Four factoids today... September 1, 1970 - With the Sox about to end their worst season in franchise history to that time, G.M. Ed Short was fired after nine years on the job. Short would make brilliant off season deals in the mid-1960’s to net the club players like Hoyt Wilhelm, Pete Ward, Ron Hansen, Tommy John, Wilbur Wood and Tommy Agee but starting in 1968 his moves backfired and lost the club players like Agee, Tommy McCraw, Don Buford and Bob Locker without getting anything back of substance in return. Sox owner John Allyn, who bought the team from his brother the year before, also fired field manager Don Gutteridge, scouts and other front office personnel in a massive house cleaning. Short actually began his White Sox career in 1950 when he was hired to serve as publicity director and then later as traveling secretary. September 1, 1998 - Albert Belle hit his 42nd home run of the season in Baltimore. In the same game he got his 337th total base of the season. Both milestones set the franchise record in their respective categories in the Sox 9-5 win. Belle ended the year with 49 home runs, 152 RBI’s, a .328 batting average, 42 doubles, 200 hits and 399 total bases. Later he’d say, with some truth, that he had a better year than the much-publicized duo of Mark McGwire and former Sox outfielder Sammy Sosa. September 1, 2008 – It was the type of injury that could only happen to the White Sox. It wasn’t the only time Carlos Quentin would have his temper bite him, but it cost both him and the White Sox most dearly in this game, when after fouling off a pitch during his last at-bat against the Indians Cliff Lee, the slugger slapped his bat barrel in frustration. Quentin ended up nicking his wrist, fracturing it. He opted for surgery to insert a screw into the wrist a few days later, in hopes for returning before season’s end and finishing off what was shaping up to be an M.V.P. year. However, he did not heal quickly and failed to see any action in the remaining regular season or playoffs. Quentin ended his season with 36 home runs and 100 RBIs in just 130 games. He finished fifth in M.V.P. voting despite missing all of September. Not having his bat in the middle of the lineup hurt as the Sox fell to Tampa in the playoffs that October. 2008 was also the high point of his career. September 1, 2024 – It was a record setting day for the White Sox and not in a good way. The Mets shut out the Sox 2-0 at Guaranteed Rate Field and handed the South Siders their 107th loss of the season breaking the franchise record of 106 losses set in 1970. In addition the loss was the 10th straight marking three times the team produced double-digit losing streaks that year. They lost 14 in a row from May 22 through June 6 and they lost 21 straight from July 10 through August 5. The 61' Senators, the 62' Mets and the 65' Mets are the only teams to have had three double-digit losing streaks in a season. They also went 0-10 on the homestand, the first time in franchise history that ever happened.
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