The only shortstop-turned-closer in team history signs with Chicago
White Sox pitcher Monty Stratton, an American League All-Star in 1937 and one of the best young players in the game, accidentally shot himself in the leg while hunting, when his .22 caliber pistol discharged as he was replacing it in his holster; he had failed to engage the safety. Unable to get help, Stratton crawled a half-mile to a road leading into Greenville, Texas. The bullet pierced a femoral artery, which stopped circulation to the limb, necessitating amputation. His five-year career ended. He eventually came back to play in a few minor league games using a wooden leg.
In 1948 Hollywood made The Stratton Story, starring Jimmy Stewart, June Allyson and Stratton’s manager with the White Sox, Jimmy Dykes.
Another one of Frank Lane’s great deals was struck when the GM sent catcher Gus Niarhos, pitcher Dick Littlefield, first baseman Gordon Goldsberry, shortstop Joe DeMaestri and outfield Jim Rivera to the St. Louis Browns for pitcher Al Widmar, infielder Tom Upton (flipped to Washington for Sam Dente later in the day) and the main prize, catcher Sherm Lollar. Lollar would become a three-time All-Star and a three-time Gold Glove-winner. He was considered the second-best catcher in the league throughout the 1950s, behind New York’s Yogi Berra.
Rivera was a favorite of Browns manager Rogers Hornsby (the legend was quoted as saying “he’s the only player in all baseball today that I’d buy a $2 box seat to watch play”), but Jungle Jim was reacquired by the White Sox the next July. Widmar would pitch just one game with the White Sox, the last of his career, but Lollar and Rivera would remain with the club through the early 1960s.
In a bizarre coincidence, both Minnie Miñoso and Joe Cunningham were at the same sports banquet in Joliet when word came that the White Sox and Cardinals had made a trade — and the deal was Miñoso for Cunningham!
Cunningham was among the finest fielding first baseman in franchise history, ranking right up there with Joe Kuhel and Tony Muser. In 1962, Joe reached base 268 times and led the Sox in walks, runs, sacrifice flies and bunts. He hit .295 and drove in 70 runs.
In July 1964, Cunningham was sent to the Senators as part of a deal bringing Bill “Moose” Skowron to the Sox.
It was a move criticized at the time, as White Sox GM Roland Hemond sent outfielder Chet Lemon to the Tigers for outfielder Steve Kemp.
The swap of All-Stars left Sox fans shaking their heads, because Kemp would become a free agent after the upcoming season. He’d eventually sign a big-money contract with the Yankees after knocking in 98 runs and hitting .286 for the Sox.
However, what wasn’t known at the time was that the Sox weren’t going to re-sign Lemon, either. Lemon had agreed on a contract extension with the White Sox, but refused to sign it after the Sox signed Carlton Fisk for more money than they had agreed to give Lemon. While Chet later admitted regret over the prideful move, he was a core piece of the brilliant, World Series-winning 1984 Tigers and spent a successful decade in Detroit.
Although not officially announced until Jan. 12, 2009, on this day the White Sox signed minor league free agent shortstop Sergio Santos, at the time still a shortstop. Santos was originally drafted in the first round, straight out of high school, by the Arizona Diamondbacks, but had labored for seven years and with 15 teams through three organizations without seeing the majors.
Santos would have an eventful offseason and spring, getting traded by the White Sox to the Giants after seeing very little major league camp action for Chicago (though playing well, 4-for-9 in five games) to give him one more shot as a hitter. Ten days later, the White Sox reacquired Santos with the novel intent of turning him into a pitcher.
After burning through four levels of the minors in 2009, Santos famously rode a fantastic spring to the major league roster in 2010 and ascended to the team’s closer later that season.
In 2024, Santos rejoined the White Sox organization, to manage the eventual Southern League champion Birmingham Barons.
