1955
It was the start of a new era at shortstop for the White Sox. On this date, the team purchased the young infielder’s contract Luis Aparicio of Memphis. Aparicio would begin his Hall of Fame career the following season, winning Rookie of the Year in the American League – the first Latin player to do so. Aparicio also brought back the then-lost art of stealing bases, swiping 269 for the Sox between 1956 and 1962. He would go on to make six All-Star appearances representing the White Sox.
Also on this day, the White Sox traded pitchers Virgil Trucks to Detroit for Bubba Phillips. Trucks was simply outstanding for the White Sox in 1953 and 1954, finishing fifth and twelfth in MVP and a combined 8.7 WAR. But he dropped back to essentially league average in 1955 (99 ERA+). Phillips would play four seasons on the South Side, culminating in 1957; he was the starting third baseman for the 1959 pennant winners.
1958
The Chicago Cardinals played their last game at Comiskey Park and lost 20-14 to the Los Angeles Rams in front of 13,014 fans. The Cards would finish the 1958 slate at 2-9-1, winning just one game at home all season.
In 1959, the Cardinals played their home games at Soldier Field before moving to Sportsman’s Park in St. Louis in 1960.
Coincidentally, the two clubs playing on this day also crossed paths in St. Louis, with the Rams moving to the city after the Cardinals re-located to their current home in Phoenix.
1961
After 13 years on the South Side, with 186 wins and seven All-Star selections, pitcher Billy Pierce was traded to the San Francisco giants. Pierce and Don Larsen were sent west in exchange for a knuckleballing relief pitcher Eddy Visserpitcher Stupid Zannioutfielder Bob Farley and a player to be named later (on August 17, 1962, pitcher Verle Tiefenthaler was sent to the White Sox to complete the deal).
The trade revived Pierce’s career as he went 16-6 in the regular season, then won a game and also saved the pennant-clinching game against the Evaders in a three-game NL playoff series. In the World seriesPierce threw a complete game with three hits to win Game 6 against the Yankees.
Fisher became one of the best relief pitchers in baseball that he worked with Hoet Wilhelm to give the Sox a lot of depth in that area. Fisher made the All-Star team in 1965 and won the Relief Pitcher of the Year award.
On an unrelated note, Fisher did a perfect impersonation of Donald Duck!
1970
New Sox player personnel director Roland Hemond continued to rebuild a battered franchise. At the Winter Meetings he dispatched the Gold Glove-winning outfielder Ken Berryinfielder Syd O’Brien and pitcher Billy Wynne to the Angels for pitcher Tom Bradleycatcher Tom Egan and outfielder Jay Johnstone.
The deal would be a steal just based on what Bradley did: he won fifteen games with a sub-3.00 ERA in both 1971 and 1972. Egan offered great backup help Ed Hermannand Johnstone was a good outfielder and clubhouse stripper.
On the same day, the White Sox had only their third ever transaction with the Crosstown Cubsshipping outfielder Jose Ortiz and infielder Ossie Blanco north for first baseman Roe Skidmore and pitchers Dave Lemonds And Pat Jacquez. None of these players had any impact on the rest of the game, except Lemonds, who posted a stellar 1.3-WAR, 2.95-ERA season for the resurgent Chisox in 1972.
2018
In a surprise trade, after all, what 100-loss team at the bottom of a rebuild needs a closer? – the White Sox sent catcher Omar Narvaez to Seattle for reliever Alex Colome.
Narváez was coming off a very strong 2017 season, with 1.7 WAR in platoon play, slashing .265/.366/.429 with nine home runs. He landed a full-time role with the Mariners and hit 22 home runs in 2018, with a 2.3 ERA. For his part, Colomé has done a fantastic job for the White Sox, posting 1.9 WAR and 42 saves during the one-plus season (2020 pandemic) he spent in Chicago. His pandemic season in 2020 was particularly stellar, with an ERA of 0.81 and a fourth-place finish in the AL with an added win probability of 2.0. He signed with Minnesota as a free agent for the 2021 season.
Ironically, both players returned to the White Sox to end their careers with four-game appearances: Colomé in 2023, struggling to a 6.00 ERA, and Narváez in 2025, going 2-for-7 with three RBIs.
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