Years after having his jersey number retired, a White Sox great will be further immortalized this summer.
The team announced at SoxFest Live that former starting pitcher Mark Buehle will be honored with a statue at Rate Field on Friday, July 11th. The dedication will be part of a pregame ceremony and 2005 reunion weekend, with Buehrle expected to briefly address the crowd in attendance.
THIS JUST IN: The perfect addition coming to Rate Field on July 11… 👀 pic.twitter.com/iVEDVtuHl3
— Chicago White Sox (@whitesox) January 25, 2025
“Getting your number retired and now they’re going to put a statue up,” Buehrle said in a video posted on the team’s social media accounts. “It’s crazy that they’re going to be doing this for me. I tried to go out there and give you everything I had. I know you guys showed me the love, and hopefully, I showed you guys the love back. So thank you.”
The 2005 World Series champion elaborated further at Friday night’s SoxFest Live at the Ramova Theatre, telling the story about how he was mowing the grass at his Missouri home when he received a call from White Sox chairman Jerry Reinsdorf.
“I look down and it’s Jerry and I’m like, ‘Shit, do I really not take this call right now?’” Buehrle joked as part of a panel discussion after the announcement. “I turned everything off, finished cutting grass, and went in and called him a little later.
“Insane. Unbelievable. Kind of at a loss for words. They retired my number and 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. I really don’t have words for it, but it’s an amazing feeling.”
The social media video also revealed that the studio behind other statues around the stadium like Carlton Fisk, Paul Konerko, Frank Thomas, Minnie Minoso, and the Championship Monument will again be tasked with handling Buehrle’s bronze.
“We want to be true to the history,” an unnamed spokesperson for the company said in the video. “We want to be true to the moment. We want people to look at it and remember that this is what they saw.”
Buehrle, 45, finished his 16-year career with a 214-160 record and a 3.81 ERA. The lefty was a five-time All-Star and threw 14 consecutive seasons with 200 or more innings pitched, falling just four outs short of extending that streak to 15 in his final season. Buehrle is well-known for several moments including his contributions to the 2005 World Series team, his no-hitter vs. the Rangers, and his perfect game vs. the Rays.
The southpaw also recently wrapped up his sixth year on the Hall of Fame ballot, receiving 45 votes to appear on 11.4% of ballots. It’s an increase in what’s been an up-and-down tenure for Buehrle on the ballot, with 44 votes in 2021, 23 votes in 2022, 42 votes in 2023, and 32 votes in 2024. He needs at least five percent of the overall vote to remain on the ballot for up to 10 years total, with four years of eligibility now left.
As part of the celebration weekend, the White Sox will be giving away replica statues at the game after Buehrle’s dedication. The first 15,000 fans ages 21 and older attending the Saturday, July 12 contest can expect to take home the item.
Additional details surrounding Buehrle’s statue unveiling will likely be released as the game gets closer. We will provide further information as it’s made available.
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