During the 2009 offseason the White Sox declined a team option for Ken Griffey Jr. The White Sox also let Joe Crede become a free agent, who went on to sign with the Minnesota Twins, and signed closer Bobby Jenks to a one-year contract, avoiding arbitration(11). Pitcher Bartolo Colon was signed as a free agent on January 15th(11). Javier Vazquez and Boone Logan were traded to the Atlanta Braves for prospects Tyler Flowers, Brent Lillibridge, Jon Gilmore and Santos Rodriguez(12).
On June 4th, the White Sox called up number one draft pick (eighth overall), shortstop Gordon Beckham(13). It took Beckham only 364 days to reach the Major Leagues, as he was drafted on June 5th, 2008(14).
On June 9th, the White Sox called up another number one draft pick (2007, 25th overall), left-handed pitcher Aaron Poreda(13).
On July 23rd, White Sox pitcher Mark Buehrle threw a perfect game against the Tampa Bay Rays. It was his second career no-hitter, both with the White Sox, and the second perfect game in team history. After the game, Buehrle was in the middle of his press conference with the media when he received a phone call from President Barack Obama to congratulate him. It was the second time in two weeks that President Obama and Buehrle had contact, with the first being at the 2009 All-Star game in St. Louis, Missouri.
On July 28th Mark Buehrle established a new major league baseball record, by retiring Minnesota Twin (and former teammate) Joe Crede, Buehrle retired his 42nd consecutive batter, breaking the record held by teammate Bobby Jenks, and Jim Barr, Buehrle would retire three more batters. He holds the all-time record now at 45.
On July 31st, the White Sox traded 2007 number one draft pick (25th overall), pitcher Aaron Poreda, Clayton Richard, Adam Russell, and Dexter Carter in exchange for Jake Peavy.
On August 10th, the White Sox claimed outfielder Alex Rios off waivers from the Toronto Blue Jays.
On August 31st, Jim Thome waived his no-trade clause, allowing the White Sox to trade him to the Los Angeles Dodgers, and pick up center fielder Justin Fuller. The White Sox also traded Jose Contreras to the Colorado Rockies, in exchange for Brandon Hynick, a 24-year-old right-handed starter.
2010 season
On Opening Day, the White Sox shut out the Cleveland Indians 6 – 0. On that day, Mark Buehrle made an astounding play when he hurried and picked up a ball with his glove in foul territory and quickly underthrew backwards with his glove to Paul Konerko, who caught the ball barehanded to force out Lou Marson in the fifth inning for the second out. Paul Konerko broke the franchise record for the most home runs hit during the month of April with 11.
On May 11th, the Sox opened a two-game series at the new Target Field and took the victory 5 – 2 over Minnesota, but lost the next day 3 – 2.
On August 29th, the White Sox hosted Frank Thomas Day at U.S. Cellular field against the New York Yankees. Frank Thomas’s Jersey was retired that day. The White Sox organization also printed his face on the legendary wall in Left-Center field with other number retirees Billy Pierce to his left and Carlton Fisk to his right. Thomas’s image also appears under the printed words ‘The Catch,’ commemorating DeWayne Wise’s catch to preserve Mark Buehrle’s perfect game in 2009.
2011 season: “All In”
Following a busy off season, in which the White Sox signed big name free agent Adam Dunn and re-signed first baseman Paul Konerko and catcher A.J. Pierzynski the White Sox, the 2011 White Sox ended the season with a 79 – 83 record.
Some notable events for the 2011 season included: unveiling of a bronze statue of former White Sox slugger Frank Thomas and the catastrophically horrible season of Adam Dunn in his debut season as the White Sox designated hitter(15).
The end of the season was marked by the end of former World Series manager Ozzie Guillen who departed a few days before the end of the regular season, eventually signing as manager with the then Florida Marlins(16). Shortly after the 2011 season, the White Sox announced former third baseman Robin Ventura as their new manager, succeeding interim manager Don Cooper.
2012 season
On April 21st, Philip Humber threw the third perfect game in franchise history against the Seattle Mariners at Safeco Field in Seattle, Washington, as the ChiSox won 3 – 0. It was the 21st perfect game in MLB history. The White Sox were leading the Central Division until the last three weeks of the season where they lost many games and ended up 3 games behind the eventual AL Champions, the Detroit Tigers. Their final record was 85 – 77(17).
2013 season
The Sox had the coldest opening day in 106 years, equaling the April 18th, 1907 record of 38o F (3.3o C)(4). They won the game 1 – 0(18). However, the White Sox finished last in the AL Central and had the second worst record in the American League, losing 99 games – their first season losing more than 95 games since 1976.
2014 season
In 2014, the White Sox had a 73 – 89 record and finished fourth in the AL Central. First baseman Jose Abreu was named the American League Rookie of the Year, winning the team triple crown with a .317 batting average, 36 home runs and 107 RBIs.
2015 season
The White Sox had an aggressive offseason following the 2014 season, signing free agents David Robertson and Melky Cabrera to multi-year contracts and trading for pitcher Jeff Samardzija(19)(20). However, the acquisitions seemed to have little effect on the team’s performance, as they finished the 2015 season in fourth place with a 76 – 86 record.
2016 season
The White Sox 2016 season on a strong note, leading the American League with a 23 – 10 record on May 9th. The success did not last, however, as the White Sox finished with a 78 – 84 record and again placed fourth in the AL Central. Robin Ventura resigned as the team manager after the season(21). He was replaced by Rick Renteria.
2017 season: Start of the rebuild
In the 2017 offseason, the White Sox began to trade players for prospects. On December 6th, 2016, the White Sox traded starting pitcher Chris Sale to the Boston Red Sox for outfielder Luis Alexander Basabe, pitcher Victor Diaz, pitcher Michael Kopech, and infielder Yoan Moncada(22). The following day, they traded outfielder Adam Eaton to the Washington Nationals for pitchers Dane Dunning, Lucas Giolito, and Reynaldo Lopez(23). During the season on July 13th, 2017, the White Sox traded starting pitcher Jose Quintana to the Chicago Cubs for pitcher Dylan Cease, infielder Bryany Flete, outfielder Eloy Jimenez, and utility player Matt Rose(24). In 2017, the White Sox fell to 67 – 95 and again finished fourth in the AL Central. Jose Abreu led the American League with 343 total bases.
2018 season
2018 was the worst season for the White Sox since 1970, as they finished with a 62 – 100 record and placed fourth in the AL Central for the fifth year in a row.
2019 season
In 2019, the White Sox finished third in the AL Central, their highest position since 2012, with a 72 – 89 record. Jose Abreu led the American League with 123 RBIs.
2020 Season: Back in the playoffs
In 2020, the White Sox went all in after a long rebuild. They signed big-time free agents like catcher Yasmani Grandal, pitchers Dallas Keuchel and Gio Gonzalez, and Edwin Encarnacion. The team finished second in the AL Central with a record of 35 – 25 in the pandemic-shortened season and clinched a playoff spot for the first time since 2008. The Sox unfortunately lost in the Wild Card Series against the Oakland Athletics 2 games to 1. Jose Abreu won the American League MVP award, becoming the fourth player in White Sox history to do so.(25)
2021 season
Central Division champs again and back-to-back playoff appearance
During the 2020 – 2021 offseason, the White Sox fired manager Rick Renteria and brought back Tony LaRussa to take his place. LaRussa had not managed a team since 2011 and became the oldest person to manage an MLB team at the age of 76. During the offseason, the White Sox made some big moves. They traded for Texas Rangers starting pitcher Lance Lynn and signed arguably the best closer in the league in Liam Hendricks to a four-year, $54 million dollar contract(26)(27). On June 6th, LaRussa won his 2,764th game as a manager, surpassing John McGraw for second on the all-time managerial wins list(28). On August 12th, the White Sox played in the first Field of Dreams game in Dyersville, Iowa against the New York Yankees. The White Sox won the game 9 – 8 on a walk-off home run by Tim Anderson. On September 23rd, the White Sox clinched the American League Central Division for the first time in 2008 while also clinching back-to-back postseason berths for the first time in franchise history. Overall, in 2021, the White Sox had a record of 93 – 69, their first 90-win season since 2006. The White Sox lost the ALDS to the Houston Astros in four games.
2022 season: Regression
Before the lockout, the White Sox signed Kendall Graveman on November 30th, 2021, to a three-year, $24 million dollar contract(29). After the lockout, the Sox signed pitchers Joe Kelly (two year, $17 million) and Vince Velasquez (one year, $3 million) on March 14th, 2022(30). The next day, they signed second baseman Josh Harrison to a one-year $5.5 million dollar contract(31). They picked up Craig Kimbrel’s option months before and on April 1st, the Sox traded Kimbrel to the Los Angeles Dodgers for outfielder A.J. Pollock(32). On April 3rd, the Sox traded catcher Zack Collins to the Toronto Blue Jays for catcher Reese McGuire. The White Sox were not able to improve themselves with these transactions, however, as they finished the 2022 season with a record of 81 – 81, finishing second in the AL Central division.
2023 season: More Regression
On October 3rd, 2022, with 3 games left in the regular season, White Sox manager Tony La Russa announced he was stepping down as manager due to health concerns(33). On November 1st, 2022, the White Sox hired Kansas City Bench coach Pedro Grifol as their next manager(34). During the offseason, they signed pitcher Mike Clevenger to a one year, $12 million dollar contract(35) and outfielder Andrew Benintendi to a franchise record five -year, $75 million dollar contract(36). But the new management hires and signings have never panned out as the 2023 White Sox season has been a disaster. The White Sox started the first month of the season with a record of 8 – 21. At the point, fans began calling for ownership to sell the team and a White Sox fan called the local ESPN 1000 radio show hosted by Tom Waddle and Marc Silverman and went on a nearly 7-minute- long rant about the team(37)(38). By the All-Star break, the White Sox were 38 – 54 and were the 3rd worst team in the AL with underperformance and injuries plaguing the team. By late July, the White Sox began a fire sale in which they traded many key players for prospects. On July 26th, they traded pitchers Lucas Giolito and Reynaldo Lopez to the Los Angeles Angels. On July 28th, they traded pitcher Kendall Graveman to the Houston Astros and pitchers Lance Lynn and Joe Kelly to the Los Angeles Dodgers(39)(40). On August 1st, they traded pitcher Keynan Middleton to the New York Yankees and infielder Jake Burger to the Miami Marlins(41)(42). On August 22nd, the White Sox fired general manager Rick Hahn and executive vice president Kenny Williams after the team was 49 – 76 by the time of their firings(43). The White Sox promoted assistant general manager Chris Getz as the new Senior Vice President and general manager(44). The White Sox finished the season with their 5th 100 loss season in franchise history with a record of 61 – 101.
2024 season: Worst start in franchise history
In 2024, the White Sox started the season with the worst record through their first 25 games at 3 – 22 tying them with the 2003 Detroit Tigers and 2022 Cincinnati Reds behind the 1988 Baltimore Orioles who went 2 – 23 through their first 25 games. The team also broke their franchise record for consecutive losses at 14. The White Sox broke the MLB record for the most losses by the All-Star break as they were a league worst 27 – 71 by the All-Star break.
Copyright and citation links
1. Spink, Alfred Henry (2000). The National Game
During the 2020 – 2021 offseason, the White Sox fired manager Rick Renteria and brought back Tony LaRussa to take his place. LaRussa had not managed a team since 2011 and became the oldest person to manage an MLB team at the age of 76. During the offseason, the White Sox made some big moves. They traded for Texas Rangers starting pitcher Lance Lynn and signed arguably the best closer in the league in Liam Hendricks to a four-year, $54 million dollar contract(26)(27). On June 6th, LaRussa won his 2,764th game as a manager, surpassing John McGraw for second on the all-time managerial wins list(28). On August 12th, the White Sox played in the first Field of Dreams game in Dyersville, Iowa against the New York Yankees. The White Sox won the game 9 – 8 on a walk-off home run by Tim Anderson. On September 23rd, the White Sox clinched the American League Central Division for the first time in 2008 while also clinching back-to-back postseason berths for the first time in franchise history. Overall, in 2021, the White Sox had a record of 93 – 69, their first 90-win season since 2006. The White Sox lost the ALDS to the Houston Astros in four games.
2022 season: Regression
Before the lockout, the White Sox signed Kendall Graveman on November 30th, 2021, to a three-year, $24 million dollar contract(29). After the lockout, the Sox signed pitchers Joe Kelly (two year, $17 million) and Vince Velasquez (one year, $3 million) on March 14th, 2022(30). The next day, they signed second baseman Josh Harrison to a one-year $5.5 million dollar contract(31). They picked up Craig Kimbrel’s option months before and on April 1st, the Sox traded Kimbrel to the Los Angeles Dodgers for outfielder A.J. Pollock(32). On April 3rd, the Sox traded catcher Zack Collins to the Toronto Blue Jays for catcher Reese McGuire. The White Sox were not able to improve themselves with these transactions, however, as they finished the 2022 season with a record of 81 – 81, finishing second in the AL Central division.
2023 season: More Regression
On October 3rd, 2022, with 3 games left in the regular season, White Sox manager Tony La Russa announced he was stepping down as manager due to health concerns(33). On November 1st, 2022, the White Sox hired Kansas City Bench coach Pedro Grifol as their next manager(34). During the offseason, they signed pitcher Mike Clevenger to a one year, $12 million dollar contract(35) and outfielder Andrew Benintendi to a franchise record five -year, $75 million dollar contract(36). But the new management hires and signings have never panned out as the 2023 White Sox season has been a disaster. The White Sox started the first month of the season with a record of 8 – 21. At the point, fans began calling for ownership to sell the team and a White Sox fan called the local ESPN 1000 radio show hosted by Tom Waddle and Marc Silverman and went on a nearly 7-minute- long rant about the team(37)(38). By the All-Star break, the White Sox were 38 – 54 and were the 3rd worst team in the AL with underperformance and injuries plaguing the team. By late July, the White Sox began a fire sale in which they traded many key players for prospects. On July 26th, they traded pitchers Lucas Giolito and Reynaldo Lopez to the Los Angeles Angels. On July 28th, they traded pitcher Kendall Graveman to the Houston Astros and pitchers Lance Lynn and Joe Kelly to the Los Angeles Dodgers(39)(40). On August 1st, they traded pitcher Keynan Middleton to the New York Yankees and infielder Jake Burger to the Miami Marlins(41)(42). On August 22nd, the White Sox fired general manager Rick Hahn and executive vice president Kenny Williams after the team was 49 – 76 by the time of their firings(43). The White Sox promoted assistant general manager Chris Getz as the new Senior Vice President and general manager(44). The White Sox finished the season with their 5th 100 loss season in franchise history with a record of 61 – 101.
2024 season: Worst start in franchise history
In 2024, the White Sox started the season with the worst record through their first 25 games at 3 – 22 tying them with the 2003 Detroit Tigers and 2022 Cincinnati Reds behind the 1988 Baltimore Orioles who went 2 – 23 through their first 25 games. The team also broke their franchise record for consecutive losses at 14. The White Sox broke the MLB record for the most losses by the All-Star break as they were a league worst 27 – 71 by the All-Star break.
Copyright and citation links
1. Spink, Alfred Henry (2000). The National Game
: History". Archived from the original on
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9. Whitesoxinteractive.com
10. Local112.com[permanent dead link]
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12. MLB.com
13. Jump up to:a b "Transactions". WhiteSox.com.
14. MLB.com
15. Dave Cameron, "Adam Dunn: Worst Season
7. The White Sox Shorts'The Ugly History'
8. MLB.com
9. Whitesoxinteractive.com
10. Local112.com[permanent dead link]
11. Jump up to:a b MLB.com
12. MLB.com
13. Jump up to:a b "Transactions". WhiteSox.com.
14. MLB.com
15. Dave Cameron, "Adam Dunn: Worst Season
For A Good Player Ever?" Fangraphs,
August 30, 2011 http://www.fangraphs.com/
a-good-player-ever/
16. Ozzie parts with White Sox ABC News
17. Liebeskind, Josh (2012-04-21). "MLB.com
16. Ozzie parts with White Sox ABC News
17. Liebeskind, Josh (2012-04-21). "MLB.com
MLB.com. Archived from the original on
August 28, 2017. Retrieved
December 7, 2016.
24. Wittenmyer, Gordon (July 13, 2017).
24. Wittenmyer, Gordon (July 13, 2017).
Quintana from Sox in blockbuster". Chicago
. MLB.com. November 12, 2020. Retrieved
January 15, 2021. Archived from the original
Kendall Graveman". MLB.com. Retrieved
MLB.com. March 15, 2022. Retrieved
terms on one-year contract". MLB.com.
December 4, 2022. Retrieved
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Chicago". MLB.com. July 28, 2023.
GM Rick Hahn". ESPN.com. 2023-08-22.
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