White Sox History

In the year 2000, the White Sox boasted of one of their best teams since the 1983 club, though much was not expected from the team. However, the White Sox led the division in early June. The lead proved to be good enough and the Sox captured the AL Central Division title 95-67 record, despite of mediocre pitching staff led by Mike Sirotka. The team could not carry success into the postseason, and were bested by the wild-card Seattle Mariners in 3 games in the AL Division Series round. The Sox finished the 2001 season in 3rd place with an 83-79 record. Most of the players during this time were plagued with injuries including David Wells whom the team had acquired from Toronto Blue Jays. In 2002, the White Sox appeared to set a challenge for the AL Central with a record of 21-13. But the team was destined to struggle and fell as far 10 games below .500 finishing the season in 2nd place with an 81-81 record. In 2003, the Sox strengthened their pitching unit by acquiring Bartolo Colon from the Montreal Expos, Fireman Billy Koch from the Oakland Athletics Colon proved to be a mediocre player for the team and Koch struggled all season saving just 11 games while posting a horrible 5.77 ERA.

Frank Thomas rebounded from a disappointing 2002 season to hit 42 homers and drive in 105 RBI. But the Sox hovered around .500 for almost all season. The Sox finished the season in 2nd place with a record of 86-76. That same season U.S. Cellular and the White Sox signed a 23-year deal to pay $68-million for the naming rights of the Comiskey Park, opened in 1991, that became U.S. Cellular Field. The following season Manager Jerry Manuel was fired and was replaced by ex-shortstop for the White Sox, Ozzie Guillen. Moreover, outfielder Carlos Lee was traded for center fielder Scott Podsednik. They also signed outfielder Jermaine Dye. Frank Thomas and Magglio Ordoñez were sidelined due to their season ending injuries. Without Thomas and Ordoñez the White Sox finished the season in 2nd place finish with an 83-79 record. Since 2000, a heated rivalry has been developed between the White Sox and their Central Division competitors, the Minnesota Twins, due to their Central Division dominance in the 2002, 2003 and 2004 seasons. The White Stockings came into being in 1900 when owner Charles Comiskey shifted his minor league team, the St. Paul Saints, to Chicago. Charles Comiskey was a major-league ballplayer who played with the St. Louis Browns in the era of 1880s. In its year of existence it was obvious for the team to adopt the name White Stockings, to be named White Sox later in that year.

When the Western League transformed into American League in 1900, the Sox became a certified member of the American League. From 1901 through 1919, the White Sox won four AL pennants and two World Series titles in 1906 and 1917. For their first World Series championship, pitchers Ed Walsh and Doc White led the White Sox. Meanwhile, the Sox moved into the newly opened Comiskey Park in 1910. In the 1917 World Series victory, hitters Eddie Collins and Joe Jackson anchored the team’s offense while pitcher Eddie Cicotte and catcher Ray Schalk powered the defense. The club’s good will soon vanished following the Black Sox scandal, in which Jackson and seven teammates were permanently barred from the professional baseball for fixing the 1919 World Series in exchange for $100,000. The Cincinnati Reds won the best-of-nine series. In the next four decades, the White Sox hovered in or around the last place finish. They moved into the cellar of mediocrity. Future hall of Fame members Luke Appling, Ted Lyons, and Al Simmons recorded outstanding individual performances The White Sox once again became a powerhouse in 1950s. Until 1959, they finished the season in the second place behind the East Coast powerhouse New York Yankees.

The team’s next AL title came in 1959 under Manager Al Lopez with a lineup starring shortstop Luis Aparicio, second baseman Nellie Fox, and pitcher Early Wynn. From 1963 through 1965, the White Sox registered three straight second-place finishes, but never ruled the NL again until 1983. In 1983 Chicago ended their 24-year playoff drought by winning the West Division behind the sluggers Harold Baines, Carlton Fisk, Ron Kittle, and Greg Luzinski, and pitchers Rich Dotson and LaMarr Hoyt. They started the season very disappointingly, but still went on to win 99 games and the AL West title under Manager Tony LaRussa. A slogan of the team was "Winning Ugly" for their style of winning the play, which was rather very scrappy. In the late 1980s, the franchise was gifted a new stadium, New Comiskey Park, now known as U.S. Cellular Field, which was usually criticized barren appearance and nosebleed-inducing upper deck. The recent renovations have made it more user-friendly. The White Sox finished the 1990 and 1991 season in second-place. They won the West Division in 1993 under manager Gene Lamont. Major league expansion in 1994 placed Chicago in the new AL Central Division, which they led, before ending the season prematurely, due to player’s strike. In 1997, the Sox traded their veteran pitchers Wilson Alvarez, Danny Darwin and Roberto Hernández to the San Francisco Giants to acquire 6 minor leaguers, including Keith Foulke. This trade significantly affected the already small White Sox fan base. The logo of the team has the letters "SOX" written in black, interlocked in various ways. The team is named after the White Stockings that the players wore