Today in White Sox History: March 17

On this day 51 years ago, Cy Acosta’s extraordinary White Sox career came to an end. | Topps

1901
The White Sox (and their American League counterparts), busy raiding National League teams to bolster talent for their first season in the majors, suffered a rare setback by losing their player-manager, second baseman Dick Padden. Padden cut against the trend lines and joined the NL’s St. Louis Cardinals, making him one of a handful of players whose only White Sox experience came in 1900, the one season in team history when the club was in the minor leagues.

Of course, it’s like Padden had seen the writing on the wall, as Clark Griffith had jumped from the NL to the AL to become the White Sox pitching ace and manager.

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1903
The White Sox left for what would become a disastrous Spring Training in New Orleans. Two straight weeks of rain would permit just two games to be played. The club would break for home early, yet still encounter some rain on the way back north.

1910
Construction begins at 35th & Shields on the stadium that would eventually be called Comiskey Park. Architect Zachary Taylor Davis laid a lucky green foundation brick to set off the festivities.

The ballpark would be completed by late June, and officially open on July 1 with a 2-0 loss to the St. Louis Browns.

Think about that one: a new, steel stadium in a little more than three-and-a-half months!

1923
Appropriate for an Irishman, White Sox slugger Pat Seerey is born on St. Patrick’s Day in Wilburton, Okla. The 5´10´´, 200-pound slugger was dubbed “Fat Pat” and served as a precursor to a three-outcomes players like Rob Deer or even Adam Dunn.

Though his seven-year career was largely undistinguished, Seerey had a memorable four-homer game for the White Sox on July 18, 1948, just six weeks after being acquired from Cleveland. Seerey became just the fifth player in major league history to accomplish the feat. He finished the 1948 season with 18 homers for the White Sox in 95 games, but would see action in just four more MLB games after that.

1975
Reliever Cy Acosta was sold to the Phillies. He would appear in just six games for Philadelphia, in what would end up as his final season in the big leagues.

That said, Acosta had authored a breathtakingly-good season for the White Sox in 1973, his sole full, healthy season in the majors. Over 48 games, Acosta threw 97 innings and held batters to 66 hits. The native of Mexico had 18 saves and 10 wins, all adding up to 4.1 WAR — tied for the seventh-best reliever season in White Sox history.

Acosta returned to the Mexican League in 1976, and he remained active there (as a starting pitcher) as late as 1984, his age-37 season.

2012
Carlos Quentin receives his MRI results for a knee injury and will undergo surgery. The good news? This injury, for once, does not affect the White Sox, as Quentin had been traded on New Year’s Eve to the San Diego Padres. The deal, a modern-day salary dump, as the White Sox dealt the defensively-limited and oft-injured slugger for two pitchers who would end up only appearing in five total games for the White Sox.

Quentin would recover well enough to produce 1.6 WAR in half a season, and then put up 2.1 WAR for the Padres in 2013. But from there, his career was toast.

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