BRIDGEPORT — The Washed-Up White Sox Hall of Fame is more packed than we ever imagined.
Not long after DNAinfo Chicago published a list of major league ballplayers who landed on the White Sox way past their prime — a list that includes Ken Griffey Jr., Jose Canseco and Roberto Alomar — the fans spoke up on Facebook, offering their own additions.
We must admit: Some of the submissions made us chuckle.
Here's a look at more players that ended up on the White Sox roster near the end of respectable careers, as well as one star who wasn't exactly washed up when he came to the Sox, at least not in his main sport:
George Foster
George Foster’s career ended in a torturous poof. The Alabama-born outfielder made a name for himself as a RBI workhorse during 11 years with the Cincinnati Reds, knocking in 149 runs on 197 hits in 1977. Less than a decade later, the man who would end his career with 1,239 RBIs left the New York Mets for a 15-game tryout with the White Sox. He didn’t get the job, and two months later, the Mets landed in the World Series and Foster, carrying a career average of .274, was gone.
Steve Carlton
In 15 years with the Philadelphia Phillies, the lefty from Miami kept his ERA to 3.09. It was an ugly landslide from there — which makes it appropriate that he’d eventually end up with the White Sox. In 1986 on the South Side, during his 21st season in the MLB, Carlton pitched 10 games, going 4-3, tossing 40 strikeouts and keeping his ERA to 3.69.
Omar Vizquel
“Little O” spent two of his last three seasons playing infield with the White Sox. In 166 games, Omar Vizquel tallied 137 hits and 2 home runs in 511 at-bats. During his time in Chicago in 2010-11, he carried a .268 average before ending his career with the Toronto Blue Jays.
Dave Stieb
This bust landed on the White Sox after a 15-year career in Toronto, where Stieb tossed in 439 games for a career ERA of 3.81. Then Stieb came to the South Sid, where he played four games in 1993 and clocked a 6.85 ERA. The California native took four years off before playing his last 19 games in Toronto.
John Kruk
After nine years in the National League with the Phillies and Padres, first baseman John Kruk decided to end his career in Chicago. During the 1995 season, Kruk played 45 games, tagging 49 hits, two home runs and 23 RBIs. His .308 average was decent — for a worn out ballplayer. But the way he left the league is more memorable to some than the way he played in it — he famously retired in the middle of a game, after getting a hit for the Sox against the Orioles.
Minnie Minoso
Minnie Minoso might always be remembered as an All-Star who batted .300 over several seasons, but in his later years he could have been the centerpiece player in the Washed-Up White Sox Hall of Fame — though to be fair that was kind of part of the plan. After three separate stints with the South Siders, the team brought him back in 1976 and 1980 to enable him to get an at-bat during every decade between 1949 and 1980. At age 54, Minoso's brief 1980 stint made him the fourth-oldest player ever to play in the majors. In all, Minoso was on the White Sox roster during 12 different seasons over his 17-year career and left baseball with a .298 average.
Tom Seaver
This legendary right-hander from Fresno spent three seasons with the Sox at the end of his career, pitching 81 games for a 33-28 record and 3.68 ERA. In 1985, wearing a Sox uniform, he won his 300th major league game at Yankee Stadium. Seaver ended his career the next year in Boston with a Hall of Fame-caliber ERA: 2.86.
Chris Sabo
Known as a consistent slugger during his seven years with the Reds, Sabo bounced around the league after his release before ending up on the White Sox roster. In Chicago in 1995, Sabo played only 20 games with a .254 average and one home run.
Michael Jordan
On March 4, 1994, Michael Jordan started for the White Sox in the Crosstown Classic, an exhibition game against the Cubs before the dawn of interleague play. Wearing No. 45, Jordan played right field and had an RBI and run scored. After spring training, Jordan played the '94 season with the minor league Birmingham Barons but never got a chance to play a regular season game with the Sox. In 1995, Jordan returned to the Bulls — and the rest is history.
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