On September 1, White Sox history runs from the franchise’s earliest days all the way to one of its darkest modern milestones.
Back in 1905, Chicago made its first Rule 5 draft picks as an official MLB club, taking catcher Branch Rickey and middle infielder George Andreas from the unaffiliated Dallas Giants. Rickey never really became a White Sox story, though he did eventually reach the majors and later build a Hall of Fame legacy as an executive, earning enshrinement in 1967 for helping break the color barrier and creating the farm system. Andreas, meanwhile, was sent to the Des Moines Champs of the Western League, hit .322 there, and spent 11 seasons in the minors without reaching The Show.
The day also carried one of the more remarkable acts of baseball forgiveness the Sox have seen. Before an 11-3 White Sox win at Tiger Stadium, Ed Farmer and Tigers outfielder Al Cowens put their feud to rest.
Their history was ugly: Farmer broke Cowens’ jaw with a pitch in 1979, and on June 20, 1980, Cowens attacked Farmer on the mound instead of running to first base on a grounder. That attack permanently debilitated Farmer, who had a genetic kidney condition.
Cowens had been suspended seven games, and Illinois issued an arrest warrant that kept him out of Chicago for an August series. Before this game, Farmer said he would drop the charges if Cowens shook his hand, and the two exchanged lineup cards at home plate before doing exactly that.
In 1993, Frank Thomas kept rewriting the team record book. His 38th home run broke the White Sox mark shared by Dick Allen in 1972 and Carlton Fisk in 1985.
That same day, Chicago dealt reliever Donn Pall to the Phillies for a player to be named later, who was announced a week later as catcher Doug Lindsey. Pall, a lifelong Sox fan, called it “the worst day of my career, I was crushed.”
A month later, he and Fisk were turned away from the clubhouse before Game 1 of the ALCS when they tried to wish their former teammates luck, a moment that left lasting bitterness.
Five years later, Albert Belle put together another franchise-defining night. In a 9-5 win at Baltimore, he hit his 42nd homer and collected his 337th total base of the season, both club records at the time.
Belle finished 1998 with 49 home runs, 152 RBIs, a .328 average, 42 doubles, 200 hits and 399 total bases. He later said, with some truth, that he had a better year than the heavily celebrated Mark McGwire and former Sox outfielder Sammy Sosa.
Then came 2008, when Carlos Quentin’s frustration turned costly. After fouling off a pitch in his final at-bat, he slapped his bat barrel and ended up nicking his wrist, fracturing it.
A few days later, he chose surgery to insert a screw in the wrist, hoping to get back before the season ended and finish what had been an MVP-caliber year. Instead, he missed the rest of the regular season and the playoffs.
Quentin finished with 36 homers, 100 RBIs and 5.3 WAR in 130 games, placed fifth in MVP voting despite missing all of September, and the season stood as the peak of his career before the White Sox traded him in 2011.
And in 2024, the White Sox hit a new low. The Mets blanked them 2-0 at Guaranteed Rate Field, and Chicago’s 107th loss set a franchise record, passing the 106 defeats from 1970.
It was also the club’s 10th straight loss, the third double-digit losing streak of the season after runs of 14 games from May 22-June 6 and 21 games from July 10-August 5. Only the 1961 Senators, 1962 Mets and 1965 Mets had three double-digit losing streaks in one season.
In Other News...
White Sox Face A Murakami Decision That Could Get Complicated
The White Sox are already having an early conversation about a bigger call down the road, with GM Chris Getz confirming the team has discussed a long-term extension with Munetaka Murakami. For now, there is no fresh movement on that front, and Murakami remains under a two-year deal while the organization keeps him in the lineup and looks past the noise around his recent struggles.
What makes the situation interesting is the timeline. Murakami is expected to test free agency afterward, which gives Chicago a window to decide whether it wants to push hard now or wait and see how the rest of his tenure unfolds. The White Sox are sticking with their support of him, but the longer this drags on, the more complicated the decision could become. [Read more 🡒]
White Sox Just Got A Brutal Jordan Leasure Bullpen Update
Jordan Leasures latest setback is a harsh one for a White Sox bullpen that had already been trying to piece things together around him. The right-hander underwent surgery to repair a UCL tear, closing the book on his 2027 season and extending a frustrating run that started with elbow discomfort and a shutdown in late May.
Leasure was limited to 18 appearances this season, and now the focus shifts from trying to salvage innings to getting him all the way back for Spring Training in 2028. For Chicago, it leaves another hole to account for in the relief mix and another reminder of how quickly a promising bullpen arm can go from available to unavailable. [Read more 🡒]
White Sox Face A September Rotation Decision Fans Will Watch Closely
The White Sox have pieced together a little momentum with their third straight series win, and Erick Feddes latest outing gave the rotation a much-needed lift. Even so, the pitching staff still feels unsettled, with Davis Martins blister injury forcing the club to lean on openers in some games and leaving the back end of the rotation in flux as the season moves into September.
As the roster expands, attention is turning to Charlotte, where prospects Drew Thorpe and David Sandlin are both working as possible rotation reinforcements. For a team trying to stabilize the staff while keeping its recent run going, the next move on the mound could shape how the White Sox navigate the final month and whether they can keep building on this stretch. [Read more 🡒]