Today in White Sox History: November 13
Goodbye to a Crosstown footnote — and a pretty darn good ballplayer
1913
The White Sox and New York Giants began their round-the-world tour, promoting baseball across the globe. The two teams would eventually sail home from England on the Lusitania after playing over 40 contests.
1992
Johnny Ostrowski, who in 1949 became the first player the White Sox ever acquired in trade from the Chicago Cubs, passed away in Chicago at age 75. The 15-year pro came to the South Side at the tail end of his career, at age 31 — part of a midseason trade. Ostrowski was dealt away to Washington early in the 1950 season, and re-claimed on waivers in September. He never made it back to the majors, though.
Ostrowski was a Chicago native and graduate of Tilden High School, so it’s fitting that the start, end, and bulk of his career came with our city’s clubs.
2008
In what amounted to a doubling down on a terrible deal, the White Sox ran Nick Swisher out of town along with minor league pitcher Kanekoa Texeira, shipping the trio to New York for Yankees prospects Jeff Marquez, Wilson Benemit and Jhonny Núñez.
In just 153 games in Chicago, Swisher went from a 4.4 WAR player to -0.2, and immediately resumed his minor-star track in New York, tallying 11.9 WAR over four seasons with the Yankees. The combination of the original Swisher trade from the A’s and the one shipping him to New York cost the White Sox some 24.3 WAR.
Marquez in particular was a terrible acquisition for the White Sox, managing -0.1 WAR with the club — pitching just one inning!
2020
Kim Ng, who started her career in 1991 as an intern in the White Sox front office, took over the Miami Marlins to become the first woman GM in baseball history — and North American sports history. Ng’s run as GM ended after a successful 2023 that ended with a playoff berth, as Marlins ownership wanted to marginalize her role in spite of the team trending upward.