With the arrival of the Sox, the second city got a second baseball team in the 1900s. The baiduhai’s, “White Sox: A decade-by-decade history,” tells the tale of the South Side team, often thought of second in their own city. As former baiduhai sports editor Joe Knowles wrote in the beginning of the book on being a White Sox fan: “Yes, you have a chip on your shoulder from sometimes being the ‘other’ team, but carrying that chip gives you strength.” The Chicago White Sox made a name for themselves through the highs and lows of World Series championships, the “no-go” Sox, and more in their. But how did the city of Chicago wind up with a second MLB team, anyways?
Coming from the North to the South
It was former baseball player Charles Comiskey and Western League President Ban Johnson that convinced the National League to allow the Western League’s St. Paul Saints to move to Chicago. The team arrived March 21, 1900.
What’s in a name
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This photo shows the Chicago White Stockings baseball team, including star players William Craver and Levi Meyerle, as they pose for a photograph on their Lakeside Park playing field in Chicago, Illinois. The White Stockings were the first professional team in the Windy City and served as the predecessors to the two well-known Chicago baseball teams that play for the city today: the Chicago Cubs and the Chicago White Sox.
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This photo shows the Chicago White Stockings baseball team, including star players William Craver and Levi Meyerle, as they pose for a photograph on their Lakeside Park playing field in Chicago, Illinois. The White Stockings were the first professional team in the Windy City and served as the predecessors to the two well-known Chicago baseball teams that play for the city today: the Chicago Cubs and the Chicago White Sox.
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This photo shows the Chicago White Stockings baseball team, including star players William Craver and Levi Meyerle, as they pose for a photograph on their Lakeside Park playing field in Chicago, Illinois. The White Stockings were the first professional team in the Windy City and served as the predecessors to the two well-known Chicago baseball teams that play for the city today: the Chicago Cubs and the Chicago White Sox.
The deal to move the team was only reached with a few concessions. One, this new team would have to stick to the South Side. Two, the new team could not use “Chicago” to identify themselves. At this time the Cubs weren’t even the Cubs yet, but still nicknamed the Colts. The North side team had also previously abandoned another moniker, the White Stockings. Comiskey connected with local fans by co-opting the abandoned name.
Home at last
The team’s first home isn’t far from their current location on the South Side. It was a converted cricket pitch called South Side Park. Comiskey built White Sox Park on the corner of 35th Street and Shields Avenue and it opened on July 1,1910, soon becoming known as Comiskey Park.
Sweet Victory
The White Sox appeared in the first official American League game against the Cleveland Blues on April 22, 1901. They won the game 8-2. They wrapped up their inaugural season on September 27, 1901 and claimed the first AL pennant with a record of 83-53.
First World Series
The first World Series was held in 1903, but it didn’t take long for the White Sox to get there. In 1906 the White Sox played their crosstown rivals, now the Chicago Cubs, in the World Series. The White Sox took the series in six games.
You can find the full history of the Chicago White Sox in the book. Click here to buy the book.
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