Today in White Sox History: March 10

One more celebration, before the 1914 season gets rolling

1914

The White Sox their World Tour vs. the New York Giants to final rest with a banquet in the Gold Room of the Congress Hotel. Pitcher Joe Benz had to skip the celebration — he was getting married that day! Manager Nixey Callahan also had to book out west right after the celebration — White Sox spring training had started out in Paso Robles, Calif., on February 26.

Jim Margalus provided South Side Sox coverage of this night, and the entire tour, back in 2014.

1963

Pete Rose made his career spring training debut in a game vs. the White Sox at Al Lopez Field in Tampa. Rose went 2-for-2 with a double in Cincinnati’s 1-0, 14-inning (!!) win. The second baseman entered the game in the ninth inning, doubled twice, and scored the only run of the game. He would end up the NL Rookie of the Year that season.

1995

After two stints at White Sox spring training and a full season in Birmingham, Michael Jordan announced he was giving up baseball.

Part of the reason came as a result of his struggles with re-learning the game in his 30s. But the other, larger part (as he explained to author Bob Greene in the book Rebound, The Odyssey of Michael Jordan) was because he was being pressured by GM Ron Schueler to cross the MLBPA picket line.

With replacement games set to start during the lockout of major-leaguers, Jordan was told that if he didn’t cross the line, he’d be banished from the main clubhouse. Jordan was furious, saying that he was promised by owner Jerry Reinsdorf he wouldn’t be forced to do that.

Jordan explained that under no circumstances would he ever cross a labor picket line regardless of sport.

“I told them from the beginning that I didn’t want them to use me to make money in the spring training games,” Jordan told Greene. “We had an understanding. It was never supposed to even come up. I was disgusted that the promise wasn’t going to be honored.”

Jordan would return to the Bulls at the end of the 1994-95 season, and went on to win three more NBA championships (1996-98).