Flashback: No sequel to the White Sox shorts story

Former White Sox manager Paul Richards models the club's old shorts uniform in this 1976 file photo. (Chicago Tribune)As any respectable major-league team might do, White Sox players put on their shorts one leg at a time in August 1976.

Sure, there were some snickers, grumbles and complaints in the clubhouse. But, what the heck, they were comfortable and former Sox owner Bill Veeck needed another gimmick to draw fans to Comiskey Park.

During an introductory news conference in 1976, Veeck quipped, "You will be awed. … Comiskey Park will replace Paris and New York as the fashion center of the world."

Holding court at Miller's Pub, Veeck went on to say: "We are adding elegance to baseball styles.…