White Sox Celebrate Ray Schalk: The Man Who Couldn’t Be Bought

As the White Sox celebrate Spirit Day at the ballpark today, it’s also been noted that today is the 126th birthday of Sox Hall of Fame catcher Ray Schalk.

Schalk is not well known to most White Sox fans. He died in 1970. His number is not retired by the team. With a .253 batting average, he has the lowest career average of any position player who currently sits in the Hall of Fame (Schalk was elected in 1955).

Yet in one of the darkest moments for not only the White Sox franchise but baseball in general, Schalk stood tall.

In 1919, the Chicago White Sox were heavy favorites to defeat the Cincinnati Reds in the World Series. However, the events surrounding that World Series have made it one of…