Lip Man 1

It was a three-run home run not a grand slam.

November 27, 1938 - Sox star pitcher Monty Stratton, an American League All-Star in 1937 and one of the best young players in the game accidentally shot himself in the leg when his .22 caliber pistol discharged when he was replacing it in his holster. He had failed to engage the safety on the gun. He was out hunting rabbits near his Texas home. Unable to get help, he crawled a half mile to a road leading into Greenville, Texas. The bullet pierced a femoral artery which stopped circulation to the limb above the knee and it had to be amputated the next day to stop the spread of gangrene. His five-year career was ended. He eventually came back to play in a few minor league games using a wooden leg. In 1948 Hollywood made ‘The Stratton Story,’ starring Jimmy Stewart, June Allyson and former Sox manager Jimmy Dykes. November 27, 1951 - Another one of G.M. Frank Lane’s best deals. On this date, Lane sent five players to the St. Louis Browns for three players, one of whom would be catcher Sherm Lollar. Lollar would become a three-time All-Star and a three-time Gold Glove winner. He was considered the second-best catcher in the league throughout the 1950’s behind the Yankees Yogi Berra. Of the players sent to St. Louis, one of them, outfielder “Jungle” Jim Rivera, would be reacquired by the Sox that July. Both players would remain with the club through the early 1960’s. November 27, 1961 - In a bizarre coincidence both “Minnie” Minoso and Joe Cunningham were at the same sports banquet in Joliet, Illinois when word came that the Sox and Cardinals had made a trade. The deal was Minoso for Cunningham! Cunningham became perhaps the finest fielding first baseman in franchise history ranking right up there with Joe Kuhel and Tony Muser. In 1962 Joe would reach base 268 times and lead the Sox in walks, runs, sacrifice flies and bunts. He hit .295 and drove in 70 RBI’s. In July 1964 he’d be sent to the Senators as part of a deal bringing Bill “Moose” Skowron to the Sox. November 27, 1981 - It was a move criticized at the time as Sox G.M. Roland Hemond sent outfielder Chet Lemon to the Tigers for outfielder Steve Kemp. The swap of All-Stars left Sox fans shaking their heads since Kemp would become a free agent after the upcoming season. He’d eventually sign a big money contract with the Yankees after knocking in 98 runs and hitting .286 for the Sox. However, what wasn’t known at the time was that the Sox weren’t going to re-sign Lemon either after he refused to sign a contract extension that was agreed to in principal because the Sox then went out and signed Carlton Fisk for more money than they had agreed to give Lemon.

The Sox were one of the finest post season teams ever but that's a pretty strong statement. The 1976 Reds and some of those Yankee postseason clubs can also make that claim.

November 26, 1976 - It was a move that would pay large returns the following season. On this day, injured third baseman Eric Soderholm signed a free agent deal with Bill Veeck and Roland Hemond. Soderholm would become Comeback Player of the Year for 1977 with 25 home runs, 67 RBI’s and a .280 batting average. It would help lead the “South Side Hit Men” to a remarkable 90-win season. He missed the entire 1976 season with a severe leg injury suffered when he was still with the Twins and was one of the first proponents of the Nautilus exercise system which he used to get back to being able to play at the Major League level. November 26, 1991 - The Sox hired Gene Lamont as the new field manager replacing Jeff Torborg. Lamont was hired after Pirates manager and former Sox coach Jim Leyland highly recommended him. Lamont was a coach on Leyland’s staff. The quiet, laid back, Lamont would win the American League’s Western Division title in 1993 and be named Manager of the Year for it. He’d also guide the Sox to the Central Division lead at the time of the labor impasse in August 1994 which saw the rest of the season get cancelled. With the Sox having gotten off to a slow start in 1995 he was fired by the team in June of that season.

November 25, 1985 – Ozzie Guillen of the White Sox was named A.L. Rookie of the Year by the Baseball Writers Association of America. Guillen, who came to the Sox in a deal involving 1983 Cy Young winner LaMarr Hoyt, didn’t disappoint. His defense was outstanding only committing 12 errors the entire season. Offensively Ozzie recorded 134 hits and had a .273 batting average. He received 16 of 28 first place votes and finished with 101 points. Teddy Higuera of the Brewers was second. Ozzie would return to the Sox after his playing days ended to become the manager and win the 2005 World Series with the club as well as taking them to the playoffs in 2008. November 25, 2005 - Sox G.M. Kenny Williams rolled the dice and traded popular outfielder Aaron Rowand to the Phillies for slugger Jim Thome. The Peoria native would hammer 42 home runs and garner the A.L. Comeback Player of the Year award in 2006 but many felt the trade changed the chemistry and philosophy of the club that won the World Series in 2005 to say nothing of the defensive hole it created in center field. Thome would play almost four years with the Sox and would hit 134 home runs along with three seasons of at least 90 RBI’s. He would hit his 500th career home run in 2007 at U.S. Cellular Field beating the Angels with the walk-off blast.

With all the domestic and international revenue streams for a 10 billion dollar a year business it's really hard to say with a straight face you are losing money. You can bet the Sox will be selectively putting out the word to some that they have been and are forced to cut payroll.

Correct. Sox had home field advantage throughout the playoffs that year.

If new ownership is in place by then all bets are off the table.

November 24, 1976 - It was another bargain basement free agent signing that turned out well for the White Sox the following season. Pitcher Steve Stone inked a deal for his second go-round with the team. In 1977 Steve would win 15 games pacing the staff that won a surprising 90 games. Even more remarkable was the fact that he tore his rotator cuff while pitching for the Cubs the previous season. He refused surgery and cortisone shots and rehabbed his arm working with a kinesiologist from the University of Illinois. Given all that, for him to make 31 starts, toss eight complete games and pitch 207 innings was incredible. He’d was the first free agent signing in franchise history. Later he’d return to the organization as a broadcaster after a career that saw him win the Cy Young Award with the Orioles in 1980.

JR's not selling regardless of what attendance is. Far to much money coming in from domestic and international streams.

November 23, 1966 – After having a marvelous 1966 season, Sox outfielder Tommie Agee was named the American League Rookie of the Year by the Baseball Writers Association of America. Agee had a unique blend of power and speed and became the first player in franchise history with at least 20 home runs and at least 20 steals in the same season. In 1966 Agee hit .273 with 173 hits, 27 doubles, eight triples, 22 home runs, 86 RBI’s and 44 stolen bases. He also won a Gold Glove for his defense. He got 16 first place votes out of 20. Jim Nash of the Kansas City A’s was second in the voting. George “Boomer” Scott and Deron Johnson tied for third place. Johnson would play for the White Sox in 1975. November 23, 1983 – The Baseball Writers Association of America announced that Sox outfielder Ron Kittle was the winner of the A.L. Rookie of the Year award. The strongman from Gary, Indiana blasted 35 home runs and drove in 100 RBI’s, helping the Sox to 99 wins and the Western Division title. He received 15 of 28 first place votes. Julio Franco of the Indians, who in 1994 would join the Sox, was second with Mike Boddicker of the Orioles third in the voting. Kittle would hit seven rooftop home runs in his career with the Sox, the most by any player at the original Comiskey Park.

Short answer: No...he shouldn't. Get the best possible deal you can for him because this team is going to be an unmitigated disaster on and off the field for the next two years or until new ownership arrives.

Not that I can recall.

In a story years ago in Sports Illustrated Floyd was quoted as saying that he grew up a Sox fan and his favorite player was Harold Baines but he wouldn't want to play for the team.

Don't worry, he won't be around after Memorial Day I think if the Sox get off to a brutal start again.

Until shown otherwise Santos is "iffy." Remember they shut him down with a forearm strain.

God knows Sox fans need something: https://www.mlb.com/whitesox/news/andrew-vaughn-gives-back-to-community

November 21, 2019 - The White Sox announced to the baseball world that they were ready to move on to the next phase of their rebuild by signing All-Star free agent catcher Yasmani Grandal to a four-year deal worth 73 million dollars, the largest in franchise history at that time. Grandal was that rare catcher who combined both offensive power and excellent defensive skills especially in framing pitches. Part of the reason the White Sox were so aggressive in trying to sign him was because of how he’d benefit a young pitching staff still trying to find their way in the game at the Major League level. In the 2021 season Grandal, despite injuries, would slug 23 home runs, drive in 62 RBI’s and walk 82 times in 93 games. He’d also tie the team record with eight RBI’s in a single game when he did it against the Cubs on August 27 at Guaranteed Rate Field. But his final two years would be very poor.

ESPN’s Jesse Rogers also considers Eloy Jiménez likely to be traded. Entering his age-27 season, the former top prospect has missed considerable time due to injuries in his career but is a lifetime .275/.324/.487 hitter (118 OPS+) with 89 homers over 436 games. He is signed for $13.83 million in 2024 and has club options for 2025 ($16.5 million) and 2026 ($18.5 million). "[New White Sox general manager] Chris Getz has not been shy about the fact that he is open for business," Rogers said Tuesday in an MLB Network appearance. "I'd almost bet money that Dylan Cease and Eloy Jiménez are on the move."

From MLB.com: With the White Sox looking to turn the page after a disappointing 61-101 season in 2023, the club is willing to listen to offers for everyone on its roster. That includes Dylan Cease, who finished second in the AL Cy Young Award voting in 2022. Although it’s going to take a haul to acquire Cease, who has two years of team control remaining, MLB Network insider Jon Heyman still gives him a good chance of being dealt. “I do think Cease is likely [to be traded] … I think he’s 80% [likely] to be moved, they're already talking about potential packages going back to the White Sox,” Heyman said Tuesday on MLB Network. Cease was recently linked to the Dodgers, but Heyman hears the White Sox are engaging in trade talks with “many, many teams” about the right-hander. It's not surprising that Cease is receiving widespread interest on the trade market considering the going rate for starters of his caliber in free agency. One such pitcher just came off the board when the Phillies re-signed Aaron Nola for $172 million over seven years. Cease is entering his second round of arbitration eligibility after earning $5.7 million in 2023.

We aren't even sure if Santos will be able to pitch this year due to "forearm soreness..."

November 20, 1893 - The Western League was reorganized after a meeting in Detroit. It was the direct forerunner to what would become the American League in 1900. Byron “Ban” Johnson was elected President. The league started with seven franchises in Detroit, Sioux City, Toledo, Kansas City, Indianapolis, Grand Rapids and Minneapolis. The Minnesota franchise would eventually be moved to the South Side of Chicago by Charles Comiskey and take up play in 1900.

From MLB.com: What happened in 2023: Virtually nothing went right for Anderson this past season. With his strikeout and ground-ball rates spiking, Anderson homered only once and hit .245 with a .582 OPS over 123 games. His -2.0 WAR tally was the worst of all MLB position players. As a result, the White Sox declined Anderson’s $14 million club option for 2024, which once seemed like it would be a no-brainer. Reasons for optimism: Besides the .304 average he posted against left-handed pitchers, there's really nothing we can point to from 2023 that bodes well for Anderson moving forward. The best case we can make for a possible rebound is that Anderson is only 30 years old and put up a sterling .318/.347/.474 slash with 51 homers and 53 steals in 374 games across 2019-22, hitting over .300 in every season during that span. The underlying metrics were also promising as recently as 2022 -- he ranked in the 99th percentile with a .297 expected batting average, the 86th percentile with a 37.5% sweet-spot rate and the 84th percentile with a 15.7% strikeout rate. Additionally, the longtime shortstop is reportedly willing to move to second base if needed, which could allow him to improve his defensive value. It worked for Marcus Semien, who has gone from being a poorly rated shortstop to one of the best fielding second basemen in the game since making the switch.

November 19, 1913 – After playing a number of games in the U.S. spreading and promoting baseball the White Sox and Giants boarded the liner R.M.S. Empress of Japan to cross the Pacific and start the world portion of their tour. They played in Japan, Hong Kong, China, the Philippines, Australia, Egypt, Ceylon, France, Italy, the Vatican and England where they played before King George V. The Sox avoided disaster twice on the trip as when crossing the Pacific they ran smack into a typhoon and then in Italy a 20-foot section of train track was removed for repair over a river. The engineer barely saw it in time and stopped just short of plunging into a 60-foot drop into the water which would have killed everyone on board. The Sox would sail home on the Lusitania, a ship that would be torpedoed in May 1915 during World War I. For the tour itself the Sox won 24 games, the Giants 20 and there were two ties. November 19, 1996 - The Sox shocked the baseball world when owner Jerry Reinsdorf announced that he had signed slugger Albert Belle to the largest contract in baseball history. Sox fans were torn between being happy the Sox spent money on a star and being worried because of Belle’s sullen, moody reputation. Other baseball owners were furious with Reinsdorf, feeling that he deliberately signed Belle to the large contract to pay them back for agreeing to settle the 1994 labor dispute. Reinsdorf would be removed from the labor relations board, the body that advised the commissioner in all labor matters, over it. Belle would put up some monster seasons with the Sox especially in 1998 when he hit .328 with 49 home runs, 48 doubles and 152 RBI’s. He had a clause in his Sox contract that said he had to be one of the three highest paid players in baseball and when the team wouldn’t agree to give him a raise because other players passed him in salary, they let him go as a free agent. He signed with Baltimore, had two more excellent seasons then had to retire because of a bad hip injury.

That was Roland's and Chuck Tanner's philosophy for rebuilding the team in 1970-71.