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Today in White Sox History: March 15

The Chicago Athletics? It might have happened, if not for Bill Veeck’s second act as owner

1976

After stepping in at the last minute to buy the franchise and prevent them from being moved to Seattle, Bill Veeck appeared on the cover of Sports Illustrated. The headline read, “Baseball Couldn’t Shut Him Out.” Veeck would own the team from 1976-80 in his second stint.

Chicago Mayor Richard J. Daley, a big Sox fan, was instrumental in contacting Veeck to see if he would get involved because Daley did not want to see the club relocated. The original plan by Major League Baseball was to move the White Sox to Seattle, thus ending the lawsuits filed by that city, King County and the state of Washington. Then Charlie Finley would move his Oakland A’s to the South Side.