The Chicago White Sox plan to honor Mark Buehrle with a statue at Rate Field during their celebration of the 2005 World Series championship team on July 11.
Buehrle dedicated the first 12 seasons of his 16-year Major League Baseball career to the White Sox. Renowned for his swift pitching style and precise control, the left-handed pitcher recorded a 161-119 win-loss record with a 3.83 earned run average (ERA) over 390 games, including 365 starts.
The announcement of this tribute came during the team’s fan festival on Friday. In 2017, Buehrle’s No. 56 was retired by the franchise, solidifying his legacy within the organization.
Buehrle expressed his gratitude, stating, “It’s an incredible honor. To put a statue up, of me, out there, forever. I guess the number could be unretired and get taken out and put it back into play. But the statue, unless someone tears it down or does something to it, it’s always going to be there.”
At 45 years old, Buehrle donned his old uniform to assist the sculptor in capturing the finer details of the statue. “I ain’t going to lie. It actually felt pretty good — for the 10 minutes I did it. A couple hours later it did not feel good,” he joked with a smile.
After leaving the White Sox, Buehrle played for the Miami Marlins and Toronto Blue Jays. He concluded his career with a 214-160 record and a 3.81 ERA across 3,283 1/3 innings, earning four Gold Glove awards along the way. His strikeout total reached 1,870, while he issued 734 walks.
In his fifth year on the Hall of Fame ballot, Buehrle received 45 votes, representing 11.4% of the total. “I’m literally just honored to be on the ballot this many years,” he remarked. “Just getting my name on the first, I was like, ‘Man if I can just stay on for another year.’ And now we are going into Year 6. I mean literally giving me goosebumps. It’s insane.”
Buehrle played a pivotal role in securing Chicago’s last World Series title. He achieved a 16-8 record with a career-best 3.12 ERA in 33 starts, contributing significantly to the White Sox’s 2005 AL Central victory. In the postseason, he went 2-0 with a 3.47 ERA in four appearances, including three starts.
Notably, Buehrle recorded the final out in Game 3 of the World Series by retiring Adam Everett on a popup, securing a 7-5 victory against the Houston Astros.
Reflecting on his career, Buehrle stated, “Every time you go out there you’re trying to win a World Series. Sometimes it happens, sometimes it doesn’t. I have the feeling the way these fans are and the way they talk to you about that year, they start tearing up and shaking when they’re talking to you about it, yeah you can definitely feel how it affects everybody.”
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