Windows in Time: The White Sox Decade-by-Decade

The White Sox won the pennant in 1901, the first year of their existence and of the American League's existence. We'll never know how they might have fared against the National League champion Pittsburgh Pirates--because the modern World Series was not played until 1903.

     The Sox won the pennant again in 1906. This time they went on to defeat the heavily-favored Cubs in the World Series, with future Hall of Famer Ed Walsh winning two games. 

     The period from 1901 through 1909 has produced the best cumulative regular-season winning percentage of any calendar decade in White Sox history to date.

ED WALSH

Below is a survey of the White Sox' performance for each calendar decade. This chart shows that after a sustained run of success including four pennants and two world championships through 1919, the Sox entered a long period in which mediocrity or worse was the norm and respectability or better the exception.

Years                     W.         L.         Pct.        Championships

1901 - 1909          744       575       .564         A.L. 1901; World 1906

1910 - 1919          798       692       .536         World 1917; A.L. 1919

1920 - 1929          731       804       .476         none

1930 - 1939          678       841       .446         none

1940 - 1949          707       820       .463         none

1950 - 1959          847       693       .550         A.L. 1959

1960 - 1969          852       760       .529         none

1970 - 1979          752       853       .469         none

1980 - 1989          758       802       .486         Division 1983

1990 - 1999          816       735       .526         Division 1993, 1994

2000 - 2009          857       764       .529         Div. 2000; World 2005; Div. 2008

2010 - 2019          743       876       .459         none

 

LUKE APPLING

The first ten-year stretch in White Sox annals to produce a losing record was the period from 1918 through 1927. After that, no ten-year stretch produced a winning record until 1935 through 1944. 

    The Sox' worst ten-year run of all time was from 1926 through 1935. It certainly was no reflection on the performance of Hall of Famers Luke Appling and Ted Lyons.  

 

Years                     W.         L.         Pct.        Notes

1926 - 1935          643       881       .422         One season over .500

 

    

NELLIE FOX

The White Sox' best ten-year run was from 1952 through 1961--a subset of the 17 consecutive winning seasons the South Siders posted from 1951 through 1967. This period featured the American League pennant of 1959 and the heyday of Luis Aparicio, Nellie Fox, Minnie Minoso, Billy Pierce, and Early Wynn, among others.

     The Sox were so consistent during these years that their cumulative winning percentage was .568 for the ten-year runs ending in 1960, 1961, and 1963--and .567 for the periods ending in 1962, 1964, and 1965. 

  

Years                     W.         L.         Pct.         

1952 - 1961          879       669       .5678        

1954 - 1963          888       676       .5677        

1951 - 1960          874       666       .5675        

1953 - 1962          883       673       .5674

1955 - 1964          892       680       .5674

1956 - 1965          896       684       .5670

     

FRANK THOMAS

After this, the Sox and their fans endured a dry spell from the late 1960s through the 1980s (briefly relieved by the memorable division championship of 1983). 

     The last decade of the twentieth century and the first decade of the twenty-first was a sort of golden age. Teams led by the likes of Mark Buehrle, Paul Konerko, Magglio Ordonez, Frank Thomas, and Robin Ventura captured five division titles, one American League pennant, and the first world championship for either Chicago team since 1917.  

 

Chicago White Sox year-by-year history on Baseball-Reference.com

 

Check out our book Heydays: Great Stories in Chicago Sports on Amazon.

 

White Sox Opening Day Honor Roll

Hope springs eternal for every ball club and its fans every year on Opening Day, but this year feels especially promising for the White Sox. Time will tell, as it always does, but there's every reason to believe that the Sox and their fans are in for a memorable ride together. We'll find out starting tonight when the South Siders begin the 2021 regular season in Anaheim.

     

RAY SCHALK

We've taken a look back at season openers of the past to compile the White Sox' All-Opening Day roster. Hall of Fame catcher Ray Schalk is the only Sox player to make 15 consecutive Opening Day starts at the same position. Paul Konerko also made 15 consecutive starts on Opening Day--two at designated hitter and the next 13 at first base. 

    

PAUL KONERKO

The only other players to start 13 or more times for the Pale Hose on Opening Day are three Hall of Famers--Frank Thomas, Luke Appling, and Nellie Fox--and the man who managed the Sox to the world championship in 2005--Ozzie Guillen.

 

FRANK THOMAS

The lists below reflect White Sox Opening Day lineups from 1901 through 2020. Asterisks indicate consecutive years.

 
Most Opening Day starts, any position
  1. Ray Schalk, 15* (1913-1927)

  1. Paul Konerko, 15* (1999-2013) 

  2. Frank Thomas, 14* (1991-2004)
  2. Luke Appling, 14 (1933-1949)
  3. Nellie Fox, 13* (1951-1963)
  3. Ozzie Guillen, 13* (1985-1997)

LUKE APPLING

 

Most Opening Day starts by position
  P. Mark Buehrle, 9 (2002-2011)
  C. Ray Schalk, 15* (1913-1927)
1B. Paul Konerko, 13* (2001-2013)
2B. Nellie Fox, 13* (1951-1963)
3B. Willie Kamm, 9* (1923-1931)

SS. Luke Appling, 14 (1933-1949)
LF. Bibb Falk, 7 (1921-1928)
LF. Minnie Minoso, 7 (1952-1961)

CF. Lance Johnson, 7 (1988-1995)
RF. Harold Baines, 8* (1980-1987)
DH. Frank Thomas, 5 (1998-2004)

Second most Opening Day starts by position
  P. Billy Pierce, 7 (1951-1959)
  C. Sherm Lollar, 10 (1952-1962)

1B. Frank Thomas, 9 (1991-2000)
2B. Eddie Collins, 12* (1915-1926)
3B. Robin Ventura, 8 (1990-1998)

SS. Ozzie Guillen, 13* (1985-1997)
LF. Patsy Dougherty, 5* (1907-1911)

LF. Joe Jackson, 5* (1916-1920)

LF. Carlos Lee, 5* (2000-2004)

LF. Carlos May, 5 (1969-1974)
CF. Happy Felsch, 6* (1915-1920)

CF. Chet Lemon, 6* (1976-1981)
CF. Fielder Jones, 6 (1902-1908)

RF. Magglio Ordonez, 7* (1998-2004)
DH. Greg Luzinski, 4* (1981-1984)
DH. Jim Thome, 4* (2006-2009)

DH. Adam Dunn, 4* (2011-2014)

 

Third most Opening Day starts by position
  P. Wilbur Wood, 5* (1972-1976)
  C. Billy Sullivan, 9 (1901-1912)
1B. Earl Sheely, 7* (1921-1927)
1B. Jose Abreu, 7* (2014-2020)

2B. Ray Durham, 8* (1995-2002)
3B. Bill Melton, 7* (1969-1975)

SS. Luis Aparicio, 10 (1956-1970)
LF. Rip Radcliff, 4* (1935-1938)

LF. Ralph Garr, 4* (1976-1979)

LF. Tim Raines, 4* (1992-1995)
CF. Mike Kreevich, 5 (1936-1941)

CF. Jim Landis, 5 (1959-1964)
RF. Floyd Robinson, 5* (1962-1966)

RF. Jermaine Dye, 5* (2005-2009)
DH. Harold Baines, 3 (1988-1997)

 

 

Check out our book Heydays: Great Stories in Chicago Sports on Amazon.  

Abreu Adds to White Sox' Trophy Case

Jose Abreu has become the fourth White Sox player to win the American League Most Valuable Player award and the first player ever to win both Rookie of the Year and MVP in a Sox uniform. (Dick Allen won the American League MVP in 1972 after being National League Rookie of the Year in 1964.) Abreu's trophy case also includes a Most Valuable Player award from Cuba's major league, the Serie Nacional, for 2011. 

     Abreu was a star in Cuba's league for years and also represented that country in international competitions until he defected after the World Baseball Classic in 2013. He made his way to Haiti and then the Dominican Republic before signing with the White Sox for six years at a reported $68 million. After the 2019 season, he re-upped with the Sox for three years at $50 million.

    

JOSE ABREU

At today's prices, the White Sox have gotten their money's worth and then some, both in terms of Abreu's robust offensive production and in terms of his work ethic and leadership qualities. This year, the South Siders made the postseason for the first time since 2008, and--not coincidentally--Abreu had his best season since joining the club. At the relatively advanced age of 33, he played every game and led the league in hits, slugging, total bases, and runs batted in (knocking in 60 runs in 60 games). He also had the first three-homer game of his career, against the Cubs.

     "I'm just glad that he's on our team," said White Sox pitcher Reynaldo Lopez,  "because I can't imagine how difficult it is for the other pitcher to face him."

 

Below are some of the noteworthy honors won by Abreu and other White Sox over the years.

Retired Numbers 
2 - Nellie Fox
3 - Harold Baines
4 - Luke Appling
9 - Minnie Minoso
11 - Luis Aparicio
14 - Paul Konerko
16 - Ted Lyons
19 - Billy Pierce
35 - Frank Thomas
56 - Mark Buehrle
72 - Carlton Fisk

World Championship Managers
1906 - Fielder Jones
1917 - Pants Rowland
2005 - Ozzie Guillen

World Series Most Valuable Player
2005 - Jermaine Dye

American League Most Valuable Player
1959 - Nellie Fox
1972 - Dick Allen
1993 - Frank Thomas
1994 - Frank Thomas
2020 - Jose Abreu

The Sporting News Major League Player of the Year
1959 - Early Wynn
1993 - Frank Thomas
2020 - Jose Abreu

American League Cy Young Award
1959 - Early Wynn
1983 - LaMarr Hoyt
1993 - Jack McDowell

American League Rookie of the Year
1956 - Luis Aparicio
1963 - Gary Peters
1966 - Tommie Agee
1983 - Ron Kittle
1985 - Ozzie Guillen
2014 - Jose Abreu 

American League Batting Champions
1936 - Luke Appling
1943 - Luke Appling
1997 - Frank Thomas
2019 - Tim Anderson

American League Home Run Leaders
1971 - Bill Melton
1972 - Dick Allen
1974 - Dick Allen

American League Runs Batted In Leaders
1972 - Dick Allen
2019 - Jose Abreu
2020 - Jose Abreu

American League Leaders in Victories
1907 - Doc White
1908 - Ed Walsh
1917 - Eddie Cicotte
1919 - Eddie Cicotte
1925 - Ted Lyons
1927 - Ted Lyons
1957 - Billy Pierce
1959 - Early Wynn
1964 - Gary Peters
1972 - Wilbur Wood
1973 - Wilbur Wood
1982 - LaMarr Hoyt
1983 - LaMarr Hoyt
1993 - Jack McDowell

American League Leaders in Earned-Run Average
1906 - Doc White
1907 - Ed Walsh
1910 - Ed Walsh
1917 - Eddie Cicotte
1921 - Red Faber
1922 - Red Faber
1941 - Thornton Lee
1942 - Ted Lyons
1947 - Joe Haynes
1955 - Billy Pierce
1960 - Frank Baumann
1963 - Gary Peters
1966 - Gary Peters
1967 - Joel Horlen

American League Leaders in Strikeouts
1908 - Ed Walsh
1909 - Frank Smith
1911 - Ed Walsh
1953 - Billy Pierce
2003 - Esteban Loaiza
2015 - Chris Sale

American League Manager of the Year
1983 - Tony LaRussa
1990 - Jeff Torborg
1993 - Gene Lamont
2000 - Jerry Manuel
2005 - Ozzie Guillen

 

Check out our book Heydays: Great Stories in Chicago Sports on Amazon.   

Old Comiskey Park

The original Comiskey Park hosted its last game 30 years ago, on September 30, 1990. A full house of 42,849 saw the legendary Minnie Minoso deliver the White Sox' lineup card to the umpires before the game and then saw the Sox defeat the Seattle Mariners 2-1. Center fielder Lance Johnson and rookie first baseman Frank Thomas provided most of the offense, while Jack McDowell won his 14th game of the season and Bobby Thigpen saved his 57th (exceeding the previous single-season record by 11).

    

COMISKEY PARK IN 1990

Comiskey Park was truly a wonder when it opened in 1910. It was one of the first concrete-and-steel stadiums, which were replacing the wooden bandboxes (a.k.a. firetraps) that had prevailed since the 1880s. It was designed by Zachary Taylor Davis, who also designed Weeghman Park (later known as Wrigley Field) a few years later. White Sox ace Ed Walsh had a hand in mapping the park's pitcher-friendly dimensions of 420 feet to center field, 382 feet in the alleys, and 363 feet down the lines. Its original capacity of 32,000 made Comiskey by far the largest ballpark ever built to that time. Accordingly, it was called "the Baseball Palace of the World."

 

Comiskey Park hosted World Series games in 1917, 1918, 1919, and 1959. In 1917, the White Sox defeated the New York Giants in all three home games en route to the world championship. In 1919, the so-called "Black Sox" lost three of four home games to the Cincinnati Reds, who won the Series under a cloud of suspicion that it had been fixed. In 1959, the Sox drubbed the Los Angeles Dodgers 11-0 in Game 1 but lost the other two home games and the Series.

     In the 1918 Series, the Cubs played their home games at Comiskey Park to take advantage of its larger seating capacity. The Cubs won just one of three home games and lost the series to Babe Ruth and the Boston Red Sox four games to two.

 

Comiskey Park hosted three major-league All-Star Games, including the first one in 1933. That game drew an overflow crowd of 47,595, and Ruth (by then a long-time Yankee) hit the first home run in All-Star competition as the American Leaguers won 4-2. In 1950, the National Leaguers won in extra innings, and the great Red Sox outfielder Ted Williams suffered a broken elbow that sidelined him for the rest of the season. In 1983, California Angels outfielder Fred Lynn hit the first grand slam in an All-Star Game as the American Leaguers won 13-3. 

     Comiskey Park was also the most frequent site of the Negro Leagues' annual East-West All-Star Game between 1933 and 1960. 

 

In addition to being the stomping grounds of the White Sox for 81 seasons, Comiskey Park was home to a variety of other Chicago teams over the years:

-- Cardinals (National Football League), 1922-1925, 1929-1930, 1940-1958

-- American Giants (Negro American League), 1941-1952

-- Mustangs (North American Soccer League), 1967-1968

-- Sting (North American Soccer League), 1980-1985

 

In 1937, Joe Louis became the world heavyweight champion by defeating Jim Braddock at Comiskey Park (he reigned as champion until 1949). The Beatles played two sold-out concerts there in 1965, and the Jacksons played three in 1984. In 1979, the White Sox had to forfeit the second game of a doubleheader when disk jockey Steve Dahl's Disco Demolition Night got out of hand.

 

And let's not forget that White Sox owner Bill Veeck installed the first exploding scoreboard in baseball (or any sport) at Comiskey Park in 1960. That alone would have qualified the old ballyard as a unique and unforgettable place.

Check out our book Heydays: Great Stories in Chicago Sports on Amazon.  

 

 

        

 

        

"As Good as It Gets"

    

BO JACKSON

     Bo Jackson’s role as a glib celebrity pitchman in countless TV commercials tended to make people forget that he was not a cartoon character but a shy, modest man who was grateful for the gifts nature had given him. Jackson was an All-Star in both the NFL and Major League Baseball—a unique achievement—until a 1991 football injury left him with an artificial hip.
     His career seemed to be over, and when Jackson appeared at the White Sox’ spring training camp in 1993, few observers gave him much of a chance to make the team. “I have a little hitch in my giddy-up,” Jackson admitted, but he had put himself through a tortuous rehab program and claimed to be getting better every day. Jackson made the team, thus fulfilling a promise made at his mother’s deathbed several months before.
     Jackson’s first at-bat of the year (and first in 18 months) came in the home opener at new Comiskey Park on April 9. He belted the second pitch he saw over the right-field wall for a home run. The crowd of 42,775 went wild, calling him out of the dugout after he had circled the bases. “The only thing I could think of at that time was my mother,” Jackson said after the game. “I made myself a promise after she passed that when I got back in the game and got my first hit, I was going to give that ball to her.” He had the ball bronzed, inscribed, and affixed to his mother’s tombstone.
     Although the Sox lost to the Yankees, it was a stirring start to what would prove a storybook season on the South Side. After a listless three months in which they flirted with the .500 mark, the Sox stormed through the second half to open up a comfortable lead over the Texas Rangers heading down the stretch. First baseman Frank Thomas, Jackson’s football teammate at Auburn University, was having the greatest offensive season in White Sox history and would soon receive the first of back-to-back MVP awards.
     By September 27, the White Sox were poised to clinch the American League West title. On this crisp Monday evening, the Sox’ Wilson Alvarez and Seattle’s Dave Fleming dueled through five and a half scoreless innings. In the bottom of the sixth, Ellis Burks led off with a single. Craig Grebeck followed with a bunt single, and the crowd of 42,116 began to stir. But Fleming settled down and retired the next two Sox hitters. Then Jackson stepped into the batter’s box. Sensing the dramatic possibilities, the fans came to their feet cheering and waving a sea of white socks over their heads. Fleming approached Bo carefully, and the count went to 3-and-0. Given the green light, Jackson swung at the next offering and hit a sky-high drive to left field.
     “I thought it was a pop-up,” Jackson said. But the ball kept soaring up and out, up and out, until it finally landed beyond the wall for a three-run homer. “It was amazing,” said the Sox’ Lance Johnson. “I thought Bo missed it and popped it up, but the left fielder went back, back, back until he just ran out of real estate.”
     “That,” Seattle manager Lou Piniella said, “is one strong man.”
     Bo’s blow gave the Sox a lead they never relinquished as they won 4-2 to wrap up the division title. It was a miracle finish not only for Jackson, but also for Alvarez, who had returned from the minors in August to win his last seven starts.
     After the game, the champagne-soaked Jackson went back out to the field to thank Sox fans for their support. Few had left, although the game had been over for half an hour. Jackson jogged around the field, waving a white sock of his own at the delirious fans. “This is as good as it gets,” he said. “The most fun I’ve had as a professional athlete.”

Reprinted from Heydays: Great Stories in Chicago Sports
(c) by Christopher Tabbert.

White Sox All-Opening Day Lineup

     The White Sox' home opener at U.S. Cellular Field is upon us, and the South Siders and their fans are anticipating an exciting season. Chairman Jerry Reinsdorf gave general manager Kenny Williams the okay to spend the money needed to stock the roster for a serious run at the pennant. The Sox, in Williams's words, are "all in" for 2011.
     We're taking a look back at the Sox' openers of the past to compile the club's All-Opening Day roster. The lists below reflect Opening Day lineups from 1920 through 2011. (The information for years prior to 1920 is not readily available.)

* Asterisks indicate consecutive years.

Most Opening Day starts
  1. Frank Thomas, 14* (1991-2004)
  2. Luke Appling, 14 (1933-1949)
  3. Nellie Fox, 13* (1951-1963)
  3. Ozzie Guillen, 13* (1985-1997)
  3. Paul Konerko, 13* (1999-2011)

First team (most Opening Day starts by position)
  P. Mark Buehrle, 9 (2002-2011)
  C. Sherm Lollar, 10 (1952-1962)
1B. Paul Konerko, 11* (2001-2011)
2B. Nellie Fox, 13* (1951-1963)
SS. Luke Appling, 14 (1933-1949)
3B. Willie Kamm, 9* (1923-1931)
LF. Bibb Falk, 7 (1921-1928)
CF. Lance Johnson, 7 (1988-1995)
RF. Harold Baines, 8* (1980-1987)
DH. Frank Thomas, 5 (1998-2004)

Second team (second most Opening Day starts by position)
  P. Billy Pierce, 7 (1951-1959)
  C. Ray Schalk, 8* (1920-1927)
1B. Frank Thomas, 9 (1991-2000)
2B. Ray Durham, 8* (1995-2002)
SS. Ozzie Guillen, 13* (1985-1997)
3B. Robin Ventura, 8 (1990-1998)
LF. Minnie Minoso, 7 (1952-1961)
CF. Chet Lemon, 6* (1976-1981)
RF. Magglio Ordonez, 7* (1998-2004)
DH. Greg Luzinski, 4* (1981-1984)

Third team (third most Opening Day starts by position)
  P. Wilbur Wood, 5* (1972-1976)
  C. Mike Tresh, 8 (1940-1948)
  C. Carlton Fisk, 8 (1981-1991)
1B. Earl Sheely, 7* (1921-1927)
2B. Eddie Collins, 7* (1920-1926)
SS. Luis Aparicio, 10 (1956-1970)
3B. Bill Melton, 7* (1969-1975)
LF. Carlos Lee, 5* (2000-2004)
CF. Mike Kreevich, 5 (1936-1941)
RF. Jermaine Dye, 5* (2005-2009)
DH. Jim Thome, 4* (2006-2009)

White Sox WARs

WILBUR WOOD

     Of the many new statistics which have inundated baseball fans over the past decade or two, perhaps the most interesting is WAR (wins above replacement). This stat seeks to measure a player's value to his team by determining the number of wins he was responsible for. A WAR of 5.0, for example, means that the team won five more games with the given player in the lineup than it would have won with an average player in his place.
     Not including 19th-century pitchers who appeared in almost every game, the highest single-season WAR of all time was Babe Ruth's 14.7 in 1923. The Bambino is also the career leader in WAR with 190.0.
     What about White Sox WARs? In 1971, lefty knuckleballer Wilbur Wood went 22-13 with an earned-run average of 1.91, completed 22 of his 42 starts, tossed seven shutouts, and allowed exactly one baserunner (hits and walks combined) for each of his 334 innings. His performance on the mound earned him a WAR of 10.7, the highest figure for any pitcher or position player in club history.
     Alas, in those days before the designated hitter, Wood's contributions at the plate left something to be desired. He went 5-for-96 (.052), with no doubles, no triples, no homers, and no runs batted in. His WAR as a batter, even though it was measured against other pitchers, was minus 0.7, reducing his overall figure for the season to 10.0. In the list of all-time leading White Sox WARs below, we've cut Wilbur and his fellow hurlers some slack, listing their figures as pitchers only, and not docking them for their lack of hitting prowess.
     Among position players, unsung shortstop Ron Hansen cracked the top ten single-season White Sox WARs in 1964, largely on the strength of his 2.8 figure on defense. Hansen's 4.6 on offense gave him a total WAR of 7.4, tied for seventh place among all position players in club history. On the other side of the coin, Dick Allen, Frank Thomas, and Albert Belle all tallied negative scores on defense, but these were more than offset by their offensive production.

Top Ten White Sox WARs, single season (pitchers)

  1. Wilbur Wood (1971), 10.7
  2. Eddie Cicotte (1917), 10.0
  3. Red Faber (1921), 9.9
  3. Ed Walsh (1912), 9.9
  5. Wilbur Wood (1972), 9.7
  6. Ed Walsh (1908), 9.5
  7. Eddie Cicotte (1919), 8.8
  8. Ed Walsh (1910), 8.7
  9. Thornton Lee (1941), 8.2
10. Ed Walsh (1911), 8.2


Top Ten White Sox WARs, single season (position players)

  1. Eddie Collins, 2B (1915), 10.1
  2. Dick Allen, 1B (1972), 9.3
  3. Minnie Minoso, LF (1954), 8.3
  4. Eddie Collins, 2B (1920), 8.0
  5. Luke Appling, SS (1936), 7.7
  6. Frank Thomas, 1B (1992), 7.6
  7. Albert Belle, LF (1998), 7.4
  7. George Davis, SS (1905), 7.4
  7. Ron Hansen, SS (1964), 7.4
  7. Joe Jackson, LF (1920), 7.4
  7. Frank Thomas, 1B (1991), 7.4


Top Ten White Sox WARs, career (pitchers)

  1. Ted Lyons (1923-1942), 58.8
  2. Red Faber (1914-1933), 55.2
  3. Ed Walsh (1904-1916), 55.0
  4. Billy Pierce (1949-1961), 50.3
  5. Wilbur Wood (1967-1978), 44.9
  6. Eddie Cicotte (1912-1920), 43.1
  7. Mark Buehrle (2000-present), 42.9
  8. Doc White (1903-1913), 29.9
  9. Thornton Lee (1937-1947), 28.0
10. Tommy John (1965-1971), 22.5


Top Ten White Sox WARs, career (position players)

  1. Frank Thomas, 1B-DH (1990-2005), 70.6
  2. Luke Appling, SS (1930-1950), 69.3
  3. Eddie Collins, 2B (1915-1926), 66.0
  4. Nellie Fox, 2B (1950-1963), 42.7
  5. Minnie Minoso, OF (1951-1957, 1960-1961, 1964, 1976, 1980), 42.7
  6. Robin Ventura, 3B (1989-1998), 38.8
  7. Fielder Jones, OF (1901-1908), 35.1
  8. George Davis, SS (1902, 1904-1909), 33.4
  9. Luis Aparicio, SS (1956-1961, 1968-1970), 31.5
10. Carlton Fisk, C (1981-1993), 29.6

Bill James's Greatest Chicago Players

EDDIE COLLINS

     Bill James and his fellow sabermetricians--so named after the Society for American Baseball Research (SABR), through which they operate--seek to go beyond the traditional figures that have populated the sports pages for more than a century (batting average, home runs, runs batted in, wins, strikeouts, and earned-run average), in order to measure every aspect of a player's performance and value.
     Their work leads inevitably to the ranking of players, which is always interesting, often controversial, and sometimes changes considerably over time (for example, Ernie Banks was ranked 40th in an early version of James's list of the greatest players of all time, but has since slipped to 77th). The rankings have made James's books best sellers and are surefire conversation starters.
     The best Chicago player of all time, according to James, was Eddie Collins. "Collins is described by various sources," James wrote, "as the best bunter in the history of baseball, the best hit-and-run man in the history of baseball, the best defensive second baseman in the history of baseball, the best sign-stealer who ever lived, and the greatest World Series star who ever lived. Kid Gleason, who managed Collins on the White Sox, said that Collins was the greatest team player who ever lived. Connie Mack [who managed Collins with the Athletics] said that Collins was the greatest team player who ever lived."
     Below is a list of all the Chicago players in James's most recent top 100. (Note that some of them played only briefly in Chicago, and therefore earned their ranking elsewhere.) Notable by his absence from this list is Sammy Sosa, whose steroid-tainted career remains difficult to evaluate at present.

18. Eddie Collins, White Sox 1915-1926

20. Grover Alexander, Cubs 1918-1926

22. Rogers Hornsby, Cubs 1929-1932

29. Jimmie Foxx, Cubs 1942, 1944

38. Tom Seaver, White Sox 1984-1986

58. Ryne Sandberg, Cubs 1982-1994, 1996-1997

66. Joe Jackson, White Sox 1916-1920

71. Al Simmons, White Sox 1933-1935

73. Ken Griffey Jr., White Sox 2008

75. Frank Thomas, White Sox 1990-2005

77. Ernie Banks, Cubs 1953-1971

78. Steve Carlton, White Sox 1986

80. Roberto Alomar, White Sox 2003-2004

81. Tim Raines, White Sox 1991-1995

83. Mordecai Brown, Cubs 1904-1912, 1916

85. Minnie Minoso, White Sox 1951-1957, 1960-1961, 1964

87. Ron Santo, Cubs 1960-1973; White Sox 1974

92. Greg Maddux, Cubs 1986-1992, 2004-2006

96. Robin Roberts, Cubs 1966

97. Carlton Fisk, White Sox, 1981-1993

100. Billy Williams, Cubs 1959-1974

Splendid Seasons: White Sox MVPs

We're remembering the 19 Chicago athletes whose splendid seasons have earned them the Most Valuable Player award for their respective leagues. Three of these players have represented the White Sox.

Nellie Fox,
1959

     “There was never a more bear-down, hard-nosed little guy than Nellie Fox,” said the great Ted Williams. Fox teamed first with Chico Carrasquel and later with Luis Aparicio to give the White Sox the slickest double-play tandem of the fifties.
     In 1959, leadoff man Aparicio and second hitter Fox supplied the octane for the pennant-winning Go-Go Sox. Aparicio stole 56 bases and scored 98 runs. Fox hit .306 with 70 RBIs, while playing every game (his consecutive-games streak eventually reached 798, a record for second basemen). Both players won Gold Gloves. In the MVP balloting, Fox preceded the man he followed in the batting order, winning the award while Aparicio was runner-up.
     It was no coincidence that Aparicio led the league in steals in each of the seven years that he and Fox played together. Fox was the ideal No. 2 hitter: he could take pitches and foul off pitches all day long without fear of striking out, and he bunted with the best of them. He led the American League for 10 straight years in the category of toughest to strike out. He also led the league in hits four times, played in 12 All-Star games (batting .386), and won three Gold Gloves.
     Fox made an indelible impression on fans with his scrappy, hustling play and the ever-present chaw of tobacco bulging out of his cheek. Listed at five-foot-nine and 160 pounds, Fox never backed down at the plate or in the field. “The most important thing to me,” said teammate Billy Pierce, “was his determination and competitiveness, which made up for some of the physical things he didn’t have. He loved the game and he played it hard.”
     Fox was elected to the Hall of Fame in 1997—but alas, he never knew it, having passed away in 1975.

Dick Allen,
1972

     One of the most talented and enigmatic players of recent decades, Dick Allen used his amazing strength and bat speed to terrorize pitchers in 1972, his first year in the American League after eight seasons in the National League as Richie Allen. Acquired by the White Sox after wearing out his welcome with three other clubs in the previous three years, he came to Chicago with a new name but with the same old attitude. He skipped batting practice, traveled separately from his teammates, and smoked on the bench. He showed up late even for the All-Star Game.
     Despite all this, Allen flourished with the Sox—for a time. Manager Chuck Tanner blithely admitted that he had one set of rules for Allen and another for the rest of the team. The recalcitrant slugger responded with a then-club-record 37 homers to go with 113 RBIs and a .308 average as the Sox stayed in contention all year; they finished five and a half games behind Oakland after bottoming out with 106 losses only two years before. A particular highlight was a doubleheader sweep of the Yankees on June 4 before a Bat Day crowd of 51,904 at Comiskey Park. In the nightcap, the Sox were trailing 4-2 in the bottom of the ninth when Allen blasted a three-run pinch-hit homer into the upper deck in left field.
     Allen used the heaviest bat in the majors, a 42-ounce war club, and launched the most wicked line drives. He literally hit the ball through the back of a wooden seat on more than one occasion. He always wore a batting helmet in the field, a reminder of his days in Philadelphia, where fans pelted him with coins, batteries, and even bottles. White Sox fans showered Allen only with love, but even so, his limited attention span finally gave out in 1974, his third year in Chicago. He quit the team with three weeks left in the season.

Frank Thomas,
1993, 1994

     Frank Thomas joined the White Sox on August 2, 1990, fully formed as a major-league star. He hit .330 in that first partial season. He never experienced the growing pains typical of rookies. He never suffered through a prolonged slump. It soon became apparent that he was the most dangerous offensive force to come along since Ted Williams, half a century before him. No one since Williams had put up such gaudy numbers so consistently from the start of his career. In his first six full seasons, Thomas batted .327 and averaged 36 homers, 116 RBIs, 106 runs scored, and 121 walks.
     The imposing, six-foot-four Thomas played football at Auburn University, where he was a little-known teammate of Heisman Trophy winner Bo Jackson. When the two were reunited with the White Sox, it was Bo’s turn to be eclipsed. In 1993, Thomas slammed 41 homers, knocked in 128 runs, and batted .317 to earn his first American League MVP award as the Sox won their division by eight games.
     In 1994, the Sox were in first place again and might have been destined for their first World Series in 35 years when a labor dispute ended the season on August 12. For the first time since 1904, there was no World Series. Thomas’s second straight MVP was bittersweet, but comparisons to the immortal Williams didn’t seem far-fetched in light of the Big Hurt’s .353 average, 38 homers, 101 RBIs, 106 runs scored, .494 on-base percentage, and .729 slugging percentage in just 113 games.
     Thomas appeared almost exclusively as a designated hitter after the age of 30, and his production declined rather sharply. He had one more monster year in 2000 as the Sox ran away with the division title; he hit .328 with 43 homers, 143 RBIs, and 115 runs scored, finishing second in the MVP voting. Unfortunately, Thomas missed the Sox' unforgettable 2005 postseason with an injury, and he was let go the following winter. By the end of his career in 2008, he ranked among the top sluggers of all time in every pertinent category. It seems safe to assume that he will soon be enshrined in Cooperstown.

Mildly Interesting Trivia Department: Frank Thomas of the White Sox, 1994 American League MVP, and Jeff Bagwell of the Houston Astros, 1994 National League MVP, were born on the same day—May 27, 1968.