1914
Charles Comiskey paid to keep an opposing star pitcher in the American League?
The White Sox owner feared that Walter Johnson would jump from the Washington Senators of the AL to the Chifeds (Chicago Whales) of the new Federal League and create a second legitimate rival for Chicago fan dollars beyond the borders of the United States. Cubsdid just that.
Johnson valued loyalty, but also feared legal trouble (and possibly sitting out the 1915 season) due to a legitimate contract claim by Washington, and was willing to let the Senators match the Whales’ offer, but owner Clark Griffith was strapped for cash. Griffith had some history with Comiskey, not only as the White Sox’s first skipper and also as a pitcher for the team, but after he was released from his White Sox contract after the 1902 season to move to Washington and better compete with John McGraw of the National League. Clearly, both Griffith and league president Ban Johnson knew where to turn for additional support, money and sacrifice for the good of the American League.
The price was high to keep Johnson from jumping competitions: $15,000. But Griffith came up with $2,500 and Comiskey donated $10,000 for the 1915 season, making a pact with The Big Train during a negotiating session in Kansas City.
Comiskey and the White Sox didn’t even receive a player from the Senators in return for the gift.
Griffith then crowed, claiming that Johnson had passed on a five-year, $116,000 offer to Senators the previous season ($23,200 AAV, about $700,000 in today’s dollars). Johnson himself admitted that he lost 15 pounds because he was concerned about his future, and ultimately took a $2,500 pay cut to return to the Senators, on top of having to pay back his Federal League signing bonus.
Griffith’s hard stance against inflating player salaries, which only got worse over time, was particularly ironic: the reason Griffith jumped from the Colts (Cubs) to the White Sox in 1900 was salary suppression—Comiskey raised Griffith from $2,500 with the Colts to $4,000 on the South Side.
Johnson ended up pitching for Washington for 14 more seasons, going 238-164 with a 2.55 ERA, 57 shutouts, 25 saves, a 135 ERA+ and 81.8 WAR during that time. He earned $176,500 in his career after his feud with the Feds, an average of $13,577 per season.
During his career, The Big Train won 63-39 vs. the White Sox, with an ERA of 1.49.
1938
After four terrible-to-mediocre seasons on the South Side, Lucas Sewel was sold to Brooklyn. Acquired from the St. Louis Browns in January 1935, the catcher spent four years as Chicago’s full-time receiver (421 games) but received a sub-replacement of -0.2 WAR for his efforts. Amazingly, Sewell received MVP votes for the 1935 and 1937 seasons, during which he totaled 0.4 WAR; in 1937 he was an All-Star and finished FIFTH in the MVP voting for a 77 OPS+ effort and .269/.343/.357 slash!
[1945
Kunst Kusnyerdie gedurende 17 jaar een negatieve waarde leverde als speler, maar positieve bijdragen leverde als White Sox bullpen-coach, werd geboren in Akron.
De catcher was de 78e draftkeuze aller tijden van de White Sox (geselecteerd in de 37e ronde van 1966) en kwam uit Kent State het jaar voordat zowel Thurman Munson als Steve Steen sloot zich aan bij de Golden Flashes-selectie.
Kusnyer had nooit een enkele positieve WAR gedurende zes seizoenen in de Majors, maar ving wel Nolan Ryan’s tweede no-hitter in zijn carrière toen hij lid was van de Angels. Na het verlaten van Californië en korte periodes bij de Brouwers en Royals tekende Kusnyer in 1979 opnieuw bij de White Sox en bracht het seizoen door bij Triple-A Iowa.
In 1980 keerde Kusnyer terug naar de majors – als White Sox-bullpencoach, een rol die hij vervulde tot en met 1987. En na een periode van 1989-95 in Oakland als bullpen-coach keerde hij in die rol terug naar de White Sox van 1997-2007.
1957
Ongeveer een jaar na de dood van hun moeder (Grace Comiskey), waardoor de vraag wordt betwijfeld of zoon Chuck Comiskey of dochter Dorothy Comiskey de White Sox zou leiden, wordt de onderlinge strijd binnen de familie openbaar: Chuck ontkende de bewering van zijn zus dat hij een ‘heers of ruïne’-tactiek gebruikte om de controle over de club over te nemen. Grace had 54% van de White Sox nagelaten aan haar oudste kind, Dorothy, maar daarvoor was Chuck opgeklommen tot co-GM van de club.
Het drama zou in 1958 niet afnemen, zelfs toen Dorothy redelijke voorwaarden schetste waarvoor haar broer haar uit eigendom zou kopen. Uiteindelijk, over ongeveer twee jaar, zou Dorothy haar controlerende aandeel in de club aan verkopen Bill Veeck.
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