1913
The White Sox and New York Giants began their round-the-world tour, promoting baseball across the globe. The two teams would eventually sail home from England on the Lusitania after playing over 40 contests.
1951
The White Sox sent swingman Randy Gumpert and left fielder Don Lenhardt to Boston for pitcher Chuck Stobbs and second baseman Mel Hoderlein.
The swap was a win for the White Sox, as neither Gumpert nor Lenhardt, at different stages of their careers, did much in future seasons. Hoderlein
saw no action with the White Sox, flipped in May 1952 to Washington in the Sam Mele deal, but Stobbs stood out as the gem from this deal. The swingman started 17 games and appeared in 38 overall, with a save and two complete games. Stobbs finished with a 7-12 record despite a 3.13 ERA, good for a dead-average 2.0 WAR.
1992
Johnny Ostrowski, who in 1949 became the first player the White Sox ever acquired in trade from the Chicago Cubs, passed away in Chicago at age 75. The 15-year pro came to the South Side at the tail end of his career, at age 31 — part of a midseason trade. Ostrowski was dealt away to Washington early in the 1950 season, and re-claimed on waivers in September. He never made it back to the majors, though.
Ostrowski was a Chicago native and graduate of Tilden High School, so it’s fitting that the start, end, and bulk of his career came with our city’s clubs.
2008
In what amounted to a doubling down on a terrible deal, the White Sox ran Nick Swisher out of town along with minor league pitcher Kanekoa Texeira, shipping the pair to the New York Yankees for prospects Jeff Marquez, Wilson Benemit and Jhonny Núñez.
In just 153 games in Chicago, Swisher went from a 4.4 WAR player to -0.2, and immediately resumed his minor-star track in New York, tallying 11.9 WAR over four seasons with the Yankees. The combination of the original Swisher trade from the A’s and the one shipping him to New York cost the White Sox in the neighborhood of 24.3 WAR.
Marquez in particular was a terrible acquisition for the White Sox, managing -0.1 WAR with the club — pitching just one inning!
2012
After signing Mark Buerhle away from the White Sox after the 2011 season, the Miami Marlins dealt him to the Toronto Blue Jays as part of a talent purge that included manager Ozzie Guillén, closer Robb Nen and shortstop José Reyes. The mild-mannered Buehrle expressed dismay at being misled by Marlins management, who had expressed a full, four-year commitment to him at the time of his signing. The trade also created personal strife for the Buehrle family, as the unit relocated to upstate New York after the trade, with only Buehrle residing in Canada.
Buerhle completed what should be a Hall of Fame career for the Blue Jays, pitching to 6.8 WAR over his three years up north. After his retirement, the White Sox honored their 12-year stalwart with a jersey retirement (2017) and concourse statue (2025).
2020
Yes, a second straight Miami Marlins item!
Kim Ng, who started her career in 1991 as an intern in the White Sox front office, took over the Miami Marlins to become the first woman GM in baseball history — and North American sports history. Ng’s run as GM ended after a successful 2023 that ended with a playoff berth, as Marlins ownership wanted to marginalize her role in spite of the team trending upward.
