1915
The White Sox acquired Shoeless Joe Jackson from Cleveland for $31,500 (almost a million today) along with pitcher Ed Klepfer, outfielder Braggo Roth and a player to be named later. Klepfer had seen scant time with the White Sox in 1915 but pitched to a 2.84 ERA (109 ERA+) in three games, and would improve in Cleveland (2.09 ERA despite a 1-6 record in eight games). Roth, just 22, had started out fairly well in left field and at third base during his first full season in Chicago (.734 OPS, 117 OPS+) but exploded once he got to Cleveland (.906 OPS, shifting exclusively to center field). Though he clouted just seven home runs, Roth led the AL in round-trippers in 1915. (Yes, Bill Melton in 1971 winning the first-ever White Sox home run title is only partially true.)
Klepfer and Roth were no middling players, combining for 14.4 WAR over their five full seasons (two Kelpfer, three Roth) with Cleveland. (And on Valentine’s Day, 1916, the trade was completed when the White Sox sent little-used left fielder Larry Chappell east.)
However, the prize of the trade was Jackson, who already built the foundation of a Hall of Fame career in just four full seasons in Cleveland (finishing no lower than ninth in MVP voting each year). Though he would similarly play just four full seasons with the White Sox (losing almost all of 1918 to World War I), Shoeless Joe continued his strong play on the South Side, combining for 27.8 WAR while still peaking as a superstar. All his promise was lost, however, when ensnared in the Black Sox scandal, Jackson was banned for life from MLB after the 1920 season. He was just 33 years old.
Jackson, despite the “Black Sox” scandal, is still considered one of the greatest hitters in baseball history. Babe Ruth said he modeled his swing after Jackson’s, and Ty Cobb said Jackson was the best hitter he ever saw. Joe hit .356 for his career in the major leagues.
1928
White Sox rookie Art “The Great” Shires made a sensational debut, with four hits (including a triple) against the Red Sox in a 6-4 win. He’s one of only 11 players to ever get four or more hits in his first big-league game.
“The Great” nickname, by the way, was self-assigned!
1929
The White Sox honored pitcher Urban “Red” Faber with a Day at Comiskey Park. The Hall-of-Famer won 254 games (all with the Sox), and had four seasons of 20 or more wins.
On this day, Faber threw 11 innings in a 5-4 loss to the Yankees. Before the game, he was given a check for $2,700, a Majestic radio, a diamond ring and several baskets of flowers.
1948
The White Sox played before the largest regular-season crowd in franchise history, on a Friday night in Cleveland. An amazing 78,382 were on hand to see the Tribe edge the Sox, 1-0, at Cleveland Stadium. The winning pitcher that night was none other than Satchel Paige, who only allowed the Sox three hits; it was his second shutout against the White Sox in the space of a week.
1957
Utilizing a new, “slow” pitching motion, Bob Keegan tossed the first night no-hitter in White Sox history, as he blanked Washington, 6-0, at Comiskey Park. It was the nightcap of a doubleheader, which the White Sox split. Keegan walked two Senators in the game, and only faced 28 men in a game that lasted just 1:55.
Only one ball was really hard-hit, and that came in the first inning when outfielder Larry Doby made a backhand catch of a drive by Herb Plews. Keegan also drove in the last run of the night for the Sox, with an RBI single.
At 37, he became the oldest South Side pitcher to ever throw a no-hitter. Keegan would go 10-8 in a season that saw the Sox win 90 games and finish in second place.
1977
The move didn’t make much of a difference for the fading South Side Hit Men, but would have interesting ramifications in the next season: Shortstop Don Kessinger was acquired from the Cardinals for minor league pitcher Steve Staniland.
Kessinger’s effectiveness as a major-leaguer was long over, but his veteran leadership saw owner Bill Veeck selected Kessinger as player-manager after the dismissal of Larry Doby as manager during the 1978 season. Kessinger remains the last player-manager ever in the American League, and most recent behind Pete Rose in all of baseball.
1989
After White Sox star Harold Baines was traded to Texas on July 29, the team retired his uniform number No. 3 when the Rangers returned to Chicago. He was only the third active player to have his uniform number retired by a club, joining Frank Robinson and Phil Niekro.
Knowing Baines’ reluctance to step into the spotlight, the White Sox kept the ceremony a secret. Jerry Reinsdorf felt the honor wasn’t announced in advance “because I felt Harold wouldn’t show up. He doesn’t like attention like that. He might have tried to talk us out of it.”
Baines was overwhelmed but understated: “As you know, I’m a man of few words. This is very gratifying. I had a great time in Chicago and made a lot of friends. Thank you very much.”
The White Sox gifted Harold a watch and some golf clubs, as well as a necklace for his wife, Marla.
The future Hall-of-Famer didn’t play in the 7-1 Texas victory, due to hamstring tightness. He was on-deck for a token pinch-hitting appearance when the Rangers were retired in the top of the ninth.
2007
After sitting idle in the bullpen for eight days, Bobby Jenks had his MLB record-tying 41 consecutive batters retired streak snapped, as Joey Gathright dribbled a single through third base leading off the ninth inning of a 4-3 White Sox win.
