10 players you forgot were once White Sox
CHICAGO -- Ron Santo is remembered as a Hall of Fame third baseman who played for 14 years with nine All-Star selections and 337 home runs on the North Side of Chicago with the Cubs.
But the last year of Santo's career, coming in 1974, saw Santo move across town to the White Sox in a trade that sent Steve Stone and Steve Swisher to the Cubs. Santo went deep for the White Sox five times in a short tenure, and he actually played 11 more games in '74 at second base than at third, where he played 2,130 of his career 2,201 games.
Here's a look at 10 more players who produced amazing accomplishments during baseball careers that included brief tenures with the White Sox. Maybe fans remember them -- how can a playoff team featuring Ken Griffey Jr. and Jim Thome in the same lineup be forgotten? Some stints are not as memorable.
Steve Carlton, 1986
After being signed as a free agent on Aug. 12 following his release by the Giants, the Hall of Famer made 10 starts for the White Sox and produced a 4-3 record with a 3.69 ERA. The southpaw pitched for the Indians and Twins over the next two seasons before retiring.
Tom Seaver, 1984-86
The right-hander chose to pitch for the White Sox over retiring, according to reports, after they surprisingly claimed the then 39-year-old in January 1984 from the Mets. The Hall of Famer had pitched for the Mets in his first 11 seasons and returned in '83 after pitching six seasons for the Reds. In '84, Seaver was added to a White Sox team that won 99 games and the American League West title in '83 but finished 74-88 the next season. He picked up 33 victories in parts of three White Sox seasons, including his 300th career victory at Yankee Stadium via a complete-game effort on Aug. 4, 1985. The White Sox traded Seaver to Boston for Steve Lyons in '86, and Seaver finished his career there at age 41.
George Foster, 1986
It's easy to get overlooked as part of the historic Big Red Machine when iconic players such as Tony Perez, Johnny Bench, Joe Morgan, Pete Rose, Dave Concepcion and Ken Griffey Sr. are your Cincinnati teammates. But Foster was a force, hitting 121 homers with 390 RBIs and a .939 OPS from 1976-78. His numbers with the White Sox didn't come close to that after they signed him as a free agent on Aug 15, 1986. Foster hit .216 with one homer and four RBIs over 15 games in his last of 18 Major League seasons.
Jose Canseco, 2001
Although he didn't start the 2001 season with any affiliated team, the mercurial slugger was added by the White Sox from Newark in the independent Atlantic League on June 21. Canseco, who finished his career with 462 homers and 200 stolen bases, made an instant impact with 16 homers and 49 RBIs in 76 games as primarily the designated hitter, but the White Sox finished at 83-79 in the 36-year-old Canseco's last big league hurrah.
Ken Griffey Jr., 2008
The Hall of Famer had one of the franchise's most memorable defensive plays in quite possibly the most exciting game in White Sox history. Griffey's throw to A.J. Pierzynski nailed Minnesota's Michael Cuddyer at the plate to end a scoreless fifth inning on Sept. 30, helping the White Sox earn the AL Central title with a 1-0 victory over the Twins at U.S. Cellular Field. It is known as the Blackout Game in White Sox lore. Griffey had 150 plate appearances and three home runs after being acquired from the Reds for Nick Masset and Danny Richar at the non-waiver Trade Deadline. Griffey retired two years later as part of the Mariners.
Manny Ramirez, 2010
Ramirez's second-to-last hit came with the White Sox before one of the game's great offensive forces completed his career in 2011 with a 1-for-17 showing as part of the Rays. The White Sox tried to trade for Ramirez in July '10 but instead ended up claiming him on waivers from the Dodgers on Aug. 30. He wasn't completely healthy during his time in Chicago and hit .261 with one home run and two RBIs in 24 games.
Andruw Jones, 2010
From 1998-2007, Jones was one of the best -- if not the best -- center fielder in baseball. His 10 Gold Glove Awards, five All-Star appearances and 434 career home runs would support that hypothesis. Jones arrived in Chicago near the end of his career as a free agent, and promptly hit nine home runs during his first 22 game in '10. His production tailed off, finishing with 19 homers overall, although Jones connected for his 400th career homer at home against the Royals on July 11. He played two more seasons with the Yankees before retiring.
Kevin Youkilis, 2012
Brent Morel didn't get the job done at third base for the 2012 White Sox. Orlando Hudson was brought on, but the veteran didn't provide any sort of boost offensively. So, the White Sox turned to Boston in acquiring Youkilis in exchange for utility player Brent Lillibridge and righty Zach Stewart on June 24, 2012. Youkilis quickly fit into the lineup for a White Sox squad sitting atop the AL Central for much of the summer in Robin Ventura's first year as manager. Ultimately, the White Sox fell short, Youkilis and his 15 home runs hit free agency and he joined the Yankees.
Jimmy Rollins, 2016
Tim Anderson, the current White Sox shortstop, moved fast through the organization but he wasn't big league ready at the outset of 2016. That's when the White Sox turned to Rollins as their starter for his 17th season in the Majors. Rollins had a few big moments, including a game-winning home run on April 5 near his hometown in Oakland, but the switch-hitter and former National League MVP Award winner lasted a mere 41 games before Anderson arrived. Rollins' time with the White Sox marked his last season in the Majors.
Justin Morneau, 2016
The left-handed-hitting first baseman seemingly made a living with the Twins by pummeling the White Sox, hitting 25 home runs and driving in 109 runs in his career against the South Siders, so it was a strange switch to see Morneau move within the AL Central. Morneau won the batting title with the Rockies in 2014 but was coming off surgery to repair ligament damage in his left elbow before joining the White Sox. He played 58 games and hit six home runs in his final season.
Special mention: Lee Elia, 1966
The well-respected coach might be best remembered in Chicago for a historic 1983 postgame rant while managing the Cubs. But he also played very briefly for the White Sox, hitting all three of his career homers in '66.