Today in White Sox History: January 31

Billy Sullivan was not a great catcher — but he was an innovative one.1909

White Sox catcher Billy Sullivan secured a patent on the first chest protector. It contained a wind pad with compressed air and became the forerunner of the modern catcher’s chest protector. Sullivan was the White Sox catcher from 1901-14. Sullivan gets the patent one day before his 34th birthday.

1956

Buck Weaver died at the age of 65. He was one of eight members of the Black Sox to be banned from baseball for life, despite taking no money from gamblers. Weaver hit .324 in the 1919 World Series loss to Cincinnati. Commissioner Landis ruled that Weaver should be banished from the game based merely on his knowledge of…