THIS DATE IN SOX HISTORY: MARCH 5TH/Rivalry, Bo at 1st?

[StatManDu]

THIS DATE IN SOX HISTORY: MARCH 6TH

 

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WHITE SOX-CUBS: TOGETHER AGAIN

1981: The White Sox and Cubs announced that they will resume their exhibition series the following April. The series, which had been dormant for nearly a decade, would actually resume the following August in the wake of the players strike. The city rivals would play an exhibition game in each Chicago park as a tuneup for the resumption of the “championship” season. The games in 1982 never materialized and the series wouldn’t resume until 1985.

 

BO DOESN’T KNOW FIRST BASE

1993: The White Sox gave Bo Jackson a look-see at first base in a 6-2 Grapefruit League loss to the Texas Rangers in Port Charlotte, Fla. Three quick errors may have showed the Sox that the Jackson was not cut out for first base. “I knew I stunk out there but I was having fun,” Jackson said in the Chicago Tribune. “I was lucky to get out of there with three errors.” Jackson never played a regular season game at first base in his eight-year career.

 

UNDEFEATED OZZIE

2004: The White Sox stayed perfect in the Cactus League under first-year manager Ozzie Guillen by defeating the Arizona Diamondbacks 3-1 before 8,834 at Tucson Electric Park. Jon Rauch and Jason Grilli, battling Dan Wright for the fifth spot in the rotation, pitched well as the WhiteSox improved to 3-0.

 

FINALLY … A WIN

2006: For the first time since winning the World Series, the White Sox posted a victory. After opening the Cactus League season with six losses in a row, the White Sox defeated Colorado 4-2 before 2,829 at Hi Corbett Field in Tucson, Ariz. Pablo Ozuna’s two-run single in the sixth fronted the Sox for good in their first victory since topping Houston in Game 4 of the 2005 World Series.

 

SOX LOCK UP JAVVY

2007: The White Sox signed pitcher Javier Vazquez to a three-year contract extension worth $34.5 million. The move left many to speculate that with Jose Contreras already signed through 2009, there wouldn’t be enough money or years to go around for both Mark Buehrle and Jon Garland, who were each approaching free agency. That dilemma solved itself when Buehrle signed an extension and Garland was eventually traded.