Top Ten Best Chicago White Sox Players of All Time
The Chicago White Sox have been around for over a century, and over this time, they have produced many great players. From Luke Appling to Frank Thomas to Mark Buehrle, these players have left an indelible mark in the franchise’s history.
In this article, we will discuss the top ten best Chicago White Sox players of all time, their careers, what made them stand out, and their statistics. 1.
Luke Appling
Luke Appling had a career that spanned over 20 years, and he played shortstop for the White Sox for most of this time. He was a contact hitter and was known for his defensive prowess, which made him a fan favorite.
Appling’s career batting average is .310, and he is among the top 20 players in MLB history with the fewest strikeouts, with only 528 in 10258 plate appearances. Appling’s batting titles in 1936 and 1943 were one of the highlights of his career.
He is one of only 13 players in American League history to have won two batting titles. Appling’s numbers were impressive, but his longevity in the game stands out.
He played in 2422 games for the White Sox, making him the franchise’s all-time leader in games played. He was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1964.
2. “Big Ed” Walsh
Ed Walsh was a pitcher who played for the White Sox in the early 1900s.
He was drafted into the league by the team’s owner, Charles Comiskey, in 1904. Walsh was a spitball pitcher, and his talent on the mound helped the White Sox win their first World Series in 1906.
He is known for having one of the lowest ERAs in baseball history, with an astounding 1.82 ERA over his 14-year career. Walsh’s spitball pitch was eventually banned from the game, but it didn’t stop him from dominating on the mound.
He won 195 games and pitched over 2500 innings for the White Sox. Walsh’s career was cut short due to an injury to his pitching arm, but his impact on the game was significant enough for him to be inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1946.
3. Frank Thomas
Frank Thomas played for the White Sox for 16 years during his career.
He was a consistent hitter, making him one of the best power hitters of his generation. His career batting average is .301, and he hit 448 home runs during his tenure.
He was known for his work ethic, and his dedication to the game was evident in his statistics. Thomas played a significant role in the White Sox’s success in the late 90s and early 2000s.
He was a five-time All-Star, two-time MVP, and Silver Slugger Award winner. His legacy is still felt within the White Sox organization and is one of the reasons he was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 2014.
4. “Shoeless Joe” Jackson
Shoeless Joe Jackson is one of the most famous players in baseball history, but for all the wrong reasons.
He was a talented outfielder known for his hitting, but his name is forever tied to the “
Black Sox Scandal.” Jackson was allegedly involved in throwing the 1919 World Series, and while he was acquitted of the charges, he was banned from baseball for life. Despite the scandal, Jackson was one of the most talented players of his era, with a career batting average of .356.
He played for the White Sox for five seasons, hitting over .400 in two of them. He was known for his impressive hitting skills and was one of the best power hitters during his time.
5. Eddie Collins
Eddie Collins was a second baseman who played for the White Sox for over 12 years.
He was known for his speed and ability to get on base. Collins holds the American League record for career sacrifice bunts, with 512 over his 25-year career.
Collins was also a talented fielder, winning five Gold Gloves throughout his career. He ranks fifth in White Sox history in steals and has an impressive career batting average of .333.
His contributions to the game earned him induction into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1939. 6.
Ted Lyons
Ted Lyons had a long and storied career with the Chicago White Sox. He played for over two decades, and during that time, he became one of the team’s legendary pitchers.
Lyons is best known for his nickname, “Sunday Teddy,” which he earned due to his habit of pitching on Sundays. He also holds the record for the most games pitched by a White Sox player, with 594 over his career.
During his tenure, Lyons was known for his durability, winning 260 games and throwing over 4000 innings. He was also a master of the complete game, having thrown 356 over his career.
Lyons was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1955. 7.
Mark Buehrle
Mark Buehrle was a starting pitcher who played for the White Sox for over a decade. He was known for his consistency and his ability to pitch deep into games.
One of Buehrle’s most impressive achievements was throwing a no-hitter in his second career start, making him only the 18th pitcher in MLB history to accomplish this feat. Buehrle was a four-time All-Star, and he won a Gold Glove Award five times during his career.
He remains one of the most beloved White Sox players of recent memory, and his contributions to the team’s success are still felt today. 8.
Minnie Minoso
Minnie Minoso is one of the most important players in White Sox history. He played for the team for over a decade, and during his tenure, he established himself as one of the best power hitters on the roster.
Minoso was known for his ability to steal bases and hit home runs, making him a fan favorite. Minoso’s contributions to the White Sox earned him the nickname “Mr. White Sox,” and he was inducted into the team’s Hall of Fame in 1983.
He was a nine-time All-Star and hit 186 home runs for the team during his career. 9.
Doc White
Doc White was a left-handed pitcher who played for the White Sox in the early 1900s. He was known for his impressive ERA and his skill as a dentist, which earned him the nickname “Doc.” White’s contributions to the
1906 World Series were significant, throwing a complete-game shutout in Game 5 to help the White Sox win the championship.
White’s career ERA is 2.39, and he won 189 games for the team he spent his entire career with. He was a legendary figure in Chicago, and his contributions to the game earned him induction into the team’s Hall of Fame in 1961.
10. Red Faber
Red Faber was one of the best spitball pitchers of his era.
He won 254 games during his 20-year career with the White Sox, and he was known for his ability to induce ground balls. Faber played a significant role in the
1917 World Series, helping the White Sox win the championship.
Faber’s career was cut short due to an arm injury, but his impact on the game and the White Sox organization still lives on. He was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1964, and his impressive career statistics more than speak for themselves.
Conclusion
The Chicago White Sox have produced some of the most legendary players in baseball history. From Ed Walsh to Frank Thomas to Shoeless Joe Jackson, these players have left their mark on the game.
Their contributions to the franchise will always be remembered, and their impact on the game of baseball will endure for generations to come. 3) “Big Ed” Walsh
Ed Walsh was one of the greatest pitchers of his time, known for his spitball pitch, incredible durability, and impressive record as a workhorse.
Born in Plains Township, Pennsylvania, in 1881, Walsh was signed by the Chicago White Sox in 1904 and became a key figure in the team’s success over the next decade.
Career Overview
Over his 14-year career, Walsh became one of the most respected and feared pitchers in the league. He is known for having one of the lowest ERA of any pitcher in baseball history, with a career average of 1.82.
Walsh is also famous for his use of the spitball, which was a legal pitch at the time. He was one of the last players allowed to use the pitch before a 1920 rule change banned it from the game.
Walsh once threw over 400 innings in a single season, an accomplishment that demonstrates his incredible durability and work ethic. He was able to pitch deep into games, thanks to his incredible stamina and fitness.
His record of winning 40 games in a single season, which he set in 1908, still stands today and is considered to be one of the most impressive pitching achievements in baseball history.
1906 World Series
Walsh played a key role in the White Sox’s victory over their crosstown rivals, the Chicago Cubs, in the
1906 World Series. During the series, Walsh struck out an incredible 17 batters in Game 3, a record that remains unbroken to this day.
He also pitched two complete-game victories during the series, helping the White Sox to secure their first World Series championship.
MLB Record
Despite his impressive record, Walsh’s post-playing career has been overshadowed by his career ERA, which remains the best of any pitcher in MLB history with over 2000 innings pitched. His 1.82 career ERA is a testament to his skill and dominance on the mound, and it has no modern-day comparison.
In contrast, Clayton Kershaw’s 2.47 career ERA, which many consider to be the best modern-day ERA, pales in comparison.
4) Frank Thomas
Frank Thomas was one of the most fearsome power hitters in baseball history. He played for the Chicago White Sox for 16 years, and over that time, he became a fan favorite and a consistent performer.
Known by the nickname “The Big Hurt,” Thomas was a feared hitter who struck fear into opposing pitchers and generated excitement among White Sox fans.
Career Overview
Thomas enjoyed one of the most successful careers of any player in White Sox history. He is the team’s all-time leader in home runs, RBI, walks, runs, extra-base hits, and total bases.
He also ranks third in on-base percentage and slugging percentage. Over his career, Thomas hit a massive .301, with 521 home runs and 1704 RBIs, demonstrating his consistency and dominance at the plate.
Thomas was one of the most reliable performers in the game, and he excelled in clutch situations. He was named MVP of the American League in back-to-back years in 1993 and 1994, becoming only the ninth player in baseball history to do so.
Nickname
Thomas’s nickname, “The Big Hurt,” was bestowed upon him by White Sox broadcaster Hawk Harrelson. It was a fitting moniker for a player who was known for his incredible power and his ability to change the course of games with one swing of the bat.
The nickname stuck, and it became an integral part of Thomas’s persona, both on and off the field.
2005 World Series Victory
Despite his impressive statistics and reputation as one of the best hitters in baseball history, Thomas was never able to win a World Series during his time with the White Sox. However, during the team’s 2005 World Series victory over the Houston Astros, Thomas played a key role in securing the championship.
Although he was injured and unable to play in the postseason, his contributions during the regular season helped to propel the White Sox to victory, cementing his legacy as one of the best players in team history. Thomas was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 2014, cementing his place as one of the greatest power hitters to ever play the game.
His consistency, dominance, and impressive statistics have earned him a place in baseball lore, and his contributions to the White Sox remain a key facet of the team’s legend. 5) “Shoeless Joe” Jackson
Joe Jackson, better known as Shoeless Joe, was one of the best outfielders in baseball history.
He had a brief but brilliant career that was tragically cut short by his involvement in the infamous
Black Sox Scandal. Despite his involvement in the scandal, Jackson’s achievements on the field remain an integral part of baseball lore.
Career Overview
Jackson began his career with the Philadelphia Athletics in 1908 but did not establish himself as a star player until he joined the Cleveland Naps in 1910. Jackson quickly established himself as one of the best hitters in the league, with a career batting average of .356, one of the highest in baseball history.
Jackson’s most famous moment came during the 1919 World Series, when he hit .375, a record that still stands today for all players who played in the scandal-ridden series. Despite his impressive performance, Jackson was implicated in a scheme to throw the series, known as the “
Black Sox Scandal,” along with seven of his teammates.
Jackson always maintained his innocence, and many baseball historians believe that he was unfairly banned from the game.
1917 World Series
Before the scandal tarnished his reputation, Jackson was a hero on the field, and during the
1917 World Series between the Chicago White Sox and the New York Giants, he delivered one of the most impressive performances in World Series history. In Game 4 of the series, Jackson went 3-for-3 and hit a triple that drove in two runs, helping to secure a victory for the White Sox.
In Game 5, he hit another triple, and he ended the series with a batting average of .304.
Black Sox Scandal
The
Black Sox Scandal is one of the most infamous moments in baseball history, and Jackson’s involvement in the scandal was one of the main reasons why the Chicago White Sox were banned from the game for life. The scandal centered around accusations that the White Sox had thrown the 1919 World Series in exchange for payment from gamblers.
Jackson was accused along with seven of his teammates, and despite the fact that he hit .375 during the series and did not commit any errors, he was banned from baseball for life. The scandal and Jackson’s subsequent ban from baseball are often cited as one of the darkest moments in the history of the sport.
The phrase “Say it ain’t so, Joe,” reportedly spoken by a young fan to Jackson, has become a famous catchphrase, symbolizing the heartbreak of those who loved the game and were let down by the scandal.
6) Eddie Collins
Eddie Collins was one of the most athletic and talented second basemen in baseball history. He is widely regarded as one of the best overall baseball players of all time.
Collins played for the Chicago White Sox from 1915 to 1926, and he was a key player on the team’s
1917 World Series championship team.
Career Overview
Collins was known for his quickness, athleticism, and ability to play small ball. He was a talented bunter, stole more than 400 bases during his career, and hit for a high average.
Over his career, Collins hit .333 and had a slugging percentage of .429. He was also a solid defender, earning the nickname “The Rabbit” for his speed and agility on the field.
Collins is one of the most successful players in baseball history. He amassed an impressive 3,315 hits and holds the record for the most sacrifice bunts in Major League Baseball