Today in White Sox History: December 19

Comiskey family squabbling breaks out into the open

1914

Charles Comiskey paid to keep a star opposing pitcher in the American League?

Indeed, the White Sox owner, in fear of Walter Johnson jumping from the AL’s Washington Senators to the Chifeds (Chicago Whales) of the new Federal League and creating a second legitimate rival for Chicago fan dollars beyond the Cubs, did just that.

Valuing loyalty but also fearing legal trouble (and possibly sitting out the 1915 season) due to a legitimate contract claim by Washington, Johnson was willing to have the Senators match the Whales’ offer, but owner Clark Griffith was cash-strapped. Griffith had some history with Comiskey, not only as the first skipper of the White Sox and a pitcher for the team as well, but having been released from his White Sox contract after the 1902 season in order to move to Washington and better compete with the National League’s John McGraw. Clearly, both Griffith and league president Ban Johnson knew where to turn for additional support, funds, and sacrifice for the good of the American League.

The price was steep to keep Johnson from jumping leagues: $15,000. But Griffith came up with $2,500 and Comiskey chipped in $10,000 for the 1915 season, striking a pact with The Big Train during a negotiating session in Kansas City.

Comiskey and the White Sox didn’t even receive a player from the Senators in exchange for the gift.

Griffith crowed afterward, claiming Johnson had passed on a five-year, $116,000 Senators offer the previous season ($23,200 AAV, about $700,000 in today’s dollars). Johnson himself admitted he’d lost 15 pounds worrying over his future, and he ended up taking a $2,500 pay cut to return to the Senators on top of having to repay his Federal League signing bonus.

Griffith’s hard-line stance against inflating player salaries, which only got worse over time, was particularly ironic: The reason Griffith jumped to the White Sox from the Colts (Cubs) in 1900 was salary suppression — Comiskey raised Griffith from $2,500 with the Colts to $4,000 on the South Side.

Johnson ended up pitching 14 more seasons for Washington, going 238-164 with a 2.55 ERA, 57 shutouts, 25 saves, a 135 ERA+ and 81.8 WAR over that time. He earned $176,500 in his career after his dalliance with the Feds, averaging $13,577 per season.

For his career, The Big Train went 63-39 vs. the White Sox, with a 1.49 ERA.

1945

Art Kusnyer, who provided negative value as a player but positive contributions as White Sox bullpen coach over 17 years, was born in Akron.

The catcher was the 78th all-time draft choice by the White Sox (selected in 1966’s 37th round), coming out of Kent State the year before both Thurman Munson and Steve Stone joined the Golden Flashes roster.

Kusnyer never had a single positive WAR over six seasons in the majors, but did catch Nolan Ryan’s second career no-hitter while a member of the Angels. After leaving California and short stints with the Brewers and Royals, Kusnyer re-signed with the White Sox in 1979, spending the season at Triple-A Iowa.

In 1980, Kusnyer came back to the majors — as White Sox bullpen coach, a role he held through 1987. And after a 1989-95 stint in Oakland as bullpen coach, he returned to the White Sox in that role from 1997-2007.

1957

About a year after their mother’s death (Grace Comiskey), tossing into question whether son Chuck Comiskey or daughter Dorothy Comiskey would run the White Sox, the family infighting goes public: Chuck denied his sister’s allegation that he used a “rule or ruin” tactic to take over control of the club. Grace had left 54% of the White Sox to her oldest child, Dorothy, but prior to that Chuck had ascended to co-GM of the club.

The drama would not abate through 1958, even as Dorothy outlined reasonable terms for which her brother to buy her out of ownership. Ultimately, about two years hence, Dorothy would sell her controlling share of the club to Bill Veeck.