The Chicago White Sox are hoping for significant improvement in the 2025 season. They are coming off the worst season in modern MLB history as they finished last in the American League Central with 41-121 record that placed them 51.5 games behind the first place Cleveland Guardians. Improvement is the key to satisfying their fans who had to live through last season’s disaster. While it’s unlikely the White Sox will be contenders this year, they plan to honor one of their all-time great players when they unveil a statue of pitcher Mark Buehrle.
That will take place July 11, and it should be a great moment for the retired southpaw and the team’s fans. Buehrle had a 16-year big-league career and he spent 12 of those seasons pitching on the South Side. He was the mainstay of the 2005 White Sox team that won the World Series. Buehrle was a 5-time All-Star during his career and he was also a brilliant fielder at his position, winning 4 Gold Glove awards.
While the White Sox have won just three World Series titles in their history and only one since 1917, they have honored quite a few players with statues. They include Frank Thomas, Minnie Minoso, Billy Pierce, Harold Baines and Carlton Fisk. The White Sox also have a unique statue honoring the double play combination of of Nellie Fox and Luis Aparicio, as well as the team’s founding owner, Charles Comiskey.
Buehrle was a key contributor to World Series champions of 2005
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Buehrle had several excellent seasons with the White Sox and he came into his own during the 2002 season when he finished the year with a 19-12 record and a 3.58 earned run average. He had a career-high 5 complete games that season and served notice that he was clearly the ace of the White Sox staff.
Buehrle always wanted the baseball inthe team’s most crucial games. He had a 16-8 record with a 3.12 ERA in their championship season. He started 33 times and led the American League with 236.2 innings pitched.
He was also 2-0 in the 2005 postseason that included victories over the Boston Red Sox and Los Angeles Angels. He pitched in 2 games in the World Series, but he did not get a decision in the 4-game sweep of the Houston Astros.
Buehrle was not a strikeout pitcher. He excelled at inducing soft contact from the hitters. In addition to his own superior fielding ability, he was also a fast worker on the mound and that helped the White Sox fielders stay on their toes and make excellent defensive plays.
The stylish left-hander threw a perfect game in 2009 against the Tampa Bay Rays. He would throw a second no-hitter in 2007 against the Texas Rangers.
Steve Silverman has been covering the NFL for more than 35 years, and his writing has appeared in ESPN Magazine, Bleacher Report, CBS Sports, Pro Football Weekly, and Forbes.com. He has written 10 books, including “Who’s Better, Who’s Best in the NFL.”
