Here’s what happened on this date (Jan. 18) in White Sox history:
*1938, SOX LEGENDS FALL SHORT … THIS TIME: Former longtime White Sox players Eddie Collins, Ed Walsh, Ray Schalk and Red Faber – franchise legends and future Hall of Famers all – received votes but not enough for induction in balloting for the shrine in Cooperstown conducted by the Baseball Writers Association of America.
In the third year of voting, only 373-game winner Grover Cleveland Alexander received enough votes for induction. Needing 75 percent, Alexander received 80.92 percent of the vote.
Collins, a second baseman, was fourth with 175 votes (66.79 percent), Walsh, a pitcher, was eighth with 110 (41.98 percent), Schalk, a catcher, was 17th with 45 (17.18 percent) and Faber, a pitcher, was tied for last with just one vote (0.38 percent).
Collins wouldn’t have long to wait for his induction. He was elected to the Hall the following year.
The rest of the Sox legends made the Hall via the Veterans Committee. Walsh was enshrined in 1946 while Schalk went in in 1955 and Faber was inducted in 1964.
There were some other familiar names on the 1938 ballot. Future Hall of Famers Johnny Evers, Clark Griffith, Chief Bender, Edd Roush, Hugh Duffy and Frank Chance – all of whom spent some time with the Sox –received votes but not enough for induction.
Other notables receiving votes this year were former Sox players Nick Altrock, Harry Hooper, Dickie Kerr, Everett Scott, Fielder Jones and Kid Gleason.
*1952, CHUCK TAKES A WALK: Charles Comiskey Jr.’s request for a raise from the club’s board of directors was refused in a big way.
At a board meeting, Comiskey, an executive and the grandson of White Sox founder Charles Comiskey (aka “The Old Roman”), asked for more money but was turned down.
According to Rich Lindberg’s “White Sox Encyclopedia,” Comiskey abruptly quit the organization but was brought by his mother, Grace, months later when a broadcast venture of his did not work out.
*1972, HERSHBERGER CUT: The White Sox released outfielder Mike Hershberger, ending his 11-year career.
The Ohio native gave the team some good years in the early 1960s – including 1963 when he hit a career-high .279 — before he was dealt to Kansas City for the 1965 campaign.
Hershberger returned to the Sox for the 1971 season and hit .260 in 74 games.
*1980, NICE FIND: The White Sox signed free agent pitcher Juan Agosto.
The left-handed reliever was out of the game in 1979 but the Sox took a chance on him and it paid dividends.
Agosto made it to the bigs in 1981 and was a contributor form 1983 to 1985 before he was dealt to Minnesota.
*2017, TIM RAINES HALL OF FAMER: On his 10th and final year of eligibility former White Sox outfielder Tim Raines was elected to the Hall of Fame.
Raines, who played for the Sox from 1991 to 1995, received 86 percent of the Baseball Writers Association of America vote, easily clearing the 75 percent needed for election.
Here’s the blog I posted when Raines made the Hall https://soxnerd.wordpress.com/2017/01/19/30-for-30-looking-at-raines-the-sox-30th-hall-of-famer/
Raines finished second to Jeff Bagwell, who received 86 percent of the vote, and ahead of Ivan Rodriguez, who got 76 percent of the vote.
Others with Sox ties on the ballot were Manny Ramirez, Sammy Sosa, Magglio Ordonez, Mike Cameron and Orlando Cabrera.