The franchise was originally founded in 1894 as a minor league team called the Sioux City Cornhuskers. 1)
Before settling in Chicago, the team was purchased by Charles Comiskey and moved to St. Paul, Minnesota, where they were known as the St. Paul Saints. 2)
In 1900, Charles Comiskey relocated the St. Paul Saints to Chicago, and they were initially named the Chicago White Stockings, a former name of the city's National League team, the Cubs. 3)
The team officially shortened its name from the “White Stockings” to the “White Sox” in 1904, a nickname that had been popularized by sports journalists. 4)
In the American League's first season as a major league in 1901, the Chicago White Stockings won the pennant. 5)
The 1906 White Sox won the World Series against their crosstown rivals, the Cubs, despite having the worst team batting average (.230) in the American League, earning them the nickname “the Hitless Wonders”. 6)
Comiskey Park, the team's home from 1910 to 1990, was designed with input from pitcher Ed Walsh and was known for its spacious, pitcher-friendly dimensions. 7)
The land for Comiskey Park was a former city dump that Charles Comiskey purchased in 1909. 8)
The tradition of playing “The Star-Spangled Banner” at baseball games is said to have started at Comiskey Park during the 1918 World Series. 9)
Eight White Sox players were accused of intentionally losing the 1919 World Series to the Cincinnati Reds in exchange for money from gamblers. 10)
The fix of the 1919 World Series was allegedly signaled to gamblers when pitcher Eddie Cicotte hit the first batter of the series, Morrie Rath, with a pitch. 11)
Although the eight accused players were acquitted in a 1921 trial, they were permanently banned from professional baseball by the first Commissioner of Baseball, Kenesaw Mountain Landis. 12)
Following the Black Sox Scandal, the franchise endured an 88-year drought before winning another World Series. 13)
The successful teams of the 1950s and early 1960s were known as the “Go-Go White Sox” for their emphasis on speed, defense, and pitching rather than power hitting. 14)
In 1960, the White Sox became the first team in Major League Baseball to put players' names on the back of their jerseys. 15)
Famed owner Bill Veeck installed the first “exploding” scoreboard at Comiskey Park in 1960, which would light up and shoot off fireworks. 16)
A 1979 promotion, “Disco Demolition Night,” resulted in a riot on the field at Comiskey Park after a crate of disco records was blown up, forcing the White Sox to forfeit the second game of a doubleheader. 17)
The 1983 team, which won the AL West division, was known by the slogan “Winning Ugly,” a phrase coined by manager Tony La Russa to describe their gritty style of play. 18)
On May 8-9, 1984, the White Sox played in the longest game by time in MLB history, an 8-hour, 6-minute affair against the Milwaukee Brewers that lasted 25 innings. 19)
In the marathon 25-inning game, Hall of Famer Tom Seaver earned the win in relief and then started and won the regularly scheduled game that followed. 20)
First baseman Frank Thomas, nicknamed “The Big Hurt,” won consecutive American League MVP awards in 1993 and 1994. 21)
In the final season at old Comiskey Park in 1990, closer Bobby Thigpen set a then-MLB record with 57 saves. 22)
During the 2005 ALCS, White Sox starting pitchers Mark Buehrle, Jon Garland, Freddy Garcia, and Jose Contreras threw four consecutive complete games, a feat unlikely to be repeated. 23)
In 2005, the White Sox won their first World Series in 88 years, sweeping the Houston Astros. 24)
In Game 2 of the 2005 World Series, Paul Konerko hit a grand slam, and Scott Podsednik hit a walk-off home run, the first time that combination had ever occurred in a World Series game. 25)
On July 23, 2009, pitcher Mark Buehrle threw the 18th perfect game in MLB history against the Tampa Bay Rays. 26)
DeWayne Wise made a spectacular, home-run-robbing catch in the 9th inning to preserve Mark Buehrle's perfect game. 27)
The 1917 team is the only one in franchise history to win 100 games in a season. 28)
Shoeless Joe Jackson's famous bat was named “Black Betsy” and was darkened with tobacco juice. 29)
Hall of Fame shortstop Luke Appling was affectionately known as “Old Aches and Pains.” 30)
Minnie Miñoso, a beloved White Sox icon, was nicknamed “The Cuban Comet.” 31)
In 1976, the White Sox wore shorts for a game, one of the most unusual uniform choices in baseball history. 32)
The “Winning Ugly” era uniforms of the 1980s were the result of a fan design contest. 33)
The first-ever Major League Baseball All-Star Game was held at Comiskey Park in 1933. 34)
Comiskey Park hosted the famous 1937 boxing match where Joe Louis defeated James J. Braddock to become the heavyweight champion. 35)
The team record for most runs scored in a single game is 29, set on April 23, 1955, against the Kansas City Athletics. 36)
The franchise record for errors in a single game is a staggering 12, which occurred on May 6, 1903, against the Detroit Tigers. 37)
Albert Belle holds the single-season franchise record for home runs with 49, set in 1998. 38)
Rudy Law set the franchise record for stolen bases in a season with 77 in 1983. 39)
Frank Thomas holds the franchise record for the most career home runs with 448. 40)
Hall of Famer Luke Appling is the franchise's all-time leader in hits with 2,749. 41)
Ted Lyons holds the franchise record for the most career wins by a pitcher with 260. 42)
The White Sox participated in the first-ever MLB at Field of Dreams game in Iowa in 2021, winning on a walk-off home run by Tim Anderson against the New York Yankees. 43)
Following a difficult period, the organization has been focused on changing its culture and is reportedly gaining a more positive reputation among MLB players. 44)