The best White Sox to wear each number

CHICAGO -- Here’s a look at the top White Sox player to wear each jersey number during the franchise’s long history.

No. 0: Oscar Gamble (1985)
Gamble actually wore two different numbers with the White Sox and did most of his damage with the team via a 31-home run, 83-RBI effort in 1977 when he featured No. 17 on his back. He still gets the nod with his four home runs and 20 RBIs upon his return to the White Sox in 1985 to close out his career.

No. 1: Jim Landis (1957-64)
It’s a close battle between Landis and Lance Johnson, but Landis’ defense puts him over the top. The center fielder won Gold Gloves from 1960-64, while hitting 83 home runs with 127 stolen bases.

No. 2: Nellie Fox (1953-63)
Fox had his jersey number retired in 1976 and was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1997. Fox captured the 1959 American League Most Valuable Player Award and has a sculpture together with Luis Aparicio at Guaranteed Rate Field, capturing their work together at second base and shortstop.

No. 3: Harold Baines (1980-89, 1996-97, 2000-01)
The right fielder and designated hitter had his number retired in 1989 and was elected to the Hall of Fame in 2019. He ranks third in White Sox history with 221 home runs and ranks fourth with 981 RBIs.

No. 4: Luke Appling (1933-43, 1945-50)
Appling’s .388 average in 1936 not only won the American League batting title, but also is the franchise’s single-season record. The Hall of Famer, whose number was retired in 1975, played 20 seasons on the South Side.

No. 5: Ray Durham (1995-2002)
It’s difficult to overlook contributions made by Juan Uribe, the shortstop on the 2005 World Series championship team and one of the more popular clubhouse presences. But Durham consistently churned out a high level of production at second base for almost a decade, hitting 106 home runs and recording 219 stolen bases.

No. 6: Jorge Orta (1972-79)
Orta was an All-Star in 1975 and drove in 84 runs as part of the South Side Hitmen in 1977. The second baseman was a career .281 hitter over nine years with the White Sox.

No. 7: Tim Anderson (2017-present)
Anderson won the batting title in 2019 and hit .322 in the abbreviated 2020 campaign, quickly becoming one of the faces of Major League Baseball. Let’s not overlook executive vice president Kenny Williams, the architect of the 2005 World Series championship, who wore this jersey number from 1987-89.

No. 8: Albert Belle (1997-98)
If we are going best overall athlete to wear a White Sox jersey, then Bo Jackson gets the call here at jersey No. 8. But it’s impossible to overlook Belle’s production in 1998, when he set single-season franchise records with 49 home runs, 48 doubles, 399 total bases and 152 RBIs.

No. 9: Minnie Minoso (1951-57, 1960-61, 1964, 1980, 1983)
Minoso belongs in the Hall of Fame and someday soon, he might get there. He had his number retired by the White Sox in 1983 after becoming the first Black player in White Sox history in 1951. Minoso is a seven-time All-Star and three-time Gold Glove winner.

No. 10: Sherm Lollar (1953-63)
Talk about a tough number to call. Alexei Ramirez, Yoán Moncada, Shingo Takatsu and even Ron Santo wore this number at one point. But Lollar notched 124 home runs behind the plate for the White Sox, along with 631 RBIs and six All-Star selections.

No. 11: Luis Aparicio (1956-62, 1968-70)
Aparicio was elected to the Hall of Fame and had his jersey number retired in 1984. He won nine Gold Gloves, the 1956 AL Rookie of the Year Award and finished second in the 1959 AL MVP Award voting.

No. 12: A.J. Pierzynski (2005-12)
Pierzynski was behind the plate for the team’s 2005 World Series championship and had the most famous dropped third strike in franchise history during Game 2 of the 2005 AL Championship Series against the Angels. Pierzynski hit 118 home runs with the White Sox, including a career-high 27 in 2012

No. 13: Ozzie Guillen (1985-97)
Not only is Guillen one of the best shortstops in franchise history, but he also guided the team to the 2005 World Series title as the manager. Guillen finished with 1,608 hits with the White Sox and 678 victories as a manager.

No. 14: Paul Konerko (1999-2014)
The captain’s number was retired in 2015 after spending 16 seasons with the White Sox. Konerko sits first in franchise history with 4,010 total bases and falls second with his 432 home runs, 1,383 RBIs and 2,268 games played.

No. 15: Dick Allen (1972-74)
Allen’s 1972 season came a third-place finish in batting average short of winning the AL triple crown. That individual performance resurrected the White Sox franchise and put the team on a national stage.

No. 16: Ted Lyons (1932-42, 1946)
The Hall of Famer had his jersey retired in 1987. He’s the White Sox all-time leader in victories (260), games started (484) and complete games (356).

No. 17: Carlos May (1968-76)
Ken Griffey Jr. wore No. 17 during his brief stint with the White Sox in ’08, and he’s one of the greatest players in the history of the game. Chico Carrasquel carved out a distinctive niche over six years at shortstop. But it’s May who gets the top honor, posting 85 home runs and a .275 average in nine seasons.

No. 18: Red Faber (1914-33)
Faber, who was elected to the Hall of Fame in 1964, put together one of the great seasons in franchise history with a 25-15 record and 2.48 ERA in 1921. Faber had 31 complete games among his 38 starts with an 11.4 bWAR.

No. 19: Billy Pierce (1949-61)
The left-hander’s jersey number was retired in 1987. He ranks third in White Sox history with 390 games started and 186 wins. He also was one of the most popular people in the organization even after his retirement.

No. 20: Joe Horlen (1961-71)
Horlen finished his White Sox tenure with a 113-113 record and 3.11 ERA. His best year came in 1967, leading the AL with a 2.06 ERA and six shutouts.

No. 21: Todd Frazier (2016-17)
Frazier wasn’t at third base long for the White Sox, but he hit 40 home runs and drove in 98 to go with 15 stolen bases in his 2016 debut.

No. 22: Jose Valentin (2000-04)
Ed Farmer also wore this jersey, and let’s be honest: The one-time closer and iconic radio voice, who passed away on April 1, is one of the most recognized figures in franchise history. But the switch-hitting Valentin hit at least 25 homers in each of his five years at shortstop for the White Sox.

No. 23: Robin Ventura (1989-98)
Ventura followed Guillen in pulling off the rare combination of All-Star player and manager for the White Sox. Ventura was a five-time Gold Glove winner and hit 171 homers with 741 RBIs with the White Sox.

No. 24: Joe Crede (2000-08)
One of the best defensive third basemen in franchise history, Crede also was the most valuable player across the 2005 playoffs for the White Sox. Crede hit 125 homers during his nine years on the team. Early Wynn won an AL Cy Young Award wearing this same number in 1959.

No. 25: Jim Thome (2006-09)
Thome came home to Illinois and hit 134 homers, with the Hall of Famer knocking out 42 homers with 109 RBIs in his 2006 debut. Tommy John was another White Sox standout sporting No. 25.

No. 26: Avisaíl García (2013-18)
The White Sox acquired García in a three-team deal with the right fielder positioned as the center of a rebuild. His best season came in 2017, when García finished second in the AL with a .330 average and knocked out 18 homers and 27 doubles to go with 80 RBIs.

No. 27: Thornton Lee (1937-47)
Check back in six or seven years, and this number might belong to Lucas Giolito. But Lee’s steadiness over a decade in Chicago included 142 complete games, a 104-104 record and a 3.33 ERA.

No. 28: Wilbur Wood (1967-78)
Wood holds the single-season franchise record with 88 appearances during a 1968 season in which he finished with a 1.87 ERA. The knuckleballer also threw at least 300 innings from 1971-74, hitting 376 2/3 in 1972.

No. 29: Jack McDowell (1990-94)
Greg Walker deserves recognition for what he did as a player and as a hitting coach, holding that role on the 2005 World Series team. But McDowell won the 1993 AL Cy Young with a 22-10 record and 3.37 ERA to go with four shutouts, while finishing 91-58 during his seven years with the White Sox.

No. 30: Magglio Ordonez (1997-2004)
Konerko once called Ordonez the most talented teammate he ever had. The right fielder had an .889 OPS over eight seasons with the White Sox to go with a remarkable 2002 season, in which Ordonez slashed .320/.381/.597 with 38 homers, 135 RBIs and 47 doubles.

No. 31: Hoyt Wilhelm (1963-68)
Wilhelm and his knuckleball had a remarkable run in Chicago, with a 1.92 ERA and 99 saves over six seasons. He posted an 8-3 record and 1.31 ERA in 1967. LaMarr Hoyt was pretty darn good wearing this number, winning the AL Cy Young Award in 1983 with a 24-10 record.

No. 32: Alex Fernandez (1990-96)
The fourth pick overall in the 1990 Draft finished 79-63 with a 3.78 ERA during his seven years in Chicago. Fernandez featured an 18-9 mark with a 3.13 ERA for the 1993 AL West champs.

No. 33: Aaron Rowand (2003-05)
The iconic Grinder Rules fit Rowand’s hard-nosed, all-out style of play in center field. He hit .270 with 13 homers and 69 RBIs for the 2005 World Series champs and was traded to the Phillies after that season in a deal bringing Thome to the White Sox.

No. 34: Richard Dotson (1983-87, 1989)
Maybe Michael Kopech eventually takes over this spot, but for now, the nod goes to Dotson. The right-hander, who currently stands as a valuable Minor League pitching coach, won 97 games with the White Sox and had a 22-7 record for a 1983 playoff team.

No. 35: Frank Thomas (1990-2005)
Simply put, Thomas is the greatest offensive player in White Sox history. The Hall of Famer and two-time MVP Award winner had his number retired in 2010. He drove in at least 100 runs 11 times and has a sculpture in his honor at Guaranteed Rate Field.

No. 36: Jim Kaat (1973-75)
The left-hander pitched 25 years and won 16 Gold Gloves. Three of those seasons, three of those Gold Gloves and two of his 20-win efforts came with the White Sox.

No. 37: Bobby Thigpen (1987-93)
Thigpen, who also gets the nod at jersey No. 58, set the Major League single-season record with 57 saves in 1990. It was eventually broken by Francisco Rodriguez with 62 in 2008. Thigpen finished fourth in the AL Cy Young voting and fifth for the AL MVP in ’90. Matt Thornton, who has the franchise career holds mark at 164, also did right by No. 37.

No. 38: Pablo Ozuna (2005-08)
With all due respect to Mike Sirotka, Omar Narvaez and numerous others, we are going with Ozuna at 38. His numbers weren’t overwhelming, but he hit .328 over 79 games in 2006 and was a key bench contributor in the 2005 championship season.

No. 39: Roberto Hernandez (1991-97)
In his first White Sox appearance on Sept. 2, 1991, the right-hander allowed one run on one hit over seven innings during a victory over the Royals. He ended up as one of the best closers in franchise history with 161 saves.

No. 40: Wilson Álvarez (1990-97)
During his first game with the White Sox on Aug. 11, 1991, Álvarez threw a no-hitter at Baltimore. He fanned seven and walked five in the 128-pitch effort. Álvarez’s best season came in 1993 as part of a playoff team, finishing 15-8 with a 2.95 ERA over 31 starts.

No. 41: Tom Seaver (1984-86)
Seaver won his 300th career game as a member of the White Sox. The Hall of Famer won 33 overall in three seasons with the White Sox.

No. 42: Ron Kittle (1982-86, 1989-91)
This number was retired by baseball in honor of the great Jackie Robinson and was last worn by Scott Ruffcorn in 1996. But Kittle gets the White Sox honor, with 35 homers during his AL Rookie of the Year effort in 1983 and 140 total as a member of the White Sox.

No. 43: Gary Peters (1963-69)
Peters finished 91-78 with a 2.92 ERA during his 11-year-run. He won an AL-best 20 games in 1964 and led the AL with a 1.98 ERA in '66 and a 2.33 ERA in '63.

No. 44: Chet Lemon (1976-81)
Lemon had 19 homers, 38 doubles and 99 runs scored as part of the 1977 South Side Hitmen. The center fielder led the American League with 44 doubles in 1979 and had 178 doubles over his seven years in Chicago. Jake Peavy, who finished 36-29 in five years with the White Sox, also deserves a mention at No. 44.

No. 45: Bobby Jenks (2005-10)
The right-hander recorded the final out of the 2005 World Series championship as a rookie on an Orlando Palmeiro groundout and eventually went on to rank second all-time in White Sox history with 173 saves. Jenks retired 41 straight hitters as a reliever in 2007. Let’s not forget Carlos Lee, who had 152 homers and an .828 OPS over six seasons with the White Sox.

No. 46: Eddie Robinson (1950-52)
Robinson, who turned 100 on Dec. 15, had 29 home runs and 117 RBIs in 1951 and had 22 homers and 104 RBIs in ’52. He was an All-Star in both seasons.

No. 47: Don Kolloway (1940-43, 1946-49)
Kolloway missed two years due to military service, but still hit .266 with 125 doubles and 23 triples over eight years with the White Sox. His 40 doubles in 1942 topped the AL during a season in which he also picked up a career-high 16 stolen bases.

No. 48: Ralph Garr (1976-79)
Garr won a batting title with the Braves before coming to the White Sox. He hit .291 over 490 games with the White Sox.

No. 49: Chris Sale (2010-16)
Sale won a World Series with the Red Sox after being part of a five-player deal including Moncada and Kopech. Before he left, Sale became one of the best pitchers in franchise history. Sale struck out a single-season franchise record 274 batters in 2015.

No. 50: John Danks (2007-16)
Danks’ best start of his career came during the 2008 AL Central play-in game against the Twins, when he threw eight shutout innings during a 1-0 victory, sending the White Sox to the playoffs. He posted a career-low 3.32 ERA in that same season.

No. 51: Terry Forster (1971-76)
From 1972-74, the southpaw saved 69 games. He had a 3.36 ERA during his White Sox career.

No. 52: José Contreras (2004-09)
Contreras was the Game 1 starter during all three playoff series, against the Red Sox, Angels and Astros, in the team’s 11-1 run to a 2005 World Series title. The affable right-hander, who finished 28-16 across 2005-06, still works for the organization.

No. 53: Melky Cabrera (2015-17)
The White Sox didn’t win during the parts of three seasons spent in Chicago by the switch-hitter. But the outfielder hit .287 with 39 homers, 95 doubles and 219 RBIs over his time.

No. 54: Rich ‘Goose’ Gossage (1972-76)
The Hall of Famer saved 26 games with a 1.84 ERA in 1975 and finished his White Sox career as a starter in '76. Daniel Hudson, who recorded the last out of the 2019 World Series victory for the Nationals, also sported this number.

No. 55: Carlos Rodón (2015-21)
The southpaw was the third overall pick in the 2014 Draft, but he was limited by injuries to a 29-33 record and 4.14 ERA over 97 games (92 starts) before being non-tendered by the White Sox after the 2020 season. He re-signed on a one-year deal for 2021, going 13-5 with a 2.37 ERA.

No. 56: Mark Buehrle (2000-11)
The White Sox retired Buehrle’s number in 2017, making him the 12th number retired including No. 42 for Robinson. Buehrle won 161 games in 11 seasons and was a five-time All-Star and four-time Gold Glove winner. He also threw a perfect game against the Rays, threw a no-hitter against the Rangers and hit a home run against the Brewers.

No. 57: Zach Putnam (2014-17)
The right-hander had a 2.71 ERA and six saves over 130 appearances. Jace Fry, who already has pitched in 156 games over four seasons, also deserves notice.

No. 58: Bobby Thigpen (1986)
The White Sox all-time saves leader is better known for wearing jersey No. 37, but started with 58.

No. 59: Luis Aloma (1950-52)
The right-handed reliever finished with a 3.44 ERA over 116 games and parts of four seasons with the White Sox.

No. 60: Dallas Keuchel (2020-present)
Keuchel should grab a firmer stronghold on this spot at his years go on with the White Sox. But his 1.99 ERA over 11 starts in ’20 added on to an already stellar career.

No. 61: Kevan Smith (2016)
The former quarterback at the University of Pittsburgh under coach Dave Wannstedt hit .281 over three seasons behind the plate with the White Sox.

No. 62: José Quintana (2012-17)
Quintana became a rotation staple after being signed as a Minor League free agent. He was an All-Star in 2016, when he posted a career-best 3.20 ERA. Quintana also brought back left fielder Eloy Jiménez and starting pitcher Dylan Cease in a trade with the Cubs.

No. 63: Matt Foster (2020-present)
Foster only has pitched two seasons and 60 games in the Majors. But he was a solid contributor to the team’s first playoff appearance since 2008.

No. 64: Andre Rienzo (2013-14)
The native of Brazil won six games and made 21 starts for the White Sox.

No. 65: Nate Jones (2012-19)
Kelly Wunsch deserves a mention for his 83 appearances and 2.93 ERA as a rookie in 2000, as does Codi Heuer for his 2020 mound work. But it was Jones who won 22, saved nine and featured a 3.12 ERA over 284 games in Chicago.

No. 66: Gerry Staley (1956-61)
Staley won 38 games over six seasons with the White Sox and also had a minor character named after him in one episode of the television show "Las Vegas."

No. 67: Scott Carroll (2014-16)
Jim Kern wore this number in 1982-83, but his best numbers came previously with Texas. Carroll, who allowed one earned run over 7 1/3 innings in his first career start, gets the nod.

No. 68: Jake Petricka (2013)
The right-handed reliever saved 14 and posted a 2.96 ERA in his short run as White Sox closer.

No. 70: Aaron Bummer (2017)
Bummer took off as one of the AL’s top relievers in 2019, posting a 2.13 ERA over 58 games. He currently wears jersey No. 39.

No. 71: Scott Linebrink (2008-10)
Linebrink pitched 12 seasons overall and was an integral part of the team’s 2008 playoff appearance. He had a 4.28 ERA over 159 games after signing with the White Sox as a free agent.

No. 72: Carlton Fisk (1981-93)
Fisk’s number officially was retired by the White Sox in 1997. So, even though Fisk is the only one to wear it, he earned the top nod.

No. 73: Tony Phillips (1997)
This number is another one-time occupant. Phillips also wore No. 8.

No. 74: Eloy Jiménez (2019-present)
From 2019-20 and covering 177 games, Jiménez had 45 home runs, 32 doubles, 120 RBIs and an .848 OPS. Big statistics early in his career to fit a big jersey number.

No. 75: Yermín Mercedes (2020-present)
Mercedes hit .271/.328/.404 with seven home runs and a .732 OPS over 68 games in 2021.

No. 77: Yolmer Sánchez (2014)
The gregarious switch-hitting infielder is better known for his jersey No. 5, worn for five years with the White Sox.

No. 79: José Abreu (2014-present)
Abreu was named the 2020 AL MVP Award winner as well as the recipient of the 2020 Hank Aaron Award. The number idea originally came from his mother, Daysi.

No. 84: Dylan Cease (2019-present)
Cease broke out in his third season in the big leagues with 32 starts in 2021, finishing with a 3.91 ERA, 1.25 WHIP, a 13-7 record and a team-high 226 strikeouts.

No. 88: Luis Robert (2020-present)
Robert finished second in the 2020 AL Rookie of the Year Award voting. He dealt with injuries in 2021 and played in only 68 games, but he hit .338/.378/.567 with 13 home runs and a .946 OPS.

No. 91: Luis Gonzalez (2020)
Gonzalez was 0-for-1 with one run scored over three games played in 2020.

No. 99: Manny Ramirez (2010)
Ramirez had a 24-game stint in Chicago after being claimed off waivers. He hit .261 with one homer and two RBIs, marking the last of his 555 long balls. Ramirez played one more year with the Rays in 2011, finishing 1-for-17.