November 1 has produced a strange little slice of White Sox history, from franchise icons and coaching hires to a ballpark name that set off a firestorm.
One of the earliest entries came in 1946, when future White Sox owner - and then-current Cleveland owner - Bill Veeck had his right foot amputated. The injury traced back to his service in the South Pacific during World War II, and complications from that wound led to the procedure.
Veeck, never one to do anything the ordinary way, eventually turned the loss into something of a personal trademark. He chose a pirate’s peg-leg instead of a standard prosthetic, even adding a slot for an ashtray in the artificial leg itself.
By that point, he had already finished his first partial season as a major-league owner and was making his mark in Cleveland, where he broke with tradition by putting National League scores on the Municipal Stadium scoreboard under the “other games” listing.
Four years later, in 1950, the White Sox said goodbye to one of the biggest names in team history. After 20 seasons with the franchise, Luke Appling announced his retirement.
At the time, he was widely regarded as the greatest player the White Sox had ever had, and 72 years later he still stands as the club’s all-time WAR leader at 77.6. Appling finished with a .310 batting average, 2,749 hits, two batting titles and 128 RBIs in 1936.
Retirement didn’t keep him away from the game for long. He took over as manager of the Memphis Chickasaws, Chicago’s Double-A affiliate, and over three seasons went 247-216.
That run included a pennant for the 87-67 Chicks in 1952 and minor league manager of the year honors. He later managed in Triple-A and coached in the majors for several teams, including the White Sox from 1970-71.
His lone big-league managing job came in 1967 with the Kansas City A’s, where he went 10-30.
The White Sox also made a notable coaching move on November 1, 1982, naming Dave Duncan their new pitching coach. Duncan, a former catcher, quickly built a reputation under Tony La Russa.
Their partnership, though, eventually became a flashpoint in Chicago. In 1986, GM Ken Harrelson wanted Duncan gone, but La Russa refused, and that loyalty helped cost both men their jobs.
The two would go on to major success together in Oakland and St. Louis, and Duncan later returned to the White Sox in 2021 as a front office pitching consultant rather than a coach.
His path to coaching had started after the White Sox acquired him near the end of his playing career, only for him to retire when the club cut him in Spring Training 1977.
November 1, 2011 brought a familiar honor for Mark Buehrle, who won his third straight Gold Glove. He was the only American League player to repeat from 2010, and it would be his last Gold Glove with the White Sox.
Five weeks later, Chicago let him leave for the Miami Marlins in free agency. Buehrle would add a fourth straight Gold Glove in 2012, the final major award of his career.
Then came the name change that drew plenty of noise. In 2016, the ballpark formerly known as U.S.
Cellular Field officially became Guaranteed Rate Field after the Chicago-based mortgage company signed a 13-year naming-rights deal with the White Sox. The reaction was swift and harsh, with the Chicago Bears and Chicago Cubs both posting negative comments on Twitter.
Many White Sox fans also took aim at the company’s downward-arrow logo, saying it didn’t fit a baseball team, especially one that had struggled for several seasons. Reports said the White Sox asked the company to alter the logo on the ballpark sign, but were turned down.
There were also rumors that another company had offered more money for the naming rights, but wanted the park renamed Comiskey Park - a change Jerry Reinsdorf would not accept.
More recently, on November 1, 2018, the White Sox dealt minor league first baseman Justin Yurchak to Los Angeles for Manny Bañuelos. Bañuelos had signed with the Yankees 10 years earlier at age 17 and had spent nearly the entire previous decade grinding through the minors, with just seven games in Atlanta in 2015.
He broke camp with the White Sox in 2019 and struggled in a swingman role before shoulder inflammation in June ended his season. He finished the year 3-4 with a 6.93 ERA and -0,4 WAR.
In Other News...
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White Sox Could Find Cheap Help For Two Roster Holes This Winter
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Among the names floating around are Kris Bubic, Michael Soroka and James McCann, each bringing a different kind of appeal for a team looking to fill holes without overcommitting. The catcher fit is especially interesting because Chicago could use someone who can help ease the workload on Kyle Teel and guide a pitching staff that still needs support. Whether the White Sox can turn that kind of under-the-radar interest into actual roster help is the part worth watching as winter unfolds. [Read more 🡒]