Tony Granato answers a Chicago White Sox numbers question
![DENVER, CO - DECEMBER 09: Head coach Tony Granato of the Wisconsin Badgers speaks with media before being inducted into the the U.S. Hockey Hall of Fame Class of 2020 at Denver Marriott Tech Center on December 9, 2021 in Denver, Colorado. (Photo by C. Morgan Engel/Getty Images)](https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/upload/c_fill,w_752,ar_16:9,f_auto,q_auto,g_auto/shape/cover/sport/https-3A-2F-2Fsouthsideshowdown-com-2Fwp-content-2Fuploads-2Fgetty-images-2F2017-2F07-2F1237128273-850x560-051b8b56c84101727bec84c2decb3061.jpg)
The Chicago White Sox has a lot of interesting fans. They even have some fans of notable people in the sports world that you might never expect. One of those names is Tony Granato. He is one of the most successful American hockey men of all time and he is also a big White Sox fan.
Granato is currently the head coach for the Wisconsin Badgers men’s hockey team. He hails from Downers Grove, Illinois which makes sense as to why he is a White Sox fan. He played in 773 NHL games with the New York Rangers, Los Angeles Kings, and San Jose Sharks.
Over that time, he scored 248 goals and added 244 assists for 492 points. He wasn’t a superstar by any means but he did have four seasons where he eclipsed the 30 goal plateau which is the sign of a great goal scorer.
Granato also had experience coaching hockey before landing with Wisconsin. He coached in the NHL with the Colorado Avalanche and was an assistant for the Detroit Red Wings and Pittsburgh Penguins as well. He also served as the head coach for the men’s USA squad at the 2018 Winter Olympic Games. His experience is outstanding.
Tony has a sister named Cammi Granato who is one of the greatest female hockey players of all time. She became one of the first females to ever make the Hockey Hall of Fame when she was inducted in 2010. Granato currently serves as an assistant GM for the Vancouver Canucks. She is also the wife of former NHL star Ray Ferraro.
Tony Granato clearly enjoys himself some Chicago White Sox baseball.
It is a very cool family that appreciates White Sox baseball. On Wednesday, a video surfaced of Tony being asked about hockey jersey numbers. He claimed that he was very old school with numbers and liked the more traditional way of selecting them but he knows that the game is going in a different direction.
#Wisconsin HC @TonyGranato says he might be "a little old school" about non-traditional jersey numbers.
— Pablo Iglesias (@PabloIglesiasTV) February 16, 2022
I knew a few players on his favorite MLB team (@whitesox) sport some unusual numbers so I had to ask 😂
(Not shown: Tony schooling me on 70s/80s #WhiteSox player numbers) pic.twitter.com/DpqzKfdnPY
That is how the White Sox came up as stars like Jose Abreu and Luis Robert dawn strange baseball numbers like 79 and 88. It has become more popular in hockey over the last 20 years as guys like Sidney Crosby wears 87, Connor McDavid wears 97, Jack Hughes wears 86, and Patrick Kane wears 88.
It is a very interesting conversation but it was even more interesting to learn that he was a big White Sox fan. He also dove into some older players in franchise history so he clearly knows his stuff about the team. That is definitely something that should make any White Sox fan smile during a period with no baseball.
light. Related Story. We are missing pitchers and catchers