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THIS DATE IN WHITE SOX HISTORY: DEC 1 For more, see WWW.WHITESOXALMANAC.COM 1964: In the first majordeal between Chicago’s teams in 15 years, the White Sox sent pitcher Frank Baumann to the Cubs for backup catcher Jimme Schaffer. This trade didn’t amount to much as Baumann just pitched in four games for the 1965 Cubs and Shaffer played in just 17 for the 1965 Sox before being dealt to the Mets. In a recent article recapping all-Chicago swaps, the Tribune called this one a “push.” The teams wouldn’t deal with each other for another six years. 1970: The White Sox said goodbye to legendary Luis Aparicio for the second and last time. The Sox sent “Little Looie” to Boston for second baseman Mike Andrews and utility infielder Luis Alvarado. The traded killed rumors that Aparicio would become the Sox manager, according to Rich Lindberg’s “White Sox Encyclopedia.” Aparicio, who won a Gold Glove and hit a career-high .313 for the 1970 Sox, had three solid seasons with the Red Sox before retiring after the 1973 campaign. Andrews played a key role in the Sox resurgent 1971 campaign but struggled in 1972 was eventually shipped to Oakland – where he encounter infamy as part of a World Series controversy – during the 1973 season.

THIS DATE IN WHITE SOX HISTORY: NOV. 30 For more, see www.whitesoxalmanac.com 1961: One of the great careers in franchise history came to an end when the White Sox dealt stylish lefty Billy Pierce to the San Francisco Giants in a six-player swap. The Sox sent pitcher Don Larsen, he of the World Series perfect game, to the West Coast and received pitchers Eddie Fisher, Dom Zanni, first baseman-outfielder Bob Farley and a player to be named later (the Sox received pitcher Verle Tiefenthaler on Aug. 17, 1962 to complete the deal). Pierce, who started with the Sox in 1949, left the Southside tops in franchise history with 1,796 strikeouts (a record that still stands) and first among lefties (fourth overall) with 186 wins. He was a two-time 20-game winner and a four-time All-Star. Pierce won 16 games for the 1962 N.L. champion Giants and then struggled with a 3-11 mark in 1963. After going 3-0 out of the Giant bullpen in 1964, Pierce was released. Pierce has always been one of the nicest and most popular players in White Sox history. He is still a fixture on the Southside and remains – deservedly so – one of the most revered figures in Sox history. The best part of the deal for the Sox was Fisher, who was a workhorse out of the bullpen between 1962 and 1965. 2000: The White named Roland Hemond executive advisor to the general manager. Ken Williams hired the affable Hemond shortly after being hired GM. Williams couldn’t have made a better choice. In addition to be extremely popular with fans and in the game, Hemond was a three-time winner of Major League Baseball’s Executive of the Year Award. 2005: The White Sox re-signed first baseman Paul Konerko, who was the quiet force behind the team’s run to the 2005 World Series title. The Sox gave the reigning MVP of the American League Championship Series a five-year deal. Konerko had filed for free agency but ultimately decided to return to the team that he led to the World Series title the previous October.

THIS DATE IN WHITE SOX HISTORY: NOVEMBER 29/LOOIE'S BACK! www.whitesoxalmanac.com Happy Birthday Minnie! Hope The Cuban Comet enjoys his 75th??? b-day! 1967: The White Sox brought back legendary shortstop Luis Aparicio by acquiring him in a six-player swap with the Baltimore Orioles. Along with Aparicio, the Sox acquired outfielder Russ Snyder and first baseman-outfielder John Matias, who was nicknamed “Pineapple” because he hailed from Hawaii.The deal cost the Sox infielder-outfielder Don Buford, a Sox cornerstone since 1964 and pitchers Bruce Howard and Roger Nelson. Aparicio showed he had a lot left in the tank even in his advancing years. He hit .264, .280 and capped his second go-round with the Sox by hitting a career-best .313 in his final year with the franchise in 1970. “Little Looie” also showed he had a lot left at shortstop by winning Gold Gloves in 1968 and 1970.

The greatest book on the White Sox written by the man with the greatest store of knowledge on the Sox. My favorite book of all time

THIS DATE IN WHITE SOX HISTORY: NOVEMBER 28 For more information, see www.whitesoxalmanac.com 1957: The White Sox Dick Donovan prevented Milwaukee’s Warren Spahn from winning the Cy Young Award unanimiously in results for the honor released by the the Baseball Writers Association of America on this date. Spahn, a 21-game winner, received 15 of the 16 first-place votes while Donovan got the other in the second annual award and the only one presented (there wouldn’t be two awards until 1967). Donovan went 16-6 with a 2.27 ERA for the 1957 Sox. (I moved this entry to this date from yesterday. Further research revealed the event took place on this date)1961: The White Sox said goodbye to the popular Minnie Minoso for the second time in four years by trading him to the St. Louis Cardinals for first baseman Joe Cunningham. This wasn’t the last the White Sox would hear from Minoso. After brief stints with the Cards in 1962 and Senators in 1963, Minnie returned to the Sox for 30 games in 1964 and then set decade records with appearances for the 1976 and 1980 Sox. The 1961 deal was a goodie for the Sox and general manager Ed Short. While Minnie was having a hard time staying in the lineup in St. Louis, Cunningham hit .295 with eight homers, 70 RBIs and 101 walks while leading A.L. first basemen with a .994 fielding percentage for the 1962 Sox. 1977: The White Sox signed Greg Pryor as a free agent. Pryor played for the White Sox from 1978 to 1981 serving mostly as a utiltyman splitting time between second, short and third. The Marietta, Ohio native was the Sox regular shortstop in 1979, hitting a career-best .275.

THIS DATE IN WHITE SOX HISTORY: NOVEMBER 27TH For more, see www.whitesoxalmanac.com 1938: A career on the come was derailed when White Sox pitcher Monty Stratton injured his leg in a hunting accident in Texas. According to Rich Lindberg’s definitive book on White Sox history, “Who’s On Third?” Stratton’s .32 callibre automatic pistol discharged as he put it back into his holster after shooting a rabbit. The bullet pierced a femoral artery, which cut off the leg’s circulation. The 26-year-old Stratton crawled a half-mile where he called his wife, Ethel. The leg could not be saved and – despite what Lindeberg called some “heroic attempts to come back” – Stratton’s career was over. The accident and subsequent comeback, which included a May 1, 1939 benefit game at Comiskey Park which attracted 25,594, was made into a movie. “The Stratton Story” starred Jimmy Stewart, June Allyson and former Sox manager Jimmy Dykes and was released in 1949. Stratton, who died in 1982, won 15 games in both 1937 and 1938. He went 36-23 with a 3.71 ERA in 70 games (62 starts) for the White Sox between 1934 and 1938. 1951: The White Sox and St. Louis Browns swung an eight-player deal that brought catcher Sherm Lollar to the Southside. Sox general manager sent pitcher Dick Littlefield, infielder Joe DeMaestri, catcher Gus Niahros, first baseman-outfielder Gordon Goldsberry and outfielder Jim Rivera to St. Louis for Lollar, pitcher Al Widmar and infielder Tom Upton. Lollar gave the White Sox unprecedented stability and production behind the plate into the early 1960s. This trade was an absolute steal for White Sox GM Frank Lane. None of the players he gave up made an impact with St. Louis. Lane got Rivera back in a July 28, 1952 swap with the Browns which only cost the Sox Jay Porter and Ray Coleman. 1961: The White Sox said goodbye to the popular Minnie Minoso for the second time in four years by trading him to the St. Louis Cardinals for first baseman Joe Cunningham. This wasn’t the last the White Sox would hear from Minoso. After brief stints with the Cards in 1962 and Senators in 1963, Minnie returned to the Sox for 30 games in 1964 and then set decade records with appearances for the 1976 and 1980 Sox. The 1961 deal was a goodie for the Sox and general manager Ed Short. While Minnie was having a hard time staying in the lineup in St. Louis, Cunningham hit .295 with eight homers, 70 RBIs and 101 walks while leading A.L. first basemen with a .994 fielding percentage for the 1962 Sox. 1981: The White Sox sent center fielder Chet Lemon to the Detroit Tigers for slugging outfielder Steve Kemp. Lemon was a solid contributor for the Sox, making the All-Star team in 1978 and 1979. but had his spats with management. He went on to have a stellar career with the Tigers and was a key contributor to their 1984 World Series title team. Kemp had a solid 1982 campaign with the Sox, hitting .286 with 19 homers and 98 RBIs but he became a free agent after the season and signed with the Yankees. Kemp’s 1982 campaign on the Southside proved to be the zenith of his career. The left-handed hitter never came close to matching the numbers he put up with the 1982 Sox. 2001: The White Sox traded third baseman Herbert Perry to the Texas Rangers for a player to be named later. The White Sox received pitcher Corey Lee, who never pitched for them, 20 days later. Perry was the starting third baseman on the Sox 2000 A.L. Central Division championship team. His penchant for the big hit and his affable personality made him a fan favorite.

THIS DATE IN WHITE SOX HISTORY: NOVEMBER 26TH For the rest of the day, see www.whitesoxalmanac.com 1976: Bill Veeck made one of the most prudent acquisitions in club history when he signed free agent Eric Soderholm. Soderholm had missed all of 1976 with an injury but Veeck, who prided himself on reclamation projects, took a chance on the 28-year old third baseman. Soderholm rewarded Veeck with two-plus solid seasons before he was shipped to Texas midway through the 1979 campaign in the Ed Farmer deal. Soderholm’s best year was 1977 when he hit a career-best 25 homers while leading A.L. third sackers with a .978 fielding percentage. 1980: The White Sox made their biggest splash in the modern era of big money free agency by signing outfielder Ron LeFlore. Backed by prospective owner Eddie DeBartolo’s money, the Sox gave the speedster LeFlore $2 million, according to Rich Lindberg’s definitive history on the White Sox “Who’s On Third?” Sadly, LeFlore, who chronicled his rise from prison to the big leagues in a biography called “Breakout,” could never equal the numbers he put up in Detroit or Montreal while he was with the Sox. LeFlore played in just 173 games for the Sox in 1981 and 1982 while stealing just 64 bases. His big league career ended when the Sox released him shortly before the 1983 season began. 1991: The White Sox hired Gene Lamont as manager. Lamont came to the Sox after serving as Pittsburgh’s third base coach under Jim Leyland from 1986 to 1991. Lamont, who took over for New York Met-bound Jeff Torborg, used a laid-back style to go 258-210 between 1992 and 1995. His stint with the Sox peaked with the 1993 American League West Division championship. Lamont was canned midway through the disjoined 1995 campaign after the Sox got off to an 11-20 start.

THIS DATE IN WHITE SOX HISTORY: NOV. 25 For more, see www.whitesoxalmanac.com 1985: White Sox shortstop Ozzie Guillen was easily voted the American League’s Rookie of the Year in results released by the Baseball Writers Association of America on this date. Guillen received 16 first-place votes and amassed 101 points, 34 more than runnerup Ted Higuera of Milwaukee. Guillen, 21, hit .273 and committed just 12 errors in 150 games joining fellow shortstop and Venezuelan Luis Aparicio (1956), pitcher Gary Peters (1963), outfielder Tommie Agee (1966) and outfielder Ron Kittle (1983) as White Sox players to win this award. 2005: The White Sox acquired slugging first baseman-DH Jim Thome from the Philadelphia Phillies for popular center fielder Aaron Rowand and minor league pitchers Gio Gonzalez and Daniel Haigwood. A tough move to make in getting rid of the gritty Rowand but White Sox GM Kenny Williams was in search of left-handed power and he got it in Thome -- one of the best sluggers of his era when healthy.

THIS DATE IN WHITE SOX HISTORY: NOVEMBER 24 For more visit, www.whitesoxalmanac.com 1973: White Sox pitcher Jim Kaat won his 12th consecutive Gold Glove Award as the honors were announced on this date. Kaat, a left-hander, was acquired by the White Sox on waivers from the Minnesota Twins on Aug. 15, 1973. He won four of his five decisions and handled seven chances without an error. Kaat became the first Sox player to win a Gold Glove since outfielder Ken Berry was honored in 1970. Kaat is the only Sox pitcher to win a Gold Glove (he would repeat in 1974). 1976: Following three years on the Northside, pitcher Steve Stone returned to the White Sox when he signed with the team as a free agent on this date. The right-hander pitched for the Sox in 1973 following two seasons with the San Francisco Giants. After the 1973 season, Stone was shipped to the Cubs in the Ron Santo deal. Stone went 23-20 in three seasons with the Cubs. He was the ace of the 1977 staff, winning a team-best and then career-high 15 games. Following a 12-win season in 1978, Stone departed for the Orioles where his career culminated with a 25-win campaign and the 1980 A.L. Cy Young Award. 1985: In his first major deal as White Sox general manager, Ken “The Hawk” Harrelson traded infielder Scott Fletcher and pitcher Edwin Correa and a player to be named later to Texas for reliever Dave Schmidt and infielder Wayne Tolleson. Texas later received minor leaguer Jose Mota to complete the deal. Fletcher was deemed expendable because of the emergence of shortstop Ozzie Guillen, who was coming off an American League Rookie of the Year campaign. Fletcher, who had some solid seasons with the Rangers, ulimately returned to the Sox – as a second baseman – in the 1989 trade with Texas that sent Harold Baines to the Lone Star State and brought Sammy Sosa and Wilson Alvarez to the Southside.

How about this one? EVOLUTION OF THE SOX HR RECORD FOR LEFTIES Herm McFarland, 1901................................4 Frank Isbell, 1902................ 4 Danny Green, 1903................ 6 Jack Fournier, 1914................ 6 Joe Jackson, 1919................ 7 Joe Jackson, 1920................ 12 Bibb Falk, 1922................ 12 Smead Jolley, 1930................ 16 Joe Kuehl, 1940................ 27 Eddie Robinson, 1951................ 29 Oscar Gamble, 1977................ 31 Robin Ventura, 1996................ 34 Jim Thome, 2006................ 42

THIS DATE IN WHITE SOX HISTORY: NOVEMBER 23RD www.whitesoxalmanac.com 1966: White Sox centerfielder Tommie Agee was overwhelmingly voted the American League Rookie of the Year in balloting released by the Baseball Writers Association of America on this date. Agee captured 16 of the 20 first-place votes after hitting .273 with 22 home runs and 44 steals as the White Sox finished 83-79 and in fourth place under Eddie Stanky. Agee became the second White Sox player in three years (Gary Peters 1963) and the third overall (Luis Aparicio 1956) to win this award. Agee’s campaign also included a Gold Glove making him the first player to win that award and the Rookie of the Year Award in the same season.

THIS DATE IN WHITE SOX HISTORY: NOV. 22 For more, see www.whitesoxalmanac.com 1948: The White Sox traded versatile pitcher Joe Haynes to the Washington Senators for catcher Joe Tipton. The right-hander led the American League with 40 appearances for the 1942 Sox. Six years later, Brown fashioned a career year winning 14 games and posting a league best 2.42 ERA for the Sox. He represented the Sox at the 1948 All-Star Game but did not pitch. Tipton's place in White Sox history was cemented when he was used to acquire the great Nellie Fox from Philadelphia in October of 1949. 1957: White Sox second baseman Nellie Fox finished fourth in voting for the American League MVP Award in results released by the Baseball Writers Association of America on this date. Fox’s fourth place finish was the highest by a Sox player in three years. He earned those votes by hitting .317with 186 hits while playing his usual steady second base. Fox earned five first-place votes, second only to winner Mickey Mantle, who won the award. Other Sox receiving votes were Minnie Minoso (eighth), Billy Pierce (11th), Dick Donovan (13th) and Sherm Lollar (22nd). 1977: The White Sox made a shrewd pickup when they signed free agent Mike Proly. The right-hander went 5-2 with a save and a 2.74 ERA for the 1978 Sox. In 1979, Proly saved nine games with a 3.87 ERA while those numbers read eight and 3.07 a year later. Right before the start of the 1981 campaign, Proly was dealt to the Phillies for infielder Jay Loviglio. 1983: White Sox slugger Ron Kittle was voted American League Rookie of the Year Award in results released by the Baseball Writers Association of America on this date. Kittle set a club rookie record with 35 home runs in helping the Sox win 99 games in capturing the Western Division title by a whopping 20 games. The remarkable year, which also included a berth on the American League All-Star team for the 50th anniversary game at Comiskey Park, was part of a great comeback story. The Gary Ind., native was given a second chance at pro baseball by the White Sox after his first try with the Dodgers was cut short by an injury. Kittle remains one of the most popular players in franchise history. 2000: Shortstop Jose Valentin signed a three-year deal with the White Sox (with a fourth-year option) worth a reported $5 million annually. Valentin signed the deal despite being offered more money by three clubs. The switch-hitting Valentin was a big reason why the White Sox won the American League Central Division title. Acquired in a trade with Milwaukee, Valentin hit .273 with a career-high 25 home runs and 92 RBIs in giving the Sox power at short they hadn’t seen since the days of Ron Hansen in the mid-1960s. Valentin played with the Sox through the 2004 season.

Attached are a few facts I dug up on Orlando Cabrera using various internet sites ... I pasted it on here or you can click on the attachment and enjoy StatManDu www.whitesoxalmanac.com HAPPY THANKSGIVING EVERYBODY! Here are a few notes and nuggets about newly-acquired shortstop Orlando Cabrera: *He’s Golden: Cabrera is the first player in 34 years the White Sox obtained fresh off a Gold Glove Award. During the 1973 season, the Sox acquired pitcher Jim Kaat, who was in the midst of winning 16 consecutive Gold Gloves, off waivers from the Minnesota Twins. ... Other reigning Gold Glove winners acquired by the White Sox were second baseman Bobby Knoop in 1969 and outfielder Minnie Minoso in 1960. *It takes a thief: Juan Uribe is one of the worst basestealers in the game as his historically-bad 1-for-10 stolen base “success rate” of 2007 demonstrated. Cabrera, the man that will most likely be replacing Uribe, is just the opposite. Cabrera owns an 81 percent stolen base success rate in his career. That figure read 83 percent (20-of-24) for 2007. Cabrera has had tremendous success stealing against left-handers (90 percent) and on the road (83 percent). Cabrera has never been caught stealing against Boston (8-for-8), Cleveland (3-for-3), Detroit (9-for-9), Oakland (4-for-4) and Texas (7-for-7). Against Toronto, he is 11-for-12. *Not scared: Cabrera has thrived against some of the best pitchers of his era. Cabrera has hit Tom Glavine at a .333 clip (20 hits) while torching Curt Schilling (10 hits) for a .341 average with a homer and five doubles. Against Greg Maddux, Cabrera is batting .356 with two homers while that number reads .500 (3-for-6 with a homer) against Andy Pettitte. He has also been excellent against Randy Johnson (.300, two homers), Roy Halladay (.321), Jonathon Paplebon (.429, double), Mariano Rivera (.375, double), Billy Wagner (.333, double), Jamie Moyer (.400, 10 hits, homer), Josh Beckett (.281, homer, four RBIs, Kevin Millwood (.291, 23 hits) and Carlos Zambrano (.500, double, two RBIs). *In the clutch: Cabrera hit .348 with runners on base last year. … With runners in scoring position, that number read .311. … With runners in scoring position and two outs, Cabrera hit .346. … With a runner on and two outs, Cabrera batted .330 and with a man on third and less than two outs, Cabrera hit .406 with a homer and 36 RBIs. Nice. For his career, Cabrera is hitting 20 points higher with men on than with the bases empty (.284 to .264). His lifetime numbers with runners in scoring position (.270) and runners in scoring position and two outs (.252) aren’t thrilling. *Sa-wing! The 2007 stats say Cabrera wasn’t one to work the count. And that wasn’t a bad thing. He hit .414 when swinging at the first pitch, .426 with the count 0-1 and .311 with the count 1-0. Outside of those situations (the count not 0-0, 0-1 or 1-0), Cabrera hit a pedestrian .245. In his career, Cabrera is hitting .311 on the first pitch, .284 at 0-1 and .336 at 1-0. Swing early, my new friend. *Mr. Consistency: Cabrera’s career average is .273 both before the All-Star Game and after All-Star Game. There isn’t much discrepancy in many of the man’s lifetime “split” stats. He is hitting .281 vs. lefties and .270 vs righties; .274 in home games and .271 in road games; .276 in day games and .272 in night games; and .272 indoors and .273 outdoors. The same is true for his monthly splits. His monthly averages range from a high of .281 in September or a low of .259 in July. *Central issues: Save for the Washington Nationals, Cabrera has hit better against the Minnesota than against any other club. Cabrera’s owns a .374 lifetime average against the Twinkies. He hit .439 against Minnesota in 2007. Cabrera is hitting .256 all-time against Cleveland, .261 against Detroit and .286 vs. Kansas City. While his overall numbers against Detroit aren’t spectacular, Cabrera has logged some big stats vs. some of the Tigers’ pitching stalwarts. Cabrera is hitting an eye-popping .667 (6-for-9) with a double and three RBIs against Nate Robertson. In addition, he is batting .348 with two doubles and three RBIs against Jeremy Bonderman and .375 with an RBI vs. Jason Grilli *Central yikes: Cabrera is 0-for-6 against Justin Verlander, 0-for-5 vs. Joel Zumaya, 1-for-7 against Todd Jones, 1-for-9 vs. Kenny Rogers, 4-for-19 against Jake Westbrook, 3-for-27 against Paul Byrd, 1-for-12 vs. Joe Nathan and 0-for-5 against Joe Borowski. *Here’s hoping: If Mark Prior surfaces in the big leagues next year, let’s hope it’s against a team the Sox face. Cabrera is hitting .571 with three doubles and a triple against Prior. *More Cubs: Cabrera should be a pretty good matchup against the Cubs, against whom he has a 315 lifetime average. In addition to his wild success against Prior and Zambrano, Cabrera has fared well against current Cub hurlers Ryan Dempster (.321, nine hits, eight RBIs), Ted Lilly (.313, .450 on-base percentage) and Jason Marquis (.400, .500 slugging percentage). It would be nice if the stupid Cubs would bring back Steve Traschsel because Cabrera has abused him to the tune of a .405 average (15 hits) over the years. *He’ll play: Cabrera has played at least 140 games at shortstop in each season since 2001. … Aside from 2005 when he played in 140 games, Cabrera has manned shortstop for at least 152 games in each season since 2001. *Welcome aboard: Bet Mark Buehrle is glad to have Cabrera on his side. Cabrera hit .324 with a home run, seven RBIs and two doubles against Buehrle with the Expos, Red Sox and Angels. Bobby Jenks and Matt Thornton are probably also happy to call Cabrera a teammate. Cabrera is a combined 4-for-6 against the Sox top two bullpen men (2-for-4 vs. Jenks, 2-for-2 vs. Thornton). *Still a nemesis: Cabrera should be glad hestill gets the opportunity to face Jon Garland, the player for which he was traded. Cabrera is hitting .433 (13-for-30) with two homers off Garland. *Stay on TV: Cabrera hit safely in all three of his at bats against Dan Plesac, who is currently a studio commentator on Cubs’ broadcast for Comcast Sportsnet in Chicago. *King who? Cabrera has done his best to dethrone “King Felix” Hernandez of the Seattle Mariners. Cabrera is batting .519 (14-for-27) with two doubles and three RBIs against the promising right-hander. *More pain for Carlos: What do you think Twins’ pitcher Carlos Silva’s reaction was to Cabrera’s joining the White Sox? He will fit in with the Sox when it comes to punishing the right-hander. Cabrera is hitting .500 (12-for-24) with four doubles, a home run and a .792 slugging percentage against Silva. He’s right in line with new teammates (as of now) Brian Anderson (.500, homer), Joe Crede (.355, three homers), Jermaine Dye (.350, two homers), Josh Fields (.333), Jerry Owens (.333), Pablo Ozuna (.667), A.J. Pierzynski (.292, two homers), Ryan Sweeney (.400, RBI), Jim Thome (.368, three homers) and Juan Uribe (.514, five homers, .946 slugging percentage). *Hail Colombia: Cabrera is from Cartagena, Colombia. He will become the first native of Colombia to play for the Sox. *If you can’t beat ’em: Cabrera finished 2007 hitting .296 with three home runs and 20 RBIs in his career against the White Sox. Cabrera should be comfortable in his new home. Through ’07, Cabrera was hitting .302 with one home run and 11 RBIs at US Cellular Field. Take that with a grain of salt, however. Remember, the Sox acquired Darin Erstad and his .353 average at the Cell prior to last season. Erstad hit .269 at home for the ’07 Sox. Cabrera’s best year at US Cellular Field came in 2004 when hit .429 (6-for-14) with two doubles, a homer and four RBIs in three games there for the Red Sox. Here_are_a_few_notes_and_nuggets_about_newly.doc

My Brewer fan friends wound up calling him LineStink by the end of the season

NOVEMBER 21ST 1970: White Sox shortstop Luis Aparicio was awarded his ninth and final Gold Glove in results announced by The Sporting News on this date. The award for fielding excellence was the seventh Aparicio earned as a member of the White Sox (a club record) with the other two coming with the Baltimore Orioles. 1983: Merry Christmas! The White Sox traded infielder Fran Mullins to the Cincinnati Reds for catcher Steve Christmas. Mullins was the Sox third round pick out of the University of Santa Clara in 1979 and made his big league debut the following year but he never panned out. Plagued by an injury in 1981, Mullins never made it back to Chicago. Christmas hit .364 with a home run in a 12-game stint with the Sox in 1984.

THIS DATE IN WHITE SOX HISTORY: NOVEMBER 20 For more, see www.whitesoxalmanac.com 1980: The White Sox acquired catcher Jim Essian for a second time, this time signing him as a free agent. After playing for the White Sox in 1976 and 1977, Essian was traded to Oakland where he spent the next three seasons. The Detroit native played in just 27 games in the strike-shortened 1981 season, hitting .308 with no homers and five RBIs. Essian’s time with the Sox ended on Dec. 11, 1981 when he was dealt with Todd Cruz and Rod Allen to Seattle for Tom Paciorek. 1990: Thanks to their renaissance season, the White Sox had three players receive votes for the American League MVP Award in results for the award released by the Baseball Writers Association of America on this date. Reliever Bobby Thigpen and his still-standing big league record of 57 saves finished fifth in balloting topped by Oakland’s Rickey Henderson. Catcher Carlton Fisk was 15th and shortstop Ozzie Guillen was 17th to round out the White Sox voting in the award. The last time the Sox had this many players show up in A.L. MVP voting was in their division winning title season of 1983. 1990 marked the first time since 1985 that any Sox player received votes for this award.

The Sox just acquired Royce Clayton again. ... Do you think KW thought he was getting Miguel Cabrera?

THIS DATE IN WHITE SOX HISTORY: NOVEMBER 19 For more, see www.whitesoxalmanac.com/ ENJOY! 1972: The White Sox dealt starting pitcher Tom Bradley to the San Francisco Giants for switch-hitting outfielder Ken Henderson and right-handed pitching prospect Steve Stone. This turned out to be one of general manager Roland Hemond’s better swaps. After an injury cut short his 1973 campaign, Henderson went on to have the best season by a Sox switch-hitter to date in 1974. Playing in all 162 games in center field, Henderson hit .292 with 20 homers and 95 RBIs. His homer total stood as a White Sox record for switch-hitters until Jose Valentin hit 25 in 2000 while his RBI total is still a club record in that category. His home run total broke Dave Philley’s 1950 club record of 14 while his RBI total broke George Davis’ previous club record of 93 set in 1902. Henderson declined in 1975 and was shipped to Atlanta in the Ralph Garr deal after the season. In his first of two stints with the Sox, Stone showed promise in 1973 but was shipped to the Cubs in the Ron Santo swap after that season. Stone returned as a free agent for the 1977 and 1978 seasons. Bradley, who was 30-29 for the Sox in 1971 and 1972, had a solid 1973 for the Giants going 13-12 with a 3.90 ERA. He went just 10-14 over the next two seasons with 1975 being his final campaign. 1996: In a move that had everyone scratching their heads, the White Sox signed free agent slugger Albert Belle to a record five-year, $55 million contract. The signing came on the heels of a protracted battle between the players and owners in which White Sox chairman Jerry Reinsdorf was perceived as a “hawk.” The fact that he would turnaround and give Belle a deal that would surpass $10 million annually was what reportedly irked some of those in the baseball establishment. Reinsdorf defended himself by saying he was going to play by the rules in place. Regardless, the prospect of a Sox lineup that included Frank Thomas, Belle and Robin Ventura had Sox fans dreaming of October. However, those dreams never came true. Belle spent two seasons with the White Sox before a clause in his contract allowed him to become a free agent again. The former Indian had a mediocre season – by his standards – in 1997, socking 30 home runs (his fewest since 1991) with 116 RBIs. The following year, Belle had arguably the greatest offensive season in Sox annals by hitting .328 with a club-record 49 home runs and 152 RBIs. Despite that, the Sox let him walk after that season which speakes volumes.

THIS DATE IN WHITE SOX HISTORY: NOVEMBER 18 For more, see www.whitesoxalmanac.com 1976: The White Sox traded outfielder Pat Kelly to the Baltimore Orioles for catcher Dave Duncan. Kelly, an All-Star in 1973, was a solid contributor for the White Sox, hitting at least .254 in each of his six seasons with the team. His best season was 1971 when he hit a career-best .291. Duncan went through spring training with the 1977 White Sox but was released on 1977. He later served as White Sox pitching coach under Tony LaRussa from 1983 to 1986. 1997: In a mild surprise, the White Sox left Jorge Fabregas unprotected and he was selected by the Arizona Diamondbacks in the Expansion Draft, which was held on this date. Fabregas, a left-handed hitter, was the seventh overall pick and first catcher taken in the draft. He was emerging as a leader after the Sox acquired him from the Angels with pitcher Chuck McElroy for Tony Phillips and Chad Kreuter. In 100 games, Fabregas hit .280 with seven homers and 48 RBIs. The Sox probably felt with Mark Johnson, a first-round pick who was also a left-handed hitter, rising through the farm system that Fabregas was expendable. The White Sox also lost rookie pitcher Chris Clemons to Arizona with the 43rd overall pick and McElroy to Arizona with the 67th pick.

THIS DATE IN WHITE SOX HISTORY: NOVEMBER 17 For more, visit www.whitesoxalmanac.com 1977: The White Sox signed Ron Blomberg, the first designated hitter in Major League history in 1973 for the Yankees, as a free agent. Blomberg was the classic Bill Veeck reclamation project in the tradition of Eric Soderholm and Steve Stone. Blomberg, a left-handed hitter, had struggled with injuries in his career with the Yankees. He never played more than 107 games in a season between 1969 and 1977 and injuries cost him all or most of the 1975, 1976 and 1977 seasons in the Bronx. Blomberg came to the Sox hoping to fill the offensive void left by departing sluggers and free agents Richie Zisk and Oscar Gamble. That plan got off to a great start when Blomberg socked a game-tying homer in the ninth inning of the White Sox 6-5 win over Boston before 50,754 on Opening Day at Comiskey Park. That, though, was the high point of Blomberg’s stay with the White Sox. He played in just 61 games and hit .231 with five homers and 22 RBIs in his only season with the team. His career with the Sox, which began with the promise of a four-year guaranteed contract, came to an end with his release on March 30, 1979.

The home team wears white while the visitors wear grey. It's not that confusing. I was pleased when I realized that so it was easy to ID the players.

THIS DATE IN WHITE SOX HISTORY: NOVEMBER 16TH For more, see www.whitesoxalmanac.com 1981: After 11 seasons behind the microphone for the White Sox, the wildly popular Harry Caray jumped to the Cubs to become their voice. Caray feared that the Sox move to cable would limit his exposure so he jumped at the chance to succeed the retiring Jack Brickhouse as the Cubs’ front man following the 1981 campaign. Already a star in Chicago, the move to the Cubs would make Caray a legend and cement his spot in the Hall of Fame. His time with the Sox was memorable. He often was the only reason fans tuned into Sox games in some years.

Took in an Arizona Fall League game last week at Phoenix Muncipal Stadium ... Great experience ... A laid back atmosphere but with a serious game with quality players going on. ... Inexpensive, day game and the weather! 80 and sunny in November. ... I highly recommend this if it is at all possible. ... A nice feature is that the players wear their big league uniforms which makes it easier to ID them. ... Steve Stone was at this game watching with a scout I have seen many times at USCF. I saw the Phoenix Desert Dogs play the Mesa Solar Sox. I chose this game because those teams are the teams of the Sox, Cubs and Brewers (Love the Sox, hate the Cubs, live in SE Wisconsin) The best player on the diamond was Milwaukee's Matt LaPorta. He had two hits, two RBIs, scored a run, made a diving catch in LF (the Brewers just released Geoff Jenkins) and hit the ball hard each time. I was fortunate in that every Sox rep except for starting pitchers Jack Egbert and Adam Russell got into the game for Phoenix. Donny Lucy started at catcher and Chris Getz started at second base. The pitchers were the Sox highlights for me. Dewon Day, whose 11.25 ERA in 13 games was the highest by a Sox pitcher making that many appearances since Atlee Hammaker was rocked for a 12.79 ERA in 13 outings in 1995, looked great. He pitched a clean inning with two strikeouts and no one came close to hitting him. He has had a good season there. ... Fernando Hernandez, a righty, fired a scoreless inning of relief. Like Day, Hernandez turned in a shutout frame and he struck out one. He spent 07 at Double-A and his stats (3.05 ERA, 85.1IP/84 Ks at AA; unscored upon in 12.2 IP in Arizona) should dictate that he get a look in Tucson in the spring. Lucy had a terrible game. Hitless and made a dumb throwing error. I am pulling for him because, let's face it, the Sox need a backup catcher. ... Getz had a big hit late in the game and was solid in the field. ... Ryan Sweeney grounded out as a pinch-hitter late in the game in an at bat it looked like he gave away That's what I saw!

Took in an Arizona Fall League game last week at Phoenix Muncipal Stadium ... Great experience ... A laid back atmosphere but with a serious game with quality players going on. ... Inexpensive, day game and the weather! 80 and sunny in November. ... I highly recommend this if it is at all possible. ... A nice feature is that the players wear their big league uniforms which makes it easier to ID them. ... Steve Stone was at this game watching with a scout I have seen many times at USCF. I saw the Phoenix Desert Dogs play the Mesa Solar Sox. I chose this game because those teams are the teams of the Sox, Cubs and Brewers (Love the Sox, hate the Cubs, live in SE Wisconsin) The best player on the diamond was Milwaukee's Matt LaPorta. He had two hits, two RBIs, scored a run, made a diving catch in LF (the Brewers just released Geoff Jenkins) and hit the ball hard each time. I was fortunate in that every Sox rep except for starting pitchers Jack Egbert and Adam Russell got into the game for Phoenix. Donny Lucy started at catcher and Chris Getz started at second base. The pitchers were the Sox highlights for me. Dewon Day, whose 11.25 ERA in 13 games was the highest by a Sox pitcher making that many appearances since Atlee Hammaker was rocked for a 12.79 ERA in 13 outings in 1995, looked great. He pitched a clean inning with two strikeouts and no one came close to hitting him. He has had a good season there. ... Fernando Hernandez, a righty, fired a scoreless inning of relief. Like Day, Hernandez turned in a shutout frame and he struck out one. He spent 07 at Double-A and his stats (3.05 ERA, 85.1IP/84 Ks at AA; unscored upon in 12.2 IP in Arizona) should dictate that he get a look in Tucson in the spring. Lucy had a terrible game. Hitless and made a dumb throwing error. I am pulling for him because, let's face it, the Sox need a backup catcher. ... Getz had a big hit late in the game and was solid in the field. ... Ryan Sweeney grounded out as a pinch-hitter late in the game in an at bat it looked like he gave away That's what I saw!

THIS DATE IN WHITE SOX HISTORY: NOVEMBER 15TH For more, visit www.whitesoxalmanac.com 1951: Much to the dismay of the White Sox and their fans, Minnie Minoso finished second in the American League Rookie of the Year voting in results released by the Baseball Writers Association of America on this date. Minoso finished two points behind the Yankees’ Gil McDougald. There was reason for outrage in the Sox camp. The only major statisitcal category McDougald bested Minoso in was homers (14 to 10). Other than that, the “Cuban Comet” had a better year than McDougald. 1962: The White Sox said so long to veteran pitcher Early Wynn and his 299 victories. “Burly” Early hurled for the Sox from 1958 to 1962 and helped the team win a pennant while he won the Cy Young Award in the process in 1959. Wynn won his last game for the Sox on Sept. 8, 1962. He took two more shots at the coveted 300th victory but dropped both outings. He was ulitmately signed by Cleveland in June of 1963 and finally won the 300th – and final – game of his career on July 13, 1963. 1972: White Sox first baseman Dick Allen was voted American League Most Valuable Player in voting released by the Baseball Writers Association of America on this date. In his first year with the team, Allen led the A.L. with 37 homers, 113 RBIs, 99 walks and a .603 slugging percentage. He easily won the vote with 321 points over Oakland’s Joe Rudi, who had 164, in joining Nellie Fox (1959) as the only players in White Sox history to win the award. Allen’s season was a huge reason why the White Sox won 87 games and drew over a million fans to Comiskey Park for the first time since 1965. Allen is still one of the most popular players in franchise history. … Other Sox polling votes in this balloting were Wilbur Wood (seventh) and Carlos May (21st). 1983: White Sox catcher Carlton Fisk finished third in the voting for the American League’s MVP Award in results released on this date by the Baseball Writers Association of America. Fisk finished behind winner Cal Ripken Jr. of the Orioles and his teammate Eddie Murray. Fisk’s finish was the highest by a Sox player since Dick Allen won the award in 1972 (11 years ago to the date) and was the highest ever by a Sox catcher. Fisk was the offensive catalyst for the White Sox drive to the American League West Division title, hitting .289 with 26 homers and 86 RBIs. “Pudge” really caught fire after being inserted in the No. 2 slot by manager Tony LaRussa. After the elevation on June 15th, Fisk hit .329 as the Sox made their move in the West. ... Other Sox collecting votes were Harold Baines, LaMarr Hoyt, Greg Luzinski, Richard Dotson, Rudy Law and Julio Cruz. 1999: The White Sox signed Kelly Wunsch and left-handed reliever went on to have a big year for the 2000 American League Central Division champions. Wunsch, a first round pick of the Brewers in 1993, made the team after getting a non-roster invitation to spring training. Wunsch led the American League with a Sox rookie-record 83 appearances while going 6-3 with one save and a 2.93 ERA. 2000: White Sox designated hitter Frank Thomas finished second in the American League MVP voting to Oakland’s Jason Giambi in results released on this date by the Baseball Writers Association of America. Giambi polled 317 points while Thomas had 285 in falling short of his third MVP Award. Thomas was the driving force behind the Sox surprising run to the American League Central crown, hitting .328 with a career-high 43 homers and 143 RBIs. Giambi hit .333 with 43 homers and 137 RBIs. White Sox right fielder Magglio Ordonez finished 12th after hitting .315 with 32 homers. This marked the first time since 1994 when Thomas finished first, Julio Franco finsiehd eighth and Jason Bere finished 23rd that the Sox had more than one player receive votes for this award. It all seems so tained now, doesn’t it?