1925 Shortstop Hervey McClellan, who made his White Sox debut in 1919 and played five seasons with the team after that, died at 30, of cancer. The defensive ace first felt ill on April 27, 1924, when he nearly passed out on the field with was thought to be “acute indigestion.” A week later, McClellan had his stomach operated on — he had stomach cancer, but somehow was not informed of his affliction. Incredibly, he battled his way back to the field after Independence Day and played in 24 more games
that season, including a brief return to the starting lineup.
In 1925, McClellan reported to Spring Training in California with hopes of a healthy season starting at shortstop. However, he was weakened and never made it to the regular season, going under the knife again in June, this time to remove gallstones. Five months after his hospital discharge in July, the popular teammate known as “Little Mac” was dead.
1935
After a 22-year career logging a 229-217 record with a 3.84 ERA and 39.7 WAR (180th all-time among pitchers), “Sad” Sam Jones retired. The former Cleveland, Red Sox, Yankees, Browns and Senators player had ended his run with four seasons on the South Side.
Jones was a curveball specialist, and while never a consistent superstar in the game had some outstanding seasons, finishing fifth in the American League in WAR in 1921 (7.2) and seventh in 1928 (6.2); even in his age-40 season in Chicago, Jones put up an outstanding 3.8 WAR over 25 starts.
Jones played on four pennant winners and took home three titles, and compiled an 0-2 record with a 2.05 ERA in World Series play. He got his nickname not from melancholy, but from staring down runners at first base to prevent steal attempts.
Jones was the oldest player in the majors when he retired at 43. His 22 consecutive years playing in a single league remains a record, tying him with Herb Pennock, Early Wynn, Red Ruffing and Steve Carlton.
Jones was also a writer and photographer, and an avid basketball player who would have likely chosen to go pro on the hardwood had the NBA existed in the 1910s.
1943
After missing two seasons due to debilitating migraine headaches, Hal Trosky came back to the majors, with the White Sox purchasing the first baseman from Cleveland. His return resulted in average production (.241/.327/.374, with a 102 OPS+ and 0.5 WAR) and saw him sit out another year, 1945, to deal with his health. (Trosky returned for one final year with the White Sox in 1946.)
It was a hard ending for a borderline superstar during his Cleveland career, earning MVP votes in four seasons and boasting two 5.0 WAR-plus years.
1976
The White Sox sent second baseman Hugh Yancy to the Reds for outfielder Tom Spencer. Yancy had played in seven games over three seasons with the White Sox, compiling a -0.3 WAR that might not seem too bad, at least if you avoid the fact that -0.3 WAR in seven games works out to -6.9 over a full season.
However, despite Yancy never seeing the majors again (three Triple-A seasons in the Cincinnati and Cleveland systems), Spencer was worse. He played all of 1977 in Triple-A to no distinction, then burned it up in 1978 after being demoted to Double-A and getting his first and only call to the majors in July. With the White Sox, Spencer mustered just 12 hits, batting .185 and slugging .200. He clocked in with a -0.6 WAR and would finish his pro career in the Houston system.
2009
White Sox GM Ken Williams had a strange att achment to certain players, but they usually took the form of long-desired superstar veterans … well past their primes (see: Kenny Always Gets His Man).
But in the case of Mark Teahen, who the White Sox acquired from the Royals in a trade on this day for Josh Fields and Chris Getz, the usual attachments did not apply. Teahen had lit up the majors in 2006, his second full season (3.7 WAR, .874 OPS/122 OPS+ in just 109 games) and followed it up with a solid 2007. Versatile enough to have logged significant games in corner outfield and infield, Williams envisioned Teahen as the solution to Chicago’s hole at third base.
But Williams wasn’t satisfied in merely acquiring Teahen: A month later, he extended the 28-year-old with a three-year, $14 million deal through 2012. Unfortunately, Teahen was positively awful in 2008-09, running up -1.4 WAR over 293 games. For a player showing all indications he might be cooked as a major-leaguer, Williams’ no-questions-asked buyout of arb years and three-year commitment was a bold statement.
And, as it turned out, a bad move, as Teahen ran up -1.1 WAR for the 2010 White Sox and never played another game in the majors after his three-year deal gifted by Williams ran out.
