THIS DATE IN SOX HISTORY: MARCH 5TH/Berg, MJ starts

[StatManDu]

THIS DATE IN SOX HISTORY: MARCH 5TH

 

For more, see www.whitesoxalmanac.com

 

WHERE’S MOE?

1926: Rookie shortstop Moe Berg was not at the White Sox spring training camp in Shreveport, Louisiana. The Sox explained that Berg was taking a law course at Columbia University in New York and won’t be available until May 15. Who knows where Berg actually was? Later in life, he spent time working for the O.S.S., the forerunner to the CIA. With Berg out of the picture (he actually didn’t play for the Sox in 1926), the Sox brought on Everett Scott, recently released by Washington, to play shortstop. Bergis one of the most interesting players in baseball history. His Society of American Baseball Research bio is worth a read at http://bioproj.sabr.org/bioproj.cfm?a=v&am...amp;pid=9621959

 

A COURT VICTORY FOR VEECK

1959: A judge denied two petitions where Charles Comiskey had sought to block the sale of 54 percent of White Sox stock to Bill Veeck. The move, by Judge Robert Jerome Dunne (which came with a scolding according to the Chicago Tribune) cleared the way for Veeck to purchase the Sox stock of Dorothy Rigney -- Comiskey’s sister -- and give controlling interest of the franchise to someone other than a Comiskey for the first time ever.

 

JORDAN’S FIRST START: 0-FOR-3, RUN, RBI

1994: In his first start, Michael Jordan went 0-for-3 with a run and an RBI in the White Sox 15-7 Grapefruit League win over the Texas Rangers in Port Charlotte, Fla. Jordan started in right field and batted sixth. The offensive hero of the day was Robin Ventura, who homered and drove in four runs in his only two at bats.

 

FINALLY, NELLIE A HALL OF FAMER

1997: The Hall of Fame finally came to its senses when its Veterans Committee elected White Sox legend Nellie Fox into the Hall of Fame. Fox, an All-Star and Gold Glove second baseman, failed to gain induction from the Baseball Writers Association of America during his 15 years of eligibility. Fox did come close in his final year on the ballot of 1985 when he received 74.68 percent of the vote. Needing 75 percent to gain induction, the Hall did not round up, saying Fox did not have a “pure” 75 percent. Fox’s fate was left to the Veterans Committee and they finally delivered in 1997. A year earlier, on this same date, Fox received more than the 75 percent for induction but Hall rules allowed just one modern-day player to be voted in by the Vets. Since Jim Bunning topped Fox in the Vets voting, it was Bunning who got in.

 

A CACTUS CLUBBING OF THE CUBS

2002: The White Sox used a 10-run fifth inning in crushing the Cubs 20-6 in a Cactus League game before 6,618 in Mesa, Ariz. Minor league slugger Mario Valenzuela went 3-for-3 with four RBIs and Paul Konerko added four hits as the Sox posted their second spring win in five attempts. The Sox banged out 12 hits in that big fifth inning.

 

2-FOR-2 IN OZZIE’S DEBUT

2004: After a one-day delay because of rain, the White Sox ushered in the Ozzie Guillen (Cactus League) era with a pair of split squad victories in Tucson, Ariz. As the visiting team, the White Sox blanked Colorado 3-0 with starter Jon Garland tossing three shutout innings. As the hosts at Tucson Electric Park, the Sox edged Arizona 4-3 in 10 innings thanks to Bobby Smith’s walkoff single. “I’m unbeaten now, so they should give me a contract extension,” Guillen joked. In the victory, the game went into extra innings because Shingo Takatsu blew his first save opportunity.

 

[knightni]

Whatever happened to Mario Valenzuela?

[JoshPR]

Played in the Mexican Summer League