| The AL
Central Chicago White Sox:
The Chicago White Sox started playing in 1901. They were the second team
to be declared as a Major League on January 28, 1901. Back then they
were called the White Stockings. They started at Southside Park until
1910 when they moved to Comisky Park. The land was purchased by Charles
Comiskey in 1909.The park was designed by Zachary Taylor Davis. On April
18, 1991 they opened up a brand new stadium, Comisky Park II.
The White Sox played there first game on April 24, 1901; this was of
course there first “official” game as Major league players. They played
against Cleveland thumping them 8-2! In 1906 The White Sox are on a roll
with 19 wins thanks to pitcher Roy Patterson. Then in October of the
same year they defeat the Cubs, 8-3 and claim the only all-Chicago World
Series winning 4 of the 6 meetings. In 1908 Ed Walsh makes a record and
remains a Chicago single-season record with 40 wins in one season. The
last game played in the old stadium was lost to Cleveland, 7-2. The
first game in the new stadium was lost as well, it was opening day July
1, 1910 and the stands were packed but the White Sox lost to St. Louis,
2-0.
In 1913 a worldwide tour was started by the Sox and the Giants featuring
a special exhibition game before King George of England. In 1917 The
White Sox are on a roll again winning their 100th game of the season
after winning against the New York Yankees. They win their second World
Series title after defeating the New York Giants 4-2 that same year.
Trouble brews in 1920 when 8 White Socks players are accused in playing
a part in the 1919 World Series fix. The eight players were approached
by big time gamblers and paid $100,000 to split in order to fix the
World Series. They were found not guilty in 1921 by a jury after 2 hours
of deliberation then later were banned by a judge for life. This was a
devastating time for the White Sox. This is how they acquired the
nickname “The Black Sox.”
One of the greats in White Sox history was shortstop Luke Appling who
made his debut in 1930. By 1950 Appling’s White Sox career had lasted 20
seasons and 2,422 games. Another hall-of-fame White Sox player is
pitcher Ted Lyons who started playing for the Sox in 1923. In 1946 Lyons
wins the 260th and his last game playing for the Sox with a 4-3 win
against the Browns. By the 1951 season The Sox enter the “Go-Go” era as
they attract over one million viewers at a time. The Sox are now
becoming a hit….literally!
In 1983 The White Sox make a Major League record by winning the division
by 20 games and snatching the American League West title at Comiskey
Park.
Opening day April 22, 1991, the first game played in the new Comiskey
Park is the White Sox against the Tigers. Devastating enough the Tigers
cream them 16-0! Then on April, 22 they play another game against
Baltimore winning 8-7 with the first home run hit in the new park by
Frank Thomas. The new stadium is a success as the White Sox’s all-time
attendance record is broke once more in the 1991 season with 2,934,154
fans!
Bo Jackson becomes the first Major League player with an artificial hip
in 1993 and the same year hits a three home run winning the game against
Seattle, 4-2 and earning the American League West title for the first
time in 10 seasons. Bo Jackson later on becomes a football great. Being
great at both baseball and football he fast earned the slogan “Bo
knows.”
In 2003 they started making many renovations to the stadium that would
take a few years to complete. They did this after partnering up with the
U.S. Cellular. They then renamed this stadium U.S. Cellular Field. By
opening day 2005 they hope to have completed all renovations. Some of
the renovations that have already been made include; adding a new roof
to the upper seating level that leaves only 8 rows uncovered, a wall has
also been added on the upper level Concourse to help protect fans from
the weather, a balcony has been added to the Lower Terrace Suite and
they renovated the Fan Deck This stadium is well known and has been
location for many movies and commercials. Two of the movies that I know
about are “Major League II” and “My Best friends wedding.” Before a game
on April 22, 2004 the White Sox unveiled a statue in the center-field
concourse that honors there founder Charles A. Comiskey.
See more at the Chicago White Sox Official Site
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Team
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2004
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Chicago White Sox Accomplishments:
World Series Champions 2 -
1906, 1917
League Champions 5 -
1901(AL), 1906(AL), 1917(AL), 1919(AL), 1959(AL)
Division Champions 4 -
1983(AL West), 1993(AL West), 1994(AL Central), 2000(AL Central) |
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