Happy birthday to a player ultimately as big a villain as ever seen in the game
1882
Infamous Black Sox ringleader Chick Gandil was born in St. Paul. The first baseman started his career with the White Sox in 1910, and played his last game, as he helped throw the 1919 World Series. In-between, he played in Washington and Cleveland, putting up four stellar years for the Senators from 1912-15. He lived out his days in California as a plumber, forever denying his role in the scandal that sunk the White Sox for three decades.
1906
Rip Radcliff, who wouldn’t make his MLB debut until age 28 but ended up with MVP votes in three subsequent season, was born in Kiowa, Okla.
The left fielder played his first six seasons for the White Sox, finishing 16th in MVP voting in 1936 and 15th in 1937.
1909
Chicago White Sox owner Charles Comiskey purchased a piece of land from Roxanna Bowen, at the time a truck farm and junkyard, on the corner of 35th and Shields. The site would be used to build Comiskey Park, starting in March 1910. In only four months, the steel-and-concrete stadium would be opened and ready for use.
1934
Shoeless Joe Jackson, who had applied for reinstatement after being banned in the aftermath of the Black Sox scandal, had his request denied by commissioner Kenesaw Mountain Landis.
1972
Early Wynn, who helped the White Sox to the 1959 pennant, was elected to the Hall of Fame with 76% of the vote. Sandy Koufax and Yogi Berra were elected along with him. Wynn made it on his fourth ballot, earning 27.9%, 46.7%, and 66.7% before crossing the 75% threshold. Koufax, at 36, became the youngest player ever enshrined.
Wynn won exactly 300 games in his long career, and for the 1959 White Sox pennant-winners he captured the Cy Young on the basis of 22 wins, a 3.17 ERA and more than 255 innings pitched. He played five years in Chicago, winning 64 games.
1987
The legislation for fund the new White Sox park, which would end up being passed by just eight votes in 1988 after Governor Jim Thompson stopped the clock before midnight to strongarm it through, was signed at Comiskey Park’s home plate.