Today in White Sox History: December 7

1984

It was a small move, but a successful one: The White Sox sent Vance Law to Montreal for relief pitcher “Bullet” Bob James. James would come of age in 1985, with 32 saves and a 2.13 ERA. He’d remain with the team through 1987, but was never the same after a knee injury in Baltimore in July 1985.

2016

The next step in Rick Hahn’s rebuild came as a heist of the Washington Nationals. The GM sold high on Adam Eaton, restocking the pitching coffers with Lucas Giolito, Reynaldo López and Dane Dunning. Eaton’s four years with the Nationals yielded just 2.6 WAR over 310 games, while Giolito and López made significant contributions to the big club and Dunning was sent to Texas for 2021 Cy Young finalist Lance Lynn.

2020

Revolutionary slugger Dick Allen, whose hitting prowess helped the White Sox remain in Chicago and earned him the 1972 AL MVP, passed away at age 78. He was, and remains, outside looking in at the Hall of Fame.