Chicago White Sox All-Time 25-Man Roster
The Chicago White Sox have 116 years of history. Who compiles the best every day roster from their history?
Many know of the Chicago White Sox for their major overhaul to their roster this offseason, trading away two of their team’s stars, Chris Sale and Adam Eaton to add significant talent to their minor league system.
The White Sox may not be done with their trading either, as rumors surrounding pitcher Jose Quintana, infielder Todd Frazier, and reliever David Robertson.
So White Sox fans may not be hearing a lot of positive news about their major league squad this season as they work through the beginning stages of a rebuild. However, this is a franchise with a deep and storied history.
In the 116 seasons of play, the White Sox have amassed a 9082-8931 record for a .504 winning percentage. The team has made 9 playoff appearances, won the American League title 6 times, and won the World Series 3 times.
In spite of a positive franchise record and that history, it has been since 2008 that the White Sox were even in the playoffs. The White Sox won the World Series in 2005, ending a World Series drought that extended back to 1917.
To review the history of the White Sox, we at Call To The Pen decided to attempt to create a 25-man roster with the best players of the franchise.
For this exercise, we won’t necessarily just take the 25 best guys by bWAR. This is attempting to create a true 25-man roster with bench players that can help cover various positions and bullpen guys who can cover various roles.
Enjoy, and feel free to discuss any changes you may make in the comments below!!
Significant assistance and credit to the Baseball-Reference Play Index tool for the queries needed to run this article. Check it out!
Next: Catcher
Carlton Fisk, 1981-1993, 28.8 bWAR
“Pudge” may have his biggest moment as a member of the “other” Sox team, but he’s most widely known as a member of the White Sox.
Fisk signed as a free agent with the White Sox in 1981. He had been the 4th overall selection of the 1967 draft of the Boston Red Sox and played with them through 1980, and actually produced more bWAR with the Red Sox.
Fisk ended up spending the rest of his career with the White Sox, playing 13 years in Chicago, retiring at age 45.
While his career number would have been no contest, Fisk did only slightly lead the White Sox in career bWAR at the catching position.
With the White Sox, Fisk played in 1,421 games, coming to the plate 5,500 times, hitting .257/.329/.438 with 214 home runs and 67 stolen bases.
Fisk was the anchor and the face of the franchise during some lean years for the White Sox at the end of the 1980s before the team had a resurgence in the early 1990s.
With the White Sox, Fisk was elected to 4 All-Star games, won 3 Silver Sluggers, and finished 3rd in the 1983 MVP voting.
When he retired, Fisk had played the most games ever at catcher, only being passed after retirement by yet another “Pudge”, Ivan Rodriguez. Fisk is still ranked 4th overall in bWAR among all catchers.
He was elected to the Hall of Fame on his second ballot in 2000.
Next: First Base
Frank Thomas, 1990-2005, 68.2 bWAR
He came into the league looking like the former football player he was, earning the nickname “Big Hurt”. He then went about “hurting” pitchers for the next 19 seasons as arguably the greatest right-handed hitter of a generation.
Thomas was drafted by the White Sox 7th overall in the 1989 draft, and he quickly worked his way to the major leagues, making his debut in 1990 with an impressive showing, hitting .330/.454/.529 in 240 plate appearances.
Thomas hit 32 home runs the next season and began a domination of the American League at the plate that could only be slowed by injury as a member of the White Sox.
After leaving the White Sox, he did have a career resurgence for two more seasons of productive hitting at ages 38 and 39, but at age 40, he struggled to produce in the same way again and chose to retire rather than play at a level below his “acceptable” level.
Thomas did play 971 games at first base and was designated hitter for 1,310 games, so some could question whether he is the best fit here, but that is something that can be worked out with the bench members later!
Thomas is the White Sox career leader in on-base average, slugging percentage, runs, doubles, home runs, runs batted in, walks, and even sacrifice flies.
Thomas was highly decorated as a member of the White Sox as well, receiving All-Star honors 5 times, 4 Silver Slugger awards, 6 top-five MVP finishes – including back-to-back MVP awards in 1993 and 1994.
Thomas was elected to the Hall of Fame in 2014 in his first year of eligibility.
Next: Second Base
Eddie Collins, 1915-1926, 66.6 bWAR
Collins came to the White Sox as they were building their team into the squad that would eventually be a dominant squad in the late 1910s, being purchased by the White Sox from the Philadelphia Athletics in 1914 for $50,000.
Collins was well-known for his intellect, and he often was considered snobbish by opponents and even fellow teammates. He had graduated from Columbia University and was known to be a shrewd businessman, one of the few who could negotiate with owner Charles Comiskey at the time for salary increases.
Collins’ performances on the field were certainly worth those salaries, however, which is why I pushed him into this position, in spite of his relatively short tenure with the team compared to other possible options.
Collins hit .331/.426/.424 with the White Sox with 266 doubles, 102 triples, 31 home runs, and 368 stolen bases over 1,6170 games.
Collins was the offensive star of the White Sox 1917 World Series victory, hitting .409/.458/.455, but when the first whispers of the Black Sox scandal began to erupt, Collins was implicated due to his abnormally poor performance, as he hit .226/.273/.258 in the 8 game series.
While with the White Sox, Collins finished in the top 5 of MVP voting 3 times, including finishing second twice in 1923 and 1924.
He was elected to the Hall of Fame in 1939 in his fourth time on the ballot.
Next: Third Base
Robin Ventura, 1989-1998, 39.3 bWAR
Ventura set impressive records in college, including a 58-game hitting streak, while at Oklahoma State. The White Sox selected him 10th overall in the 1988 draft.
Ventura spent little time in the minor leagues, making his major league debut in 1989 and taking over third base for good in Chicago in 1990.
During his White Sox career, Ventura found himself behind a number of fellow third basemen in the American League pecking order, but his performance was absolutely on par with any of them.
The anchors of Ventura and Frank Thomas in the middle of the White Sox lineup helped the White Sox turn their fortunes from a hapless, struggling squad in the late 80s to one of the most feared lineups in baseball in the early and mid-1990s.
Ventura was also known for his glove work at third base, considered one of the best fielding third basemen in the league.
He made one All-Star team as a member of the White Sox and received votes for MVP just once. He did, however, win 5 Gold Gloves in the time he was a White Sox.
Ventura did not receive the requisite 5% to remain on the ballot his first year on the Hall of Fame ballot in 2010, receiving just 1.3%.
Next: Shortstop
Luke Appling, 1930-1950, 74.5 bWAR
A 20-year career with the White Sox, interrupted only by military service in 1944-1945 for World War II, led Appling to be the best choice at shortstop in a very tough decision.
In the modern game, Appling would likely have been overlooked, as he didn’t produce “fantasy” stats, posting very solid batting averages, but not putting up much for home runs or stolen bases, runs or RBI to put his name on the lips of the casual fan.
However, for two decades, Appling held down the most difficult position on the diamond, even receiving votes for MVP as a 42 year-old in his second-to-last season.
What is stunning to the modern baseball eye is Appling’s incredible plate discipline. His 162-game average over his career was 87 walks and 35 strikeouts, an incredible rate to consider in the modern day.
In fact, in that final full season of 1949, Appling had 121 walks to just 24 strikeouts, which is just incredible to consider.
Appling hit .310/.399/.398 over his career, all played with the White Sox, with 440 doubles, 102 triples, 45 home runs, and 179 stolen bases.
He made 7 All-Star games, starting two of them, and won two batting titles. Appling received MVP votes in 11 different seasons, but he never finished better than 2nd, which he did in both 1936 and 1943.
On his 7th year on the ballot, Appling was elected to the Hall of Fame in 1964.
Next: Outfielder #1
Minnie Minoso, 1951-1957, 1960-1961, 1964, 1976, 1980, 39.7 bWAR
The Cuban Comet was originally acquired as part of a three-team trade with the White Sox, Philadelphia Athletics, and the Cleveland Indians, Minoso’s original team.
From that point, it seemed like Chicago became Minoso’s centering point, as he would leave for a year or two and return, then do the same again.
Minoso ended up making a few staged appearances in 1976 and 1980 to be part of an exclusive club of two players who have appeared in games in five different decades.
Minoso was most known for two attributes to his game, his speed and his batting stance. Minoso would crowd the plate such that pitchers alleged he couldn’t be thrown an inside strike without being contacted by the pitch.
Due to that crowding of the plate, Minoso was plunked frequently at the plate. He led the league in being hit by a pitched ball 10 times in his career and sits with the 9th most HBP in major league history.
However, the real thing that Minoso should be remembered for is being a trailblazer in the game of baseball. Minoso was just the 9th black player in the major leagues and he was the first black White Sox player.
In fact, while he would never confirm nor deny it, legend was that Minoso chose the number nine for his uniform number because he was the ninth black major leaguer. The #9 was retired by the White Sox in 1983.
With the White Sox, Minoso hit .304/.397/.468 with 260 doubles, 79 triples, 135 home runs, and 171 stolen bases.
Minoso did play around the field some as well, playing 1,665 of his games in the outfield, but also playing 116 at third base and seeing action at first base and shortstop.
Minoso represented the White Sox six different seasons in the All-Star game, won two Gold Gloves as a member of the team, and finished in the top 5 of MVP voting 4 times with the club, though he never finished higher than 4th.
Minoso sadly is not in the Hall of Fame, having never garnered more than 21.1% of the vote before expiring his eligibility after the 1999 vote. His value as an innovator to the sport is certainly worth his induction, at the very least.
Next: Outfielder #2
Fielder Jones, 1901-1908, 31.8 bWAR
Jones was a member of the original 1901 Chicago White Sox, having jumped to the team from the Brooklyn NL team, known as the Superbas as the time.
In the dead ball era, Jones was a guy who was a fairly solid hitter, even though he only eclipsed 20 doubles once with the White Sox, 10 triples once, and .300 just twice in his 8 seasons with the team.
Overall, Jones posted a .269/.357/.326, which was good for a 112 OPS+ in his era. He posted 132 doubles with Chicago, 42 triples, 10 home runs, and 206 stolen bases.
He was mentioned for consideration 5 separate times for the Hall of Fame (before nomination became more formalized), and he never drew more than 1.9% of the vote in any season.
Jones certainly lived up to his name, establishing himself as an elite defender with a notably strong throwing arm. He tallied as many as 25 assists from the outfield and totaled 161 outfield assists with the White Sox.
Jones also went on to be a very successful manager, managing from 1904-1918 with a 683-582 record, winning the 1906 World Series.
Next: Outfielder #3
Shoeless Joe Jackson, 1915-1920, 27.8 bWAR
The first of two of the infamous Black Sox players that were banned from the game after the 1919 World Series that will appear on this list, Jackson is an incredible case study as he was only 32 when he was banned from the game, and he could have played for many more years, most likely.
Jackson was acquired in the run toward the pennant in 1915, as the White Sox finished with 93 wins, finishing behind the Boston Red Sox and Detroit Tigers, in spite of having the best Pythagorean expected won/lost record in the American League in the season.
After a solid 1917 where he helped to lead the team to a World Series championship, many key the loss of Jackson to service in World War I as a key reason the White Sox fell off in 1918.
He was back in force in 1919, posting a .928 OPS, and hitting .351 as the team dominated their way to the World Series.
In just six seasons, Jackson posted the highest career batting average of any White Sox player in their franchise history with a .340 batting average. He also still holds the club’s single season triples record with 21 in 1916, also placing second on the list with 20 in 1920.
Jackson enjoyed his best season as a member of the White Sox in 1920 as controversy swirled around the club regarding the 1919 World Series scandal. He hit .382/.444/.589 with 42 doubles, 20 triples, 12 home runs, 105 runs, and 121 RBI.
Over his time with the White Sox, Jackson hit .340/.407/.499 with 139 doubles, 79 triples, 30 home runs, and 64 stolen bases. Most incredible was his 251/87 K/BB ratio over 2,800 plate appearances.
Interestingly, after placing in the top 5 three times with the Indians before coming over to the White Sox, Jackson never placed in the MVP balloting as a member of the White Sox.
He was nominated twice for the Hall of Fame in the old nominating system, which tells the regard with which writers held Jackson, nominating him in spite of his lifetime ban from the game.
Next: Bench
Bench
Nellie Fox, 2B, 1950-1963, 46.9 bWAR – Acquired from the Philadelphia Athletics in October of 1949, Fox joined Eddie Collins as elite White Sox keystone players acquired from the A’s. Fox would be a steady presence at second base for nearly fifteen years for the White Sox.
One of the best defensive second basemen of all-time, Fox is ranked fifth all time in Baseball-References’s version of defensive WAR, the value derived just from defense.
Over his White Sox career, Fox hit .291/.349/.367 with 335 doubles, 104 triples, 35 home runs, and 73 stolen bases.
Fox was elected to the All-Star game in 12 seasons with the White Sox. He won three Gold Gloves with the team. Fox also won the 1959 MVP, along with finishing in the top 10 in voting for the award 5 other times as a member of the team.
Fox was elected to the Hall of Fame in 1997 by the Veteran’s Committee after he did not garner the required 75% needed in any year of eligibility (falling a scant 0.3% short in his final year of eligibility).
Luis Aparicio, SS, 1956-1962, 1968-1970, 35.1 bWAR – Few clubs can boast a quartet of middle infielders like the White Sox have in their history with Collins, Fox, Appling, and Aparicio.
“Little Louie” had two stints with the team, and he was a productive member of the team the entire time, playing an exceptional shortstop as well as offering tremendous speed on the bases.
Over his 10 years with the White Sox, Aparicio hit .269/.319/.348 with 223 doubles, 54 triples, 43 home runs, and 318 stolen bases.
Aparicio won the 1956 Rookie of the Year, was selected to the All-Star game in 6 seasons with the White Sox, and won 7 Gold Gloves as a member of the team. He finished in the top 10 of the MVP voting just once with the White Sox, when he finished 2nd in 1959.
Aparicio was elected to the Hall of Fame in 1984 in his sixth year of eligibility.
Paul Konerko, 1B, 1999-2014, 28.8 bWAR – Konerko debuted with the Dodgers in 1997, and in a whirlwind span of 8 months in 1998, he went from a Dodger on the morning of July 4th to a Cincinnati Red to a member of the White Sox on November 11th.
Konerko then spent the rest of his career on the South Side, spending 16 seasons with the club. He hit .281/.356/.491 with 406 doubles and 432 home runs in his career with the White Sox.
Konerko was paired with another first baseman for much of his career, in spite of being a very good defender at the position, first with Frank Thomas, then as a mentor to Jose Abreu as he came over from Cuba.
Konerko is the only member of the organization other than Thomas to have hit 400 home runs with the team. He was selected to six All-Star games and finished in the top 10 of MVP voting twice. Konerko was also a key member of the 2005 White Sox World Series championship, winning the ALCS MVP on the way to the championship.
Ray Schalk, C, 1912-1928, 28.6 bWAR – Schalk was an excellent defensive catcher over his 18-year major league career, 17 of those seasons spent with the White Sox. He was just 0.2 bWAR behind Fisk in career bWAR as a White Sox catcher, but in 4 more seasons as a backstop.
Schalk was not an elite hitter in his career, but he still posted some solid seasons, hitting .254/.340/.316 in his career with 11 home runs and 177 stolen bases.
Schalk finished 3rd in the MVP voting in 1922 and 6th in 1914 and was elected to the Hall of Fame by the Veteran’s Committee in 1955 after failing to garner more than 45% of writers’ votes in any single year.
Willie Kamm, 3B, 1923-1931, 26.5 bWAR – Fitting many of the guys on the bench on this roster, Kamm was a solid player offensively, but he was best known for his excellent glove at the hot corner.
Kamm hit .279/.370/.391 with the White Sox with 243 doubles, 67 triples, 25 home runs, and 94 stolen bases.
Kamm finished 5th in the 1928 AL MVP race, but that was really the most recognition he received on a national level, as the Gold Glove was not awarded yet during his career.
Kamm failed to draw more than 1.1% of voting support in the two seasons he was nominated for the Hall of Fame in the old nominating system.
Magglio Ordonez, OF, 1997-2004, 25.2 bWAR – While he received plenty of ire from ChiSox fans for jumping to their divisional rival in the Detroit Tigers when he became a free agent, Ordonez was one of the best right-handed hitters in the entire game in the 2000s when he could stay healthy and on the field.
Ordonez hit .307/.364/.525 with 240 doubles, 15 triples, 187 home runs, and 82 stolen bases. From 1999-2003, Ordonez was one of the absolute elite hitters in the entire game, averaging .312/.372/.546 with 32 home runs, 14 stolen bases, 102 runs, and 118 RBI.
Injuries hitting Magglio hard led the White Sox to let him go after 2004, and he did rebound for some solid seasons with Detroit, but never quite to that same level.
With the White Sox, he was selected to 4 All-Star teams, won two Silver Sluggers, and received votes for MVP 3 times. He was on the Hall of Fame ballot in 2017 for the first time, but he did not receive even 1% of votes.
Harold Baines, OF, 1980-1989, 1996-1997, 2000-2001, 24.5 bWAR – With the defensive focus of much of the rest of the bench, Baines is a choice to add for pure hitting purposes. Baines is known primarily as a designated hitter, though he did play over twice as many games as an outfielder than as a DH in his White Sox career (1,015 to 458).
Playing primarily in the offensively depressed 1980s, Baines posted a line of .288/.346/.463 with the White Sox, good for a 118 OPS+. He had 320 doubles, 44 triples, 221 home runs, and 32 stolen bases.
He was selected to 4 All-Star teams, won the 1989 Silver Slugger, and received votes in 4 MVP votes as a member of the White Sox. He appeared on 5 Hall of Fame ballots before not receiving the requisite 5% of votes needed to stay on the ballot.
Next: Starting Pitcher #1
Ted Lyons, RH, 1923-1946, 67.2 bWAR
The White Sox’s first ace after the Black Sox scandal, Lyons was a a throw back to pitchers that threw around the turn of the 20th century, in spite of throwing 20 years later in a much more offensive-laden era.
In fact, Lyons has the highest bWAR of any pitcher who finished his career with more walks than strikeouts, showing exactly how skilled he was at escaping jams.
Lyons was never really one of the elite pitchers in the game, ironically enjoying his best season in 1942 before he left to join the World War II effort, which cost him 3 full seasons of off time. While he threw very well upon his return in 1946, he was 45 years old, and no one gave him a contract for 1947.
Lyons is the White Sox career leader in wins, games started, innings, and complete games, ranking second in career bWAR and games thrown.
Lyons made the 1939 All Star game and received votes for the MVP in 9 different seasons, finishing as high as 3rd in 1927. He was elected to the Hall of Fame in 1955 after 10 votes on the ballot.
Next: Starter #2
Red Faber, RH, 1914-1933, 68.4 bWAR
Faber didn’t make his debut until 1914, but he was able to be a key starter for one of the best runs in the team’s history from 1915-1919. Faber pitched until 1933 and age 44.
One of the absolute elite starters at the start of the 1920s, Faber had an incredible run from 1920-1922, averaging 334 innings, a 2.76 ERA, and a 1.22 WHIP.
That heavy workload led to a collection of arm injuries that led to inconsistent appearances for Faber the rest of his career after those seasons. He pitched 200+ innings 4 more times in his career in 11 years after having thrown 6 200+ inning seasons in 8 previous years.
While he did not throw in the 1919 series, Faber was the star of the 1917 World Series win for the White Sox, making 4 appearances, throwing 27 innings, and winning 3 games for the White Sox.
Faber is the White Sox franchise leader in bWAR and games thrown and 2nd in wins and innings.
Faber was elected into the Hall of Fame in 1964 by the Veteran’s Committee after appearing on 15 ballots and never drawing more than 30.9% of votes.
Next: Starter #3
Ed Walsh, RH, 1904-1916, 63.4 bWAR
“Big Ed” was a man who stood over 6′ tall and bumped against 200 pounds at the turn of the century, which is why his nickname makes perfect sense.
Walsh was the proverbial turn of the century ace that made every turn in the rotation, making as many as 49 starts in his career in a single season and having as many as 464 innings thrown in a single year.
His 1908 and 1912 seasons were remarkable combinations of pitching excellence as in 1908 he won 40 games, threw 42 complete games, and saved 6 games with a 1.42 ERA. In 1912, he won 27 games, completed 32 games, and saved 10 games with a 2.15 ERA.
Walsh was the pitching star of the 1906 World Series for the White Sox, making two starts, throwing 15 innings with just one earned run allowed on 7 hits and 6 walks, striking out 17.
Over his White Sox career, Walsh had a 195-125 record with a 1.81 career ERA over 2,946 1/3 innings with a 1.00 WHIP and a 145 ERA+.
Walsh finished 2nd in both the 1911 and 1912 MVP voting. He was elected to the Hall of Fame in 1946 by the Veteran’s Committee of the time (called the Old Timers Committee at the time).
Walsh even had a son who pitched for the White Sox for four seasons, though he was never quite as successful as his father.
Next: Starter #4
Eddie Cicotte, RH, 1912-1920, 49.7 bWAR
Cicotte was known for having more pitches than any catcher could ever put down. He would manipulate the ball with all sorts of materials, leading to this observation from The Sporting News in 1918:
“Perhaps no pitcher in the world has such a varied assortment of wares in his repertory as Cicotte, He throws with effect practically every kind of ball known to pitching science.”
Cicotte’s desire to manipulate and move the ball led to Cicotte being possibly the first true knuckleball pitcher. Cicotte primarily threw knucklers, but he also threw as many as a dozen other varieties of pitches.
The White Sox purchased Cicotte from the Boston Red Sox mid-season. Cicotte became a key piece to the White Sox rotation in their big seasons in 1917 and 1919, leading the league in wins both seasons.
Cicotte was reportedly one of the original players who began the 1919 Black Sox scandal, and his pitch to lead off the 1919 World Series that hit Reds leadoff hitter Morrie Rath was the signal to the gamblers that the series was to be fixed.
Though he was 36 when his career was ended in 1920, there were many who felt Cicotte could have pitched well into his 40s due to the fact that he rarely threw at max effort with the multiple ways he manipulated the ball, so it is possible he lost as many as 10 years off his career when he was banned.
With the White Sox, Cicotte won 156 games, posting a 2.25 ERA and 1.11 WHIP over 2,322 1/3 innings.
Unlike teammate Shoeless Joe Jackson, who was nominated twice for the Hall of Fame in spite of his banishment from the game, Cicotte essentially was forgotten by the game once he was banned for life.
Next: Starter #5
Mark Buehrle, LH, 2000-2011, 49 bWAR
Buehrle was one of the great scouting finds in draft history, a 38th round selection in the 1998 draft out of high school in Missouri.
Two years later, Buehrle was already in the major leagues, pitching as a swing man, logging 221 1/3 innings in 2001.
While Buehrle is not a guy who will ever strike out 300 guys, he is an incredible pitcher who was able to manipulate the ball and use excellent control to be a front line pitcher for the White Sox for a dozen seasons.
Buehrle is also known as one of the best defensive pitchers of all time, and many have said that only Jim Kaat can rival him defensively among all-time lefty pitchers, which is an incredible compliment.
Buehrle won 161 games in his 12 years with the White Sox. He posted a 3.83 ERA and a 1.28 WHIP over 2,476 2/3 innings. Buehrle has also had a no-hitter and a perfect game in his career.
Buehrle was elected to four All-Star games as a member of the White Sox and won 3 Gold Gloves. He finished 5th in the 2005 Cy Young voting, his only time in his career he received votes.
It was recently announced that the White Sox plan to retire Buehrle’s number this season.
Next: Closer
Hoyt Wilhelm, RH, 1963-1968, 16.4 bWAR
As Cicotte was reportedly the first true knuckle ball pitcher, it is fitting that the bullpen contain two other fellow knuckle ball pitchers.
Hardly a contest, the best knuckleball reliever by a ways was Wilhelm, who didn’t even debut in the major leagues until he was 29 years old, yet he still had a 21-year career.
To kick off the final decade of that career, Wilhelm spent 6 seasons with the White Sox from age 40-45. In that time, he only once posted an ERA over 2 in a season.
Interestingly, Wilhelm was such a wide-traveled player that his 6 seasons with the White Sox are more than he played for any other team, eclipsing his games thrown elsewhere by roughly 50 and innings thrown elsewhere by nearly 60.
With the White Sox, Wilhelm made 361 appearances and threw 675 2/3 innings. He posted a 1.92 ERA and 0.94 WHIP for a 171 ERA+.
Though he made the All-Star team in 5 different seasons, Wilhelm never made one with the White Sox. Oddly, while he never made an All-Star squad as a White Sox player, he did receive an MVP vote in 1964.
Wilhelm was selected for the Hall of Fame in 1985 in his 8th season on the ballot.
Next: Bullpen
Bullpen
Keith Foulke, RH, 1997-2002, 14.3 bWAR – Foulke is another White Sox all-time great who was probably more well-known on an individual moment level for a moment with the Red Sox, being the pitcher on the mound to end the long Red Sox streak in 2004.
Foulke was among a collection of players the White Sox received as the San Francisco Giants traded for three pitchers to solidify their playoff run in 1997. At the time, he was a starter, but the White Sox immediately moved him to the bullpen, and he never started another game again in his career.
Foulke saved an even 100 games for the White Sox in his six seasons, posting a 2.87 ERA and 0.99 WHIP over 446 innings of relief. He did receive votes one season with the White Sox for the Cy Young, in 1999.
Wilbur Wood, LH, 1967-1978, 51.8 bWAR – If having righty Wilhelm as the team’s closer with his knuckler, having Wood in the bullpen setting him up could really mess with hitters’ heads as Wood was one of the rare lefty knuckleballers.
The White Sox acquired Wood in a trade in October 1966. Wood spent the next four years as the team’s closer before moving into the rotation in 1971 and remaining a starter until the end of his career.
For the White Sox, Wood won 163 games and saved 57 games. He threw 2,524 1/3 innings over 12 seasons with the team.
Wood was selected to 3 All-Star teams with the White Sox as well as receiving top 10 MVP consideration 3 times. Wood also received voted three times for the Cy Young award, the dembs will open for ligeaf
In his sixth year on the Hall of Fame ballot in 1989, Wood fell below the 5% to remain on the ballot.
Terry Forster, LH, 1971-1976, 12 bWAR – Drafted in the 2nd round of the 1970 draft, Forster was up to the majors quickly, making his debut in just 1971.
With the White Sox, Forster made 263 appearances, spanning 605 innings. He saved 75 games, posting a 3.36 ERA and a 1.37 WHIP
He was well known in his playing days with Atlanta to have a running joke with David Letterman regarding his girth.
Next: Prospects to Watch In 2017
Billy Pierce, LH, 1949-1961, 49.1 bWAR – In a rotation and staff loaded with lefties, it was tough to squeeze in another lefty starter. Instead, Pierce’s 160 appearances more as a reliever than a starter at any stop makes him a perfect swing-man for the bullpen.
Pierce made three All-Star games as a member of the White Sox, but he never was able to crack the awards voting. He was on the Hall of Fame ballot 5 times before not getting requisite amount needed to stay on the ballot.