interleague play in 2013. Since 1994 ESPN has often televised
7008-533: The 1977 season Gamble and Zisk signed with other teams — Gamble with the San Diego Padres and Zisk with the Texas Rangers . Veeck's attempt to replace them with Bobby Bonds and Ron Blomberg fizzled as the 1978 team lost 90 games. Bonds appeared in only 26 games for the Sox before being dealt to the Texas Rangers, and Blomberg's major league career ended with the season's final game. Lemon
7154-477: The 1991 season. The White Sox won their first World Series, the 1906 World Series against the Cubs, with a defense-oriented team dubbed "the Hitless Wonders", and later won the 1917 World Series against the New York Giants . Their next appearance, the 1919 World Series , was marred by the Black Sox Scandal in which eight members of the White Sox were found to have conspired with gamblers to fix games and lose
7300-511: The 19th no-hitter in White Sox history, and the first since Philip Humber's Perfect Game in 2012. Giolito struck out 13 and threw 74 of 101 pitches for strikes. He only allowed one baserunner, which was a walk to Erik González in the fourth inning. In 2020, the White Sox clinched a playoff berth for the first time since 2008, with a record 35–25 in the pandemic-shortened season , but lost to the Oakland Athletics in three games during
7446-520: The 2011 season on a Thursday (March 31) or Friday (April 1) rather than the traditional Monday, in order to prevent the World Series from extending into November. Similarly, most teams opened the 2012 season on Thursday (April 5) or Friday (April 6). However, subsequent seasons through 2017 returned to Monday openers for most teams. For the 2018 season, all 30 teams were scheduled to open the season on Thursday, March 29 (the earliest domestic start for
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#17327730338927592-409: The 2017 season. On December 3, 2018, head trainer Herm Schneider retired after 40 seasons with the team; his new role will be as an advisor on medical issues pertaining to free agency, the amateur draft and player acquisition. Schneider will also continue to be a resource for the White Sox training department, including both the major and minor league levels. On August 25, 2020, Lucas Giolito recorded
7738-454: The 2018 season, the White Sox announced that the club would be the first Major League Baseball team to entirely discontinue use of plastic straws, in ordinance with the "Shedd the Straw" campaign by Shedd Aquarium . The White Sox broke an MLB record during their 100-loss campaign of 2018, but broke the single-season strikeout record in only a year after the Milwaukee Brewers broke the record in
7884-500: The 2025 season occurred on Thursday, March 27th; 28 of the 30 teams played their first game of the season, with the Los Angeles Dodgers and Chicago Cubs having played their opening game March 18 at the Tokyo Dome in Japan. In the beginning, there was no baseball. But ever since, there have been few beginnings as good as the start of a new baseball season. It is the most splendid time in sport, in part because baseball
8030-539: The 20th century, being in 1966, when they started the season at Philadelphia after rain washed out the opening series in Cincinnati; 1990, when due to a lockout affecting the schedule they opened the season at Houston; and 2022, when another lockout led to their opening the season at Atlanta). The Chicago Cubs have been the Reds' most frequent Opening Day opponent, visiting Cincinnati for 36 season openers, most recently in 2007. The Pittsburgh Pirates , against whom
8176-479: The 7th team all time, and the first since the 1988 Baltimore Orioles to lose 20 consecutive games. On September 1, the White Sox set a new franchise record for losses at 107 following a 2–0 loss to the New York Mets. They are also the first team since the 1965 Mets to have 3 separate 10 or more game losing streaks in one season. On September 27, the White Sox lost their 121st game of the season, surpassing
8322-404: The AL asserted major league status in 1901 . The team, which shortened its name to the White Sox in 1904 , originally played their home games at South Side Park before moving to Comiskey Park in 1910 , where they played until 1990 . They moved into their current home, which was originally also known as Comiskey Park like its predecessor and later carried sponsorship from U.S. Cellular , for
8468-512: The American League MVP award. Bill Veeck returned as owner of the Sox in 1975, and despite not having much money, they managed to win 90 games in 1977 , with a team known as the "South Side Hitmen". However, the team's fortunes plummeted afterwards, plagued by 90-loss teams and scarred by the notorious 1979 Disco Demolition Night promotion. Veeck was forced to sell the team, rejecting offers from ownership groups intent on moving
8614-458: The American League for most of the season, on the final weekend, the White Sox, Red Sox , Minnesota Twins and Detroit Tigers all had a shot at the pennant. 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 89–73, three games behind. In 1968 , Bud Selig , a former minority owner of
8760-401: The American League in stolen bases every year from 1951 to 1961 . Although the White Sox had winning records every season from 1951 through 1967, the Yankees dynasty of the era often left the White Sox frustrated in second place; they were league runner-up five times between 1957 and 1965. Health problems forced Veeck to sell the team to brothers Arthur and John Allyn in 1961 , and while
8906-621: The Blue Jays beating the Indians, 7–4, in 16 innings. The previous record for longest Opening Day game was on April 19, 1960, at Cleveland Stadium . That game, lasting 15 innings, also saw the Indians in a losing effort, 4–2, versus the Detroit Tigers . The Philadelphia Athletics and Washington Senators also played a 15-inning season opener on April 13, 1926, with Washington winning, 1–0, at home. On rare occasions, predominantly in
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#17327730338929052-505: The Boston Red Sox and Eaton to the Washington Nationals for prospects including Yoán Moncada , Lucas Giolito and Michael Kopech , signaling the beginning of a rebuilding period. During the 2017 season , the White Sox continued their rebuild when they made a blockbuster trade with their crosstown rival, the Chicago Cubs, in a swap that featured the Sox sending pitcher José Quintana to the Cubs in exchange for four prospects headlined by outfielder Eloy Jiménez and pitcher Dylan Cease . This
9198-415: The Dodgers to repeat as World Series champions. Two tough years followed: 87 losses in 1979 (including the infamous July 12 forfeit on Disco Demolition Night ) and 90 losses in 1980 . A bright spot emerged in August 1979 when Veeck replaced player-manager Don Kessinger with 34-year old coach Tony LaRussa , who embarked on a Hall of Fame career which lasted over three decades. Veeck began building
9344-443: The Mariners for Julio Cruz . With Cruz's speed, they went 60–25 to close out the season, clinching the AL West title, which earned Manager Tony La Russa his first Manager of the Year award. 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
9490-427: The Orphans (now the Chicago Cubs ). In 1901 , the Western League broke the National Agreement and became the new major league American League . The first season in the AL ended with a White Stockings championship. However, that would be the end of the season, as the World Series did not begin until 1903 . The franchise, now known as the Chicago White Sox, made its first World Series appearance in 1906 , beating
9636-433: The Red Sox as well as power-hitting outfielder Greg Luzinski from the defending champion Phillies during the 1980–81 offseason. They also retained the club's young, relatively unknown manager, Tony La Russa . In 1983 , the White Sox enjoyed their best success in a generation. After a mediocre first half, the White Sox decided that they needed speed at the top of the lineup. The Sox traded second baseman Tony Bernazard to
9782-413: The Reds was up, he decided to take his chances at ownership. He bought the Sioux City team and transferred it to Saint Paul, Minnesota , renaming the team the St. Paul Saints, which enjoyed some success over the next five seasons. In 1900 , 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
9928-469: The Series was going back to Chicago even at 2–2. Reb Russell started Game 5 in Chicago, but only faced 3 batters before giving way to Cicotte. Going into the bottom of the seventh inning, Chicago was down 5–2, but they rallied to score three in the 7th and three in the 8th to win 8–5. Red Faber pitched the final two innings for the win. In Game six, the White Sox took an early 3–0 lead and on the strength of another complete game victory from Faber (his third of
10074-423: The Series) won 4–2 and clinched the world championship. Eddie Collins was the hitting hero, batting .409 over the six-game series while Cicotte and Faber combined to pitch 50 out of a total 52 World Series innings to lead the staff. After an off-year in the war-shortened season of 1918 , the club bounced back to win the pennant in 1919 and entered the World Series heavily favored to defeat the Cincinnati Reds in
10220-420: The South Side. The White Sox of 1990 won 94 games, but finished 9 games behind the powerful Oakland Athletics . Chicago White Sox The Chicago White Sox are an American professional baseball team based in Chicago . The White Sox compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) Central Division . The club plays its home games at Guaranteed Rate Field , which
10366-453: 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 1979 . Another was outfielder Ralph Garr , who had his best seasons with the Atlanta Braves . A once-notable pitcher was John "Blue Moon" Odom , a former Oakland Athletics star. On July 28, 1976, Odom combined with Francisco Barrios on
10512-532: The Sox winning the Central Division title in 2008 after a one-game playoff with the Minnesota Twins . Guillén left the White Sox after the 2011 season and was replaced by former teammate Robin Ventura. The White Sox finished the 2015 season , their 115th in Chicago, with a 76–86 record, a three-game improvement over 2014 . The White Sox recorded their 9,000th win in franchise history by
10658-466: The West division in 1993 , and were in first place in 1994 , when the season was canceled due to the 1994 MLB Strike . In 2004 , Ozzie Guillén was hired as manager of his former team. After finishing second in 2004, the Sox won 99 games and the Central Division title in 2005 , behind the work of stars Paul Konerko , Mark Buehrle , A. J. Pierzynski , Joe Crede , and Orlando Hernández . They started
10804-438: The White Sox to their 1906 pennant and faced the crosstown rival Cubs in the 1906 World Series . The Cubs had won a then-record 116 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,
10950-421: 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. Instead, Veeck sold the team to an ownership group headed by accountant Jerry Reinsdorf and television producer Eddie Einhorn . The new owners moved quickly to show that they were committed to winning by signing All-Star catcher Carlton Fisk from
11096-549: The White Sox beat the Detroit Tigers 3–0. This also had Tony La Russa winning his 2,764th game as manager passing John McGraw for 2nd on the all-time managerial wins list. On August 12, 2021, the White Sox faced New York Yankees in the first ever Field of Dreams game in Dyersville, Iowa . The White Sox won the game 9–8 on a walk-off two-run Home Run by Tim Anderson . The homer was the 15th walk-off home run against
11242-510: The White Sox featured stars such as third baseman Willie Kamm , shortstop Luke Appling , outfielder Leo Najo and pitcher Ted Lyons . However, an outstanding team was never developed around them, or a deep pitching staff. Ironically, the White Sox almost landed Babe Ruth ; they offered to trade Jackson to the Red Sox for Ruth after owner Harry Frazee put his troublemaking star on the market. The White Sox offered Jackson and $ 60,000; however,
11388-412: The White Sox had their longest period of sustained success, scoring a winning record for 17 straight seasons. Known as the "Go-Go White Sox" for their tendency to focus on speed and getting on base versus power hitting, they featured stars such as Minnie Miñoso , Nellie Fox , Luis Aparicio , Billy Pierce , and Sherm Lollar . From 1957 to 1965, the Sox were managed by Al López . The Sox finished in
11534-565: The White Sox in the final month. Lopez had also managed the Cleveland Indians to the World Series in 1954 , making him the only manager to interrupt the New York Yankees pennant run between 1949 and 1964 inclusive. After the pennant-clinching victory, Chicago Mayor Richard J. Daley , a lifelong White Sox fan, ordered his fire chief to set off the city's air raid sirens . Many Chicagoans became fearful and confused since 1959
11680-491: 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
11826-417: The White Sox struggled to win games and attract fans. The team played a total of 20 home games at Milwaukee County Stadium in the 1968 and 1969 seasons. Allyn and Bud Selig agreed to a handshake deal that would give Selig control of the club and move them to Milwaukee , but it was blocked by the American League. Selig instead bought the Seattle Pilots and moved them to Milwaukee, where they would become
11972-517: The White Sox themselves. According to Selig, he had a handshake agreement with Arthur Allyn in early 1969 to purchase a majority stake in the White Sox and move them north to Milwaukee. The American League, however, blocked the sale, unwilling to cede what was then the nation's second largest city to the National League and the Cubs. Arthur Allyn instead sold his shares to his brother John, who agreed to stay in Chicago. Selig would go on to buy
12118-568: The White Sox to win the World Series stands as the longest MLB championship drought in the American League, and the second longest in both leagues, to the Cubs' 108 seasons. From 1901 to 2024, the White Sox have an overall win-loss record of 9,594–9,612–103 (.500). The White Sox originated as the Sioux City Cornhuskers of the Western League , a minor league under the parameters of the National Agreement with
12264-405: The White Sox wore their throwback uniforms at home every Sunday, starting with the 1972 red-pinstriped throwback jerseys worn during the 2012 season, followed by the 1982–86 uniforms the next season. In the 2014 season, the "Winning Ugly" throwbacks were promoted to full-time alternate status, and are now worn at home on Sundays. In one game during the 2014 season, the Sox paired their throwbacks with
12410-485: The World Series to the Cincinnati Reds . In response, the new Commissioner of Baseball, Kenesaw Mountain Landis , banned the players from the league for life. The White Sox have only made two World Series appearances since the scandal. The first came in 1959 , where they lost to the Los Angeles Dodgers , before they finally won their third championship in 2005 against the Houston Astros . The 88 seasons it took
12556-524: The Yankees in White Sox history; the first being Shoeless Joe Jackson on July 20, 1919, whose character featured in the movie Field of Dreams . On September 23, 2021, the White Sox clinched the American League Central Division for the first time since 2008 against the Cleveland Indians . In 2024, the White Sox tied a 14-game losing streak, then proceeded to have a 21-game losing streak from July 10 to August 5. They became
12702-584: The Year Eric Soderholm (.280 AVG, 25 HR, 67 RBI). The team, known by the press and fans as the "South Side Hitmen" hit a since-broken team record 192 home runs and were in first place in the American League West as late as August en route to a third-place finish (90–72). They also drew a team-record 1,657,135 fans to Comiskey (since broken as well). Manager Bob Lemon was named AL Manager of the Year by UPI for his efforts. After
12848-564: The age of 76 when hired, La Russa became the oldest active manager in MLB. On April 14, 2021, pitching against the Cleveland Indians, Carlos Rodon recorded the team's 20th no-hitter. Rodon retired the first 25 batters he faced and was saved by an incredible play at first base by first baseman Jose Abreu to get the first out in the 9th before hitting Roberto Pérez which was the only baserunner Rodon allowed. Rodon struck out seven and threw 75 of 114 pitches for strikes. On June 6, 2021,
12994-494: The aging Comiskey Park , and sought public funds to do so. When talks stalled, a strong offer was made to move the team to Tampa, Florida . Funding for a new ballpark was approved in an 11th-hour deal by the Illinois State Legislature on June 30, 1988, with the stipulation that it had to be built on the corner of 35th and Shields, across the street from the old ballpark, as opposed to the suburban ballpark
13140-576: The beginning of the 2006 season. Beginning with the 2007 season, a new luxury-seating section was added in the former press box. This section has amenities similar to those of the Scout Seats section. After the 2007 season, the ballpark continued renovation projects despite the phases being complete. In July 2019, the White Sox extended the netting to the foul pole. The St. Paul Saints first played their games at Lexington Park . When they moved to Chicago's Armour Square neighborhood, they began play at
13286-561: The bullpens parallel to the field of play (thus decreasing slightly the formerly symmetrical dimensions of the outfield); filling seats in up to and shortening the outfield wall; ballooning foul-line seat sections out toward the field of play; creating a new multitiered batter's eye , allowing fans to see out through one-way screens from the center-field vantage point, and complete with concession stand and bar-style seating on its "fan deck"; and renovating all concourse areas with brick, historic murals, and new concession stand ornaments to establish
13432-456: The cities of Glendale and Phoenix, Arizona , broke ground on a new Cactus League spring-training facility. Camelback Ranch , the $ 76 million, two-team facility, is the home of both the White Sox and the Los Angeles Dodgers for their spring training, featuring state-of-the-art baseball facilities and an over 10,000-seat stadium. The facility is also home to amenities such as 118,000 sq ft. of clubhouse space, 13 full fields, citrus groves, and
13578-510: The club to Denver and eventually agreeing to sell it to Ed DeBartolo , the only prospective owner who promised to keep the White 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 . The Reinsdorf era started off well, with the team winning their first division title in 1983 , led by manager Tony La Russa and stars Carlton Fisk , Tom Paciorek , Ron Kittle , Harold Baines , and LaMarr Hoyt . During
13724-413: The club to his son, J. Louis Comiskey . They finished in the upper half most years between 1936 and 1946, under the leadership of manager Jimmy Dykes , with star shortstop Luke Appling (known as "Ol' Aches and Pains") and pitcher Ted Lyons , who both had their numbers 4 and 16 retired. After J. Louis Comiskey died in 1939, ownership of the club was passed down to his widow, Grace Comiskey . The club
13870-435: The crosstown Cubs in six games. The White Sox won a third pennant and a second World Series in 1917 , beating the New York Giants in six games with help from stars Eddie Cicotte and "Shoeless" Joe Jackson . The Sox were heavily favored in the 1919 World Series , but lost to the Cincinnati Reds in eight games. Huge bets on the Reds fueled speculation that the series had been fixed . A criminal investigation went on in
14016-484: The current Reds organization played their first opener in 1882, are a close second with 32, most recently in 2023; no other team has more than 19 (by the St. Louis Cardinals , most recently in 2014), largely due to the Cubs and Pirates rotating as the Opening Day opponents from 1899 to 1916, then the two teams and the Cardinals rotated from 1917 to 1952. Following the then- Boston Braves relocation to Milwaukee during
14162-445: The early 2000s to give it a more retro feel. The White Sox were fairly successful in the 1990s and early 2000s, with 12 winning seasons from 1990 to 2005 . First baseman Frank Thomas became the face of the franchise, ending his career as the White Sox's all-time leader in runs, doubles, home runs, total bases, and walks. Other major players included Robin Ventura , Ozzie Guillén , Jack McDowell , and Bobby Thigpen . The Sox won
14308-480: The early 20th century, a team would open its home season with a doubleheader . The first of these came when the Boston Americans hosted the Philadelphia Athletics for two games on April 20, 1903, with Boston winning the first game, 9–4, and Philadelphia taking the second game, 10–7. The most recent Opening Day doubleheader in the major leagues came on April 7, 1971, with the Chicago White Sox defeating
14454-573: The efforts of several eventual Hall of Famers – Lopez, Aparicio, Fox (the league MVP), and pitcher Early Wynn , who won the Cy Young Award at a time when only one award was presented for both leagues. 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 .300 for
14600-469: The era, such as Rogers Centre in Toronto). The park's inaugural season drew 2,934,154 fans — at the time, an all-time attendance record for any Chicago baseball team. In recent years, money accrued from the sale of naming rights to the field has been allocated for renovations to make the park more aesthetically appealing and fan-friendly. Notable renovations of early phases included reorientation of
14746-596: The final WL/AL championship season as a minor league. After the season, the AL declined to renew its membership in the National Agreement and declared itself a major league. After acquiring a number of stars from the older league, including pitcher and manager Clark Griffith , the White Stockings also captured the AL's first major-league pennant the next year, in 1901 . Headline editors at the Chicago Tribune sports department immediately began shortening
14892-562: The final year of their contracts. 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 1977 season and the last prior to the 1978 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
15038-704: The first pitch. George W. Bush did the honors to inaugurate Nationals Park for the Washington Nationals on March 30, 2008. Ted Williams was a .449 hitter in openers, with three home runs and fourteen runs batted in during fourteen such games and at least one hit in each game. On April 4, 1974, Hank Aaron of the Atlanta Braves hit his 714th career home run on Opening Day at Cincinnati's Riverfront Stadium , tying Babe Ruth on Major League Baseball's all-time list. Aaron finished his career with 755 home runs. In 14 season openers for
15184-505: The fourth major leaguer with three home runs on Opening Day, following the Toronto Blue Jays ' George Bell in 1988, Chicago Cubs ' Tuffy Rhodes in 1994 and the Detroit Tigers ' Dmitri Young in 2005. The St. Louis Cardinals were the first major league team to open their home season with a night game , beating the Pittsburgh Pirates 4–2 at Sportsman's Park on April 18, 1950. The first interleague Opening Day game
15330-437: The game was to regain the trust of the public. From 1901 to 1920, 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 1921 and would not contend again until 1936 . During that stretch, only the 1925 and 1926 teams even managed to top .500. During this period,
15476-659: The help of coaching staff from the Chicago Bulls/Sox Training Academy. This structure was used during the 2005 American League playoffs by ESPN and the Fox Broadcasting Company as a broadcasting platform. Designed as a seven-phase plan, the renovations were completed before the 2007 season with the seventh and final phase. The most visible renovation in this final phase was replacing the original blue seats with green seats. The upper deck already had new green seats put in before
15622-488: The home whites. In those jerseys, the White Sox won 99 games and the AL West championship in 1983, the best record in the majors. After five years, those uniforms were retired and replaced with a more basic uniform that had "White Sox" written across the front in script, with "Chicago" on the front of the road jersey. The cap logo was also changed to a cursive "C", although the batter logo was retained for several years. For
15768-735: The host Oakland Athletics in both games (6–5 and 12–4, respectively). In 1968, Greg Washburn , a pitcher in the California Angels organization, pitched two Opening Day games in the same year—first for the San Jose Bees of the California League , and then for the Quad City Angels of the Midwest League . Washburn won both openers 2–0. This is the only record of a pitcher pitching two openers in
15914-516: The introduction of the Scout Seats, redesignating (and reupholstering) 200 lower-deck seats behind home plate as an exclusive area, with seat-side waitstaff and a complete restaurant located underneath the concourse. The most significant structural addition besides the new roof was 2005's FUNdamentals Deck, a multitiered structure on the left-field concourse containing batting cages, a small Tee Ball field, speed pitch, and several other children's activities intended to entertain and educate young fans with
16060-500: The last time in team history. The socks featured a different stripe pattern every year. The team also had the option to wear blue or white pants with either jersey. Additionally, the team's "SOX" logo was changed to a modern-looking "SOX" in a bold font, with "CHICAGO" written across the jersey. Finally, the team's logo featured a silhouette of a batter over the words "SOX". The new uniforms also featured collars and were designed to be worn untucked — both unprecedented. Yet by far,
16206-443: The longest managerial tenure in team history. However, the White Sox did not completely recover from their malaise until the team was rebuilt in the 1950s under managers Paul Richards , Marty Marion , and Al López . Following Charles Comiskey's death in 1931, the team continued to be operated by his family – first by his son Lou , then by Louis' widow Grace , and finally by their daughter Dorothy Rigney . Not until 1959 did
16352-511: The most unusual wrinkle was the option to wear shorts, which the White Sox did for the first game of a doubleheader against the Kansas City Royals in 1976. The Hollywood Stars of the Pacific Coast League had previously tried the same concept, but it was also poorly received. Apart from aesthetic issues, as a practical matter, shorts are not conducive to sliding, due to the likelihood of significant abrasions. Upon taking over
16498-733: The move of the Pilots to Milwaukee almost resulted in the White Sox being moved to the Emerald City in 1975 . An elaborate scheme for a franchise shuffle soon came to light. The White Sox were to be moved to Seattle, then the Oakland Athletics were to take the White Sox's place in Comiskey Park. Oakland owner Charlie Finley was from nearby La Porte, Indiana . His A's had not drawn well during their Championship years in Oakland, California , and he wanted to bring them to Chicago. However,
16644-518: The name to "White Sox", and the team officially adopted the shorter name in 1904 . 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 400 innings each season in his prime. Walsh, Doc White and Nick Altrock paced
16790-829: The new Comiskey Park, while the 39th Street grounds became the home of the Chicago American Giants of the Negro leagues. Billed as the Baseball Palace of the World, it originally held 28,000 seats and eventually grew to hold over 50,000. It became known for its many odd features, such as the outdoor shower and the exploding scoreboard. When it closed after the 1990 season , it was the oldest ballpark still in Major League Baseball . The White Sox have held spring training in: On November 19, 2007,
16936-631: The only regular season games during the year in which the entire rosters of both teams as well as coaches and clubhouse staff are introduced to the crowd prior to the games; for the rest of the year, ballparks only introduce the starting lineups and the teams' managers . Some teams, among them the New York Mets , have had their broadcasters as the master of pre-game ceremonies for their home openers, which also typically feature appearances by retired players, local celebrities or media personalities, politicians, and other dignitaries. Prior to Opening Day,
17082-425: The owners had designed. Architects offered to redesign the ballpark to a more "retro" feel that would fit in the city blocks around Comiskey Park; however, the ownership group was set on a 1991 open date, so they kept the old design. The new ballpark opened in 1991 under the name new Comiskey Park . The park, renamed in 2003 as U.S. Cellular Field and in 2016 as Guaranteed Rate Field , underwent many renovations in
17228-516: The playoffs by sweeping the defending champion Boston Red Sox in the ALDS , and beat the Angels in five games to win their first pennant in 46 years, due to four complete games by the White Sox rotation. The White Sox went on to sweep the Houston Astros in the 2005 World Series , giving them their first World Championship in 88 years. Guillén had marginal success during the rest of his tenure, with
17374-503: The puzzle together with the addition of first baseman Chick Gandil and shortstop Swede Risberg . Weaver was moved over to third base. The White Sox roared through the American League in 1917 with a record of 100–54 – still a franchise record for wins and winning percentage—and won the pennant by nine games over the Boston Red Sox . Their offense, led by Collins (.289, 91 runs), Felsch (.308, 102 RBI) and Jackson (.301, 91 runs),
17520-559: The ringleader, the one "connected" to the gamblers, had retired after the 1919 season) before their last season series against the St. Louis Browns . 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. Lacking that tangible evidence,
17666-550: The same year in professional baseball. Hall of Famer Tom Seaver holds the record among major league pitchers for the most Opening Day starts, doing the honors 16 times in his career with the New York Mets , Cincinnati Reds , and Chicago White Sox . The record for most consecutive victories on Opening Day by a team in history is ten, shared by the Boston Beaneaters (1887–1896) and the Houston Astros (2013–2022). Major League Baseball had most of its teams open
17812-425: The score of 3–2 against the Detroit Tigers on September 21, 2015. Ventura returned in 2016, with a young core featuring José Abreu , Adam Eaton , José Quintana , and Chris Sale . Ventura resigned after the 2016 season , in which the White Sox finished 78–84. Rick Renteria , the 2016 White Sox bench coach , was promoted to the role of manager. Prior to the start of the 2017 season, the White Sox traded Sale to
17958-552: The shuffle collapsed when owner John Allyn sold the team to the physically rehabilitated Bill Veeck. In 1977 , the Seattle Mariners were created, thus restoring the major leagues' presence in the Pacific Northwest . On December 10, 1975 , Bill Veeck regained ownership of the team, and he vowed to make the White Sox an exciting team again. Besides his customary promotions, Veeck introduced retro uniforms and shorts. The shorts were only worn three times. The first time
18104-465: The sport's first openly all-professional team , the annual Findlay Market Parade marks an official "city holiday" with young and old alike taking the day off to cheer on the Reds . For decades, the first pitch of every major league season officially took place in Cincinnati, and the Reds remain the only major league team to always open the season with a home game (the sole exceptions, since the beginning of
18250-651: The sport, including minor leagues, college baseball , high school, and youth leagues. Because MLB generally begins its season earlier than the other professional baseball leagues, its Opening Day is the one most commonly recognized by the general public. Most minor leagues start a few days later, but within the same week; the short season Class A and Rookie leagues are exceptions, as they begin in June. College, high school and youth baseball seasons vary widely depending on location and weather conditions. For generations, Opening Day has arrived amid pageantry. In Cincinnati , home of
18396-414: 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 1960s, with pitchers who had the best ERA in four different seasons -- Frank Baumann , 2.67 ( 1960 ), Gary Peters , 2.33 ( 1963 ), and again with 1.98 ( 1966 ) and finally Joe Horlen , 2.06 ( 1967 ). In 1959 , the team won its first pennant in 40 years, thanks to
18542-409: The team in 1980, new owners Eddie Einhorn and Jerry Reinsdorf announced a contest where fans were invited to create new uniforms for the White Sox. The winning entries, submitted by a fan, had the word "SOX" written across the front of the jersey in the same font as the cap, inside of a large blue stripe trimmed with red. The red and blue stripes were also on the sleeves, and the road jerseys were gray to
18688-431: 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. Louis Browns . During the 1950s, the team had begun to restore its respectability with manager Paul Richards utilizing an offensive philosophy emphasizing speed and a spectacular style of defense. Perennial All-Star Minnie Miñoso ,
18834-444: The team's primary color changed from royal blue to red, with the color of their pinstripes and caps changing to red. The 1971–1975 uniform included red socks . In 1976, the team's uniforms changed again. The team's primary color changed back from red to navy. The team based their uniforms on a style worn in the early days of the franchise, with white jerseys worn at home, and blue on the road . The team brought back white socks for
18980-406: The teams' managers have to decide the starting pitchers for the game, an assignment typically given to the ace of each team's staff. For a pitcher to start on Opening Day is considered an honor, regardless of whether they are on the home or visiting team. Hall of Fame pitcher Early Wynn , who played for the Washington Senators , Cleveland Indians and Chicago White Sox , once said: "An opener
19126-426: The top loop of the "S" and a small "X" inside the bottom loop. This is the logo associated with the 1917 World Series championship team and the 1919 Black Sox. With a couple of brief interruptions, the dark-blue logo with the large "S" lasted through 1938 (but continued in a modified block style into the 1940s). Through the 1940s, the White Sox team colors were primarily navy blue trimmed with red. The White Sox logo in
19272-421: The traditional "Opening Day" slate of games on Monday, April 4.) Opening Day is a state of mind as well, with countless baseball fans known to recognize this unofficial holiday as a good reason to call in sick at work or be truant from school (as most teams typically play their home opener on a weekday afternoon) and go out to the ballpark for the first of 162 regular season games. Teams' home openers serve as
19418-420: The upper half of the American League in eight of his nine seasons, including six years in the top two of the league. In 1959 , the White Sox ended the New York Yankees ' dominance over the American League, and won their first pennant since the ill-fated 1919 campaign. Despite winning game one of the 1959 World Series 11–0, they fell to the Los Angeles Dodgers in six games. During the late 1960s and 1970s,
19564-610: The west coast in 1958. 92,706 fans witnessed Game 5 of the World Series at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum , the most ever to attend a World Series game, or for that matter any non-exhibition major league baseball game. The White Sox won that game 1–0 over the Dodgers' 23-year-old pitcher Sandy Koufax , but the Dodgers clinched the series by beating the White Sox 9–3 two days later at Comiskey Park. Due to Veeck's arrival in 1959, Comiskey Park instantly became
19710-545: The winning margin. The White Sox beat the Giants in Game two by a score of 7–2 behind another complete game effort by Faber to take a 2–0 lead in the series. Back in New York for Game three, Cicotte again threw a complete game, but the White Sox could not muster a single run against Giants starter Rube Benton and lost 2–0. In Game 4 the White Sox were shut out again 5–0 by Ferdie Schupp . Faber threw another complete game, but
19856-426: Was 1st in runs scored. The White Sox pitching staff, led by Eddie Cicotte (28–12 1.53 ERA), Williams (17–8 2.97 ERA), Red Faber (16–13 1.92 ERA) and Reb Russell (15–5 1.95 ERA), ranked first with a 2.16 ERA. The White Sox faced the 98–56 New York Giants in the 1917 World Series . The White Sox won Game one in Chicago 2–1 behind a complete game by Cicotte. Felsch hit a home run in the fourth inning that provided
20002-416: Was 38 °F (3.3 °C). In 1915 , Pants Rowland became the manager and the White Sox added outfielder Shoeless Joe Jackson , second baseman Eddie Collins and outfielder Happy Felsch to the line-up. The White Sox finished in third place with a record of 93–61. In 1916 , the White Sox acquired pitcher Lefty Williams and finished 2nd at 89–65. In 1917 , the White Sox put the final pieces of
20148-428: Was during the initial game of a doubleheader against the Kansas City Royals at Comiskey Park on August 8, 1976, followed by appearances on August 21 and August 22. The 1976 team was one of the worst White Sox teams ever, winning only 64 games (.398), drawing fewer than 915,000 fans. Veeck's strategy to make the team competitive quickly, dubbed "rent-a-player" by sports writers, involved acquiring star players entering
20294-399: Was especially frustrating, as the team won 98 games, four more than 1959, including their last nine in a row – yet finished one game behind the pennant-winning Yankees , who had a late-season 11-game win streak that opened up just enough room to stave off the White Sox's final charge. The White Sox were also involved in one of the closest pennant races in history in 1967 . After leading
20440-540: Was fired June 30 but landed on his feet less than a month later when he was hired by Yankees owner George Steinbrenner to replace his beleaguered manager, Billy Martin . Under Lemon's cool hand, the Yankees erased a 14-game deficit in the American League East and defeated the Red Sox in a one-game playoff for the division championship, dispatched the Royals for their third consecutive pennant , and downed
20586-424: Was later passed down to Grace's children Dorothy and Chuck in 1956, with Dorothy selling a majority share to a group led by Bill Veeck after the 1958 season . Veeck was notorious for his promotional stunts, attracting fans to Comiskey Park with the new "exploding scoreboard" and outfield shower. In 1961, Arthur Allyn, Jr. briefly owned the club before selling to his brother John Allyn . From 1951 to 1967,
20732-400: Was played between the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim (AL) and the Cincinnati Reds (NL) on April 1, 2013 at Cincinnati's Great American Ball Park . The Angels won the game in 13 innings, 3–1. The longest Opening Day game in major league history was played on April 5, 2012 between the Cleveland Indians and Toronto Blue Jays . The game, played at Cleveland's Progressive Field , ended with
20878-597: Was sewn on his uniform, ostensibly to prove that the tryouts were legitimate and not just a stunt. 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 1977 season was a memorable one for the South Siders, led by off-season acquisitions Oscar Gamble (.297 AVG, 31 HR, 83 RBI), Richie Zisk (.290 AVG, 30 HR, 101 RBI) and American League Comeback Player of
21024-551: Was the first time since 1968 that all major league teams played and the first opening day that 30 teams played as there were only 20 teams in 1968. The opening of the 2024 season occurred on Thursday, March 28th; 28 of the 30 teams played their first game of the season, with the Los Angeles Dodgers and San Diego Padres having played their opening game March 20 at the Gocheok Sky Dome in South Korea . The opening of
21170-420: Was the first trade between the White Sox and Cubs since the 2006 season . During the 2018 season , relief pitcher Danny Farquhar suffered a brain hemorrhage while he was in the dugout between innings. Farquhar remained out of action for the rest of the season and just recently got medically cleared to return to baseball, despite some doctors doubting that he would make a full recovery. Also occurring during
21316-455: Was the height of the Cold War ; however, they relaxed somewhat upon realizing it was part of the White Sox' celebration. The White Sox won Game 1 of the World Series 11–0 on the strength of Kluszewski's two home runs, their last postseason home win until 2005 . The Los Angeles Dodgers , however, won three of the next four games and captured their first World Series championship since moving to
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