KNUCKLING OUR WAY THROUGH SOX HISTORY

On this date in 1990, the White Sox signed veteran knuckleballer Charlie Hough.

“Chuck Hough” is one of many great knuckleballers to don the Sox yarns.

Here’s one man’s look at the greatest knuckleballers in White Sox history:

1. Ted Lyons: The Hall of Famer knuckled his way to a franchise record 260 wins during a 20-year career. If the team had been any good during Lyons’ tenure, he may have won 320 games! … So good was Ted he had the respect of the game’s greatest player. “Babe Ruth came out to the park,” Sox icon Luke Appling said in Lyons’ Chicago Tribune obituary of 1986. “The Babe came down to the rail and called Ted over and said to him: `I just want to tell you I didn`t come out to see the Yankees play. I came out to see you pitch.’ I heard him say that. I was standing right there.”

2. Wilbur Wood: The left-hander used his knuckleball to become a three-time All-Star, a four-time 20-game winner and one of the best relievers and starters in team history. So durable was the portly Wood, he led the A.L. in appearances in each season between 1968 and 1970 and then started at least 42 games in each of the five campaigns. Retire 28!

3. Hoyt Wilhelm: In six years with the White Sox in the 1960s, the Hall of Famer knuckled his way to a 1.92 ERA in 361 appearances. Yes, you read that right … 1.92!

4. Ed Cicotte: Dubbed “Knuckles” as the inventor of the pitch, the right-hander dominated the league with the Sox until …

5. Eddie Fisher: The righty used his knuckleball to post a club record 82 outings with 15 relief wins during his All-Star season of 1965.

6. Charlie Hough: Hawaiian native sopped up some valuable innings while pitching competently in 1991 and 1992. His shutout on Aug. 4, 1991, which spoiled the big league debut of Mike Mussina, was the last by a Sox knuckleballer thanks to a Frank Thomas homer.

7. Paul LaPalme: Lefty compiled a 2.83 ERA in 64 relief outings in closing out his seven-year career with the Sox in 1956 and 1957.

8. Early Wynn: Hall of Famer, who played for the Sox from 1958 to 1962, dabbled with the pitch especially early in his career.

9. Charlie Haeger: The franchise’s last knuckleballer went 1-1 with a 3.44 ERA in seven appearances for the 2006 Sox. After a 7.15 ERA in eight outings in 2007, Haeger was claimed by the Padres on waivers in 2008.

And don’t forget … Alexei Ramirez used a knuckler during his scoreless inning of Sept. 15, 2015 in the White Sox 17-6 loss to Oakland at U.S. Cellular Field.

WHAT HAPPENED TO YOU, BILL ROBINSON?

Tuesday was the 45^th anniversary of the White Sox Bill Robinson trade.

Yes, that Bill Robinson.

On Dec. 13, 1971, the Sox sent Robinson, a minor-league outfielder who would have a productive Major League career, to the Philadelphia Phillies in for Jerry Rodriguez.

Robinson hit .275 with 14 home runs and 81 RBIs at the Sox Triple-A Tucson (Ariz.) affiliate in 1971 but the 28-year-old never got the call to Comiskey Park.

McKeesport, Pa., native eventually became an offensive force with the “We Are Family” Pittsburgh Pirates or the 1970s and 1980s. Rodriguez never saw a big-league field.

Robinson, a fiery competitor, had his best season for the 1977 Pirates (.304, 26 HR, 104 RBI), begging the question, “With Robinson at his peak, could the ‘Southside Hitmen’ have outhit their lack of pitching and porous defense to win the West?”

Here are some other Sox farmhands who got away and went on to bigger and better things:

Denny McLain: The right-handed pitcher was originally signed by the Sox in 1962 out of the legendary Mount Carmel High School in Chicago. … A rule of the day forced the Sox to expose McLain and the Tigers claimed him on first-year waivers in 1963. … His Detroit career included a 31-win season, two 20-win campaigns and two Cy Young Awards.

Bob Wickman: The Green Bay native was the Sox second round pick in the 1990 draft (which may have been the franchise’s best). … Following 40 appearances in the Sox system, the right-handed reliever was dealt to the New York Yankees with pitchers Domingo Jean and Melido Perez for Steve Sax. … Wickman went on to save 267 games in a 15-year career that included two All-Star berths.

Gio Gonzalez: For 756 days, it was hard to tell whether this left-handed pitcher was coming or going. … In that period, Gonzalez was traded by the Sox to the Phillies, the Phillies to the Sox and from the Sox to the Athletics. … The Sox first round pick in 2004 has reached double figures in wins in each of the last seven season, won 21 with the Washington Nationals and was an All-Star in 2011 and 2012.

Doug Drabek: Yes, the right-handed pitcher pitched adequately for the White Sox in 1997 but that was past his prime, which came with the Pittsburgh Pirates. … Drabek was the Sox 11^th round pick in 1983 and was a star at the Sox Double-A Glens Falls affiliate the next season. The Sox made him part of the Roy Smalley trade to the Yankees in August of 1984. Before rejoining the Sox organization in 1997, Drabek was one of the best pitchers in the National League for the Pirates between 1987 and 1992. His career peaked in 1990 with the Cy Young Award. 1990? How would that have second place team looked with Drabek in the rotation with Jack McDowell, Greg Hibbard, Alex Fernandez and Eric King?

Others: Pitcher John Hudek was the Sox 10^th round pick in 1988 who was lost in the 1992 Rule V Draft. He eventually made it to Houston where he became an All-Star and was second in the N.L. Rookie of the Year voting in 1994. … Lefty Buddy Groom pitched in 786 big league games as a left-handed relief specialist between for the Tigers, Marlins, Athletics, Orioles, Yankees and Diamondbacks from 1992 to 2005. He was the Sox 12^th round pick in the 1987 draft. He was 40-28 in the Sox system between 1987 and 1990. … Infielder Randy Velarde was the Sox 19^th round pick in the June 1985 draft. He advanced to Triple-A in 1987 before he was dealt with pitcher Pete Filson to the Yankees for minor league infielder Mike Soper and pitcher Scott Nielsen. Velarde played 16 big league seasons with the highlight coming in 1999 when he banged out 200 hits.

 

THE LEGEND OF BAREHAND BABE

The most unusual moment of birthday boy Babe Ruth’s larger-than-life career may have occurred at Comiskey Park.

This moment didn’t involve a home run, a called shot or a game-winning hit.

On Aug. 20, 1923 Babe’s powerhouse Yankees were doing what they usually did back then — swamping the White Sox.

With the “Bronx Bombers” winning 16-5 in the ninth, a dog wandered onto the field at Comiskey Park. Babe tried to clear the field by throwing his mitt at the dog but the pooch grabbed the leather and took off.

At that point, the White Sox Paul Castner lofted a fly ball to left. With no glove, Babe’s only option was to snare the aerial barehanded.

And that’s exactly what he did.

KUIPER’S SOX CAREER GOES DOWN THE DUANE

On this date in 1970, the White Sox spent their first round pick in the regular phase of the January draft on junior college shortstop Duane Kuiper.

The Sox used the fifth overall pick of the draft on Kuiper, who was at Indian Hills (Iowa) Community College, but couldn’t sign him.

The native of Racine, Wis., spurned the Sox as he had after being drafted by the Yankees in 1968 and the Seattle Pilots in 1969.

This wouldn’t be the last time Kuiper would turn down a suitor.

The left-handed hitter was picked by Cincinnati in June of 1970 and the Boston in June 1971 but he turned them down, too.

Kuiper finally signed with Cleveland after the Indians made him their first round pick (21st overall) out of Southern Illinois in the January 1972 draft. Kuiper went on to have a productive big league career as a second baseman with the Indians and Giants.

Duane Kuiper: One that got away

The sure-handed Kuiper would have looked good in the Sox infield in the mid- and late-1970s. He hit .271 with one home runs and 262 RBIs over his 12 year big league career.

Kuiper hit the only home run of his big league career off the White Sox Steve Stone on Aug. 29, 1977 in Cleveland. This was a fact broadcaster Harry Caray would rib Stone about throughout their time together on Cub telecasts.

The Kuiper draft was a horrendous one for the Sox.

None of the 16 picks made it to the big leagues with the Sox and the only other player aside from Kuiper, currently a popular broadcaster with the Giants, to reach the “show” was catcher John Tamargo.

The Sox picked Tamargo in the fourth round of the secondary phase of this draft out of Miami Dade North Community College but couldn’t sign him. Tamargo ultimately signed with St. Louis in 1973 and went on to play 135 games for the Cardinals, Giants and Expos between 1976 and 1980.

Kuiper’s lone big league home run: https://youtu.be/CysFeS4ZVB4

Here’s a look at some other draftees that got away from the Sox https://soxnerd.wordpress.com/2018/01/12/the-sox-draftees-that-got-away/

BERRES LENDS A LITTLE HELP FOR NELLIE

If it weren’t for longtime White Sox pitching coach Ray Berres NOT minding his own business, the White Sox “Go Go Era” may have been “gone gone” before it ever got out of the batter’s box.

Berres served as White Sox pitching coach from 1949 to 1966 and in 1968 and 1969.

During that time, the “Go Go” White Sox reeled off 17 consecutive winning seasons relying on Berres’ effective pitching staffs, speed and defense.

One of the key figures in the White Sox first “Go Go” wave was Nellie Fox, who was finally voted into Cooperstown by the Veterans Committee on this date in 1997.

The diminutive second baseman eventually became a star and then a legend and then a Hall of Famer because of his time with the White Sox.

Success, though, didn’t come quickly for Fox.

The White Sox acquired the 5-foot-10,160-pound Fox from Connie Mack’s Philadelphia A’s for backup catcher Joe Tipton on Oct. 19,1949.

Fox had shown some promise with the A’s in 1949 but struggled in his first season in Chicago. The struggles became so acute that the White Sox were thinking of demoting him to the minors.

This is where Berres stepped in, according to Fox’s widow, Joanne.

“In 1950, that would have been our first year with the White Sox, they were going to send Nellie down,” Joanne Fox told me some years ago. “Ray spoke up and said, ‘Give this little guy a chance! You haven’t even looked at him.’

“He was talking to the coaches and the manager and he said, ‘ I think he has what it takes.’

“And, my gosh, they did (stick with him). They did not send Nellie down and, of course, the rest is history. That’s what Ray had said. ‘ I know he’s small but I like his hustle.’ ”

Fox used that hustle to become one of the American League’s best players in the 1950s. He led the circuit in hits four times, won two Gold Gloves, played in 13 All-Star Games and won the MVP Award after helping the Sox win the ’ 59 pennant.

After being snubbed by the writers for 15 years, Nellie was finally elected to the Hall of Fame more than 22 years after his death.

“I spoke of Ray in my (Hall of Fame induction speech for Nellie),” Joanne said. “He was one of the people that I thanked.”

That isn’t the only fond memory Joanne Fox has of Ray, who died in 2007.

Once a season, Ray and his wife Irma would host a picnic for the White Sox players, coaches and their families in their home in Silver Lake, Wis.

“We had a wonderful day out there,” Joanne said. “It got the children outdoors. They were always so hospitable. Irma always made this hot German potato salad. It was great. She had a lot of bacon in it. It was a little different. We were not used to that. We were more used to the cold potato salad.

“They just were very warm people.”