Here are some events that transpired on this date (Jan. 5th) in White Sox history:
*1925, TRES BIEN, CHARLES: The French Baseball Federation presented silver medals to White Sox owner Charles Comiskey, New York Giants manager John J. McGraw and future Hall of Famer Hughie Jennings for their efforts to further America ’s national pastime in France.
The presentation came during a European tour by the White Sox and Giants.
*1927, TELL IT TO THE JUDGE: Commissioner Kenesaw Mountain Landis commenced a public hearing to investigate charges, prompted by former Sox player Swede Risberg, that four games in 1917 between the Sox and Tigers had been “thrown” to the White Sox.
The charges first surfaced in the Chicago Tribune the previous Dec. 30. Risberg, who was one of the eight men banned by Landis for his role in the Black Sox Scandal, claimed the White Sox returned the favor in 1919.
A week into the proceedings, Landis closed the book on the investigation due to lack of evidence.
*1987, BARTERING WITH THE BRONX BOMBERS: The White Sox acquired pitcher Scott Nielsen and minor leaguer Mike Soper from the New York Yankees for pitcher Pete Filson and minor leaguer Randy Velarde.
Nielsen had shown some promise with the 1986 Yankees but didn’t realize it with the Sox. The right-hander from BYU went 3-5 with a 6.24 ERA in 19 games for the 1987 Sox. He was returned to the Yankees in a five-player swap that netted the Sox Dan Pasqua and Steve Rosenberg Nov. 12, 1987.
The gem of the deal turned out to be Velarde, who was a late-bloomer. His best season was 1999 when he logged 200 hits and hit .317 between the Angels and A’s.
*1994, COOK IN THE BOOKS: The White Sox signed reliever Dennis Cook. The feisty left-hander turned out to be an important part of the bullpen for the strike-shortened season. Cook was 3-1 with a 3.55 ERA in 38 appearances in what turned out to be his only season on the Southside.
*1998, ELECTION RETURNS: Former White Sox players Ron Santo, Tommy John, Jim Kaat, Minnie Minoso and Brian Downing all received votes –- but not enough for induction — in balloting for the Hall of Fame.
Don Sutton, a 300-game winner, was the only player who received enough votes for induction.
Santo, who spent 1974 with the Sox, finished third but fell 151 votes shy of induction. John, who pitched for the Sox from 1965 to 1917, was eighth; Kaat, who pitched for the Sox from 1973 to 1975, was ninth; Minoso was 13th and Downing, who broke in with the Sox in 1970s, received two votes.
*1999, FISK’S FIRST: A FLOP: In his first year of eligibility, White Sox legend Carlton Fisk came up 43 votes shy of the total needed for induction into the Hall of Fame in balloting done by the Baseball Writers Association of American.
“Pudge,” who caught for the White Sox from 1981 to 1993, was listed on 330 of the 497 ballots cast. He needed 373 to garner the required 75 percent for induction. Fisk finished fourth behind Nolan Ryan, George Brett and Robin Yount, all of whom received enough votes for induction. Fisk’s wait would be short-lived.
The following year, Fisk was listed on 79.6 percent of the ballots to earn Hall of Fame status.
Also in 1999, former Sox Jim Kaat (20.1 percent), Tommy John (18.7 percent), Minnie Minoso (14.7 percent) and George Bell (1.2 percent) also came up short of induction.
*2011, ALOMAR A HALL-OF-FAMER: In his second year on the ballot, former White Sox player cruised into the Hall of Fame.
The switch-hitting second baseman, whose brother and dad also played for the Sox, appeared on 90 percent of the 523 ballots cast by the Baseball Writers Association of America easily surpassing the required 75 percent needed for induction into the Hall of Fame.
Alomar played the last of his 2,379 big league games in his second stint with the White Sox in 2004. Counting his time in 2003, Alomar slashed .239/.307/.322 with four homers and 25 RBI in 85 games with the Sox.
Alomar, in his second year on the ballot, was the 30th player with Sox ties selected for the Hall of Fame.
Bert Blyleven also received enough votes for induction.
Harold Baines, however, did not.
In his fifth year of eligibility, Baines did not receive the required five percent of the vote to stay on the ballot.
Others with Sox ties falling short were Tim Raines (38 percent) and Charles Johnson (0).
*2015, HELLO EMILIO: The White Sox signed veteran utilityman Emilio Bonafacio to a one-year contract.
Turns out the 30-year old didn’t last a year. After hitting .167 in 47 games, the Sox released Bonafacio on Aug. 15th.