Continuing his project of dividing franchise histories into player-based "eras," friend of the blog Rob Neyer tackled the White Sox with some help from your friendly local White Sox blogger.
The only real rule is that he's sticking to players on the field, as involving owners or managers could make several decades a boring conversation.
Here's the conclusion he came to:
Ed Walsh, Chicago's finest ... hitter? (Library of Congress)
- 1901-1908: Fielder Jones
- 1909-1914: Ed Walsh
- 1915-1922: Joe Jackson
- 1923-1931: Willie Kamm
- 1932-1943: Luke Appling
- 1944-1945: Johnny Dickshot
- 1946-1950: Luke Appling (II)
- 1951-1962: Nellie Fox
- 1963-1968: Joe Horlen
- 1969-1971: Bill Melton
- 1972-1974: Dick Allen
- 1975-1976: Wilbur Wood
- 1977: Richie Zisk
- 1978-1980: Mike Squires
- 1981-1990: Carlton Fisk
- 1991-2000: Frank Thomas
- 2001-2010: Paul Konerko
I'd divvy up the '50s a little differently, giving the first half of the decade to Minnie Minoso and then the second half and into the early '60s with Nellie Fox and Luis Aparicio. Fox was definitely the better player, but I think Aparicio is more strongly associated with the Go-Go Sox, since he led the league in steals seven straight years and was inducted into the Hall of Fame long before Fox.
Then again, the Sox have struggled for continuity for so long (look at the '70s) that some might want to take advantage of any opportunity to assign an entire decade to one player. My list differs in a handful of other places, but they're mere matters of opinion. Really, I'm just happy Johnny Dickshot made the final cut.
