Farewell to the cheery half of the Sunshine Boys
1958
On the occasion of Juan Agosto’s birth in Rio Piedras, Puerto Rico, let’s correct the record of the player known to White Sox fans as “Juan Disgusto.” Agosto’s 13-year career (the first six seasons coming in Chicago) might have yielded just 1.3 WAR all told, but his time with the White Sox was better than you remember. A 3.87 ERA in his White Sox years not only represented a 110 ERA+ but an even better 3.57 FIP. Additionally, Agosto was the rare White Sox player to improve in the devastating, shortfall season of 1984: His 1.4 WAR ranked first out of the bullpen, fourth among pitchers, and ninth overall on the club.
2015
The Red Sox won the bidding to sign Cuban defector Yoán Moncada. Moncada would not officially sign until March 11, but by winning the bidding, Boston was assured of securing his services. Moncada’s signing bonus of $31.5 million was so far over Boston’s spending cap that Moncada overall price tag was nearly twice as much as his bonus.
Moncada would play just eight games with the Red Sox, in 2016, before getting shipped to the White Sox with Michael Kopech in the Chris Sale blockbuster on Dec. 6, 2016.
The third baseman had a star-crossed career with the White Sox, enduring a position change from second base and a debilitating coronavirus diagnosis in 2020, as well as significant fan criticism. However, his 14.7 WAR in Chicago qualifies him as the 46th-best hitter and 77th-best overall player in franchise history.
2016
White Sox co-owner and vice chairman, Eddie Einhorn, died in Alpine, N.J., at age 80. Einhorn, unlike his investment partner Jerry Reinsdorf, had ties to the White Sox as a Comiskey Park vendor in the early 1950s. Einhorn had an active ownership role with the White Sox from the 1981 purchase through 1990, then transitioned to more of an emeritus role through 2015. In tribute to Einhorn, the White Sox wore “Eddie” patched on their uniforms for the 2016 season.