Top home run hitters in Chicago White Sox history
By Phil Watson
White Sox all-time home run hitters – No. 3: Harold Baines
221 home runs from 1980-89, 1996-97, 2000-01
The first pick in the 1977 June Amateur Draft by the Chicago White Sox, Harold Baines finally reached Cooperstown last year when he was selected for induction into the Hall of Fame by the Veteran’s Committee.
Baines served three tours with the White Sox, first making his debut on April 10, 1980, and hitting his first home run nine days later on April 19, 1980, against Hall of Famer Jim Palmer of the Baltimore Orioles at old Memorial Stadium. His homer tied the game and came immediately after Jim Morrison had gone yard in a game the White Sox would eventually win 5-4 in 12 innings.
In parts of 14 seasons with Chicago, Baines hit 221 home runs, with a high mark of 29 in 1984 and seven seasons with at least 20. He was a four-time All-Star before he was traded to the Texas Rangers in July 1989 before he returned to the White Sox as a free agent in December 1995.
He was dealt away a second time in July 1997, this time to the Orioles, and was re-acquired by the White Sox from Baltimore in July 2000 along with catcher Charles Johnson for their stretch run.
Baines played in the postseason twice with Chicago, 17 years apart, going 2-for-16 in a four-game loss to the Orioles in the 1983 ALCS and notching one hit in four at-bats against the Seattle Mariners in the 2000 ALDS. His last homer with the White Sox came more than 20 years after the first, a three-run blast off Jason Johnson of the Orioles on Aug. 15, 2000.