Here’s what happened on this date (Dec. 21) in White Sox history:
*1907, UNLOADING SOME “PIANO LEGS”: The White Sox sold veteran first baseman-outfielder Charles “Piano Legs” Hickman to the Cleveland Naps. Hickman was a late-season pickup by the 1907 Sox. He got into 21 games, hitting .261 with an RBI. Hickman retired after the 1908 season with Cleveland.
*1939, HE DIDN’T HIT LIKE A “BOOB” IN 1939: The White Sox picked up third baseman Eric “Boob” McNair from the Boston Red Sox in exchange for infielder Boze Berger. McNair went on to have a sensational 1939, hitting a team-best .342 with 82 RBIs while playing 103 games at third, 19 at second and nine at shortstop.
The Mississippian shared time with Skeeter Webb at second base in 1940, his last year with the Sox. Berger split time between second, third and short in his two seasons with the Sox.
His most memorable feats came when he and Mike Kreevich started games with homers on two occasions in 1937. That was a feat that would not be duplicated until Ray Durham and Jose Valentin did it on July 4, 2000.
*2025, MURAKAMI ON BOARD: News broke and was later confirmed that the White Sox signed prized Japanese free agent slugger Munetaka Murakami.
A left-handed hitting corner infielder signed a two-year, $34 million deal, according to reports.
The 25-year old comes to the Sox as one of the most accomplished players in the history of Japanese professional baseball.
Among his accomplishments were …
—setting the Nippon Professional Baseball record for home runs by a Japanese born player with 56 dingers in 2022. He broke Sadaharu Oh’s 58-year old record.
—a Rookie of the Year Award in 2019 for the Yakult Swallows
—an Olympic gold medal in 2020 where he drove in the winning run with a homer in the title game for Japan’s first gold
—the Central League MVP Award in 2021 and 2022
—-Central League Triple Crown winner in 2022
—-became the first player in NPB history to homer in five consecutive at-bats on Aug. 2, 2022
—-four All-Star berths
—-leading Yakult to an NPB championship in 2021
—-leading Japan to a gold medal in the 2023 World Baseball Classic which included a 432-foot homer (115.1 mph exit velocity)