SIX factoids today: July 7, 1931 - In a 12-inning game won by the White Sox over the Browns in St. Louis, 10-8, neither team struck out. It remains the longest game ever played in the big leagues without a hitter fanning. The Sox led 8-7 going into the ninth inning but couldn’t hold it as pinch hitter Chad Kimsey, normally a pitcher, homered to tie the game at eight. Kimsey was on the mound when the Sox scored twice in the 12th inning, helped in part by a key error and he took the loss. He’d be acquired by the Sox on waivers from the Browns and pitch for the club late in the 1932 and all of the 1933 seasons before he was traded to Montreal of the International League. July 7, 1959 - Sox pitcher Early Wynn started the first of the two All-Star Games played that season. This one was in Pittsburgh. Wynn, who’d go on to take the Cy Young Award that season, and win 22 games, went three innings allowing one run. He didn’t get a decision in the N.L.’s 5-4 win. Other Sox representatives in the game included Luis Aparicio (SS), Nellie Fox (2B), Sherm Lollar (C) and Billy Pierce (P). Fox and Aparicio joined Wynn in the starting lineup. July 7, 1964 – White Sox manager Al Lopez, in charge of the A.L. All-Stars saw a former player ruin his afternoon. Johnny Callison, once a top Sox prospect, traded to the Phillies before the start of the 1960 season, belted a three-run home run in the last of the ninth to win the All-Star Game for the N.L. 7-4 at Shea Stadium in New York. The home run came off the Red Sox Dick “the Monster” Radatz and was the key blow in the four-run inning. The Sox quickly realized what they traded away and tried to get Callison back before the start of the 1962 season without success. Joining Lopez and coach Don Gutteridge from the Sox on the team were pitchers Gary Peters and Juan Pizarro. July 7, 1971 - Lee “Bee-Bee”Richard did not have many White Sox highlights, but on this day he managed a feat of superhuman speed and smarts, scoring from second base on a sacrifice fly. With the game tied with Oakland at Comiskey Park, 1-1, and future White Sox hurler John “Blue Moon” Odom on the mound, Ed Herrmann led off the inning with a single. Rookie speedster Richard pinch-ran and was bunted to second by Luis Alvarado. Batting for starting pitcher Tommy John, Rich McKinney launched a deep drive to the warning track in center field, where Angel Mangual made the catch, back turned to the infield, almost 400 feet from home plate. Richard took off and never hesitated turning third base, waved home all the way. Shortstop Larry Brown took the relay throw, but in his rush launched it up the third-base line, as Richard flew home to score what would prove the eventual winning run. In his career he also scored from second base on a passed ball and an infield hit showing off his blinding speed on the bases. July 7, 1982 - It was the coming out party for Sox outfielder Harold Baines. In a game in Chicago against the Tigers, Baines blasted three home runs in the Sox 7-0 win. One of his blasts was a grand slam. He’d drive in six of the Sox seven runs. His homers came in the fifth, seventh and eighth innings. Later that week at Toronto in a 16-7 win, he’d hammer two more home runs including a second grand slam and knock in five more RBI’s. No wonder he was named A.L. Player of the Week! July 7, 2009 - On the same date that Harold Baines clubbed three home runs in a game in 1982, Sox first baseman Paul Konerko launched three in a 10-6 win over Cleveland at U.S. Cellular Field. Konerko had a solo home run, a two-run shot and a grand slam in his finest performance in a White Sox uniform. He went 3 for 4 with three runs scored and those seven RBI’s. He became the 12th different player in franchise history to drill three home runs in a game and the 13th overall to hit at least three. He also became the first Sox player to ever hit three in a game at what was then called U.S. Cellular Field.
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