November 12 has produced a few big White Sox touchpoints, from a commissioner born out of scandal to MVP hardware and a trade that barely moved the needle.
The story starts in 1920, when baseball owners unanimously chose Kenesaw Mountain Landis as the sport’s first commissioner in response to the Black Sox scandal, which had seen members of the White Sox throw the 1919 World Series. Landis, a White Sox fan, accepted the position only after insisting on final authority over both players and owners.
Even after a Chicago jury acquitted the Black Sox of wrongdoing on Aug. 2, 1921, Landis issued a statement the next day, Aug. 3, banning all eight players from baseball permanently.
Fast forward to 1959, and the White Sox had their first pennant in 40 years - with Nellie Fox at the center of it. His play on the field and presence in the clubhouse made him the first player in franchise history to win American League MVP.
Fox hit .306 with 191 hits, 34 doubles, 70 RBIs and 71 walks, while striking out only 13 times. He also led the league among second basemen in putouts, assists, total chances and fielding percentage, and he made the All-Star team.
The Baseball Writers Association of America gave him 16 first-place votes, and he edged teammate Luis Aparicio, 295-255. Early Wynn, who would go on to win the Cy Young that season, finished third, giving the Sox the top three spots in the final voting.
In 1980, former White Sox pitcher Steve Stone put the finishing touch on the best season of his career by winning the AL Cy Young with Baltimore. Just two years after a career-saving run in Chicago - and after leaving the White Sox as the first two-time free agent in MLB history - Stone had already changed his approach through meditation and his study of pitching and preparation.
In 1980, he leaned even harder on his curveball, using it more than 50% of the time and accepting the risk that came with it. “I knew it would ruin my arm.
But one year of 25-7 is worth five of 15-15.” Stone went 25-7, strung together a 14-game winning streak and posted a 3.23 ERA.
His lone All-Star appearance came with three perfect innings.
The White Sox also made a notable move in 1987, sending Richard Dotson and Scott Nielsen to the Yankees in a five-player deal that brought back Dan Pasqua, Mark Salas and Steve Rosenberg. It was the third White Sox-Yankees trade of that year and the eighth between the clubs since 1984.
Nielsen had actually been acquired by the White Sox in January 1987. In the end, the swap mostly came down to Pasqua, who produced 7.7 WAR over 630 games for Chicago, the only meaningful return in a deal that otherwise broke even at best.
Also on Nov. 12, Courtney Hawkins was born in Corpus Christi, Texas in 1993.
The White Sox took him No. 13 overall in the 2012 draft, making him the first high school player they had selected in the first round in 11 years. He flashed right away, batting .284/.324/.480 with eight homers in 59 games across rookie, Low-A and High-A ball.
But his progress stalled, and over more than six years in the White Sox system he never got beyond Double-A. Four years after leaving the organization, Hawkins put up huge numbers in indy ball, hitting 48 home runs in 127 games for the Lexington Legends of the Atlantic League, more than any player in the minors that year, affiliated or otherwise.
Then there was 2020, when the shortened season didn’t slow José Abreu down. The White Sox first baseman stayed productive from opening day to the finish and was named American League MVP by the Baseball Writers Association of America.
Abreu collected 374 total points to beat Cleveland’s José Ramírez, becoming the fourth White Sox MVP alongside Nellie Fox, Dick Allen and Frank Thomas. He led the AL with 60 RBIs in 60 games for a second straight season, finished second with 19 home runs, and ranked fourth with a .317 average.
He also placed fifth in OPS at .987 and was the only AL player to finish in the top five in hits, RBIs, slugging percentage, extra-base hits, total bases, home runs, average and OPS. One of his loudest stretches came at Wrigley Field, where he hit six home runs in a three-game series against the Cubs, including four straight over two games.
In Other News...
White Sox May Be Eyeing Another Pitching Move Fans Should Watch
The White Sox have already shown they are willing to keep an eye on the Japanese market, and it makes sense given how much attention that path has gotten around the league. After the clubs interest in Munetaka Murakami, Chicago also sent scouts to take a look at right-handed pitcher Kaima Taira, another name drawing notice in Japans Pacific League.
For a team still trying to build out its pitching depth, the possibility of adding help from overseas is the part worth watching. Taira is one target, but he may not be the only one on the White Sox radar, with Shota Imanaga also mentioned as a free-agent possibility if Chicago decides to keep pressing in that direction. [Read more 🡒]
White Sox Rotation Search Just Added Another Intriguing Free Agent
The White Sox are still combing the free-agent market for starting pitching, and the list of names tied to their rotation search keeps growing. Chicago has been connected to several arms as it looks to add a starter who can help stabilize the group, with the club clearly aiming higher than a simple stopgap and hoping to find someone who can fit near the top or middle of the staff.
One more intriguing possibility is Dustin May, a right-hander with recent postseason experience who would bring a different look to the mix. For the White Sox, though, he appears to be more of a depth target than the headline move, which leaves the bigger question of which arm ultimately becomes the priority as the offseason unfolds. [Read more 🡒]
White Sox Rotation Search Just Took An Intriguing Veteran Turn
The White Sox are still casting a wide net in their search for starting pitching, and a veteran name has now surfaced as part of the mix. On the CHSN White Sox Podcast, ESPNs Jesse Rogers said Chicago is talking to free agent right-hander Nick Pivetta, a sign the club is leaving no stone unturned as it tries to bolster a rotation that needs more certainty.
Pivettas appeal is easy to understand for a team looking for help without getting locked into a long-term mistake. He is entering his age-34 season and comes with a recent track record that includes a breakout year in San Diego, though injuries have complicated the picture since then. The White Sox are still weighing internal and external options, so this remains one piece of a broader pitching search, but it is the kind of veteran turn that can matter if the price fits. [Read more 🡒]