Black Sox included.
Catcher: CARLTON FISK
1. Highlights: Ten straight double digit HR seasons. 4 All Star teams. Double digits in doubles ten out of eleven seasons.
2. Career Best: .293 AVG in '89, .378 OBP in '90, .518 in '83. 37 HRs, and 101 RBIs in '85. 85 RS, 141 Hits, and 26 doubles in '83.
3. Summary: One of the top ten catchers in baseball history. His best season was in Boston, but he was hurt a lot, and missed a ton of games for the Red Sox. Boston gave up on him, famously, too quickly. Carlton came back in a big way after he was traded. The best part of his career was in Chicago.
First Base: FRANK THOMAS
1. Highlights: Back to back MVP seasons: '93, and '94. Eight straight years with over a .300 AVG, .400 OBP, 100 RS, 100 RBIs, and 100 BB. Five straight years with 35 or more HRs and over a .600 SLG. Ten straight seasons with 25 or more doubles. In his eighteen seasons played, Frank Thomas has had a +OPS of over 100 in seventeen of them. His .729 SLG in '94 was the first .700 SLG in the American League since Ted Williams in '57.
2. Career Best: .353 AVG, .487 OBP, and a .729 SLG all in '94. 115 RS, 191 Hits, 143 RBIs, and 43 HRs in '00. 46 doubles in '92. 138 BB in '91.
3. Summary: For most of his career, there was a running debate over who was the better first baseman: Frank or Jeff Bagwell. Most prominent baseball experts came out for Bagwell, including Bill James. I think those experts would like a do over. Along with Griffey Jr., Thomas seems to be the poster child for playing clean in the Steroid Era. Thomas was always so big and so strong, it begs the question: what would the man have done and looked like if he HAD done steroids and HGH? Conan the Barbarian? Solomon Grundy? Incidentally, Frank has one of the lowest Hit by Pitch ratios of all time. Go figure.
Second Base: EDDIE COLLINS
1. Highlights: 12 straight years with an OPS+ of over 100. Came in second in the MVP voting two years in a row: '23, and '24 ( he won a MVP while with Philly). A .400 OBP or better eleven out of twelve seasons with the Chi Sox. A .300 AVG or better ten out of twelve seasons.
2. Career Best: 224 hits, 38 doubles, .372 AVG, and a .493 SLG in '20. A .461 OBP in '25. 118 RS in '18. 17 triples in '16. 53 SB in '17.
3. Summary:Like a lot of the All-Time greats, Eddie did a lot of things well, for a long time. When you see the best numbers spread out over multiple seasons, it's a good indication of a player who always found a way to contribute. Top five second baseman of All-Time. Not implicated in throwing the 1919 World Series.
Third Base: ROBIN VENTURA
1. Highlights: Double digit HRs and doubles for six years. Had an OPS+ of over 100 for eight straight years.
2. Career Best: .295 AVG, and .384 OBP in '95. 38 doubles in '92. 34 HR and 105 RBI in '96. 105 BB in '93.
3. Summary: It always seemed like , with that fluid swing of his, he had more in him. Maybe Robin was one of those guys that things come too easy to for their own good; like Darryl Strawberry, another lefty with a sweet swing. Still a solid fielding third baseman with some power, who gets on base is hard to find. Charged the mound on the 46 year old Nolan Ryan and got his ass handed to him.
Shortstop: LUKE APPLING
1. Highlights: A Hall of Famer, Appling won two batting titles, played in seven All Star games and came in second in the MVP voting twice. Hit .300 or better 15 out of 16 years. Led the league in OBP in '43.
2. Career Best: 111 RS, 204 Hits, 128 RBI, .388 AVG, .474 OBP, .508 SLG all in '36 (the high water year for league offense). 42 doubles in '37. 13 triples in '40. 8 HR in '47. 27 steals in '43.
3. Summary: The man could hit, but his defense was consistently average; which makes him more of a modern shortstop. Didn't have a ton of speed, and didn't steal a lot of bases. Had doubles power. Sort of a unique player in that he wasn't really a big run scorer(reached 100 only once), wasn't a big RBI man ( reached 100 only once), and he would alternate season by season, between taking a lot of walks and putting the ball in play. Baseball people used to look down their collective noses at walks. If Appling played today, he'd probably draw around 100 walks every season, and the yearly variations in his batting approach would disappear.
Outfield: JOE JACKSON
1. Highlights: Led the league in triples twice. Hit over .300 every year with the White Sox. Had double digits in doubles and triples every full year with Chicago. Had over 200 hits, 40 doubles, and 20 triples twice ( '16 and '20 his first and last years with Chicago).
2. Career Best: 105 RS, 218 Hits, 42 doubles, 121 RBI, .382 AVG, .444 OBP, .589 SLG all in '20(had slightly higher numbers during seasons with Cleavland). 21 triples, and 24 SB in '16.
3. Summary: Joe's best years were in Cleavland, and I have no doubt that he wished he'd never been traded to Chicago. You don't hit .375 in a World Series trying to throw games. But there's no denying that Joe sat in on the meetings where the decision by other players to throw games was made. I guess Joe thought he could have it both ways: attend the meetings, talk shit and act tough, then play hard in the games to look good in front of the public. Didn't work out so hot.
Outfield: MINNIE MINOSO
1. Highlights: Made six All-Star teams. Won two gold gloves. Scored 100 runs and had 100 RBI four times. Had double digits in doubles, triples and HRs in the same season three times. Led the league for one season in hits '60, total bases '54, doubles '57, and games played '60. Led the league three times in triples, and stolen bases. Led the league in hit by a pitch eight times; a forerunner of Craig Biggio.
2. Career Best: 119 RS in '54, 184 hits in '60, 36 doubles in '57, 18 triples in '54, 21 HR in '56, 116 RBI in '54, 31 SB in '51, .326 AVG in '51, .425 OBP in '56, .535 SLG in '54.
3. Summary: Minnie was 28 when he made his debut in the majors in '49. He'd played in the Negro leagues since '45. If he hadn't lost those four years to the color barrier would Minoso be in the Hall of Fame? I think so. Regardless, Minoso is one of the most well rounded, and underrated players of the post-war period. Never got to play in the post season, a shame because I believe he was the exact type of player who shines in pressure situation: the type who can make adjustments to how he's being pitched and still be just as productive.
Outfield: MAGGLIO ORDONEZ
1. Highlights: Made four All-Star teams, and won one Silver Slugger award. 100 RS three times, four straight years with over 100 RBI and 30 HRs, five straight years with over 34 doubles, .300 AVG, and a .500 SLG.
2. Career Best: 192 hits in '03. 25 SB in '01. 116 RS, 47 doubles, 38 HRs, 135 RBI in '02. .320 AVG in '02, .382 OBP in '01, .597 SLG in '02.
3. Summary: Great power and average hitter who's defense is bad enough that he should be a DH. Unfortunately for Maggs, Frank Thomas and Gary Sheffeild were both worse defenders than Ordonez was when he played with them.
Designated Hitter: HAROLD BAINES
1. Highlights: Made four All-Star teams. Won the Silver Slugger award in '89. Led the AL in SLG in '84. Ten straight seasons with double digits in both doubles and HRs. Harold was the oldest player in the league in '01.
2. Career Best: 39 doubles in '88. 10 triples, and 29 HR in '84. 198 hits, and .311 AVG, .399 OBP, .541 SLG.
3. Summary: Played in the bad stat era of the eighties; almost a mini-deadball era compared to the seventies players and the nineties players. I mean the guy led the American league in slugging one year with a .541. A .541! Harold was one of the most feared left handed hitters in the American league for years, and this is one career where the numbers don't tell the whole story.
Pitchers:ED WALSH, EDDIE CICOTTE, DOC WHITE, BILLY PIERCE, RED FARBER.--Closer: HOYT WILHELM
1. Highlights: Billy Pierce had an ERA+ of 201 in 1955. Otherwise most of the pitching records are Ed Walsh's. He was sort of a Walter Johnson light for the White Sox. Ed Walsh 1.27 ERA and 0.820 WHIP in 1910. Walsh also had 40 Wins, 42 CG, 11 SHO, 269 SO and 464 innings in 1908. Bobby Thigpen 57 Saves in 1990.
2. Career Best: Ed Walsh's 1908: 464 IP, 269 SO, 40 W 15 L, 1.42 ERA, 0.860 WHIP, 163 ERA+.
Eddie Cicotte's 1917: 346 IP, 150 SO, 28 W 12 L, 1.53 ERA, 0.912 WHIP, 174 ERA+.
Doc White's 1906: 219 IP, 95 SO, 18 W 6 L, 1.52 ERA, 0.903 WHIP, 168 ERA+.
Billy Pierce's 1955: 205 IP, 157 SO, 15 W 10 L, 1.97 ERA, 1.099 WHIP, 201 ERA+.
Red Faber's 1921: 330 IP, 124 SO, 25 W 15 L, 2.48 ERA, 1.149 WHIP, 171 ERA+.
Hoyt Wilhelm's 1965: 66 games, 144 IP, 106 SO, 1.81 ERA, 0.833 WHIP, 176 ERA+.
3. Summary: Is that the best All-Time staff? It damn well could be. Top five definitely.
Bench: NELLIE FOX,A.J. PIERZYNSKI, CARLOS LEE, BIBB FALK, PAUL KONERKO
Bullpen: Bobby Thigpen, TED LYONS, REB RUSSELL, FRANK SMITH, JIM SCOTT
Batting Order:
1.Collins-L
2.Appling-R
3.Jackson-L
4.Thomas-R
5.Baines-L
6.Ordonez-R
7.Ventura-L
8.Fisk-R
9.Minoso-R
Conclusion: An extremely balanced line-up that has everything but great speed on the bases. An unbelievable rotation that could pitch shutouts against the '27 Yankees. Throw in a great bench and a solid bullpen and the Chi Sox are pushing for a spot in the top five teams of All-Time. Although there's always the chance they might end up throwing all their games; you know, for the money.
