Today in White Sox History: November 1

Yet another marketing gaffe and miscalculation by the ballclub

1946

Future White Sox owner (and current Cleveland owner) Bill Veeck has his right foot amputated. Veeck had suffered a grievous injury to his leg while serving in the South Pacific in World War II, and complications from that injury resulted in this dramatic development. True to his nature, however, Veeck eventually made his loss of leg (soon enough, he would lose his entire right leg, up to his knee) its own celebration of sorts, as he chose a pirate’s peg-leg rather than a more proper prosthetic — including a slot for an ashtray in the artificial leg itself!

Veeck had just completed his first partial season as a major-league owner, and he was already innovating; in Cleveland, he bucked tradition by adding National League scores to the list of “other games” on the Municipal Stadium scoreboard.

1950

After 20 years with the franchise, all-time great and career White Sox standout Luke Appling announced his retirement. He was undoubtedly the greatest player in franchise history at the time, and 72 years later comfortably remains the all-time team leader in WAR, with 77.6. He had a career average of .310, with 2,749 hits, won two batting titles, and in 1936 drove in 128 runs.

Upon retirement, Appling took a job managing the Memphis Chickasaws, Chicago’s Double-A affiliate. Over three years there, Appling was 247-216, pushing the 87-67 Chicks to a pennant in 1952 and earning minor league manager of the year honors. Appling would later manage in Triple-A and coach at the major-league level for several teams, including the White Sox (1970-71). In his only MLB managing gig, he went 10-30 managing the hapless Kansas City A’s in 1967.

2016

A name change went into effect at the ballpark formerly known as U.S. Cellular Field. The Guaranteed Rate mortgage company, based in Chicago, signed a 13-year agreement with the team for naming rights. The ballpark would be called Guaranteed Rate Field.

The announcement was met with a storm of ridicule by many — including the Chicago Bears and Chicago Cubs, who tweeted out negative comments. The company’s downward-arrow logo was met with criticism by many White Sox fans, who felt that was not an appropriate connection with a baseball team, particularly one that had been struggling for several seasons.

According to reports, the White Sox asked the company to change the logo on the ballpark sign, but were refused. Rumors also circulated that at least one other company offered more money for naming rights, but insisted on the name changing back to Comiskey Park — which owner Jerry Reinsdorf refused to do.