Winnin' Ugly White Sox

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The 1983 Chicago White Sox marked the end of a long dry spell for Chicago sports teams with a win. No baseball team in the city had any sort of success, with their last great moment coming in 1959 when the White Sox appeared in the World Series. The White Sox would win 99 games in the 1983 season, easily winning the division. Their dream run was ultimately stopped by the Baltimore Orioles in the postseason.

During the season, the team and fans rallied under the phrase, “winning ugly." This phrase stems from commentary by Texas manager, Doug Rader. There was a stretch of games where the White Sox were winning, even though they were playing sloppily and Rader used the phrase “winning ugly” to describe their style.