Lots of star Chicago White Sox 1B came back to haunt them after leaving

Tom McCraw

Tom McCraw came back to play the Chicago White Sox and did well.

McCraw played the first eight years of his career with the White Sox (1963-70), hitting .240 with 50 homers, 283 RBI, and 119 stolen bases. His career would continue for five more years with Cleveland Indians, California Angels, and Washington Senators after leaving Chicago.

McCraw, given his mediocre .246 career average over nearly 4,000 career at-bats, seemed to enjoy facing the Sox. He played 41 games against the Sox from 1971-75 and was 31-for-87 (.356) with two homers and 15 RBI.

His homers came against Bart Johnson in 1971 for Washington and in 1974 for Cleveland off Wilbur Wood. McCraw was a sizzling 27-for-62 (.435) against the White Sox from 1972-75. He had two or more hits nine times in just 14 starts over those four years against Chicago.

McCraw, who tied the White Sox record of eight RBI in a game against the Minnesota Twins in 1967, was traded to Washington for outfielder Ed Stroud after the 1970 season. Stroud, who was also with the Sox in 1966 and 1967, was just 25-for-141 in 1971 in Chicago with two RBI.

The White Sox record of eight RBI in a game, first set by Carl Reynolds in 1930, was tied by Jim Spencer (twice in 1977), Robin Ventura (1995), and Yasmani Grandal (2021) after McCraw did it.