The Chicago White Sox are a Major League Baseball franchise based in Chicago. They play in the American League Central division. The White Sox have used 62 Opening Day starting pitchers since they were established as a Major League team in 1901. The first game of the new baseball season for a team is played on Opening Day, and being named the Opening Day starter is an honor, which is often given to the player who is expected to lead the pitching staff that season, though there are various strategic reasons why a team's best pitcher might not start on Opening Day. The White Sox have a record of 60 wins and 53 losses in their Opening Day games, through the 2013 season.
The White Sox have played in three different home ball parks. They played at South Side Park from 1901 through the middle of 1910, the first Comiskey Park from 1910 through 1990, and have played at the second Comiskey Park, now known as U.S. Cellular Field, since 1991. They had a record of four wins and two losses in Opening Day games at South Side Park, 18 wins and 19 losses at the first Comiskey Park and four wins and one loss at U.S. Cellular Field, for a total home record in Opening Day games of 27 wins and 22 losses. Their record in Opening Day away games is 33 wins and 31 losses.
Mark Buehrle holds the record for making the most Opening Day starts for the White Sox, with nine. Billy Pierce had seven Opening Day starts for the White Sox, Wilbur Wood had five, Tommy Thomas and Jack McDowell each had four, and Frank Smith, Jim Scott, Lefty Williams, Sad Sam Jones, Bill Dietrich, Gary Peters and Tommy John each had three. Several Baseball Hall of Famers have made Opening Day starts for the White Sox, including Ed Walsh, Red Faber, Ted Lyons, Early Wynn and Tom Seaver.
The White Sox have played in the World Series five times. They won in 1906, 1917 and 2005, and lost in 1919 and 1959. Frank Owen was the Opening Day starting pitcher in 1906, Williams in 1917 and 1919, Pierce in 1959 and Buehrle in 2005. The White Sox won all five Opening Day games in those seasons.
In addition to being the White Sox' Opening Day starter in 1917 and 1919, Williams was also the Opening Day starter in 1920. However, he was suspended from the team later in the season and then banned from baseball for life for his role in throwing the 1919 World Series. Ed Cicotte, who had been the White Sox' 1918 Opening Day starter, was also banned from baseball as a result of his actions during the 1919 World Series. Ken Brett's Opening Day start on April 7, 1977, against the Toronto Blue Jays was the first game in Blue Jays' history. The Blue Jays won the game 9–5.
Key + SeasonEach year is linked to an article about that particular White Sox season.WWinLLossTTie gameND (W)No decision by starting pitcher; White Sox won gameND (L)No decision by starting pitcher; White Sox lost game(W)White Sox won game; no information on starting pitcher's decision(L)White Sox lost game; no information on starting pitcher's decisionFinal scoreGame score with White Sox runs listed first LocationStadium in italics for home gameNumber of appearances as Opening Day starter with the White Sox*White Sox advanced to the post-season**White Sox were American League Champions†White Sox were World Series Champions
Pitchers
+ SeasonPitcherDecisionFinalscoreOpponentLocationRef(s)1901**(W)Cleveland IndiansSouth Side Park1902(W)Detroit TigersSouth Side Park1903(W)St. Louis BrownsSportsman's Park1904(L)Cleveland IndiansSouth Side Park1905(L)St. Louis BrownsSouth Side Park1906† (W)Detroit TigersBennett Park1907(L)St. Louis BrownsSportsman's Park1908(W)Detroit TigersSouth Side Park1909 (L)Detroit TigersBennett Park1910 (W)St. Louis BrownsSouth Side Park1911(L)Detroit TigersBennett Park1912 (W)St. Louis BrownsComiskey Park1913(L)Cleveland IndiansLeague Park1914 (W)Cleveland IndiansComiskey Park1915 (W)St. Louis BrownsSportsman's Park1916(L)Detroit TigersComiskey Park1917†(W)St. Louis BrownsSportsman's Park1918(L)St. Louis BrownsComiskey Park1919** (W)St. Louis BrownsSportsman's Park1920 WDetroit TigersComiskey Park1921ND (L)Detroit TigersNavin Field1922LSt. Louis BrownsComiskey Park1923 ND (L)Cleveland IndiansLeague Park1924WSt. Louis BrownsComiskey Park1925LDetroit TigersNavin Field1926WSt. Louis BrownsComiskey Park1927(L)Cleveland IndiansLeague Park1928 (L)Cleveland IndiansComiskey Park1929 (L)St. Louis BrownsSportsman's Park1930 ND (W)Cleveland IndiansComiskey Park1931 (L)Cleveland IndiansLeague Park1932WSt. Louis BrownsComiskey Park1933WSt. Louis BrownsSportsman's Park1934 (L)Detroit TigersComiskey Park1935 WDetroit TigersNavin Field1936WSt. Louis BrownsComiskey Park1937(L)St. Louis BrownsSportsman's Park1938 WDetroit TigersComiskey Park1939(L)Detroit TigersBriggs Stadium1940(L)Cleveland IndiansComiskey Park1941WCleveland IndiansCleveland Stadium1942 (L)St. Louis BrownsComiskey Park1943 (L)St. Louis BrownsSportsman's Park1944WCleveland IndiansComiskey Park1945WCleveland IndiansCleveland Stadium1946 (L)Cleveland IndiansComiskey Park1947WCleveland IndiansCleveland Stadium1948(L)Detroit TigersComiskey Park1949(L)Detroit TigersBriggs Stadium1950(L)St. Louis BrownsComiskey Park1951WSt. Louis BrownsSportsman's Park1952 (L)Cleveland IndiansComiskey Park1953(L)Cleveland IndiansCleveland Stadium1954 LCleveland IndiansComiskey Park1955LCleveland IndiansCleveland Stadium1956 WCleveland IndiansComiskey Park1957 WCleveland IndiansCleveland Stadium1958 LDetroit TigersComiskey Park1959** ND (W)Detroit TigersBriggs Stadium1960ND (W)Kansas City AthleticsComiskey Park1961 ND (W)Washington SenatorsGriffith Stadium1962WLos Angeles AngelsComiskey Park1963ND (W)Detroit TigersTiger Stadium1964ND (L)Baltimore OriolesComiskey Park1965 WBaltimore OriolesMemorial Stadium1966ND (W)California AngelsComiskey Park1967LBoston Red SoxFenway Park1968LCleveland IndiansComiskey Park1969 LOakland AthleticsOakland Coliseum1970 LMinnesota TwinsComiskey Park1971 WOakland AthleticsOakland Coliseum1972ND (L)Kansas City RoyalsMunicipal Stadium1973 WTexas RangersArlington Stadium1974 LCalifornia AngelsComiskey Park1975 LOakland AthleticsOakland Coliseum1976 WKansas City RoyalsComiskey Park1977LToronto Blue JaysExhibition Stadium1978ND (W)Boston Red SoxComiskey Park1979LBaltimore OriolesMemorial Stadium1980LBaltimore OriolesComiskey Park1981ND (W)Boston Red SoxFenway Park1982ND (W)New York YankeesYankee Stadium1983*LTexas RangersArlington Stadium1984 WBaltimore OriolesMemorial Stadium1985WMilwaukee BrewersCounty Stadium1986 LMilwaukee BrewersComiskey Park1987WKansas City RoyalsKauffman Stadium1988WCalifornia AngelsComiskey Park1989WCalifornia AngelsAngel Stadium of Anaheim1990ND (W)Milwaukee BrewersComiskey Park1991WBaltimore OriolesMemorial Stadium1992 WCalifornia AngelsAngel Stadium of Anaheim1993* WMinnesota TwinsHubert H. Humphrey Metrodome1994 LToronto Blue JaysSkyDome1995LMilwaukee BrewersCounty Stadium1996 ND (L)Seattle MarinersKingdome1997ND (W)Toronto Blue JaysSkyDome1998 WTexas RangersRangers Ballpark in Arlington1999WSeattle MarinersKingdome2000*LTexas RangersRangers Ballpark in Arlington2001WCleveland IndiansJacobs Field2002WSeattle MarinersSafeco Field2003 LKansas City RoyalsKauffman Stadium2004 ND (L)Kansas City RoyalsKauffman Stadium2005† WCleveland IndiansU.S. Cellular Field2006 ND (W)Cleveland IndiansU.S. Cellular Field2007LCleveland IndiansU.S. Cellular Field2008* ND (L)Cleveland IndiansProgressive Field2009 ND (W)Kansas City RoyalsU.S. Cellular Field2010 WCleveland IndiansU.S. Cellular Field2011 WCleveland IndiansProgressive Field2012LTexas RangersRangers Ballpark in Arlington2013 W Kansas City RoyalsU.S. Cellular Field2014 W Minnesota TwinsU.S. Cellular Field2015 L Kansas City RoyalsKauffman Stadium2016 W Oakland AthleticsOakland Coliseum2017 L Detroit TigersU.S. Cellular Field2018 W Kansas City RoyalsKauffman Stadium2019 L Kansas City RoyalsKauffman Stadium2020* LMinnesota TwinsGuaranteed Rate Field2021* ND (L)Los Angeles AngelsAngel Stadium of Anaheim2022 ND (L)Detroit TigersComerica Park2023 ND (W)Houston AstrosMinute Maid Park2024 LDetroit TigersGuaranteed Rate Field2025 WLos Angeles AngelsRate Field2026 LMilwaukee BrewersAmerican Family Field
References General
Specific