Happy birthday to a true bullpen original, Scott Radinsky
1968
Scott Radinsky, one of the most colorful characters in White Sox history — even by left-handed reliever standards — was born, in Glendale, Calif. The Simi Valley H.S. player was drafted in the third round by the White Sox in 1986, and signed his contract to start his career the day after graduation. After a shoulder surgery setback in 1988, Radinsky made up for lost time by jumping from Single-A (1989) directly to the majors (1990).
Radinsky pitched for five seasons on the South Side, most notably setting up for closer Bobby Thigpen. The five seasons were interrupted by a Hodgkin’s disease diagnosis in 1994, forcing Radinsky to miss the entire season.
Off the field, Radinsky was a drummer who notably joined forces with Sox starting pitcher Jack McDowell, drumming in Black Jack’s first band, V.I.E.W. after former member Wayne Edwards was sent to Toronto. Later, Radinsky fronted the punk band Pulley, whose influence surpassed V.I.E.W and McDowell’s later band, stickfigure.
Radinsky is also the all-time leader in games pitched by a Jewish player, with 557 appearances. He’s been a Team USA pitching coach, as well as a Cleveland’s pitching coach in 2012 and Anaheim’s bullpen coach from 2016-18.
1998
It’s a belated but banner day for White Sox icons, as Larry Doby and George Davis are among four players selected for Hall of Fame enshrinement by the Veterans Committee.
Doby was better known for his play in Cleveland and the Newark Eagles, but provided 6.7 WAR in just 280 games for the White Sox over three seasons toward the end of his career. On the whole, Doby very broadly provided similar value as his career contemporary in the AL and Negro Leagues, Minnie Miñoso.
As a favorite of White Sox (and Cleveland) owner Bill Veeck, Doby also made history in 1978, when Veeck elevated the coach from staff to manager, replacing Bob Lemon at midseason. Doby became just the second Black manager in MLB history.
In a coincidence of timing, Doby’s honor came 39 years to the day he was traded from Cleveland to Detroit for Tito Francona. Later that season, Doby was flipped to the White Sox for the second time, and finished out his MLB playing days on the AL pennant-winners.
Davis was an even better player than Doby, starring in the 1890s-1900s as a shortstop for the New York Giants and White Sox. His 84.5 WAR qualifies him as 53rd-best player in baseball history, and the fifth-best shortstop. With the White Sox, Davis put up 33.1 WAR in just seven seasons, placing him ninth all-time among club hitters and the third-best shortstop. Before he moved to Chicago to play full-time, “Gorgeous George” was the subject of an intense fight between the White Sox and Giants, as Davis bolted New York in 1902 to sign with the upstart league at double the salary — then had misgivings and tried to return to the Giants.
Davis, by then 35 and a legend, was a platoon shortstop on Chicago’s first World Series winner, with an OPS of .846 and six RBIs in just three contests in 1906.
And also on this day, former White Sox and Cubs broadcaster Jack Brickhouse underwent surgery to remove a brain tumor. The tumor was discovered when Brickhouse was getting dressed to attend colleague Harry Caray’s funeral. Brickhouse would die five months later.