Mark Buehrle did it all as a member of the Chicago White Sox: 161 wins, four All-Star teams, three Gold Glove awards, two no-hitters (one of which was a perfect game), and — most importantly — a World Series ring.
Add all that up and Buehrle, one of the greatest players in White Sox franchise history, becomes the latest player to get his number retired at Comiskey U.S. Cellular Guaranteed Rate Field.
The No. 56 will never be distributed again on the South side of Chicago, because Buerhle will be honored with an on-field ceremony before first pitch on June 24, 2017. Fans attending the game will receive a specially designed commemorative No. 56 pin.
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No word on whether or not the team will celebrate his greatest achievement as a Major Leaguer, this home run at Miller Park in 2009.
Who needs the designated hitter when you can turn and unload on a pitch, depositing it in the seats to tie the ball game? Buehrle certainly didn’t in that at-bat, turning on an 87-mph fastball (can we really call that a fastball?) off the fingertips of Braden Looper in a sun-splashed Miller Park.
That wasn’t a cheap one, either – Buehrle got all of it. And it contributed to the beginning of the end for Looper’s career, as 2009 marked his final Major League season.
Buehrle’s number will be the 12th retired by the White Sox, as he joins teammates Paul Konerko and Frank Thomas as the most recent members to be immortalized with this honor.
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But make sure you arrive on time to the ceremony. Buehrle was known to be a quick worker and you never know what you’ll see when he takes the field.
.@whitesox to retire Mark Buehrle's No. 56 jersey during special tribute on June 24. https://t.co/JHK7DyxbYn pic.twitter.com/gSjk77bYqG
— MLB (@MLB) February 23, 2017