The Chicago White Sox are a Major League Baseball team based in Chicago , Illinois . They are in the Central Division of the American League. The team came into existence in the year 1901. The club adopted the name "White Stockings," the original name of the Chicago Cubs, and acquired a number of stars from the National League, including pitcher and manager Clark Griffith, who paced the White Sox to the AL 's first pennant in 1901. The nickname was quickly shortened to "White Sox." Chicago fielded several powerful teams during the early 1900s, winning World Series championships in 1906 and 1917. Walsh, Doc White and Nick Altrock paced the White Sox to their 1906 pennant and their first World Series victory, a stunning upset over the Cubs who had won a record 116 regular-season games.Chicago White Sox Jerseys