Travis Jankowski's home run robbing catch of Andrew Vaughn last August personified the Chicago White Sox terrible luck last season.
The White Sox were bad enough to lose 100 games in 2024. They had to have luck go against them to be historically awful.
Jankowski's snag is a classic example of how lady luck hated the Sox.
If Jankowski's arm does not go-go-gadget, then at the least the White Sox are joining the 1962 New York Mets as the worst team in modern history. Instead, that amazing catch contributed toward the Sox replacing the Amazin Mets as MLB's worst team of all-time.
Now Travis will try to rob other teams of hitting walk-off homers as he signed a minor-league deal with a chance to make the White Sox.
It is a good depth signing considering Andrew Benintendi and Austin Slater could miss sometime early in the season with injuries they suffered in spring training. Plus, if the White Sox deal Luis Robert Jr. at some point before the trade deadline, Jankowski can help cover centerfield along with Michael A. Taylor and Mike Tauchman.
Also, he is another late-game option to replace Benintendi's terrible defense in left since Jankowski is a solid defender
That snag of Vaughn's potential game-winning shot was just an example of a brilliant outfield career.
Despite his snag being for the opponent, that catch has to be considered one of the three best in Rate Field history, formerly known as Guaranteed Rate Field, US Cellular Field, and New Comiskey Park.
It would have to be ranked as No. 3 though because while it was amazing, it went against the White Sox.
Plus, Dewayne Wise's catch during Mark Buehrle's perfect game or Brian Anderson's diving catch to clinch the AL Central in 2008 are way more historic.
Wise's catch in the ninth inning was so amazing, it was immortalized for a brief time along the outfield wall.
Since perfect games rarely happen, Wise's spectacular catch kept Buehrle on a roll toward achieving history. Even Gabe Kapler, whose blast almost broke up Buehrle's perfect game bid, was happy Wise robbed him of a home run.
The catch's degree of difficulty also makes Wise's grab the greatest ever at 35th and Shields.
Anderson's diving grab to get the final out of Game 163 against the Minnesota Twins in 2008 gave the franchise a rare postseason appearance.
It also finally allowed the Sox to vanquish the Twins that decade, who kept getting the better of Southsiders in the AL Central Division race in the aughts.
Obviously, there have been other amazing defensive plays at whatever they are calling Sox park these days.
These three had historical significance.
Two of them allowed some good history to happen while Jankowski's assist in the Sox setting some bad history.