The Chicago White Sox are a Major League Baseball team based in Chicago, Illinois. They are in the Central Division of the American League.

One of the AL's eight charter franchises, the White Sox dominated play during the early 20th century, winning 5 of the first 19 league pennants; but the team's fortunes dropped precipitously after it became involved in the greatest scandal in the history of the sport. Although the team has enjoyed fair success on the field since the difficult years of the 1920-1940s, it has met with difficulty in maintaining a consistently high level of quality, never qualifying for postseason play in consecutive seasons or more than twice in any span of twelve seasons. The team ended decades of frustration in 2005 when it won its first championship since 1917. The White Sox are one of two major league teams based in Chicago, the other being the Chicago Cubs of the National League.

All-time regular season record (1901-2005): 8210 won - 8020 lost - 101 tied - 3 no-decision
See also: List of Chicago White Sox people

Franchise history

As described in Lee Allen's book The American League Story (Putnam, 1962), the team began as the Sioux City franchise in a minor league called the Western League. The WL had reorganized itself in November 1893, with Ban Johnson as President. Johnson, a Cincinnati-based reporter, had been recommended by his friend Charles Comiskey, former major league star with the St. Louis Browns in the 1880s, who was then managing the Cincinnati Reds. After the 1894 season, when Comiskey's contract with the Reds was up, he decided to take his chances at ownership. He bought the Sioux City team and transferred it to St. Paul, where it enjoyed some success over the next 5 seasons.

In 1900, the Western League changed its name to the American League. It was still officially a minor league, a part of the National Agreement and an underling of the National League. The NL actually gave permission to the AL to put a team in Chicago, and Comiskey moved his St. Paul club to the south side. After the season, the AL declined to renew its membership in the National Agreement, and the war was on.

The club adopted the name "White Stockings," the original name of the Chicago Cubs, and acquired a number of stars from the National League, including pitcher and manager Clark Griffith, who paced the White Sox to the AL's first pennant in 1901. The nickname was quickly shortened to "White Sox." The White Sox would continue to be built on pitching and defense in the following years, led by pitching workhorse Ed Walsh, who routinely pitched over 400 innings each season in his prime.

The Hitless Wonders

Walsh, Doc White and Nick Altrock paced the White Sox to their 1906 pennant and their first World Series victory, a stunning upset over the Cubs who had won a record 116 regular-season games. The Sox, dubbed the "Hitless Wonders" for having the lowest team batting average in the American League that year, nevertheless took the Series, and intracity bragging rights, in six games.

"Say it Ain't So, Joe!"

The White Sox contended over the next decade, but did not bring home a pennant until 1917. Led by second baseman Eddie Collins and outfielder Shoeless Joe Jackson, the White Sox now had offense to go with the pitching of Eddie Cicotte and Red Faber, and a strong defense anchored by catcher Ray Schalk. After an off-year in the war-shortened season of 1918, the club bounced back to win the pennant in 1919 and entered the World Series heavily favored to defeat the Cincinnati Reds.

However, 1919 was the year of the infamous Black Sox scandal. Eight White Sox players, including Cicotte and Jackson, were involved, to varying degrees, in a plot by gamblers to "fix" the World Series. Especially considering their lack of success since the scandal, many people feel that the White Sox have never quite overcome the stigma of being the only team to allegedly fix the World Series. During the 2005 World Series championship, much was made of this historic event, and there is an ongoing assumption that this World Series win has finally driven the Black Sox cloud away to a large extent.

In that era, gamblers often influenced baseball games. Many players on a number of teams - often frustrated by their inability to make what they felt was a fair wage for being elite athletes - were willing to participate in fixing the outcome of baseball games in exchange for cash. However, until the Black Sox scandal, rarely did such attempts to fix games blow up into scandals of this proportion. Usually such scandals were limited to individual players and games in the regular season. Never before, as far as can be demonstrated with this degree of certainty, had the gamblers been so brazen as to attempt to fix the championship series.

The official evidence relating to participation in the 'fix' by the various accused players came to light late in the 1920 season. It began with an investigation into a fixed Cubs game that had become very public knowledge, and soon the 1919 Series events were on the table. Comiskey, who himself had turned a blind eye to the rumors previously, was compelled to suspend the remaining seven players (Gandil, eventually perceived as the ringleader, the one "connected" to the gamblers, had retired after the 1919 season). The suspensions ground the team to a halt; it was well on its way to another pennant. However, the evidence of their involvement (signed confessions) disappeared from the Cook County courthouse, and lacking that tangible evidence, a criminal trial (whose scope was limited to the question of defrauding the public) ended in acquittals of all the players. Regardless, with the public's trust of the game of baseball at stake, newly-installed Commissioner of Baseball Judge Landis banned all the accused from baseball for life. As the players were leaving a hearing, legend has it that a young boy (said by some to have been a newsboy) yelled out to Shoeless Joe, "Say it ain't so, Joe!", although there is no evidence this exchange ever took place.

Though suspended from baseball, whether the eight players' efforts to fix the World Series definitively caused the team to lose remains unknowable, of course. Many players on the White Sox were not part of the fix and presumably did play their best. Evidence also suggests that at times many of the players aware of the fix did try their best, especially as the Series progressed. Shoeless Joe Jackson hit .375 for the Series. He swore under oath that he played to win the World Series and that he did not know some thought him involved until after the Series when he was handed money. Buck Weaver's crime was limited to having known of the plot and not having turned in his fellow ballplayers. Though it was readily acknowledged that he took no active role in the fix, he was disqualified for having done nothing to stop it.

The usual theory is that the players took part in this plot as an act of revenge against Comiskey, considered to be one of the meanest and tightest-fisted owners in the game. The term "Black Sox" came about earlier in the year, when Comiskey decided to make players pay for their own laundry. The players stopped doing their laundry in protest, and as their white stockings became soiled and dark, the writers tagged them with that nickname.

A pitch-by-pitch record of every at-bat of the entire World Series was kept and retained - something that had not been common practice before and would not become common practice for several more decades. Some baseball scholars who have studied this pitch-by-pitch record in tandem with other records of the game have said they cannot identify any additional specific evidence that might otherwise indicate the White Sox tried deliberately to act to fix this World Series. In contrast, there is the oft-reported story that at least one contemporary writer kept his own scorecard and marked plays that looked suspicious.

There was certainly no shortage of suspicion at the time. Just before the Series, it became known that gamblers had suddenly put lots of money on the heavy-underdog Reds. That fueled discussion that the Series had been "doped", in the slang of the day. The rumors were so public and so potent that the Official Baseball Guide for 1920 chided the accusers editorially, little knowing how the story would ultimately play out that year.

Although Jackson may have played relatively honestly, as a batter he had limited influence. The best insurance for the gamblers was to get some pitchers. Cicotte purposely lost Game 1, with the storied signal to the gamblers that the fix was on when he hit the first batter with the pitch. Lefty Williams, one of the "Eight Men Out", lost 3 games, a Series record. Dick Kerr, who was not part of the fix, won both of his starts. Cicotte bore down and won Game 7 of the best-5-of-9 Series, angry that the gamblers were now reneging on their promises, as they claimed that all the money was in the hands of bookies. Reportedly the team was told to lose Game 8 "or else", and they were trounced by the Reds to end the Series.

It is reasonable to speculate that the Sox would have won the Series had they played honestly. But in later years the Cincinnati Reds, a group of proud professionals led by Hall of Fame hitting star Edd Roush, asserted that they could have won the Series even if it had been played honestly. Ironically, it would be another two decades before the Reds returned to the Series themselves.

The White Sox had been the league's dominant team at the time, but were severely crippled by losing seven of their best players in the middle of their prime. The team dropped into seventh place in 1921 and would not contend again until 1936. During that stretch, only the 1925 and 1926 teams even managed to top .500. During this period, the Sox featured stars such as third baseman Willie Kamm, shortstop Luke Appling and pitcher Ted Lyons. However, an outstanding team was never developed around them, or a deep pitching staff. Led from 1934 to 1946 by popular manager Jimmie Dykes, the White Sox didn't completely recover from their malaise until the team was rebuilt in the 1950s under managers Paul Richards, Marty Marion, and Al Lopez.

Between the dumping of star players by the Philadelphia Athletics and the Boston Red Sox, and the decimation of the White Sox, a baseball "power vacuum" was created, into which the New York Yankees would soon move.

It is interesting to note that since 1920, although the White Sox have won fewer pennants than the Chicago Cubs or the Boston Red Sox - whose fans can be considered among the most angst-riddled fans in all of sports - as well as being responsible for perhaps the biggest scandal in baseball history, the White Sox' fan base has largely shrugged off their relative lack of success over the years, blaming it more on inferior teams, poor management and bad luck rather than some other-worldly "curse". Even the players who conspired to fix the 1919 World Series seem not to have been reviled or held responsible for the White Sox' lack of success as much as certain Cubs and Red Sox icons have been. Rightly or wrongly, those Sox players have often been seen as victims, and Comiskey himself has often been seen as bearing a large part of the blame for what happened.

There are also a number of people who have taken up Shoeless Joe Jackson's cause (notably in the movie Field of Dreams), campaigning for reversal of his ban from baseball, and thus clearing the way for his Hall of Fame induction, which would be a reasonable possibility if it were to be allowed to be voted upon. They point to sketchy evidence that he had acted to throw the World Series; his performance prior to his ban, and the fact that he was, most likely, driven to agreeing to fix the World Series by the lack of respect accorded to him by Comiskey. They also point to the fact that, immediately after the World Series, Jackson attempted to turn over his take from throwing the World Series to Comiskey's lawyer (a scene echoed in the movie version of The Natural); however, the lawyer would not take the money, telling Jackson to "go home to South Carolina" and that the episode would blow over before long.

In fact, until the Pete Rose scandal, players who had been permanently banned from baseball were still technically eligible for the Hall of Fame (which is run privately and independently from Major League Baseball), though there was a strong concensus among the voters that such players would not be considered. In the Rose scandal's aftermath, the ban was codified and the loophole closed before it became an issue.

"Go-Go White Sox"

Following Charles Comiskey's death in 1931, the team continued to be operated by his family – first by his son Louis, then by Louis' widow Grace, and finally by their daughter Dorothy. Not until 1959 did the team pass out of the family (thanks in part to feud between Dorothy and her brother Chuck) to a new ownership group, led by Bill Veeck, who had previously run both the Cleveland Indians and the St. Louis Browns; it has recently been claimed that Veeck also tried to buy the Philadelphia Phillies during World War II, with the stated intention of stocking the team with players from the Negro Leagues, but was rejected.

Veeck's arrival in 1959 brought an organizational approach which emphasized the entertainment aspect of the sport without sacrificing quality on the field, and Comiskey Park became home to a series of fan-friendly promotional stunts which helped draw record crowds, the most obvious being the exploding fireworks Veeck installed in the scoreboard to celebrate home runs and victories. Unlike Charles Comiskey, Veeck was also considered a player-friendly owner, and players enjoyed playing for him.

During the 1950s, the team had begun to restore its respectability utilizing an offensive philosophy emphasizing speed and a spectacular style of defense. Perennial All-Star Minnie Miñoso, a former Negro Leaguer who became the Sox' first black player in 1951, personified both aspects, leading the league in stolen bases while hitting over .300 and providing terrific play in left field. The additions of rookie shortstop Luis Aparicio in 1956 and manager Al Lopez in 1957 continued the strengthening of the team, joining longtime team standouts such as Nellie Fox at second base, pitcher Billy Pierce and catcher Sherm Lollar.

In 1959, the team won its first pennant in 40 years, thanks to the efforts of several eventual Hall of Famers – Lopez, Aparicio, Fox (the league MVP), and pitcher Early Wynn, who won the Cy Young Award at a time when only one award was presented for both leagues. The White Sox would also acquire slugger Ted Kluszewski, a local area native, from the Cincinnati Reds for the final pennant push. Kluszewski gave the team a much-needed slugger for the stretch run, and he hit nearly .300 for the White Sox in the final month. Lopez had also managed the Cleveland Indians to the World Series in 1954, making him the only manager to interrupt the New York Yankees pennant run between 1949 and 1964.

After the pennant-clinching victory, Chicago Mayor Richard J. Daley, a life-long White Sox fan, ordered his fire chief to set off the city's air raid sirens. Many Chicagoans became fearful and confused, since 1959 was the height of the Cold War; however, they relaxed somewhat upon realizing it was part of the White Sox' celebration. The Sox won Game 1 of the World Series 11-0 on the strength of Kluszewski's two home runs, their last postseason home win until 2005. The Los Angeles Dodgers, however, won four of the next five games and captured their first World Series championship since moving to the west coast. 92,706 fans witnessed Game 5 of the World Series at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum, the most ever to attend a World Series game. The White Sox won that game 1-0 over the Dodgers' 23-year-old pitcher Sandy Koufax, but the Dodgers clinched the series by beating the Sox 9-3 two days later at Comiskey Park.

Although the White Sox had winning records every season from 1951 through 1967, the Yankees dynasty of the era often left the Sox frustrated in second place; they were league runner-up 5 times between 1957 and 1965. Health problems forced Veeck to sell the team to brothers Arthur and John Allyn in 1961, and while the team continued to play well, many of the ballpark thrills seemed to be missing.

The 1964 season was especially frustrating, as the team won 98 games, four more than 1959, including their last nine in a row – yet finished one game behind the pennant-winning Yankees, who had a late-season eleven-game win streak that opened up just enough room to stave off the Sox's final charge. The White Sox were also involved in one of the closest pennant races in history in 1967. After leading the American League for most of the season, on the final weekend, the White Sox, Boston Red Sox, Minnesota Twins and Detroit Tigers all had a shot at the pennant. However, the Red Sox would assert themselves in the final weekend, beating the Twins to take the pennant by a single game. The White Sox would finish in 4th at 89-73, three games behind.

The Sox had a brief resurgence in 1972, with slugger Dick Allen winning the MVP award; but injuries, especially to popular third baseman Bill Melton, took their toll and the team finished 5 1/2 games behind Oakland, the eventual world champion.

"South Side Hit Men"

On December 10, 1975, Veeck regained ownership of the team, and vowed to make the Sox an exciting team again. But the 1976 team was one of the worst White Sox teams ever fielded, winning only 64 games (.398), drawing fewer than 915,000 fans, and ridiculed for wearing uniforms which featured shorts. Things were about to change, however, as the 1977 team gave 1,657,135 fans (at the time, an all-time Chicago baseball attendance record) much to cheer about. Veeck, unable to shell out money for huge, long-term contracts, adopted a "rent a player" strategy – trading for players in the last year of their contracts. The 1977 team featured new faces Richie Zisk, Oscar Gamble, and Eric Soderholm, and by the end of July, the team was 24 games over .500 and 5 1/2 games ahead of the Kansas City Royals. Team organist Nancy Faust riled the opponents with her version of "Na Na Hey Hey (Kiss Him Goodbye)" after White Sox home runs and opponent pitching changes; despite complaints by the opposition, Faust continues the tradition to this day. Fans were also entertained by announcer Harry Caray's seventh-inning stretch renditions of "Take Me Out to the Ball Game" (a tradition which, contrary to popular belief, did not originate at Wrigley Field when Caray joined the crosstown Cubs in 1982). A 4-12 stretch in early August, and a club-record 16-game winning streak by the Royals, left the White Sox in third place by the end of the season with a 90-72 record.

After the end of the 1977 season, free agents Gamble and Zisk signed with other teams. Veeck's attempt to replace them with Bobby Bonds and Ron Blomberg fizzled as the 1978 team lost 90 games. After 87 losses in 1979 (including the infamous July 12, 1979 forfeit on Disco Demolition Night) and 90 losses in 1980, Veeck sold the team to an ownership group headed by Jerry Reinsdorf and Eddie Einhorn after his earlier attempt to sell the team to Ohio real estate tycoon Ed DeBartolo was rejected by other American League owners. The new owners moved quickly to show that they were committed to winning by signing All-Star catcher Carlton Fisk from the Boston Red Sox during the 1980-81 offseason. They also retained the club's young, relatively unknown manager Tony La Russa. Rather than focusing on announcers Caray and Jimmy Piersall, or the threat of the team moving to Denver, the focus would be the team on the field. It was a sign of good things to come for the White Sox.

"Winning Ugly"

In 1983, the White Sox enjoyed their best success in a generation. Despite great expectations, at the All-Star Break the White Sox were only one game over .500, at 39-38. After the break, they went on a tear, going 60-25 to win 99 games and the AL West title. The White Sox were led by catcher Carlton Fisk, outfielder Harold Baines, eventual Rookie of the Year outfielder Ron Kittle, designated hitter Greg Luzinski, and pitchers LaMarr Hoyt (who won the Cy Young that year), Britt Burns, Floyd Bannister and Richard Dotson. Manager Tony La Russa also won the Manager of the Year award in his first managerial success.

A catchphrase of the team was "Winning Ugly" for the style of play, which reflected a tendency to win games through scrappy play rather than consistently strong hitting or pitching. That tag was put on them derisively by Doug Rader, then manager of the Texas Rangers, but Chicago media and Sox fans picked up on it and turned it into a positive. While they had a great run in the regular season, they were not able to carry that over into the postseason as they lost to a powerful Baltimore Orioles team 3 games to 1 in the AL Championship Series. Hoyt led the Sox to a 2-1 victory in Game 1, but the Orioles clinched the series with a thrilling 3-0 ten-inning victory in Game 4. White Sox pitcher Britt Burns pitched a "gutsy" game, throwing all ten innings in the loss.

The club slid back into mediocrity for the rest of the 1980s, contending only in 1985. In 1986, broadcaster-turned-general manager Ken "Hawk" Harrelson fired La Russa after a poor start. The club wouldn't contend again until 1990, the final year in Old Comiskey Park.

New Comiskey Park/U.S. Cellular Field

In the late 1980s, the franchise threatened to relocate to Tampa Bay, but frantic lobbying of the state legislature resulted in approval (by one vote) of public funding for a new stadium. Although designed primarily as a baseball stadium (as opposed to a "multipurpose" stadium) New Comiskey Park (redubbed U.S. Cellular Field in 2003) was built in a 1960s style similar to Dodger Stadium. It opened in 1991 to positive reviews; in fact many praised the fact that the stadium had natural grass, unlike other stadiums of the era such as Skydome in Toronto. However, it was quickly overshadowed by the wave of "nostalgia" or "retro" ballparks, beginning with Oriole Park at Camden Yards. The park's inaugural season drew 2,934,154 fans - at the time, an all-time attendance record for any Chicago baseball team.

Despite a number of fan-friendly innovations - including a concourse that goes around the entire circumference of the stadium - the park was often criticized for its sterile appearance and steep upper deck (which resembles new Yankee Stadium). In recent years, there have been renovations made in order to make the park more fan friendly. Notable renovations included moving of the bullpens to be parallel to the field of play, extending the seats further to the field of play, and renovating the concourse areas to establish a more friendly feel. In addition, the top third of the upper deck was removed in 2004 and an overhang was placed over most of it. Designed as a 5-phase plan, the renovations will be complete after the 2005 season with the 5th and final phase. The most visible renovation in this final phase will be replacing the blue seats with green seats.