Today in White Sox History: December 4
An early gift arrives, courtesy of the Mexican League!
1931
The White Sox swapped outfielder Carl Reynolds and John Kerr to Washington for second baseman Jackie Hayes and pitchers Bump Hadley and Sam Jones.
Hayes played the rest of his days with the White Sox, compiling 6.1 WAR over nine seasons, with true standout campaigns in 1933 and 1936. “Sad Sam” likewise finished his career with the White Sox, starting for four seasons (8.5 WAR total) before retiring at age 43 after the 1935 season. Hadley enjoyed an excellent career but pitched only three games for the South Siders in April 1932 before being flipped to St. Louis.
Reynolds went to Washington and one solid year (equaling Hayes’ best) before being shipped to the Cardinals in a deal for Goose Goslin. Infielder Kerr was a sub for three seasons with the Senators before his career ended, playing to little consequence but seeing action in one game in the 1933 World Series.
Ironically, exactly nine years later after this trade the White Sox released Hayes, who was losing sight in his eyes due to glaucoma.
1957
New Cleveland GM Frank Lane made his return to the American League with a splash: In a trade that shocked and outraged many White Sox fans, popular outfielder Minnie Miñoso and infielder Fred Hatfield were traded to Cleveland for future Hall-of-Famer Early Wynn and outfielder Al Smith. Wynn was coming off of the first losing season of his career, but would lead the AL in wins and innings pitched in 1958. He and Smith were among the final pieces acquired for the franchise that would win the pennant in 1959. Wynn won the Cy Young that season, with 22 victories, and Smith was a solid contributor for the Sox until he was traded before the start of the 1963 season.
1973
It was just one of several transactions between the White Sox and the Mexican League’s Jalisco Charros (Horsemen), but proved one of the best: Chicago sent shortstop Rudy Hernández back to Mexico, in exchange for starting pitcher Francisco Barrios and minor league reliever Manuel Lugo. Barrios would make it to the majors for good as a swingman in 1976 and was the top starter (4.4 WAR) on the vaunted 1977 South Side Hit Men. He remained a rotation stalwart through 1978 before injuries started to set in. Overall, Barrios was an 8.4 WAR pitcher with a 4.15 ERA/4.05 WHIP over just 129 games in the majors — solid, by any definition.
1990
In an ill-fated attempt to add more punch to the lineup, the White Sox sent Eric King and Shawn Hillegas to Cleveland for Cory Snyder and minor league shortstop Lindsay Foster.
It wasn’t that King or Hillegas were outstanding in 1991 — although their combined 2.0 WAR would have helped in the division race — but that Snyder was unbearably awful. Already an overhyped prospect (drafted No. 4 overall in 1984 after a stint on Team USA), Snyder was a slug-only player who hardly managed to be a positive asset with the bat overall. In just 50 games with the White Sox, he ran aground for -0.5 WAR before getting dumped on the Blue Jays in July.
1997
Jerry Manuel was named the new White Sox manager, replacing Terry Bevington and becoming the second Black skipper in franchise history. When hired, Manuel had no previous big-league managerial experience. He beat out former White Sox shortstop Bucky Dent and Larry Parrish, among others, for the job.
In Manuel’s seven years, the White Sox made one postseason (2000) and had three winning seasons. He’d be named Manager of the Year for his efforts in taking the Central Division in 2000 with 95 victories.