How the 2005 Chicago White Sox were built

This article was published in The 2005 World Champion Chicago White Sox: Grinders and Gamers (SABR, 2025), edited by Eric Conrad, Mark Morowczynski, Bill Nowlin, and Don Zminda.

During their 11-1 run through the postseason that followed a wire-to-wire regular season for their first World Series title in 88 years, the 2005 White Sox used the same 25-man roster in all three series, and nearly half of the players on that roster became a part of the organization only over the previous year.

Seeking to shake up a team coming off a third consecutive runner-up finish to the Minnesota Twins in the AL Central Division, general manager Kenny Williams turned over 11 roster spots from the end of the 2004 season through the July 31 trade deadline in 2005, but nobody could accuse him of buying a title.

The White Sox opened the 2005 season with the 13th-highest payroll in the major leagues, but Williams made his biggest splash the previous summer. He traded three players for Seattle All-Star starting pitcher Freddy García, then signed him to a three-year, $27 million extension in July.1

Other moves to land brand-name players fell through. Randy Johnson refused to lift his no-trade clause to consider a trade to the White Sox,2 and hopes of signing Omar Vizquel were dashed when the San Francisco Giants added an extra year to their contract offer.3

Williams was forced to test his resourcefulness. He traded from a surplus to address other needs when he sent Carlos Lee and his $8 million salary to Milwaukee for Scott Podsednik and Luis Vizcaino. Neither player matched Lee’s production, but the money saved created some operating room for a series of smaller bets. Over the course of the winter, Williams signed a starting catcher, starting second baseman, starting right fielder, fifth starter, and eventual closer. None of the contracts guaranteed more than two years or an annual salary exceeding $5 million.

And in a sense, the White Sox got what they paid for, because none of the veteran acquisitions had a career year. They all had decent to good years, however, and what made the sum greater than the parts was exceptional health. Every starting position player on the Opening Day roster played in at least 128 games; only six pitchers were required to make a start for the White Sox because four starting pitchers eclipsed 200 innings; and only one reliever lost his job over the course of the season. That stability carried over into the postseason, as White Sox starting pitchers threw at least seven innings in 11 of 12 games, including four consecutive complete-game victories in the American League Championship Series.

It proved to be a formula that was impossible for the White Sox repeat – and for that matter, the major leagues may never see four consecutive complete games in October again – but for one season, hitting on a series of modest wagers led to one incredible payoff.

Players acquired for or during the 2005 season

A.J. Pierzynski: Signed a one-year, $2.25 million contract on January 6, 2005, after the San Francisco Giants nontendered him a month earlier.

Jermaine Dye: Signed a two-year, $10.15 million contract on December 9, 2004, after the Oakland Athletics declined a $14 million option, instead buying him out for $1.5 million. The contract also included a $6 million option for 2007.

Tadahito Iguchi: Signed a two-year, $4.95 million contract on January 27, 2005, after playing the previous eight seasons with the Fukuoka Daiei Hawks in Japan.

Dustin Hermanson: Signed a two-year, $5.5 million contract on December 9, 2004, after splitting time between the Giants rotation and a closer role the previous season.

Scott Podsednik and Luis Vizcaíno: Acquired from the Milwaukee Brewers in a trade for Carlos Lee on December 13, 2004.

Bobby Jenks: Claimed off waivers from the Anaheim Angels for $20,000 on December 17, 2004, and assigned to Double-A Birmingham.4

Orlando Hernández: Signed a two-year, $8 million contract on December 22, 2004, after spending his first six major-league seasons with the New York Yankees.

Chris Widger: Signed a minor-league contract with an invitation to free agency on January 19, 2005, after spending the 2004 season playing for the independent Camden Riversharks of the Atlantic League.5

Pablo Ozuna: Signed a minor-league contract with an invitation to spring training on January 19, 2005, after he was released from the Philadelphia Phillies organization.

Geoff Blum: Acquired from the San Diego Padres in a trade on July 31, 2004, for Ryan Meaux.

Holdovers

In order of longevity:

Joe Crede: Selected in the fifth round of the 1996 draft out of Fatima High School in Westphalia, Missouri.

Aaron Rowand: Drafted by the White Sox out of Cal State Fullerton in the first round (35th overall) of the 1998 draft, signed on June 12, 1998.6

Jon Garland: Acquired in a trade with the Chicago Cubs for Matt Karchner on July 29, 1998.

Paul Konerko: Acquired in a trade with the Cincinnati Reds for Mike Cameron on November 11, 1998.

Mark Buehrle: Signed with the White Sox in May of 1999 for $150,000 as a draft-and-follow pick after being selected out of Jefferson College in Missouri in the 38th round of the 1998 draft.

Willie Harris: Acquired in a trade with the Baltimore Orioles for Chris Singleton on January 29, 2002.

Dámaso Marté: Acquired alongside Ruddy Yan in a trade with the Pittsburgh Pirates for Matt Guerrier on March 27, 2002.

Neal Cotts: Acquired as a player to be named later in a trade with the Oakland Athletics on December 3, 2002. The White Sox traded Keith Foulke, Mark Johnson, Joe Valentine, and cash for Billy Koch and two players to be named later. Daylan Holt was the other.

Juan Uribe: Acquired in a trade with the Colorado Rockies for Aaron Miles on December 2, 2003.

Cliff Politte: Signed a one-year, $800,000 contract with the White Sox on January 7, 2004, with a $1.3 million club option for 2005.

Timo Pérez: Acquired in a trade with the New York Mets for Matt Ginter on March 27, 2004.

Freddy García: Acquired alongside Ben Davis in a trade with the Seattle Mariners for Michael Morse, Miguel Olivo and Jeremy Reed on June 27, 2004.

Carl Everett: Acquired in a trade with the Montreal Expos for Jon Rauch and Gary Majewski on July 18, 2004.

José Contreras: Acquired in a trade with the New York Yankees for Esteban Loaiza on July 31, 2004.

Other notable contributors

Frank Thomas: Drafted by the White Sox in the first round (seventh overall) in 1989, but he was limited to 34 games due to ankle and foot problems and played his last game for the White Sox on July 20.

Shingo Takatsu: Signed with the White Sox on January 22, 2004, after spending the previous 13 seasons with the Yakult Swallows in Japan. He saved 19 games for the White Sox in 2004 and opened the 2005 season as the closer, but lost the job to Hermanson in May, and was optioned to Triple-A Charlotte in July to open a spot for Jenks in July. He was released on August 1.

Brandon McCarthy: Drafted by the White Sox in the 17th round in 2002, McCarthy made his major-league debut against the Chicago Cubs on May 22, and made 12 appearances over three stints during the season. He was the only pitcher outside the original five-man rotation to start a game for the 2005 White Sox, making 10 starts in all, but was left off the postseason rosters in favor of Hernandez.7

Front office and coaching staff

Ken Williams: Became the 11th general manager in White Sox history on October 24, 2000, after being promoted from vice president of player development. He was drafted by the White Sox in 1982, and after six major-league seasons joined the White Sox front office in 1992.

Ozzie Guillén: Became the 37th manager in White Sox history on November 11, 2003, after 16 major-league seasons as a shortstop – 13 of them with the White Sox – and three seasons serving as a third-base coach, first for the Expos in 2001, then with the Marlins in 2002 and 2003.

Don Cooper: Promoted to White Sox pitching coach on July 22, 2002, after spending the previous 15 seasons as a coach and coordinator in the organization, including a two-month midseason stint as White Sox pitching coach in 1995.

Greg Walker: Promoted to hitting coach on May 19, 2003, after the midseason firing of Gary Ward. He rejoined the organization as the hitting coach at Triple-A Charlotte after spending nearly his entire nine-year career as a first baseman for the White Sox from 1982 to 1990.

JIM MARGALUS is the managing editor of Sox Machine (soxmachine.com) and the co-host of the Sox Machine Podcast. He’s been covering the White Sox since 2006 and has been a member of SABR since 2012. He lives in Nashville, Tennessee, with his wife and son, and is the vice president of the Nashville Curling Club.

Sources

In addition to the sources cited in the notes, the author consulted the Chicago White Sox media guide for transaction histories and Baseball-Reference.com for statistics.

Notes

1 “Pitcher Garcia Signs Deal for $27 Million,” Los Angeles Times, July 7, 2004. The three players traded were Miguel Olivo, Jeremy Reed, and Michael Morse; the White Sox also received catcher Ben Davis in the deal, but he did not play for the White Sox in 2005.

2 “Randy Says No to White Sox,” Chicago Tribune, December. 7, 2004: 12.

3 Scot Gregor, “Vizquel Joining Giants Stuns Sox GM Williams,” Arlington Heights (Illinois) Daily Herald, November 16, 2004: 4.

4 John Romano, “The Fast Life,” Tampa Bay Times, October 25, 2005.

5 Kevin Minnick, “S.J.’s Widger Signs with White Sox,” Cherry Hill (New Jersey) Courier Post, January 20, 2005.

6 Scot Gregor, “Young White Sox Testing Manuel’s Patience,” Arlington Heights Daily Herald, June 14, 1998: 3.

7 Thomas Boswell, “The Stuff of Legend,” Washington Post, October 7, 2005.