Major League Baseball is asking its fans to vote for the four most impactful players who best represent the history of each franchise. The winners will be announced in July at the All Star Game in Cincinnati. Today, we finish up the entire league as I give my Franchise Four picks for the Chicago White Sox.
Luis Aparicio played for the White Sox from 1956 – 1962 and again from 1968 – 1970. He was an All Star 6 times in those years and was elected to Hall of Fame in 1984. His number 11 was retired by the White Sox in 1984.
Nellie Fox teamed with Aparicio to make up the double play combination for the 1959 American League Champions. Fox came to the White Sox in 1950 and manned second base through the 1963 season, earning 12 All Star nods and the 1959 AL MVP. He was elected to the Hall of Fame in 1997.
After the White Sox roster was decimated by the banishments following the throwing of the 1919 World Series, there were few bright spots until Luke Appling debuted in 1930. 20 years later, Appling retired, with 7 All Star nods, 2 batting titles, 3 top 10 MVP finishes, and too many team records to count. He was elected to the Hall of Fame in 1964.
Paul Konerko came to the White Sox via trade prior to the 1999 season and became a fixture at first base until his retirement last year. Having led the White Sox to victory in the 2005 World Series, he finished his career as the White Sox all time leader in total bases and second all time in home runs, RBIs, and games played.
Harold Baines was selected by the White Sox as the first overall pick of the 1977 draft. He spent parts of 14 seasons with the team, in three different stints, until his retirement following the 2001 season. He holds the White Sox team records for home runs, RBIs, and extra base hits for left handed hitters.
Acquired by the White Sox in 1951, Minnie Minoso broke the color barrier in Chicago when he debuted on May 1. He spent parts of 12 seasons with the club in 5 separate stints over 4 decades. After his playing career, he became an ambassador for the organization until his death earlier this year.
Eddie Collins spent 12 years with the White Sox, from 1915 until 1926. He participated in 2 World Series for the White Sox, winning the title in 1917. He was elected to the Hall of Fame in 1939.
Frank Thomas was the first round draft pick of the White Sox in 1989 and began his big league career the following year. Over his 16 year White Sox career, he led the team to post-season berths in 1993 and 2000, and cheered them on from the DL as they won the 2005 World Series. The franchise leader in home runs, he won back to back MVP awards in 1993 and 1994 and was elected to the Hall of Fame on the first ballot in 2014.
Narrowing this field, consisting of 5 Hall of Famers, down to 4 is tricky. Frank Thomas would seem to be an obvious choice, as does Minnie Minoso. My heart would like to give the last 2 slots to Harold Baines and Paul Konerko, two of my all time favorite players. I’m going to give one of the final spots to Nellie Fox and the other to Harold Baines.