Table of Content
The date of November 7 holds several notable moments in the history of the Chicago White Sox, spanning player birthdays, executive snubs, and historic inductions.
Todd Ritchie’s Difficult 2002 Season
Todd Ritchie, born in Portsmouth, Virginia, in 1971, authored one of the least successful pitching seasons in franchise history. Arriving in a trade with Pittsburgh that sent three pitchers away, Ritchie struggled heavily during the 2002 campaign with the Pale Hose. He posted a 6.06 ERA, a 5-15 record, and a 1.706 WHIP, resulting in a -1.7 WAR that remains tied for the 15th-worst pitching season in club records. Following the season, the White Sox allowed him to enter free agency.
Front Office Moves and Executive Snubs
In 1997, the White Sox acquired relief pitcher Doug Creek from the San Francisco Giants, though he was sold to the Hanshin Tigers of the Japanese Central League just a month later. Creek eventually returned to the United States to play six more Major League Baseball seasons without returning to Chicago.
Years later in 2005, White Sox General Manager Ken Williams was bypassed for Executive of the Year by The Sporting News, with the honor instead going to Cleveland GM Mark Shapiro. This decision came despite Chicago leading the American Central division wire-to-wire, winning 99 games, and capturing the World Series title while sweeping their postseason matches. Williams had built a championship roster by adding players who contributed 18.4 WAR during their first full season in Chicago, whereas Cleveland finished six games behind and missed the playoffs entirely.
Later Trades and Minnie Minoso’s Cuban Hall of Fame Induction
The White Sox acquired center fielder Blake Tekotte from the San Diego Padres in exchange for minor league reliever Brandon Kloess in 2012. Tekotte appeared in 20 games for Chicago, recording a .226/.306/.355 slash line and a -0.2 WAR before being sold to the Arizona Diamondbacks in August 2014.
In 2014, Minnie Minoso was inducted into the Cuban Baseball Hall of Fame, eight years prior to his eventual induction in Cooperstown. Although Minoso finished his professional career in his home country decades prior, official inductions in Cuba had been paused following the 1959 communist revolution. Minoso began his professional career at age 16 in Cuba before starring in the Negro Leagues and eventually achieving his greatest fame with the White Sox, where he accumulated 41.5 WAR, ranking fifth overall among franchise batters.
