Lip Man 1

March 18, 1964 - The Sox purchased the contract of veteran pitcher Don Mossi from the Tigers for $20,000 dollars. Mossi would have a spectacular season for the club that lost the pennant by one game, going 3-1 with seven saves. He had an ERA of 2.92. He’d team up with Hoyt Wilhelm and Eddie Fisher to give the club the best bullpen in the league. At the end of the year though he was released. March 18, 1981 - Carlton Fisk signed a free agent deal with the White Sox beginning the process of turning a laughable organization into a real, legitimate Major League franchise. The All-Star catcher and future Hall-of-Famer got his free agency after the Red Sox did not tender him a contract by the required date. Immediately Sox co-owner Eddie Einhorn and G.M. Roland Hemond jumped at the chance to get a player of Fisk’s caliber on to the team. Fisk would play 13 years on the South Side, make four All-Star teams as a member of the White Sox, and have his number #72 retired in 1997. When he retired, he also held the team record for most home runs in a White Sox uniform as well as most home runs in MLB history hit by a catcher. His two best seasons were in 1983 when he rebounded from a very slow start to hit .289 with 26 home runs and 89 RBI’s for the Western Division champions, finishing third in the M.V.P. voting and 1985, his career season. That year Fisk hit only .238 but blasted 37 home runs with 107 RBI’s.

March 17, 1910 - Construction began on the stadium that would eventually be called Comiskey Park at 35th & Shields. The stadium would be completed by late June and officially open on July 1 with a 2-0 loss to the St. Louis Browns. Think about that one…a new steel stadium in a little over three and a half months!

Last Comiskey Part III:

Based on what I've read over the past few months that was never a plan or consideration.

March 15, 1976 - After stepping in at the last minute to buy the franchise and prevent them from being moved to Seattle, Bill Veeck appeared on the cover of Sports Illustrated. The caption said, “Baseball Couldn’t Shut Him Out. Bill Veeck of the White Sox.” Veeck would own the team from 1976 through 1980 in his second stint. Then Chicago Mayor Richard J. Daley, a big Sox fan, was instrumental in contacting Veeck to see if he would get involved since Daley did not want to see the club relocated. The original plan by baseball was to move the Sox to Seattle thus ending the lawsuits filed by that city, King County and the state. Then Charlie Finley would move his Oakland A’s to the South Side. Originally the other owners voted down Veeck’s bid, demanding that he change financial ownership terms in it. Amazingly Veeck somehow got it done and the other owners reluctantly voted to let him have the franchise.

Here is the link to the info on the upcoming Last Comiskey charity event: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/last-comiskey-a-pediatric-epilepsy-surgery-alliance-fundraiser-tickets-586402364257

I understand a last Comiskey charity event is going to be staged. As soon as I get details I'll post them. Nancy Faust, Donn Pall, Wayne Edwards among others will appear and the film will be screened.

It is only up for two months so given the weather that tree probably isn't going to be in full bloom.

March 14, 1994 - Sports Illustrated took issue with former NBA superstar Michael Jordan and his attempt to play Major League baseball. Jordan was on the cover of the magazine again but in a far different light. The caption read, “Bag It Michael! Jordan and the White Sox are Embarrassing Baseball.” From that day on, Jordan, who was always very cooperative with that magazine, would never speak to them again. His biggest objection to the story was that they never talked with him as part of it. During the documentary “The Last Dance” the writer of the story, Steve Wulf, said that after Jordan showed some potential and a sincere desire to play the game, he wrote another piece apologizing but the magazine never published it. No reason was ever given.

Guess it isn't but it is still pretty damn big and gets the point across.

TA was quoted earlier this year as saying he doesn't like playing second but he'd do it for the White Sox.

I see nothing wrong with fans making their feeling known and appreciate the guy taking the time to pull it off. Full disclosure: I donated a few bucks to the cause.

March 13, 2000 - Sox slugger Frank Thomas was again featured on the cover of Sports Illustrated. A lengthy story talked about his career, the controversies and his desire to return to the top of the game. The caption stated, “Don’t Question My Desire. Frank Thomas Comes Out Swinging.” Thomas would have a spectacular season losing out on his third A.L. M.V.P. Award to the A’s Jason Giambi, who’d later admit to using steroids in grand jury testimony. Frank’s numbers in 2000 included a .328 batting average, 43 home runs, 143 RBI’s, 112 walks and a slugging percentage of .625. Despite those gaudy figures he didn’t lead the league in any single category that year.

Correct... his young son somehow got up on his roof and couldn't get down (why he was up there in the first place I don't know) Melton fell getting him down. Had a herniated disc, somehow played with it until early June 1972 then was shut down for the season. Roland Hemond picked up Ed Spiezio who did a nice job filling in but it wasn't the same of course.

Thank You.

March 12, 1921 - All eight members of the White Sox who reportedly conspired to throw the 1919 World Series, but were found innocent in a court of law, were banned by then commissioner Kenesaw “Mountain” Landis from ever playing in the Major Leagues again. The eight were “Shoeless” Joe Jackson, Eddie Cicotte, Claude “Lefty” Williams, Charles “Swede” Risberg, Fred McMullin, Arnold “Chick” Gandil, Oscar “Happy” Felsch and George “Buck” Weaver. Jackson was banned for life, despite hitting .375 in the series; Weaver was banned not for throwing the series, but simply for knowing of the plot and not reporting it. The only club capable of facing off against the emerging New York Yankee dynasty was thus destroyed. March 12, 1973 - Sox third baseman and former 1971 A.L. home run champ, Bill Melton, appeared on the cover of Sports Illustrated. The caption read, “Chicago Comes Out Swinging. Slugger Bill Melton.” Melton would have a nice comeback season after missing most of 1972 with a herniated disc. He’d hit .277 with 20 home runs and 87 RBI’s. He’d be traded to the Angels after the 1975 campaign.

Injury after injury and poor production given his high salary.

Given his salary and his issues, who realistically would want him?

Burger is making a strong case for another bat off the bench but remember Garcia is still owed a ton of money and we know how that resonates with this organization.

March 11, 1968 - Sox rookie pitcher Cisco Carlos was part of the cover shot for Sports Illustrated. The caption read, “The Best Rookies of 1968.” Unfortunately, Carlos didn’t turn out to be one of them, either in the short term or the long one. In fact, of the five players on the cover only Johnny Bench (top row middle) and Mike Torrez (bottom left) made a name for themselves in the sport. In two and a half seasons with the club Carlos went 10-17. His best pitching performance came on September 14, 1967 at Comiskey Park, when in the middle of a pennant race, he shut out Cleveland on five hits over 10 innings winning 4-0.

March 10, 1995 - After two stints at White Sox spring training and a full season in Birmingham, Michael Jordan announced he was giving up baseball. Part of the reason was because of his struggles with the game, but the other, larger part, as he explained to author Bob Greene, in the book, “Rebound, The Odyssey of Michael Jordan” was because he was being pressured by Sox G.M. Ron Schueler to cross the MLBPA picket line. With replacement games set to start, Jordan stated that he was told if he didn’t cross the line, he’d be banished from the main clubhouse. Jordan was furious saying that he was promised by owner Jerry Reinsdorf, he wouldn’t have to take that step. Jordan explained that under no circumstances would he ever cross a labor picket line regardless of sport, that the day would never come where he would be forced to be, not a minor league prospect, but a Major League strikebreaker. “I told them from the beginning that I didn’t want them to use me to make money in the spring training games. We had an understanding. It was never supposed to even come up. I was disgusted that the promise wasn’t going to be honored,” he told Greene. Jordan would return to the Bulls and win three more championships.

Last Comiskey - Part II

MLB Trade Rumors site had a show devoted just to Sox questions a few days ago. I scrolled through the transcript and when a fan asked about Giolito the response from the site was "He's as good as gone" for whatever that's worth. Here is the link to the transcript: https://live.jotcast.com/chat/white-sox-offseason-chat-15248.html

I think they are slotted after the end of the first round and before the start of the second round.

https://chicago.suntimes.com/white-sox/2023/3/9/23632714/carlos-rodon-yankees-white-sox-giants-mlb