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DECEMBER 27TH JULIO ON THE GO 1994: Julio Franco’s tenure with the White Sox officially came to an end when the Chiba Lotte Marines of the Japanese Pacific League announced that they had signed him as well as fellow former big leaguers Pete Incaviglia and Eric Hillman. Franco spent one wildly but strike-shortened season with the White Sox in 1994. The native of Hato Mayor, Dominican Republic hit .319 with 20 home runs and 98 RBIs in just 112 games as the White Sox designated hitter. At 35, Franco also posted a .406 on-base percentage and a .510 slugging percentage as the Sox went 67-46 and were atop the American League Central when the players walked off the job in August. Instead of waiting for the work stoppage (which promised to go on for a long time) to end, Franco went to Japan where he spent 1995 and hit .306 for Chiba Lotte. His absence would leave a whole in the Sox lineup around Frank Thomas they would never really consistently replace until Albert Belle arrived in 1997.

THIS DATE IN WHITE SOX HISTORY: DECEMBER 26TH HAPPY BIRTHDAY, PUDGE! 1947: Carlton Fisk was born in Bellow Falls, Vermont. “Pudge” would go on to have a Hall of Fame career as one of the great catchers in big league history for both the Boston Red Sox (1969, 1971-1980) and the White Sox (1981-1993). Upon signing as a free agent in March of 1981, Fisk became one of the most popular players in White Sox history and still is to this day. Fisk’s spot in franchise history was cemented in 1997 when his No. 72 was retired, an honor bestowed upon by Sox management despite his frequent battles with them. Three years later, Fisk deservedly took his spot among the game’s immortals when he was voted into the Hall Fame. THIS DATE IN SOX HISTORY BONUS: FISK’S GREATEST HITS: April 10, 1981: In his White Sox debut and in the stadium he called home for the previous 10 season, Fisk launched a dramatic three-run homer in the eighth inning that gave the Sox the lead for good in a 5-3 win over the Boston Red Sox on Opening Day at Fenway Park. April 14, 1981: In his White Sox home debut, Fisk thrilled an Opening Day crowd of 51,560 with a grand slam in a 9-3 triumph of the Milwaukee Brewers. June 15, 1983: A fifth-inning RBI triple fronted the Sox for good in a 5-2 win at Anaheim. The hit came with Fisk starting in the No. 2 spot and ignited a streak which would see him hit .329 the rest of way in leading the White Sox to the A.L. West title. May 16, 1984: First inning double, second inning single, fourth inning home run and a seventh inning triple made Fisk just the third White Sox player to hit for the cycle and the first to do it at Comiskey Park. Despite the history, the Sox lost to the Royals 7-6. Aug. 2, 1985: Fisk tagged out both Bobby Meacham and Dale Berra on the same play at the plate in the seventh inning of the White Sox 5-3 win at Yankee Stadium. Sept. 25, 1985: Fisk tied Dick Allen’s 1972 franchise record with his 37th home run of the season. The solo shot came off Ron Romanick in a 7-4 loss at California. The home run was also Fisk’s 33rd while playing catcher, breaking Lance Parrish’s 1982 league record for roundtrippers at the position. Aug. 19, 1988: Fisk caught his 1,807th American League game, setting the record in that category. He celebrated the occasion with his first career five-hit game. June 21, 1989: Fisk cracked his 307th home run as a catcher, passing the Yankees’ Yogi Berra as the American League’s all-time leader in that department. Fisk accomplished the feat in a 7-3 win at Yankee Stadium. July 17, 1989: Fisk collected his 2,000th hit – a 28 bouncer up the middle – before an appreciative crowd at Comiskey Park. The milestone came off the Yankees’ Andy Hawkins, the same pitcher he hit his record homer off of about a month earlier in the Bronx. May 22, 1990: Fisk scolded and lectured the Yankees’ Deion Sanders on Yankee Pride at homeplate during the Sox 5-2 loss to New York. Fisk’s lecture was apparently over Sanders’ lack of hustle and his lackadaisical demeanor on baseball’s hallowed ground and prompted both benches to clear but no punches were thrown. Aug. 17, 1990: With one swing of the bat, Fisk became the most prolific home run-hitting catcher in big league history and the White Sox all-time home run leader. Fisk’s second-inning homer off Charlie Hough in Texas gave him 328 as a catcher and 187 with the White Sox. He eclipsed Johnny Bench’s mark for catchers and Harold Baines’ White Sox record. The historic homer came in the White Sox 4-2 win. Sept. 3, 1990: Fisk hit the last of his 87 home runs at the original Comiskey Park in a 4-2 win over the Kansas City Royals before 25,236 on the Southside. Fisk finished tied for second all-time in Old Comiskey Park home runs with Harold Baines, one behind leader Bill Melton. Twenty-seven days later, Fisk would start the final game at the old park behind the plate and go 0-for-4. July 9, 1991: Fisk made his fourth and final All-Star team as a member of the White Sox and his 11th and last overall. … Joined Yogi Berra and Johnny Bench as the only catchers to play in at least 10 All-Star Games (Fisk did not play in the 1974 game because of an injury). … Replaced Sandy Alomar Jr. at catcher in the fifth inning to become the oldest White Sox player, the third-oldest player overall player and the oldest American League position player to play in an All-Star Game … Finished the game behind the plate. … Went 1-for-2. … Singled off Pete Harnisch to center with two out in the sixth to become the oldest player (43 years, seven months, 13 days) to hit safely in an All-Star Game. … Struck out by Mike Morgan in the eighth in what turned out to be his final All-Star at bat. … Handled five chances (all putouts) without an error. … Caught teammate Jack McDowell in the fifth and sixth inning to form the third All-White Sox battery in All-Star history and the first since Duane Josephson caught Tommy John in the 1968 game in Houston. … Tagged out a sliding Will Clark at home for the second out in a scoreless sixth. Aug. 6, 1991: Fisk hit his 200th home run in a White Sox uniform. The dinger came off the Yankees’ Wade Taylor in a 14-5 win at “new” Comiskey Park. April 7, 1993: On his first swing of the season, Fisk socked what turned out to be the final home run of his Hall of Fame career. The blast, the 376th of Fisk’s career, came off Jim Deshaies in the third inning of the Sox 6-1 loss at Minnesota. June 19, 1993: Fisk notched the 2,356th and last hit of his career – a fifth inning single off Mark Langston in a 5-4 loss at California. June 22, 1993: Fisk became the all-time leader by catching his 2,226th game in the Sox 3-2 win over Texas before 36,757 at Comiskey Park. Prior to the game, the White Sox presented Fisk with several gifts, including a special-edition Harley-Davidson motorcycle and a $25,000 donation to the Chicago Botanic Garden. Fisk helped give the Sox the lead with a sacrifice in the fifth that led to a run. After Texas tied the game in the sixth, Lance Johnson drove in the winning run with a two-out single in the ninth. Six days later, the Sox released Fisk.

DECEMBER 25TH: MERRY CHRISTMAS! For more, see www.whitesoxalmanac.com! GIFT TO GILBERT: A CONTRACT 1984: The White Sox signed free agent outfielder Mark Gilbert in what is believed to be the only transaction in franchise history on Christmas Day. The Florida State product played in just seven games for the 1985 Sox, hitting .273 with a double and three RBIs. That action was the only time Gilbert would see in the Major Leagues. THIS DATE IN SOX HISTORY BONUS: A CHRISTMAS STORY The only player in Major League history with the last name Christmas played 12 of his 24 big league games with the 1986 White Sox. Catcher Steve Christmas hit .364 with a double, a clutch home run and four RBIs in his time with the White Sox. The Sox “Christmas Story” began on Nov. 21, 1983 when the left-handed hitter was acquired from the Cincinnati Reds in exchange for infield prospect Fran Mullins. Christmas, who hit .059 in nine games with 1983 Reds, was a non-roster invitee to spring training in Sarasota, Fla., but began 1984 at the White Sox Triple-A affiliate at Denver where his teammates included Jerry Manuel, Ron Karkovice, Tim Hulett, Daryl Boston, Joel Skinner and Larry Rothschild. Christmas’ first stint with the Sox came from June 12 to June 22. The native of Orlando, Fla., was brought to Chicago when Carlton Fisk went on the disabled list. Christmas didn’t see any time behind the plate as the Sox went with the highly-touted Skinner in Fisk’s absence. Christmas’ first action with the Sox finally came on June 14 when he grounded out as a pinch-hitter for Jerry Dybzinski. Two days later, Christmas delivered a pinch-RBI single in the ninth inning of a 6-4 loss at Oakland. Christmas was hitting for Scott Fletcher and got his hit off of Oakland closer Bill Caudill. In his next appearance, Christmas came through again, this time notching a one-out pinch-double off future Sox “gas can” Mike Stanton in the ninth inning of an 8-2 loss at Seattle June 19. Christmas was returned to Denver after the White Sox 8-6 win over the Twins June 22 in Minnesota. Christmas finished the season at Denver where he helped the Bears earn a spot in the American Association playoffs. Denver upset the Cubs’ Iowa affiliate in five games in the semifinal round before bowing to Louisville in five games in the championship series. Christmas, who shared time behind the plate with Skinner, Karkovice and Jamie Quirk, hit .278 with four homers and 29 RBIs during the regular season for Denver. He returned to the White Sox for the rest of the season in early September. Christmas made his Comiskey Park debut in a 5-4 loss to Oakland on Sept. 5, 1984 when he was retired for the second out pinch-hitting for Vance Law in the ninth. After another unsuccessful pinch-hitting appearance Sept. 8, 1984 against the Angels at Comiskey Park, Christmas made his lone defensive appearance with the Sox. On Sept. 16, 1984 in Anaheim, Christmas entered the game in the eighth inning at catcher. He played one inning in the 4-2 setback, catching Richard Dotson and could not throw out Gary Pettis trying to steal. The next time Christmas took the field he made things merry for the Sox. On Sept. 19, 1984, Christmas, pinch-hitting for Marc “The Booter” Hill, launched a three-run pinch-homer in the seventh inning to break a 3-3 tie in a 7-3 win at Minnesota. The blast, which victimized the team that drafted and signed Christmas, came off Mike Smithson with Greg Walker and Dybzinski on base as the defending American League West champs barely stayed alive in the division race (nine games back with 11 to play). The next day, Christmas posted what turned out to be his final hit with the Sox. He led off the 13th with a single off Ron Davis batting for Hill and was then lifted for pinch-runner Rudy Law. The Sox couldn’t parlay Christmas’ last gift to the Sox into a run and wound up losing 5-4 to the Twins in the next inning. That hit peaked Christmas’ average and on-base percentage at a whopping .571 and placed his slugging percentage at a more-than-robust 1.143. From there, Christmas went 0-for-4 with two strikeouts to close out his Sox career. Christmas' first time ended for the Sox on Dec. 10 when they released him. A little more than a month later, it was Christmastime again for the Sox as they signed him with a free agent. Christmas received another non-roster invitee to spring training but he did not make the club nor did he appear with the Sox during the 1985 season. Christmas spent 1985 at the Sox Triple-A affiliate in Buffalo where he manned third base and appeared some at designated hitter. Playing for John Boles, who would later manage the Flordia Marlins, Christmas finished fourth in the American Association with a .298 average while finishing second on the Bisons to Joe DeSa (17) with 16 home runs. Following the season, Christmas was granted free agency and signed with the Cubs thus closing the book on the Sox “Christmas Story.”

THIS DATE IN SOX HISTORY: DECEMBER 24TH FINISHING OFF A BUM DEAL 1986: The six-player exchange with the New York Yankees which started the previous July 30 was completed when the White Sox received catcher Bill Lindsey as the player to be named later in the exchange. The controversial trade had Sox general manager Ken Harrelson sending popular slugger Ron Kittle, infielder Wayne Tolleson and promising catcher Joel Skinner to the Bronx Bombers for catcher Ron Hassey, prospect Carlos Martinez and, ultimately, Lindsey. Lindsey played in just nine games for the Sox – all in 1987. He resurfaced briefly in 1995 when he was listed in the Sox “replacement players” media guide. WHEN IT RAINES, IT POURS 1990: In a move to give their offense more speed and power, the White Sox acquired leadoff man extraordinaire from the Montreal Expos. The price was steep, though. The White Sox had to surrender left fielder Ivan Calderon, who was coming off his most complete offensive season, and stellar setup man Barry Jones. In helping the White Sox to a surprising 94wins and a second place finish, Calderon hit .273 with 14 home runs, 74 RBIs, 32 steals and a team-record tying 44 doubles. Jones went 11-4 with a 2.31 ERA as the lead-in to Bobby Thigpen, who logged a still-standing big league record 57 saves. In Raines, the Sox got a lethal combination of speed and power at the top of the lineup as a counter to Oakland's Rickey Henderson. After shaking off a miserable start (which saw him shed his “Rock” nickname), Raines went on to have a decent 1991 and then fashioned more typical campaigns in 1992 and 1993. Raines was spectacular in the 1993 American League Championship Series, hitting .444 with a record-tying (for a six game series) 12 hits. The Sox also received pitcher Jeff Carter and minor leaguer Mario Brito in the deal. Both Calderon and Jones would return to the Sox for end of the season cameos during the 1993 A.L. West Division championship season.

THIS DATE IN SOX HISTORY: DEC 22ND For more, visit www.whitesoxalmanac.com THE SWAP OF ST. LOUIS 1986: The White Sox acquired utilityman Fred Manrique from the St. Louis Cardinals for reliever Bill Dawley. Manrique patrolled the Sox infield until midway through the 1989 season when he was dealt with DH-outfielder Harold Baines to Texas for Sammy Sosa, Scott Fletcher and Wilson Alvarez. Manrique was the Sox regular second baseman in 1988, hitting just .235. Dawley was winless in seven decisions but logged a more-than-respectable 3.32 ERA. ALL’S WELLS THAT ENDS WELLS 1998: First round pick Kip Wells finally agreed to terms with the White Sox. Wells, a right-hander pitcher, was the 16th overall pick of the previous June draft after going 21-14 with a 5.17 ERA at Baylor. The 21-year-old Texan capped his collegiate career with a 13-4 record, a 3.71 ERA and a Baylor record 135 strikeouts as a junior. It was a quick ascension to the bigs for Wells. He made his big league debut the following Aug. 2 at Detroit. EL DUQUE ARRIVES 2004: The White Sox signed pitcher Orlando “El Duque” Hernandez to a two-year contract. The right-hander was tabbed as a “back of the rotation” guy but wound up giving his most memorable performance in relief. In the clinching Game 3 of the 2005 AL Division Series, Hernandez escaped a bases-loaded no out jam in the seventh inning with the Sox clinging to a 4-3 lead. Hernandez would make one more appearance for the Sox – in the marathon Game 3 of World Series – before being dealt to Arizona in the Javier Vazquez deal the following December.

THIS DATE IN SOX HISTORY: DEC 20TH For more, see www.whitesoxalmanac.com CHUCK HOUGH 1990: The White Sox signed veteran free agent pitcher Charlie Hough to a two-year contract. The 41-year old knuckleballer was signed to give the rotation and to sop up innings. Hough joined the Sox with 186 wins. Only seven pitchers joined the Sox with more victories. Hough pitched two seasons with the Sox, going 16-22 but he was victimized by a bad bullpen many times in his short stint in Chicago. Hough won his 200th career game while a member of the Sox on Aug. 5, 1992. His best outing with the Sox was a four-hit shutout in the White Sox 1-0 win over Baltimore Aug. 4, 1991 at Comiskey Park. Hough outdueled Mike Mussina in Mussina’s big league debut and got his only run when Frank Thomas homered in the sixth inning. FOR A LIST OF THE PITCHERS WHO JOINED THE WHITE SOX WITH AT LEAST 100 CAREER VICTORIES, DOWNLOAD THE LIST BELOW. SANDY’S BACK 2002: The White Sox re-signed free agent catcher Sandy Alomar Jr. The Sox traded Alomar to Colorado the previous July 29 with cash considerations for minor league pitcher Enemencio Pacheco. This wouldn’t be the last time the Sox would re-acquire Alomar. He played for the Sox in 2003 and 2004 and then came back again in 2006 in a July 24, 2006 swap with the Dodgers. HELLO PABLO 2004: The White Sox signed free agent utilityman Pablo Ozuna. The 30-year old native of the Dominican Republic spent all of 2004 at Triple-A Scranton-Wilkes Barre in the Philadelphia organization where he hit .307 in 126 games. In Chicago, Ozuna reunited with Ozzie Guillen. The two were together in Florida in 2002 when Guillen was a coach and Ozuna got into 34 games. Ozuna proved to be a valuable performer during the 2005 World Series campaign and the 2006 season when hit .328 in 79 games. STRENGTHENING THE STAFF 2005: The White Sox acquired pitcher Javier Vazquez plus cash considerations from the Arizona Diamondbacks in exchange for pitchers Orlando “El Duque” Hernandez and Luis Vizcaino and outfield prospect Chris Young. With this deal, the Sox were figuring they were seriously upgrading themselves at the No. 5 starter by swapping Hernandez for Vazquez. In addition, Vizcaino wasn’t considered much of a loss because Brandon McCarthy was waiting in the wings. The gem of the deal for Arizona turned out to be Chris Young, who was a key part of the team that advanced to the 2007 NLCS. MOSTWINSUPONJOININGSOX.doc

THIS DATE IN SOX HISTORY: DEC 19 For more, see www.whitesoxalmanac.com LUKE, YOU ARE A DODGER 1938: After four solid seasons behind the plate, the White Sox sold 18-year veteran Luke Sewell to the Brooklyn Dodgers. The Titus, Ala., native was purchased by the Sox on Jan. 19, 1935 immediately after he had been from Washington. Sewell hit .285 for the 1935 Sox, his best output since hitting .294 for the 1927 Indians. The following year, Sewell reached career-highs with five home runs and 73 RBIs and topped league backstops with 87 assists. After another year as a regular behind the Sox plate, Sewell’s playing time decreased. The emergence of Mike Tresh, who played for the Sox until 1948, made Sewell expendable. GIL … JUST IN CASE 1997: Benji Gil the heir apparent to Ozzie Guillen? Seeking veteran insurance at shortstop, the White Sox acquired Benji Gil from the Texas Rangers for relievers Al Levine and Larry Thomas. With Guillen’s playing days with the Sox over, the team was thin at shortstop. The Sox had acquired Mike Caruso from the Giants in the “white flag” trade the previous July but he had never played above Class-A. In Gil, the Sox were receiving a somewhat proven commodity, who had given Texas solid seasons in 1995 and 1997 but had his 1996 was cut short by an injury. There was never any need for Gil. Caruso had a spectacular rookie season in 1997 while Gil was relegated to the Sox Triple-A affiliate at Charlotte. PIERZYNSKI FOR THREE 2005: The White Sox and catcher A.J. Pierzynski agreed to terms on a three-year contract. And why not? In the previous 87 years, the Sox did not have Pierzynski, they did not win a World Series. In his first season with the team, the White Sox won the World Series.

THIS DATE IN WHITE SOX HISTORY: DECEMBER 18TH For more, see www.whitesoxalmanac.com FOR PETE’S SAKE, HE’S TRADED 1969: The White Sox dealt one of their most popular players in recent memory when they sent third basemen-outfielder Pete Ward to the New York Yankees for pitcher Mickey Scott. The Montreal native played just 66 games for the 1970 Yankees while Scott never played for the Sox. Ward was acquired by the Sox from Baltimore in the six-player Luis Aparicio deal on Jan. 14, 1963. The left-handed hitter had a sensational rookie season (.295, 23 HR, 84 RBI) and an even better 1964 (.282, 23 HR, 94 RBI). Early in the 1965 season, Ward’s neck was injured in a car accident and he was never really the same again. ALL IN THE FAMILY 2000: The White Sox veteran catcher Sandy Alomar Jr., who had spent the previous 11 seasons with the archrival Indians. The Sox brought Alomar on after choosing not to re-sign Charles Johnson, who finished out the A.L. Central Division championship season as the team’s backstop. Alomar played for the Sox in 2001 and part of 2002 before being dealt to Colorado. He rejoined the team for the 2003 and 2004 seasons and then came back again in 2006 in a July 24, 2006 swap with the Dodgers. Alomar’s dad, Sandy Sr., and brother, Roberto, also played for the Sox. Sandy Alomar Sr. is the only big league dad to have two of his sons play for the White Sox. In addition, the Alomars are one of just six father-son duos in team history and Roberto and Sandy are one of just seven sets of brothers to play for the team. The Alomars (2004-2004), Dick and Hank Allen (1972-1973), and Ted and Homer Blankenship (1922-1923) are the only sets of brother teammates in White Sox history. … Also on this date, free agent catcher Charles Johnson, who finished the season with the Sox, signed a five-year deal with Florida.

THIS DATE IN WHITE SOX HISTORY: DECEMBER 17TH/Richards ... Jenks! For more, see www.whitesoxalmanac.com RICHARDS RETURNS 1975: On the day his group officially took majority control of the franchise from John Allyn’s Artnell Company, Bill Veeck announced the hiring as Paul Richards as the White Sox manager for the 1976 season. The announcement was made in the venerable bards room at Comiskey Park. Richards was the manager at the dawn of the White Sox “Go Go” era in 1951 and posted 342 victories in just over three seasons before taking the helm in Baltimore. Richards’ stint with the 1976 Sox did not go as well as his first one. The team went 64-97 and finished last. According to White Sox historian Rich Lindberg, “The talent wasn’t there but neither was the direction or motivation. The game has passed Richards by. His daring strategy in the 1950s helped transform the White Sox. But in 1976 he held few team meetings. There was little evaluation of personnel and, moreover, there was a generation gap … Richards’ most significant 1976 statement was that Jesse Jefferson ‘looked a mite goofy.’" (Who’s On Third). Richards was not retained after the 1976 campaign. WAIVING HELLO TO BOBBY 2004: In one of the great moves in team annals, the White Sox claimed enigmatic relief pitcher Bobby Jenks off waivers from the Anaheim Angels. The pudgy right-hander was unable to consistently harness his 100 mph in the Angel organization. Upon joining the Sox, the team immediately showed faith in the 23-year-old native of Mission Hills, Calif. in spring training. The Sox made him a fulltime reliever and success followed. After going 1-3 with a 2.85 ERA with 19 saves for Double-A Birmingham, the Sox called him up on July 5. He quickly ascended to the closer’s role after Dustin Hermanson’s back gave out on him. The unflappable Jenks responded with six saves in the regular-season, two in the Division Series and two more in the World Series. His improbable season ended on the mound as the White Sox won Game 4 of the World Series in Houston making Jenks the first rookie in history to earn the save in the clinching game of the Fall Classic. To show that 2005 was no fluke, Jenks posted 41 saves and struck out 80 batters in 69.2 innings making him one of the great waiver pickups in the history of the game. THIS DATE IN WHITE SOX HISTORY: DECEMBER 16TH/Joe D's pal ... Cotts For more, see www.whitesoxalmanac.com JOE D’S BOYHOOD BUDDY COMES ABOARD 1940: The White Sox acquired infielder Dario Lodigiani, Joe DiMaggio’s double play partner at San Francisco’s Lowell Junior High, from the Philadelphia Athletics for pitcher Jack Knott. Lodigiani was a part-time player for the Sox in 1941 and 1942 before missing the 1943, 1944 and 1945 seasons while in the military. After an injury-plagued (elbow) in 1946, he eventually became a Sox scout and served the team into the 1990s. COTTS COMES ABOARD … FINALLY 2002: The White Sox received Neal Cotts and Daylon Holt from Oakland as the players to be named later to complete a trade of 13 days earlier. In that deal, the Sox sent pitchers Keith Foulke and Joe Valentine and catcher Mark Johnson to the A’s for reliever Billy Koch and the two players to be named later. SISCO KID IS NOW A FRIEND OF MINE 2006: The White Sox acquired mammoth left-handed pitcher Andrew Sisco from the Kansas City Royals in exchange for first baseman-outfielder Ross Gload. The 6-foot-10 Sisco had a phenomenal rookie season with the Royals (3.11 ERA, 76 Ks/75.1 IP, 67 appearances) after he was acquired from the Cubs in the Rule V Draft. In 2006, Sisco was 1-3 with a 7.10 ERA in 65 games. Unfortunately for the Sox, Sisco flashed his 2006 form in his first year in Chicago (0-1, 8.36 ERA). Gload served the Sox well and was a fan favorite as bench player from 2004 to 2006. THIS DATE IN WHITE SOX HISTORY: DECEMBER 15TH/Terrible trade, bye Tony!/Franco signed For more, see www.whitesoxalmanac.com MET MESS 1967: In one of the worst deals in franhise history, the White Sox sent outfielder Tommie Agee and infielder Al Weis to the New York Mets for outfielder Tommy Davis, pitchers Jack Fisher and Billy Wynne and catcher Buddy Booker. The bad news was that the Sox got rid of one really good player in Agee and one solid performer in Weis and didn’t get much in return. The good news is that Agee and Weis both helped the Mets overtake the Cubs in the infamous season of 1969. HE’LL BE BACK … TO MANAGE 1976: The White Sox sent minor league infielder Tony LaRussa to the St. Louis Cardinals in exchange for pitcher Randy Wiles. LaRussa was signed by the White Sox in April of 1975 after he was released by the Pirates. LaRussa spent 1975 at the Sox Triple-A affiliate in Denver and hit .280 with seven homers and 46 RBIs as part of the Bears’ Western Division winning team. The following year, LaRussa hit .259 with four homers and 34 RBIs for the Sox Triple-A team at Iowa. This time in the White Sox organization was crucial for LaRussa. It was at these two stops that LaRussa played for manager Loren Babe. It was Babe who recommended LaRussa for the Sox managerial post at Double-A Knoxville in 1978. After one full season in Knoxville and part of a season at Triple-A Iowa, LaRussa was hired by the Sox to replace Don Kessinger as manager and one of the great managerial careers in big league history was born. HELLO JULIO 1993: General manager Ron Schueler made one of his shrewdest moves when he signed free agent Julio Franco to a one-year contract. The designated hitter provided MVP Frank Thomas with the best protection of his career, hitting .319 with 20 home runs and 98 RBIs in just 112 games in the strike-shortened season. Franco lasted just the one year with the Sox. With no end in sight to the strike that cost the Major Leagues the World Series, Franco signed to play with Chiba Lotte in Japan for the 1995 season.

THIS DATE IN WHITE SOX HISTORY: DECEMBER 14TH For more, see www.whitesoxalmanac.com A JUAN-DERFUL DEAL 1960: The White Sox snared a staple of their rotation for the next six years and it all cost them was aging slugger. On this date, the Sox acquired left-hander Juan Pizarro from the Reds with fellow pitcher Cal McLish in exchange for third baseman Gene Freese. Pizarro went on to become an All-Star in 1963. The following year he went 19-9 with a 2.56 ERA. In McLish, the Sox had the player with one of the longest names in big league history in the fold. Calvin Coolidge Julius Caesar Tuskahoma McLish would pitch just one season for the Southsiders. … Also on this day, the Sox lost Earl Averill, Ted Kluszewski, Jim McAnany and Ken McBride to Los Angeles and Dick Donovan, Joe Hicks and Ed Hobaugh to Washington in the Expansion Draft. BEWARE THE BRAT 1965: The White Sox hired Eddie Stanky to succeed Al Lopez as manager. This signaled a major departure in managerial styles at Comiskey Park. The Sox replaced the affable, cerebral Lopez with the bombastic Stanky, who was known as “The Brat” for obvious reasons. Stanky pushed, pulled and cajoled the 1967 light-hitting White Sox to within a hair of one of the most improbable pennants in history. On July 12, 1968, 78 games into the season, Stanky resigned and was replaced by the man he replaced, Al Lopez. DEALING BLACK JACK 1994: With a new player compenstation system looming because of the on-going work stoppage, the White Sox sent pitcher Jack McDowell to the New York Yankees for minor leaguer Keith Heberling and a player to be named later. The Sox dealt potential free agent McDowell for fear of getting nothing in return. The deal was completed April 22, 1995 when the Yankees sent outfielder Lyle Mouton to Chicago. McDowell was a two-time 20-game winner and Cy Young Award winner with the White Sox. He was a battler in the true sense of the word. Sadly, one of the legacies he left was his failure in two starts in the 1993 American League Championship Series. ROYCE ROLLS INTO TOWN 2000: The White Sox gained and lost a shortstop all on the same day. In a trade with Texas, the Sox acquired slick-fielding Royce Clayton from Texas for pitchers Aaron Myette and Brian Schmack. Also on this day, the Sox lost the enigmatic Mike Caruso on waivers to the Seattle Mariners. After his sterling rookie season of 1998, Caruso’s production dipped so dramatically in 1999, he spent all of 2000 at Triple-A Charlotte while the team he was supposed to be a major part of was winning the division. Clayton continued his fine fielding but his presence immediately caused friction because Jose Valentin was an offensive force for the 2000 A.L. Central champions at shortstop. Clayton’s stay on the Southside lasted just short of two years and ended when he was released Sept. 8, 2002 amid controversy.

THIS DATE IN WHITE SOX HISTORY: DECEMBER 13th For more, see www.whitesoxalmanac.com BOSTON BLOCKBUSTER 1969: The White Sox said bid adieu to their left-handed workhorse of the 1969s when they traded pitcher Gary Peters to the Boston Red Sox as part of a four player swap. Peters was sent to “Beantown” with utiltyman Don Pavletich for infielder Syd O’Brien and Billy Farmer. Farmer refused to report to Chicago so Boston sent pitcher Gerry Janeski to Chicago to complete the deal the following March 9th. It’s a good thing they sent Janeski, too. Farmer never amounted to anything and O’Brien turned out to be nothing much more than a bit player. Janeski at least ate up some innings while going 10-17 with a 4.77 ERA for the 1970 Sox – his only year on the Southside. Peters served the Sox valiantly in the 1960s when there was not much hitting to back up his stellar pitching. In fact, sometimes Peters was the best hitter in the Sox lineup. Peters hit 14 homers for the Sox including four in 1964. Peters’ best year on the mound was 1964 when he led the American League with 20 victories while posting a 2.50 ERA. That came a year after Peters was voted the American League Rookie of the Year after going 19-8 with a league-low 2.33 ERA. He left 35th and Shields 91-78 with a 2.92 ERA ONE THAT GOT AWAY 1971: The White Sox traded minor league outfield Bill Robinson to the Philadelphia Phillies in exchange for Jerry Rodriguez. Robinson, an outfielder, hit .275 with 14 home runs and 81 RBIs at the Sox Tucson affiliate in 1971 but never got the call to the Southside. Robinson eventually became an offensive force with the “We Are Family” Pittsburgh Pirates or the 1970s and 1980s. Rodriguez never saw a big league field. PRETTY BOY FLOYD ARRIVES 1982: The White Sox snared the gem of the free agent class by signing pitcher Floyd Bannister. The left-hander signed a five-year, $4.8 million pact with the Sox after leading the American League with 209 strikeouts for the 1982 Mariners. Bannister got off to a slow start in 1983 but he won 13 of his final 14 decisions in helping the White Sox storm to the American League West Division title. Bannister spent the final four seasons with the Sox trying to live up to the contract but his numbers never let him do that. On Dec. 10, 1986, Bannister and infielder Dave Cochrane were traded to Kansas City for pitchers Melido Perez, Greg Hibbard and John Davis. PIRATE PILLAGING 2001: The White Sox traded pitchers Kip Wells, Sean Lowe and Josh Fogg (who was celebrating his 25th birthday) to the Pittsburgh Pirates for pitcher Todd Ritchie and minor leaguer Lee Evans. The conventional wisdom at the time was that the Sox gave up too much to get Ritchie, who was just two games over .500. While Wells, Lowe and Fogg didn’t blossom the way the Bucs hoped, Ritchie flopped for the Sox. The right-hander went 5-15 with a 6.06 ERA in his only year with the team. MACKOWIAK COMES HOME 2005: The White Sox acquired utilityman Rob Mackowiak from the Pittsburgh Pirates for left-handed reliever Damaso Marte. Mackowiak, an Oak Lawn, Ill., native was brought on board to provide the Sox some left-handed hitting punch and some versatility. In his five years with the Pirates, Mackowiak had played every position except shortstop, pitcher and catcher. With the Sox, Mackowiak would play every position except second and short before being dealt to San Diego in the 2007 season.

THIS DATE IN WHITE SOX HISTORY: DECEMBER 12TH For more, see www.whitesoxalmanac.com IT WASN’T THE GOAT … IT WAS SKEETER 1944: While they didn’t know it at the time, the White Sox played a part in the Cubs’ loss to the Tigers in the 1945 World Series. On this date, the Sox traded light-hitting shortstop Skeeter Webb to the Detroit Tigers for infielder Joe Orengo. While he hit only .199 for the A.L. champion Tigers, Webb did do some damage against the Cubs in what turned out to be their last World Series appearances … 62 years ago. Webb ignited the Tigers’ five-run first in Game 7 at Wrigley Field with a single. He later scored the first run of the frame as the Tigers went on to win 9-3. Orengo was just 1-for-15 in his only 17 games for the Sox in 1945 but who really cares, right? This deal got the job done. … Also on this date, the Sox dealt outfielder Eddie Carnett to Cleveland for outfielder Oris Hockett. OPEN FOR BUSINESS 1975: On the busiest trading day in team history, the White Sox and general manager Roland Hemond executed four trades involving 11 players. When the dealing was done, the Sox had outfielders Buddy Bradford, Ralph Garr (who was celebrating his 30th birthday), pitchers Greg Terlecky and Clay Carroll and infielder Jack Brohamer. Players dealt by the Sox were speedster Lee “B.B.” Richard, Ken Henderson, Dick Ruthven, Ozzie Osborn, Larvell “Sugar Bear” Blanks and Rich Hinton. The flurry activity was new owner Bill Veeck’s attempt to give the team a makeover. In the end, the only player that made any kind of impact for the Sox was Garr, who hit .300 in each of his first two years with the Sox. THE TONY BERNAZARD STORY 1980: General manager Roland Hemond pulled off another one of those quietly effective deals when snared switch-hitting second baseman Tony Bernazard from the Montreal Expos for erratic left-handed pitcher Rich “Tex” Wortham. Bernazard was a rock for the Sox, especially in 1982 when he hit .256 with 11 homers and 56 RBIs. Any chance the Sox had at winning the West that year ended when Bernazard suffered a season-ending leg injury Sept. 12 in Oakland. After playing 59 games in 1983, Bernazard was dealt to Seattle in a June 15 deadline deal in which the Sox got fellow second baseman Julio Cruz, who played an instrumental role in the team’s surge to the A.L. West title. It must have been crushing for Bernazard to watch his old team celebrate the division title on Sept. 17, 1983 when the Sox clinched with a 4-3 win over Seattle before 45,646 at Comiskey Park. Eight years later, Bernazard was on the other side of another historic White Sox moment though he probably enjoyed this one a little more than he did in 1983. Bernazard went 1-for-2 off the bench in the Tigers’ 16-0 win over the White Sox in the first game at “new” Comiskey Park April 18, 1991. Bernazard also presented the ball that Frank Thomas hit for the first All-Star home run in White Sox history to the “Big Hurt” in 1995. The home run traveled into the second deck and landedin the Players’ Association suite where Alex Fehr, the nine-year old nephew of union chief Donald Fehr caught the ball. White Sox Manager of Scoreboard Operations Jeff Szynal, who also serves as the team’s Hall of Fame curator, left his seat in the left field stands to retrieve the ball. Szynal and Bernazard, who was in the MLPA suite, took the ball to the American League clubhouse and gave it to Thomas. As for Wortham, he had one game left in his arm and it came in 1983 for Oakland. BRITT TO THE BRONX 1985: The White Sox dealt left-handed pitcher Britt Burns to the New York Yankees for pitcher Joe Cowley and catcher Ron Hassey. Burns had a great 1985, going 18-11 with a 3.96 ERA with 172 strikeouts but he never pitched again. A degenerative hip condition ended Burns’ career when it should have been hitting its stride. Cowley gave the Sox one season before being dealt to Philadelphia for outfielder Gary Redus. Hassey was dealt back to the Yankees during spring training but was later acquired again from the “Bronx Bombers” in a mid-season blockbuster swap July 30, 1986.

Navarro is on my Most Hated Sox team along with Royce Clayton, Albert Belle, Wil Cordero, Claudell Washington, Billy Koch and Rick White

THIS DATE IN SOX HISTORY: DECEMBER 11TH COLLINS HIRED TO MANAGE ... AND PLAY 1924: The White Sox signed Eddie Collins to be a player-manager for the 1925 season. Collins was the Sox interim manager in 1924 and went 14-13 to earn the fulltime job. Collins managed the Sox to winning records in both 1925 (79-75) and 1926 (81-72) while hitting .346 and .344 respectively. According to Rich Lindberg’s “Total White Sox,” owner Charles Comiskey got rid of Collins when playing regularly became an impossibility. “…the owner had no further use for him,” Lindberg wrote. With no advanced notice or a phone call, Collins was placed on waivers and Ray Schalk was named as his replacement on Nov. 11, 1925. RON SANTO ACQUIRED 1973: In the biggest swap between the Chicago franchises, the White Sox acquired third baseman Ron Santo from the Cubs for pitchers Steve Stone, Jim Kremmel and Ken Frailing and catcher Steve Swisher. The Cubs, looking to go young, turned to the Sox to deal Santo after Santo became the first player to refuse a trade (to the California Angels) based on the 10-5 clause (10 years in the big leagues, five years with the same club). While the Cubs didn’t get much production out of their end of the deal, this swap has to be considered a bad one for the Sox. Santo, the heart and soul of the Cubs from 1960 to 1973, never seemed comfortable on the Southside and “was vocal in his criticisms of Dick Allen’s special privileges,” according to Rich Lindberg’s “White Sox Encyclopedia.” Santo lasted one forgettable year with the Sox, hitting .221 with five homers and 41 RBIs while playing DH, second base and third base. MELTON DEALT TO ANGELS 1975: The White Sox traded their all-time home run leader Bill Melton to the California Angels in a four-player exchange. Melton, a third baseman, went west with pitcher Steve Dunning for first baseman Jim Spencer and outfielder Morris Nettles. Melton hit a Sox record 154 home runs between 1968 and 1975. He set a Sox record with 33 home runs in 1970 and then tied it a year later when he became the first player in franchise history to lead the league in roundtrippers outright. His later years with the franchise were hampered by a back injury and squabbles with broadcaster Harry Caray. Melton’s injury in 1972 was particularly devastating. “If Melton didn’t come up with a herniated disc in mid-season, he played just 60 games that year, I think that club would have gone onto the World Series,” White Sox GM Roland Hemond recalled years later. Jim Spencer was a solid contributor at the plate and a sensational contributor in the field for the Sox in 1976 and 1977. The left-hander became the first Sox first baseman to win a Gold Glove in 1977. On two occasions in 1977, he tied the club record with eight RBIs in a game (May 14, 1977 and July 2, 1977). DeBARTOLO BOWS OUT 1980: Edward DeBartolo’s flirtation with purchasing the White Sox from Bill Veeck ended when he was turned down for a second time by American League owners. DeBartolo, a businessman from Youngstown, Ohio, had the support of the White Sox Board of Directors but the league was wary of his veiled threats to move the franchise to New Orleans, his racetrack holdings and the possibility of absentee ownership. DeBartolo tried to appease the league but it did not work. The rejection of DeBartolo paved the way for the purchase of the team by current owners Jerry Reinsdorf and Eddie Einhorn et al. WELCOME WIMPY: PACIOREK ACQUIRED 1981: In one of the more lopsided deals in team history, the White Sox acquired first baseman-outfielder Tom Paciorekt from the Seattle Mariners for infielder Todd Cruz, catcher Jim Essian and outfielder Rod Allen. Paciorek endeared himself to Sox fans with his affable personality and .312 and .307 average in his first two seasons at Comiskey Park. “Wimpy” was a key component of the 1983 American League West Division champions, leading the team in hitting. In the ALCS, Paciorek drove in the go-ahead run in the Sox only victory (Game 1) in the series against Baltimore. After dropping off in 1984 and 1985, Paciorek was dealt to the Mets for Dave Cochrane midway through 1985. Paciorek later returned to the team as a broadcaster where he thrived on television until 1999. The only thing Seattle got out of this swap was one solid season out of Cruz. UNRETIRE THAT NUBMER: BAINES SIGNED 1995: The White Sox brought back one of their all-time greats and fan favorites by signing free agent Harold Baines. Drafted No. 1 by the Sox in 1977, Baines played for the Sox from 1980 to July of 1989. Shortly after his trade to Texas, Baines’ No. 3 was retired by the Sox. It obviously became “unretired” when Baines returned to the Sox. Baines had a productive 1996 (.311, 22 HR, 95 RBIs) and was hitting .305 when he was dealt to Baltimore in the middle of the 1997 season. Baines returned to the Sox for the 2000 stretch run and played the final 32 games of his career for the 2001 Sox. UH-OH: NAVARRO, CASTILLO SIGNED 1996: The White Sox and general manager Ron Schueler signed a pair of free agent pitchers in starter Jaime Navarro and reliever Tony Castillo. The Navarro pickup, which involved lots of money and lots of years, turned out to be one of the worst in franchise history especially considering Roger Clemens was on the market as well and the Sox passed. Navarro had three disastrous years with the Sox, giving up lots of hits while going 25-43 with ERAs of 5.79, 6.36 and 6.09. The best thing the Sox could say about Navarro was that they were able to package him in a trade with Milwaukee following the 1999 season that brought Jose Valentin and Cal Eldred to Chicago for the 2000 A.L. Central Division championship season. After going 3-1 with a 1.59 ERA for the 1996 Sox, Castillo dropped to 4-4 with a 4.91 ERA in 1997.

THIS DATE IN WHITE SOX HISTORY: DECEMBER 10TH For the rest of the day, see www.whitesoxalmanac.com 1935: The White Sox sold All-Star outfielder Al Simmons to the Detroit Tigers for $75,000. “Bucketfoot Al,” a future Hall of Famer, served the Sox well, hitting .331 in 1933 and .344 in 1934 before tailing off to .267 in 1935. In retrospect, the Sox dumped Simmons at the right time. The Milwaukee native had just one season as a regular left in his career, which lasted until 1944. 1963: The White Sox bid farewell to one of their all-time greats when they dealt perennial All-Star second baseman Nellie Fox to Houston. In return, the Sox received pitcher Jim Golden, who never played for the team, and Danny Murphy, who wouldn’t make it to Chicago until 1969 as a pitcher. Fox, the 1959 A.L. MVP, was sent to Houston after a 14-year career with the Sox that ended with him ranking in the top in franchise history in games, doubles, extra-base hits, triples, at bats, runs, walks, hits, RBIs, singles and total bases. The scrappy performer still ranks as one of the most popular players in team history. Fox played two seasons with the Astros. His No. 2 was retired by the White Sox in 1976 about a year after his death. Fox was finally inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1997. 1975: The American League approved the sale of the White Sox to Bill Veeck putting the iconoclast in position to own the franchise for a second time. A.L. owners gave Veeck a week to raise an additional $1.2 million to cement the deal because they were wary of his method of financing. Veeck, who previously owned the Sox from 1959 to 1961, raised the funds and A.L. owners approved the deal by a 10-2 margin. Veeck’s purchase kept the Sox in Chicago and from moving to Seattle. A plan was being floated around this time to move the Sox to Seattle and transfer Charlie O. Finley’s A’s to Chicago. John Allyn “gamely held on while Bill Veeck assembled his syndicate and raised the financing to purchase the struggling franchise,” according to Rich Lindberg’s White Sox Encyclopedia. … Also on this date, the White Sox sent pitcher Jim Kaat and infielder Mike Buskey to Philadelphia for pitchers Roy Thomas and infielder Alan Bannister. 1976: The White Sox set the stage for one of the most exciting seasons in franchise history by acquiring slugging outfielder Richie Zisk from the Pittsburgh Pirates. The price was steep, though. Owner Bill Veeck and general manager Roland Hemond had to surrender pitchers Rich Gossage and lefty Terry Forster, both established stars, to get the “Polish Prince” and prospect pitcher Silvio Martinez. Zisk hit .290 with 30 homers and 101 RBIs in leading the White Sox, who would become known as the “Southside Hitmen,” to a surprising 90 wins. Similar to Forster and Gossage, Zisk opted for free agency following the season and changed teams (Gossage went to the Yankees, Forster headed for the Dodgers and Zisk signed with Texas). 1985: The White Sox plucked outfielder Bobby Bonilla from the Pittsburgh organization in the Major League Draft. Under the rules of the draft, Bonilla had to make the big league roster or be returned to the Pirates. The Sox put the 23-year-old switch-hitter on their Opening Day roster despite the fact he had missed most of 1985 with a broken leg at the Pirates’ Class-A Prince William affiliate. Despite his inexperience, Bonilla held his own, hitting .269 with two homers and 26 RBIs for the Sox before being dealt to the Pirates for pitcher Jose DeLeon on July 23, 1986. Bonilla then went to become one of the game’s most potent sluggers for the next 15 seasons leaving Sox fans to wonder what things would have been like if Bonilla had stayed with the team. THIS DATE IN WHITE SOX HISTORY: DECEMBER 9TH For the rest of the day, see www.whitesoxalmanac.com 2000: The White Sox traded outfielder Jeff Abbott to the Florida Marlins for outfielder Julio Ramirez. Abbott was a solid bench player for the 2000 A.L. Central champion White Sox, hitting .274 with three homers and 29 RBIs but he was deemed expendable because the Sox seemed set in the outfield with Carlos Lee, Chris Singleton and Magglio Ordonez. The Sox brought in Ramirez as a defensive specialist but he was an unmitigated disaster, hitting .081 in 22 games with an error before being demoted. 2004: The White Sox made what turned out to be one of the great acquisitions in their history when they signed free agent outfielder Jermaine Dye. The right fielder emerged as the Sox top clutch hitter late in the 2005 season and that was never more evident than in the clinching Game 4 of the World Series when he drove in the game’s only run.

THIS DATE IN WHITE SOX HISTORY: DECEMBER 10TH For the rest of the day, see www.whitesoxalmanac.com 1935: The White Sox sold All-Star outfielder Al Simmons to the Detroit Tigers for $75,000. “Bucketfoot Al,” a future Hall of Famer, served the Sox well, hitting .331 in 1933 and .344 in 1934 before tailing off to .267 in 1935. In retrospect, the Sox dumped Simmons at the right time. The Milwaukee native had just one season as a regular left in his career, which lasted until 1944. 1963: The White Sox bid farewell to one of their all-time greats when they dealt perennial All-Star second baseman Nellie Fox to Houston. In return, the Sox received pitcher Jim Golden, who never played for the team, and Danny Murphy, who wouldn’t make it to Chicago until 1969 as a pitcher. Fox, the 1959 A.L. MVP, was sent to Houston after a 14-year career with the Sox that ended with him ranking in the top in franchise history in games, doubles, extra-base hits, triples, at bats, runs, walks, hits, RBIs, singles and total bases. The scrappy performer still ranks as one of the most popular players in team history. Fox played two seasons with the Astros. His No. 2 was retired by the White Sox in 1976 about a year after his death. Fox was finally inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1997. 1975: The American League approved the sale of the White Sox to Bill Veeck putting the iconoclast in position to own the franchise for a second time. A.L. owners gave Veeck a week to raise an additional $1.2 million to cement the deal because they were wary of his method of financing. Veeck, who previously owned the Sox from 1959 to 1961, raised the funds and A.L. owners approved the deal by a 10-2 margin. Veeck’s purchase kept the Sox in Chicago and from moving to Seattle. A plan was being floated around this time to move the Sox to Seattle and transfer Charlie O. Finley’s A’s to Chicago. John Allyn “gamely held on while Bill Veeck assembled his syndicate and raised the financing to purchase the struggling franchise,” according to Rich Lindberg’s White Sox Encyclopedia. … Also on this date, the White Sox sent pitcher Jim Kaat and infielder Mike Buskey to Philadelphia for pitchers Roy Thomas and infielder Alan Bannister. 1976: The White Sox set the stage for one of the most exciting seasons in franchise history by acquiring slugging outfielder Richie Zisk from the Pittsburgh Pirates. The price was steep, though. Owner Bill Veeck and general manager Roland Hemond had to surrender pitchers Rich Gossage and lefty Terry Forster, both established stars, to get the “Polish Prince” and prospect pitcher Silvio Martinez. Zisk hit .290 with 30 homers and 101 RBIs in leading the White Sox, who would become known as the “Southside Hitmen,” to a surprising 90 wins. Similar to Forster and Gossage, Zisk opted for free agency following the season and changed teams (Gossage went to the Yankees, Forster headed for the Dodgers and Zisk signed with Texas). 1985: The White Sox plucked outfielder Bobby Bonilla from the Pittsburgh organization in the Major League Draft. Under the rules of the draft, Bonilla had to make the big league roster or be returned to the Pirates. The Sox put the 23-year-old switch-hitter on their Opening Day roster despite the fact he had missed most of 1985 with a broken leg at the Pirates’ Class-A Prince William affiliate. Despite his inexperience, Bonilla held his own, hitting .269 with two homers and 26 RBIs for the Sox before being dealt to the Pirates for pitcher Jose DeLeon on July 23, 1986. Bonilla then went to become one of the game’s most potent sluggers for the next 15 seasons leaving Sox fans to wonder what things would have been like if Bonilla had stayed with the team. THIS DATE IN WHITE SOX HISTORY: DECEMBER 9TH For the rest of the day, see www.whitesoxalmanac.com 2000: The White Sox traded outfielder Jeff Abbott to the Florida Marlins for outfielder Julio Ramirez. Abbott was a solid bench player for the 2000 A.L. Central champion White Sox, hitting .274 with three homers and 29 RBIs but he was deemed expendable because the Sox seemed set in the outfield with Carlos Lee, Chris Singleton and Magglio Ordonez. The Sox brought in Ramirez as a defensive specialist but he was an unmitigated disaster, hitting .081 in 22 games with an error before being demoted. 2004: The White Sox made what turned out to be one of the great acquisitions in their history when they signed free agent outfielder Jermaine Dye. The right fielder emerged as the Sox top clutch hitter late in the 2005 season and that was never more evident than in the clinching Game 4 of the World Series when he drove in the game’s only run.

I was at that game, too. Here is my blog entry from that tilt: AUGUST 24, 1985: The White Sox ended Dave Stieb’s no-hit bid with authority in a 6-3 loss to the Toronto Blue Jays before 26,113 at Comiskey Park. Stieb carried a no-hitter into the ninth but Rudy Law and Bryan Little hit back-to-back homers to start the ninth thus sending Stieb to the showers. Harold Baines greeted reliever Gary Lavelle with a homer marking just the second time in franchise history the Sox hit three straight homers. The Sox did get the tying run to the plate thanks to singles by Carlton Fisk and Ron Kittle but Ozzie Guillen popped out to George Bell to end the game. Bell landed a home run (off Tom Seaver) on the Comiskey Park roof earlier in the game.

1984: The White Sox pulled off separate trades with the Montreal Expos on this date. In one transaction, the Sox sent pitcher Bert Roberge to Canada for second baseman (and bunter extraordinaire) Bryan Little. In the other deal, the Sox sent jack-of-all-trades Vance Law to Montreal for reliever Bob James. The Roberge-Little swap didn’t amount to much but the Sox did get some solid production out of the fireballing James until he ate his way out of the league. In 1985, James set a Sox record with 32 saves. 1987: The White Sox and new general manager Larry Himes made a shrewd pickup in signing outfielder Dave Gallagher as a free agent. The scrappy Gallagher hit .303 with five home runs in 101 games for the 1988 White Sox in earning Chicago Rookie of the Year honors. 1992: The White Sox lost pitcher John Hudek to the Detroit Tigers in the Rule V Major League Draft. The right-hander was the Sox 10th round pick in the 1988 draft and made a relief appearance for the Sox in the 1990 exhibition game against the Cubs. Hudek was 8-1 with a 3.16 ERA at Triple-A Vancouver in 1992 and must have caught the eye of somebody. Hudek eventually made it to the bigs with Houston in 1994. His career peaked in 1994 when he was named to the National League All-Star team as part of his 16-save season. 2000: Despite coming off a season cut short by an injury, the White Sox re-signed free pitcher Cal Eldred. Before being plagued by arm problems, Eldred was arguably the best pitcher on the 2000 A.L. Central Division staff. In 20 starts, “Cornfed” was 10-2 with a 4.58 ERA. One has to wonder how far that team would have gone if Eldred had been healthy the entire season instead of having his season derailed (save for one late season stint) on July 14. Sadly, the Sox didn’t get much out of the affable Eldred after bringing him back. Eldred’s 2001 consisted of just two starts before injury got him again. … Also on this date, the Sox sent sidewinding reliever Chad Bradford to Oakland for a player to be a named later. Six days later, the deal was completed when the Sox received catcher Miguel Olivo from the A’s.

As a Packer backer myself, I am right there with you. In fact, I remember when the play that doomed Mike Sherman happening thinking that Mitchell had a contact to the Sox. O well, things are better now in Titletown, aren't they?

THEY WERE WITH THE SOX? In the Rule V draft in 1985, the White Sox plucked a little-known outfielder from the Pirate minor league system named Bobby Bonilla. Also, Red Ruffing was signed by the Sox on Dec. 5, 1946 … 31 years later to the day the Sox acquired Bobby Bonds, Barry’s dad. … Bill Robinson? Denny McLain? These guys all once had ties or an affiliation with the Sox. With the Rule V Draft completed today, I thought I would bring back one of my favorite lists: They had ties to the Sox? Here are some other “notables” who spent time with the Sox or had an affiliation with the Sox. Feel free to add on, update, correct, etc. Chief Bender: After eight years out of the game, the future Hall of Fame pitcher appeared in one game for the Sox on July 21, 1925. He gave up two runs, including a homer, in the first game of a doubleheader at Comiskey Park. Ron Blomberg: The first DH in the history of Major League Baseball with the Yankees in 1973 ended his injury-shortened career for the 1978 Sox. Bobby Bonds: Barry’s dad was acquired by the Sox after the 1977 season. … Quickly dealt to Texas just 26 forgetful games into his Sox career. Bobby Bonilla: Switch-hitter made his big league debut for the 1986 Sox after being a Rule 5 pick from the Pittsburgh organization. … Returned to the Pirates for pitcher Jose DeLeon later in the season where he became an offensive force. … How would his bat have looked in front or behind Harold Baines in the late 1980s? Ray Boone: The patriarch of the baseball-playing Boone family toiled for the Sox in 1958 and 1959. Joe Borowski: Sweaty saves leader for the infamous 2003 Cubs, Borowski was the Sox 32nd round pick in the June 1989 draft. He pitched in 1990 at the Sox Rookie League affiliate at Sarasota, going 2-8 with a 5.58 ERA in 12 games (11 starts). He was traded to Baltimore on March 31, 1991 for Pete Rose Jr. Frank Chance: First baseman in Cubs’ fabled double play combination was ready to manage to the Sox in 1924 but couldn’t start the season. … Sox then turned to Johnny Evers, the second baseman in the DP combo to manage. Jocko Conlan: Outfielder for the Sox in 1934-1935. … Became a Hall of Fame umpire after his playing days. Dave Debusschere: NBA star of the 1960s and 1970s pitched for the Sox in 1962 and 1963, going 3-4 with a 2.90 ERA in 36 games (10 starts) … Ron Reed and Steve Hamilton were also among Sox players who played in the NBA. Lee Elia: He of the famous tirade broke in as a shortstop for the Sox in 1966. … Played in 80 games for the 1966 Sox, hitting .205 with three homers and 22 RBIs. … Sold to the Cubs on May 23, 1967. Johnny Evers: Famed member of the Cubs’ double play combo played in one game for the 1922 Sox. … He managed the Sox for part of 1924, going 41-61, before leaving the team because of illness. Gary Gaetti: Twins’ third baseman of the 1980s was the Sox third round pick of the secondary phase of the June 1978 draft but did not sign. Eric Gagne: Dodgers’ record-setting closer was the Sox 30th round pick in the 1994 draft out of Mascouche Quebec Canada but he did not sign. … Eventually signed with the Dodgers as a non-drafted free agent July 26, 1995. Tom Gorzelanny: Evergreen Park, Ill., native was the Sox 38th round pick in the June 2000 draft out of Marist High School but he did not sign. … Left-handed pitcher signed with Pirates after being their second round pick in 2003. … Showed promise by going 2-5 with a 3.79 ERA in 11 starts for the ’06 Bucs and arrived by going 14-10 with a 3.88 ERA in 2007. Billy Joe Hobert: Future NFL quarterback was the White Sox 16th round pick in the June 1993 draft out of the University of Washington. … Never played college baseball. … The left-handed hitting outfielder was given a non-roster invitation to spring training in 1994 after hitting .256 with four RBIs in 15 games at the Sox Rookie League affiliate at Sarasota in 1993. … Hobert went to quarterback 29 games in the NFL for Oakland, Buffalo and New Orleans between 1995 and 1998. Most famous for admitting he didn’t thoroughly prepare for a 1997 Bills’ game against New England in which two of his first three passes were intercepted. He was quickly cut. Bob Kennedy: Cub general manager of the 1970s and 1980s played third base for the Sox in the 1930s, 1940s and 1950s. Don Larsen: Fired perfect game for the Yankees in the 1956 World Series … Pitched for the 1961 Sox going 7-2 with a 4.12 ERA. Also hit .320 with a homer and four RBIs. … Traded after the season to the Giants in the Billy Pierce. Archie Manning: Quarterback for Saints, Oilers and Vikings in the 1970s and 1980s … Drafted twice by the Sox in the early 1970s as a shortstop out of the University of Mississippi but never signed. Denny McLain: Future 30-game for Detroit was winner was signed by the White Sox as an amateur free agent in 1962 out of Chicago’s Mount Carmel High School. … He pitched in 18 games at Harlan of the Appalachian League and Clinton of the Midwest League – both Sox affiliates – in 1962, going 5-8 with a 2.97 ERA. … The following April he was placed on first-year waivers because rules of the day stated organization’s could only keep one first-year bonus players. The Sox opted to keep Bruce Howard. … McLain was claimed by Detroit April 8, 1963. Freddie Mitchell: The White Sox 50th round pick (and last) in the 2000 draft as an outfielder out of UCLA. … Did not sign. … Philadelphia Eagles’ first round pick out of UCLA in 2001 … Colorful and controversial receiver caught 90 passes for 1,263 yards (14.0 average) and five touchdowns for the Eagles from 2001 to 2005. … He is best known to Green Bay Packer fans as the receiver who made a 28-yard reception for the Eagles’ on 4th-and-26 in a 2003 playoff game. The first down was key in the Eagles’ comeback victory – one of the more crushing defeats in Packer history. Placido Polanco: MVP of the 2006 American League Championship Series for the Tigers was the Sox 49th round (and final) pick in the 1993 draft but he did not sign. … Drafted as a second baseman out of Miami Dade Community College. … Eventually drafted and signed by the Cardinals in 1994. Pete Rose Jr.: The son of baseball’s “Hit King” spent parts of four seasons in the White Sox minor league system in the 1990s. “Petey” was acquired from Baltimore for fellow minor leaguer Joe Borowski on March 31, 1991. Rose’s best season in the Sox chain was 1995 at Class-A South Bend when he hit .277 with four homers and 65 RBIs. His career with the Sox peaked at Double-A Birmingham in 1996 where he hit .243 with three homers and 44 RBIs. Mickey Rivers: Fleet-footed outfielder was the White Sox first round pick in the January 1968 free agent draft but he did not sign … Eventually drafted and signed by Washington and traded to California where he made his Major League debut. … Turned out to be the catalyst for the three-time pennant-winning and two-time World Champion Yankee teams of the mid-1970s. … How good would this guy have looked patrolling Comiskey Park in the 1970s? Bill Robinson: Pittsburgh Pirate offensive stalwart of the 1970s … Acquired by the Sox in a trade with the Yankees in 1970 … Never played with Sox. Edd Roush: The “greatest Red who ever lived” and future Hall of Famer made his big league debut with the White Sox on Aug. 20, 1913. … Roush, an outfielder, jumped to the Federal League and played for the Reds from 1917 to 1926, the Giants from 1927 to 1929 and the Reds in 1931. Red Ruffing: Hall of Fame pitcher concluded his 23-year career with the 1947 White Sox … Four-time 20-game winner with the Yankees … 3-5 with a 6.11 ERA in nine appearances for the 1947 Sox. Cary Schueler: White Sox general manager Ron Schueler made his daughter the team’s 43rd round pick in 1993 draft out of Campolindo High School in Moraga, Calif., where played junior varsity baseball as a sophomore. She didn’t sign, opting to play basketball at DePaul. … Among the players she was drafted ahead of were Jason Maxwell and Frank Menechino, both of whom later played in the Major Leagues. Everett Scott: The first “iron man.” … Shortstop played in a record 1,307 consecutive games from June 20, 1916 to May 6, 1925, a mark later broken by Lou Gehrig and then Cal Ripken Jr. … Played in 40 games for the 1926 White Sox. Jeff Weaver: White Sox second round pick in the June 1997 draft … Right-hander out of Fresno State did not sign. … He went back to school and was picked in the first round (14th overall) by the Tigers in the next draft. Earl Webb: Set single season record with an amazing 67 doubles for the 1931 Red Sox. … Had a cup of coffee with the 1933 White Sox. Bob Wickman: White Sox second round pick in the 1990 draft out of the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater. … Right-handed pitcher advanced as far as Double-A Birmingham before he was dealt to the New York Yankees with fellow pitcher Melido Perez and Domingo Jean for second baseman Steve Sax on Jan. 10, 1992. Others: Cleon Jones, Steve Stone, Tim Stoddard, “Blue Moon” Odom, Dave Righetti, Dave Stieb, Tony Pena, Phil Cavaretta, Rocky Colavito, Jeff Shaw, Ken Boyer, Ron Santo, George Foster, Steve Carlton, Jose Canseco, Jim Brosnan, Jim Abbott, Sparky Lyle, Tom Seaver, Turner Gil, Hart Lee Dykes, Larry Doby Jr., Mark Reese (Pee Wee’s son), Tim McLain (Denny’s brother), Norm Cash, Johnny Callison, Don Mincher.

THIS DATE IN WHITE SOX HISTORY: DECEMBER 6TH For more, see www.whitesoxalmanac.com 1959: The White Sox welcomed Minnine Minoso back to the Southside but at what proved to be a steep cost. The Sox got pitchers Don Ferrarese and Jake Striker and catcher Dick Brown along with Minoso for promising youngsters John Romano, a catcher, and Norm Cash, an outfielder-first baseman, and third baseman-outfielder Bubba Phillips. The Sox didn’t get much out of their end of this trade and far from the repeat of the A.L. pennant they were seeking to cement. All three of the players they traded had their best years were in front of them. This was especially true for Cash, who was extremely productive into the 1970s for the Detroit Tigers. 1984: The White Sox acquired a little-known shortstop named Ozzie Guillen, infielder Luis Salazar and pitchers Tim Lollar and Bill Long from San Diego for LaMarr Hoyt, Todd Simmons and Kevin Kristan. The traded provided the franchise with a much-needed energy boost in the form of the scrawny Guillen, who would go on to win the American League Rookie of the Year Award to kick off a career that would lead to greatness. General manager Roland Hemond made the trade and while he didn’t know he was acquiring a World Series manager at the time, he said Guillen displayed leadership ability early in his professional career. “(White Sox) scouts Jerry Krause and Duane Shaffer told me how much (Guillen) loved to play,” Hemond said in an April 2006 interview. “When he showed up the next spring, I was stunned to see how small he was. (Manager) Tony LaRussa had a great chat with him in spring training (in 1985) and he went about his work real well. He took charge of the infield. He’d come in and talk to the pitcher. He was always very much into the game. He showed traits of leadership and managerial possibilities. When he was playing in the farm system of the Padres, he was the same way. He showed the attributes of being a manager. You can’t predict what happened (with the World Series) but it’s not surprising that he was Manager of the Year and had all that success.” 2006: The White Sox dealt pitcher Freddy Garcia to the Philadelphia Phillies for pitcher Gavin Floyd and a player to be named later. The next day, the White Sox received pitcher Gio Gonzalez, whom they had dealt to Philadelphia as part of the Nov. 25, 2005 Jim Thome-Aaron Rowand deal. This deal signaled the continuing breakup of the 2005 World Series title team and began general manager Ken Williams’ plan of stockpiling young pitching.

(This document is also attached if that is easier to read) Just as Santo=Dorf believed, Scott Linebrink made club history when he signed with the White Sox Nov. 29. Soon after it was announced the big right-hander was going to sign a four-year deal with the Sox, Santo=Dorf, a veteran and respected poster on Soxtalk.com, wanted to know if the team had ever given a reliever that long of a contract. “Can you look up the last time the Sox gave a big multi year deal to a reliever?” he messaged me. “I can't even recall them giving someone two years with a third year option.” By digging through White Sox media guides (which list contract status in a players’ bio), I was able to confirm what Santo=Dorf suspected: The Sox had never given a reliever the deal they gave Linebrink in years and most likely in money ($19 million total). This obviously speaks to the increased value the game is putting on middle relievers and maybe the desperation the Sox were feeling when it came to their 2008 bullpen. I began my research with Bobby Thigpen in the early 1990s. “Thiggy,” you recall, saved a still-standing 57 games during the Sox renaissance season of 1990 and was rewarded with a big contract. Following that historic campaign, the Sox signed Thigpen to a three-year contract with options for 1994 and 1995. It would take another 15 years before the Sox gave a reliever that many years. It should be pointed out here that Thigpen was really the first marquee reliever the Sox dealt with in the “free agent era,” which began in the mid-1970s. The Sox unloaded Rich Gossage and Terry Forster before they become free agents. Lerrin LaGrow, who saved 25 games for the 1977 White Sox, never made it to free agency. Ed Farmer, who saved a club record 30 games in 1980, did make it to free agency but the Sox opted not to re-sign him. Dennis Lamp became a free agent after the 1983 season but the Sox passed. Bob James broke Farmer’s record with 32 saves in 1985 but best I can tell he was working on a series of one-year pacts until his time with the Sox was finished in 1987. Thigpen, in essence, inherited the closer’s role from James, which brings us back to the early 1990s. Here are the relievers the Sox signed to mutli-year deals: Kirk McCaskill: After he was moved to the pen (where he was effective), the Sox signed the Canadian righty to a two-year deal covering the 1995 and 1996 seasons. McCaskill became a reliever during his three-year contract which went from 1992 to 1994. Tony Castillo: The left-hander was signed to a two-year deal prior to the 1997 season. Bill Simas: The former Angel signed a two-year contract for the 2000 and 2001 seasons. Keith Foulke: One of the best relievers in club history, Foulke worked on a two-year pact for 2002 and 2003. Bobby Howry: The Sox signed Howry for two years (2002 and 2003) with a club option for 2004. Antonio Osuna: El Canon was signed to a two-year contract for 2002 and 2003 with a club option for 2004. Billy Koch: One of the biggest busts in franchise history worked o a two-year contract with the Sox for 2003 and 2004. Damaso Marte: The enigmatic and – at one point – highly-effective lefty agreed to terms on a three-year contract with club options for 2007 and 2008 on March 5, 2004. Dustin Hermanson: A key member of the 2005 title team signed a two-year deal Dec. 8, 2004 with a Sox option for 2007. Mike MacDougal: Signed a three-year deal with a club option for 2010 in December of 2006. Matt Thornton: Signed a three-year contract with club options for 2010 and 2011 on April 1, 2007. Notable one-year deals: Roberto Hernandez, Scot Radinsky, Cliff Politte, Shingo Takatsu, Tom Gordon, Rick White. relievers.doc

THIS DATE IN WHITE SOX HISTORY: DEC. 5TH For the rest of the day, see www.whitesoxalmanac.com 1951: Joe Jackson died. The “Shoeless” one played for the White Sox from 1915 to 1920. He has turned into a mythical and tragic figure over the years but one thing remains true: The numbers. Jackson left the game with a .356 average. The 21 triples he collected in 1916 are still a Sox record and his .382 average in 1920 was surpassed only by Luke Appling’s .388 mark in 1936. 1977: The White Sox pulled off a blockbuster when they sent catcher-outfielder Brian Downing and pitcher Chris Knapp and Dave Frost to California for outfielders Bobby Bonds and Thad Bosely and Richard Dotson. The Sox were looking to make a splash on the field and at the gate with Bonds, who was one of the most exciting but erratic performers of the 1970. Barry’s dad quickly he fizzled and was dealt to Texas just 26 forgetful games into his Sox career. The cornerstones of this deal proved to be Downing and Dotson. Dotson went on to become a 20-game winner for the Sox while Downing turned into one of the most potent offensive players in Angels’ history. 1986: The Illinois General Assembly passed funding legislation to build a new home for the White Sox across the street from Comiskey Park, the franchise’s home since 1910. This was an earlystep toward the construction of what would become New Comiskey Park and, ultimately, U.S. Cellular Field.

(2 days worth!!!) THIS DATE IN WHITE SOX HISTORY: DECEMBER 3RD For the complete rundown of both days, see www.whitesoxalmanac.com 1974: The White Sox finally cut ties with the enigmatic Dick Allen when they dealt him to the Atlanta Braves for a reported $5,000 and a player to be named later. The following May 15th, the Sox acquired catcher Jim Essian to complete the deal. 1990: The White Sox lost left-handed pitcher Buddy Groom in the minor league draft to the Detroit Tigers. A little-known performer at Double-A at the time, Groom would become an effective “one-batter” reliever for Detroit, Florida, Oakland, Baltimore, the Yankees and Diamondbacks between 1992 and 2005. Groom was the Sox 12th round pick in the June 1987 draft. Wedsel Gary “Buddy” Groom logged a 4.64 ERA in 786 big league appearances but only pitched 734.2 innings. 2002: In what turned out to be a dud of a deal, the White Sox acquired stopper Billy Koch and two minor leaguers for pitcher Keith Foulke, catcher Mark Johnson and minor league pitcher Joe Valentine. Thirteen days later, the Sox received minor leaguers Neal Cotts and Daylon Holt to complete the deal. While Koch turned out to be a bust, Cotts was a big part of the bullpen that helped the White Sox win the 2005 World Series. THIS DATE IN WHITE SOX HISTORY: DECEMBER 4TH 1957: The White Sox acquired pitcher Early Wynn and outfielder Al Smith from Cleveland for popular outfielder Minnie Minoso and infielder Fred Hatfield. Wynn, a future Hall of Famer, went on to become the ace of the staff that helped the White Sox win the 1959 pennant. The deal cost the beloved Minoso a shot at the postseason but owner Bill Veeck awarded the “Cuban Comet” an honorary ring when he was re-acquired following the 1959 season. 1990: In his first swap as White Sox general manager, Ron Schueler sent pitchers Eric King and Shawn Hillegas to Cleveland for outfielder Cory Snyder. Schuler was hoping Snyder would give the Sox from sorely needed pop but Snyder proved to be a huge disappointment. After hitting just three homers (one that was helped over the fence by Luis Polonia) in 50 games, Snyder was shipped to Toronto for a pair of minor leaguers the following July. 1997: The White Sox hired Jerry Manuel as manager. Manuel joined the Sox after serving as the bench coach for the World Champion 1997 Florida Marlins. Prior to that, Manuel served as the third base coach for the Montreal Expos from 1991 to 1996. The laid-back Manuel, who replaced the bombastic Terry Bevington, went 500-471 in six seasons on the Sox bench. The highlight of his tenure came in 2000 when he guided the Sox to the American League Central Division title. Following the season, he was voted A.L. Manager of the Year. Manuel ranks fourth in club history in victories.

1971: A great day all-around as White Sox general manager picked up a franchise-saving superstar and a 20-game winner while not yielding a whole lot. … In one of the watershed days in franchise history, the White Sox acquired infielder Dick Allen from the Los Angeles Dodgers for left-handed pitcher Tommy John and utilityman Steve Huntz. Hemond’s deal provided the White Sox with a superstar drawing card, an all-around attention getter and carried the franchise, which was teetering on the brink of collapse, through the middle part of the decade. Allen went on to win the 1972 American League MVP Award in becoming (with the help of the club’s TV voice Harry Caray) one of the most popular figures in Chicago. The sheer force of Allen’s talent kept the Sox in the hunt for the Western Division title for most of that season before the eventual World Series champion Oakland A’s pulled away. Allen hit .308 and led the league with 37 home runs, 113 RBIs, 99 walks, a .420 on-base percentage and a .603 slugging percentage. … Also on this date, Hemond pulled off another steal when he acquired future 20-game winner (and loser) Stan Bahnsen from the Yankees for light-hitting utilityman Rich McKinney. 2004: The White Sox acquired shortstop-second baseman Juan Uribe from the Colorado Rockies for infielder Aaron Miles. Uribe spent part of 2004 as a second baseman before spending all of 2005 as a shortstop. He was a key player in the Sox run to the 2005 World Series title. The season culminated with Uribe throwing out Orlando Palmeiro in Houston for the final out of clinching Game 4 -- a 1-0 win -- of the World Series. That came moments after Uribe dove into the stands to glove a popup.