Chicago White Sox
Guaranteed Rate Field
Illinois, United States
The Chicago White Sox are one of the eight original American League franchises, with origins tracing back to the late 19th century when they were a minor league team known as the Sioux City Cornhuskers.
Founded in 1901, the team was originally known as the Chicago White Stockings before officially shortening their name to the White Sox in 1904. They quickly made a name for themselves, winning their first World Series title in 1906 by defeating their crosstown rivals, the Chicago Cubs. That championship team was famously dubbed the "Hitless Wonders" due to their weak offense but dominant pitching and defense.
Unfortunately, in 1919, the White Sox became infamous for the "Black Sox" Scandal, where the team was accused of intentionally losing the World Series against the Cincinnati Reds due to involvement with gamblers. The scandal led to a permanent stain on the franchise’s history, marking one of the darkest moments in MLB history.
After the scandal, it felt as though the team was cursed. The White Sox endured decades of struggles and suffered a long championship drought similar to the Boston Red Sox and Chicago Cubs. Despite this, they still produced great players like Luke Appling, Minnie Miñoso, Luis Aparicio, Nellie Fox, and Frank Thomas ("The Big Hurt"). Then, after 88 years, the curse was finally broken. In 2005, the White Sox won the World Series against the Houston Astros, dominating the playoffs with an 11-1 record—one of the best postseason runs in MLB history.
With the unwavering support of their "South Side Pride" fanbase and their blue-collar mentality, the White Sox fight fiercely to defend their home stadium, Guaranteed Rate Field, against their biggest rivals:Minnesota Twins, Cleveland Guardians, Detroit Tigers, Kansas City Royals, And their most intense crosstown rivalry, the Chicago Cubs, in the legendary "Crosstown Classic."