1938 — White Sox star 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 after his .32 caliber pistol discharged when he was replacing it in his holster. Stratton had been out hunting. Unable to get help, he crawled a half-mile to a road leading into Greenville, Texas. The bullet pierced a femoral artery, which stopped circulation to the limb, and Stratton’s leg had to be amputated. His four-year career ended. Stratton 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 former Sox manager Jimmy Dykes.
1951 – In yet another one of Frank Lane’s “best deals,” the White Sox GM sent five players to the St. Louis Browns for three players, including catcher Sherm Lollar. Lollar would become a three-time All-Star and three-time Gold Glove winner. Of the players sent to St. Louis, one of them, outfielder Jim Rivera, would be reacquired by the Sox the following July. Both players would remain with the club through the early 1960s.
1961 — 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 — Miñoso for Cunningham! Cunningham became perhaps the finest-fielding first baseman in franchise history, ranking right up there with Joe Kuhel and Tony Muser. And he could hit, too: In 1962, Joe would reach base 268 times and lead the Sox in walks, runs, sacrifice flies and bunts. He hit .295 and drove in 70 runs. In July 1964, the White Sox sent Cunningham to the Senators as part of a deal bringing Moose Skowron to the Sox.
1981 — It was a move criticized at the time, as 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, as 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 for the Sox in 1982.
However, what wasn’t known at the time was that the Sox weren’t going to re-sign Lemon; the young star had agreed to an extension, but then balked after the new Jerry Reinsdorf-Eddie Einhorn ownership went out and signed Carlton Fisk for more money than Lemon had agreed to.
And yes, the move broke the tiny little White Sox heart of the future editor-in-chief of South Side Hit Pen.
South Side Hit Pen 