StatManDu
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THIS DATE IN SOX HISTORY, FEB. 3RD: TAPPING TAPANI
1996: The White Sox dipped into the free agent market to get a starting pitcher when they signed right-hander Kevin Tapani to a one-year contract. The longtime Twin gave the Sox a workmanlike performance in 1996, going 13-10 with a 4.59 ERA in 34 starts. The Michigander missed just one turn -- and it came in April -- despite battling a nerve problem in his pitching hand for much of the second half. Tapani logged 225.1 innngs and fanned 150 strikeouts for a team that was good enough to make playoffs but fell short of a wild card berth. Tapani took the free agent route after the season and signed with the Cubs where he played until 2001.
I tweet about White Sox history, facts and oddities throughout the day at @DaveMarran ... no money to be made or products to push. I just enjoy it! ... I am currently giving a unique Sox-centric countdown to the start of spring training
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FEB. 2ND: TOP (COMPENSATION) DRAFT CHOICE
1982: The White Sox made a little history when they became the first team to acquire player with a pick from the free agent compensation pool that was part of the settlement of the protracted strike that fractured the 1981 campaign. After losing stopper Ed Farmer to free agency, the Sox selected 21-year old catcher Joel Skinner, who was left unprotected by the Pittsburgh Pirates. Skinner, the son of former big league pitcher Bob Skinner, was coming off a year in which he hit .266 with 11 homers and 63 RBIs for the Pirates’ Class-A Greenwood affiliate. General Manager Roland Hemond made this choice with an obvious eye to the future because, as they say, Carlton Fisk wasn’t getting any younger. Skinner was called up by the Sox for short stints in 1983, 1984 and 1985. Skinner was given the starting job and Fisk was moved to left field in 1986 – Ken Harrelson’s only season as Sox GM -- but he was never able to blossom. With Skinner hitting just .154, Fisk regained his familiar spot behind the plate on May 12. On July 30, Skinner’s time with the Sox ended when he was dealt to the Yankees in a six-player swap.
I tweet about White Sox history, facts and oddities throughout the day at @DaveMarran ... no money to be made or products to push. I just enjoy it! ... I am currently giving a unique Sox-centric countdown to the start of spring training
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FEB. 1ST: WE USED TO HATE THIS GUY
2002: Seeking to fill a void at the top of the lineup and in center field, the White Sox signed free agent Kenny Lofton, who had spent the better part of the 1990s terrorizing the Sox while he was with the Cleveland Indians. Lofton, who signed a one year contract, got off to a searing start, hitting .400 through April 23. The East Chicago, Ind., native was healthy, fast, enthusiastic and giving opposing pitchers fits – all things he did with Cleveland during his prime. However, it was didn’t last. The 34-year-old Lofton saw his average dip to .301 by the end of May – the last time he would be over .300 with the Sox. Lofton’s average decreased steadily until he was traded to the Giants for minor league pitchers Ryan Meaux and Felix Diaz on July 28th.
I tweet about White Sox history, facts and oddities throughout the day at @DaveMarran ... no money to be made or products to push. I just enjoy it!
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JAN. 31: WHAT’S IN A NAME? MONEY AND A BETTER PARK
2003: The White Sox signed a naming rights agreement with Chicago-based wireless service provider U.S. Cellular that will pay the club $68 million over 20 years. According to the Sox, the agreement to change the name of their 12-year-old stadium from “New” Comiskey Park to U.S. Cellular Field was forged to “pursue dramatic, fan-focused renovations and improvements to the ballpark …” The money from the deal has transformed the park from a sterile edifice which was dubbed the “Mallpark” to a more classic-looking fan-friendly facility. Recent improvements included new videoboards, scout seats, green seats and a more modest and manageable upper deck.
I tweet about White Sox history, facts and oddities throughout the day at @DaveMarran ... no money to be made or products to push. I just enjoy it!
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JANUARY 30: ANOTHER MOCK SOX: NOVOA
1995: The White Sox signed left-handed pitcher Rafael Novoa as a free agent. The 27-year old Novoa had limited big league experience, going 0-4 with a 5.06 ERA in 22 games (nine starts) for the Giants in 1990 and Brewers in 1993. The New York native was listed in the White Sox 1995 information guide for spring training which included none of the “union” players who were out on strike. Novoa was among the “Mock Sox” in Sarasota who had big league experience. Some of the others included Dennis “Oil Can” Boyd, John Davis, Calvin Jones, Bill Lindsey, Barry Lyons, Junior Ortiz, Kent Anderson, Al Chambers and Henry Cotto. None of these Sox made it to the bigs as the conflict was settled in late March.
I tweet about White Sox history, facts and oddities throughout the day at @DaveMarran ... no money to be made or products to push. I just enjoy it!
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The White Sox make a brief appearance in the "Christmas Story" movie when the dad indicates that the team had traded "Bullfrog" while reading the paper. "Bullfrog" was Sox pitcher Bill Dietrich, a stalwart of the 1940s, who was never traded by the club.
"Christmas Story" author Jean Shepherd was a huge Sox fan so he probably knew this White Sox "Christmas Story" ...
The only player in Major League history with the last name Christmas played 12 of his 24 big league games with the 1986 White Sox.
Catcher Steve Christmas hit .364 with a double, a clutch home run and four RBIs in his time with the White Sox.
The Sox “Christmas Story” began on Nov. 21, 1983 when the left-handed hitter was acquired from the Cincinnati Reds in exchange for infield prospect Fran Mullins.
Christmas, who hit .059 in nine games with 1983 Reds, was a non-roster invitee to spring training in Sarasota, Fla., but began 1984 at the White Sox Triple-A affiliate at Denver where his teammates included Jerry Manuel, Ron Karkovice, Tim Hulett, Daryl Boston, Joel Skinner and Larry Rothschild.
Christmas’ first stint with the Sox came from June 12 to June 22. The native of Orlando, Fla., was brought to Chicago when Carlton Fisk went on the disabled list.
Christmas didn’t see any time behind the plate as the Sox went with the highly-touted Skinner in Fisk’s absence. Christmas’ first action with the Sox finally came on June 14 when he grounded out as a pinch-hitter for Jerry Dybzinski.
Two days later, Christmas delivered a pinch-RBI single in the ninth inning of a 6-4 loss at Oakland. Christmas was hitting for Scott Fletcher and got his hit off of Oakland closer Bill Caudill.
In his next appearance, Christmas came through again, this time notching a one-out pinch-double off future Sox “gas can” Mike Stanton in the ninth inning of an 8-2 loss at Seattle June 19.
Christmas was returned to Denver after the White Sox 8-6 win over the Twins June 22 in Minnesota. Christmas finished the season at Denver where he helped the Bears earn a spot in the American Association playoffs. Denver upset the Cubs’ Iowa affiliate in five games in the semifinal round before bowing to Louisville in five games in the championship series.
Christmas, who shared time behind the plate with Skinner, Karkovice and Jamie Quirk, hit .278 with four homers and 29 RBIs during the regular season for Denver.
He returned to the White Sox for the rest of the season in early September.
Christmas made his Comiskey Park debut in a 5-4 loss to Oakland on Sept. 5, 1984 when he was retired for the second out pinch-hitting for Vance Law in the ninth.
After another unsuccessful pinch-hitting appearance Sept. 8, 1984 against the Angels at Comiskey Park, Christmas made his lone defensive appearance with the Sox. On Sept. 16, 1984 in Anaheim, Christmas entered the game in the eighth inning at catcher. He played one inning in the 4-2 setback, catching Richard Dotson and could not throw out Gary Pettis trying to steal.
The next time Christmas took the field he made things merry for the Sox.
On Sept. 19, 1984, Christmas, pinch-hitting for Marc “The Booter” Hill, launched a three-run homer in the seventh inning to break a 3-3 tie in a 7-3 win at Minnesota. The blast, which victimized the team that drafted and signed Christmas, came off Mike Smithson with Greg Walker and Dybzinski on base as the defending American League West champs barely stayed alive in the division race (nine games back with 11 to play).
The next day, Christmas posted what turned out to be his final hit with the Sox.
He led off the 13th with a single off Ron Davis batting for Hill and was then lifted for pinch-runner Rudy Law. The Sox couldn’t parlay Christmas’ last gift to the Sox into a run and wound up losing 5-4 to the Twins in the next inning.
That hit peaked Christmas’ average and on-base percentage at a whopping .571 and placed his slugging percentage at a more-than-robust 1.143.
From there, Christmas went 0-for-4 with two strikeouts to close out his Sox career.
Christmas' first time ended for the Sox on Dec. 10 when they released him. A little more than a month later, it was Christmastime again for the Sox as they signed him with a free agent.
Christmas received another non-roster invitee to spring training but he did not make the club nor did he appear with the Sox during the 1985 season. Christmas spent 1985 at the Sox Triple-A affiliate in Buffalo where he manned third base and appeared some at designated hitter.
Playing for John Boles, who would later manage the Flordia Marlins, Christmas finished fourth in the American Association with a .298 average while finishing second on the Bisons to Joe DeSa (17) with 16 home runs.
Following the season, Christmas was granted free agency and signed with the Cubs thus closing the book on the Sox “Christmas Story.”
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NEWSFLASH: Ex-Sox Santo elected to Hall of Fame
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Tyler Flowers' grand slam today was the first by a Sox rookie catcher since Miguel Olivo went deep with the bags drunk at Wrigley on June 20, 2003
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Danks posted the first complete game shutout by a Sox pitcher in Seattle since Jack McDowell accomplished the feat on Aug. 1, 1993
Danks' complete game shutout was the first by a Sox lefty in Seattle since Floyd Bannister did it on Sept. 13, 1987
Now you know!
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Today's "Today in Sox History" on the radio broadcast was some inane item about a magazine cover ... Here are some points of interest that happened on this date in White Sox history
BABE’S BOMB NOT ENOUGH
1921: The White Sox survived Babe Ruth’s 41st homer in beating the Yankees 5-4 in Game 2 of a doubleheader in New York. Bibb Falk drove in two runs and Red Faber tossed three no-hit innings in relief of winning pitcher Dickie Kerr.
SHORTS!
1976: Wearing shorts, the White Sox defeated the Kansas City Royals 5-2 in the first game of a doubleheader before 15,992 at Comiskey Park. Despite the bare knees, the White Sox swiped five bases – including two from Jerry Hairston – in the win. The Sox put on long pants for the nightcap and lost 7-1.
BIG DAY FOR FISK
1990: With one swing of the bat, Carlton Fisk tied the all-time marks in two major home run categories. Fisk’s solo homer in the White Sox 5-1 loss at Kansas City was his 327th as a catcher, tying him with Johnny Bench for first place in that category, and his 186th as a member of a White Sox, tying him with Harold Baines for first place in that category.
THE 1994 FINALE
1994: The White Sox defeated the Athletics 2-1 in Oakland in what would turn out to be Jack McDowell’s final win and game with the franchise. Tim Raines’ one-out single in the ninth plated Ozzie Guillen to give the Sox the lead for good. McDowell tossed his sixth complete game with 10 strikeouts and no walks in improving to 10-9. The season was halted because of a strike before McDowell could take his next turn in the rotation. He was traded to the New York Yankees during the off-season thus ending his eight-year association with the White Sox.
A QUICK WIN
2003: Mark Buehrle outdueled Mark Mulder in the White Sox 3-2 win over Oakland before 24,118 at US Cellular Field. Buehrle went the distance for his 10th win in a game that took just 1 hour and 53 minutes.
SOX GET TO RIVERA
2006: Paul Konerko tied the game with a homer in the ninth off Mariano Rivera in the White Sox 6-5 win over the Yankees before 39,872 at US Cellular Field. The Sox won the game in the 11th on Jermaine Dye’s run-scoring single.
BUEHRLE BESTS BEANTOWNERS
2008: Mark Buehrle pitched seven strong innings and Carlos Quentin hit his 31st homer in the first-place White Sox 5-3 win over Boston before 38,521 at U.S. Cellular Field. Buehrle fanned eight and gave up one run for his ninth win. Bobby Jenks pitched a perfect ninth for his 23rd save as the Sox maintained their half-game lead atop the A.L. Central.
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Interesting you mention Peters ... Exactly a week prior, he hit a two-run homer in the 13th to lift the Sox to victory. A day prior to Fisher's heroics, Hoyt Wilhelm delivered a walkoff hit for the Sox.
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In the wake of Atlanta's win over Pittsburgh the other night in which the pitcher recorded a walkoff hit, I HAVE found the last time that happened to the Sox. On July 26, 1964, reliever Eddie Fisher's RBI single in the 12th handed the Sox a 5-4 win over Minnesota in the first game of a doubleheader at Comiskey Park. Now you know
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A ROUSING WIN AT WRIGLEY
1999: The White Sox scored four times in the seventh and eighth innings to surge past the Cubs 6-4 at Wrigley Field. Mike Caruso’s shocking homer with two outs in the eighth inning gave the Sox the lead for good and a sweep of the series. Caruso’s first homer of the year came off Rick Aguilera and touched off a wild celebration among Sox fans at Clark and Addison.
A NOTE ON MOOSE
1965: Moose Skowron did it all for the White Sox in a 2-1 win over the Senators in Washington. Skowron's solo homer in the seventh tied the game. Two innings later, Skowron followed Floyd Robinson's leadoff double with a one-out triple to put the Sox ahead. Hoyt Wilhelm tossed two perfect innings in relief for the victory. ... NOTE: I spoke with Moose at the park on Saturday. Despite his recent travails, he is in good spirits, looks great and active. His only complaint was that he was losing so much weight his pants didn't fit anymore!
WHAT A COMEBACK!
1978: The White Sox overcame an 9-0 deficit after three innings by scoring six in the third and four in the fourth in nipping the Indians 10-9 before 12,000 at Comiskey Park. The Sox were able to survive the worst start of Wilbur Wood's career. Wood did not retire a batter and gave up four runs on three hits with a walk and a wild pitch before being pulled in favor of Pablo Torrealba, who did not fare much better. By the time Rich Hinton had gotten through the third, the Sox were in a nine-run hole. The Sox scored six in the third thanks to two Indian errors and took the lead with four in the fourth. The Sox went on top to stay when Jorge Orta's ground out scored Wayne Nordhagen. An out earlier, the Sox pulled even on Lamar Johnson's single. Hinton was the hero, tossing 6.1 innings and surrendering just one run on five hits for the victory.
PUDGE TIES YOGI
1989: Carlton Fisk tied Yogi Berra for the all-time lead among American League catchers with his 306th home run in the Sox 9-6 loss to Cleveland before 10,264 Comiskey Park. Fisk's blast came off Greg Swindell with one out in the seventh inning.
ATTA WAY, BERE
1994: Jason Bere turned in one of the best pitching performances in recent memory in the White Sox 1-0 win over the Oakland Athletics before 30,819 at Comiskey Park. Bere shut out Oakland on two hits for eight innings while fanning 14. The 14 Ks were the most by a White Sox pitcher since Juan Pizarro whiffed 14 on July 31, 1964 at Washington. Bere’s 14 Ks were the most by a White Sox right-hander since Early Wynn fanned that many on May 1, 1959. Lance Johnson and Tim Raines gave Bere his only run. Johnson delivered his league-leading ninth triple in the fifth and then crossed on Raines’ two-out single for the eventual game-winner.
FOR STARTERS, AN INTERLEAGUE BLAST
1997: Ray Durham got the White Sox inaugural interleague contest off to a rousing start with his first career leadoff homer. The blast sent the White Sox to a 3-1 win over the Reds in Cincinnati in the first game between these franchises since the 1919 World Series. Albert Belle added some insurance with a two-run blast in the seventh inning. Wilson Alvarez earned the win by limiting the Reds to one run in 7.2 innings.
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DERAILING THE BIG TRAIN
1920: Buck Weaver’s game-ending single off Walter Johnson delivered the White Sox a 9-8 win over Washington at Comiskey Park. Two batters earlier, Nemo Leibold tied the game with a sacrifice fly.
MR. LEE … WOW!
1945: Thornton Lee fanned 13 batters in a 1-0 win over Cleveland at Comiskey Park. The K total was the sixth-highest output in franchise history and were the most by a Sox pitcher since Red Faber whiffed 13 Athletics May 17, 1922. Bill Nagel drove in Roy Schalk with one out in the ninth to make Lee a winner.
KAAT WINS IN 123 MINUTES
1975: Jim Kaat went the distance in a snappy 2 hour and 3 minutes in the White Sox 9-2 win over Boston before 5,944 at Comiskey Park. Kaat gave up 11 hits and one walk with three strikeouts in improving to 9-3.
THE CHET LEMON SHOW
1977: Chet Lemon scored the winning run on a wild pitch in the 11th inning in the White Sox 6-4 victory at Baltimore. After tying the game in the sixth with a two-run homer, Lemon Led off the 11th with a walk, stole second and took third on an error before scoring. Lerrin LaGrow got the win but it was Bart Johnson who was the bullpen’s savior. Johnson tossed 4.1 innings of scoreless relief with five strikeouts while the “Hitmen” climbed back into the game.
THE SON ALSO PITCHES
1985: Bruce Tanner, son of the former White Sox manager, posted his first and only big league victory in a 6-3 win at Seattle. The right-hander pitched into the seventh and gave up two earned on seven hits with two walks and three strikeouts.
GOOD WITH THE BAT, TOO
1999: Mike Sirotka had two hits, scored a run and pitched 7.2 shuout innings for the win in the White Sox 8-2 win over the Cubs at Wrigley Field. Frank Thomas and Mark Johnson homered as part of an 18-hit attack. Ray Durham went 4-for-6 with a double and two runs in support of Sirotka, who became the the first Sox pitcher in interleague play to log a multi-hit game.
A-ROW TOPS T-HOFF
2005: Aaron Rowand’s three-run homer in the 10th off Trevor Hoffman delivered the White Sox an 8-5 win at San Diego. The Sox tied the game with two in the eighth and Rowand’s homer made a winner out of Cliff Politte, who fashioned two perfect innings of relief.
PAULIE BESTS CUBS
2010: Paul Konerko drove in both runs in the White Sox 2-1 win over the Cubs at Wrigley Field. Mark Buehrle pitched 6.2 shutout innings for the win as the White Sox survived a rough ninth from Bobby Jenks, who earned his 11th save, to win their fourth in a row. Konerko drove in runs in the first and the seventh.
Some of these are displayed on the LF board during games at the Cell as the White Sox Almanac
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HAVE A DAY, DIXIE!
1922: On a day when he was honored by several thousands fans from his hometown of Gary, Ind., Dixie Leverett drove in the winning run in the 13th to give himself the victory in a 7-6 win over Boston at Comiskey Park. According to press reports of the day, several thousands fans, led by a band, from Gary attended the game and presented Leverett with a watch, a traveling bag and flowers. Leverett turned in a complete game for his throng for his second win. ... Details gleaned from Chicago Tribune report on the game
LYONS’ STINGY STREAK STARTS
1939: Ted Lyons pitched the last four innings without a walk, starting his string of 42 consecutive innings without allowing a free pass, in a 7-5 win over Boston in the first game of a doubleheader before 10,000 at Comiskey Park.
BIG SWEEP
1967: Jerry McNertney’s three-run homer powered the Sox to a 3-1 win Game 2 win and a doubleheader sweep before 62,582 at Yankee Stadium. The Sox won the first game 2-1 with Don Buford and Ken Berry going a combined 6-for-9 as the team moved into first place.
A POWERFUL SWEEP
1972: Dick Allen accounted for two of the White Sox five home runs in a 6-4 win over Milwaukee in the first game of a doubleheader before 23,868 at Comiskey Park. Luis Alvarado, Mike Andrews and Ed Herrmann also went deep to help Stan Bahnsen earn his eighth win. Terry Forster helped out by fanning seven in three innings of shutout relief for his seventh save. In the second game, Pat Kelly secured the Sox a sweep when his “walkoff’ single delivered the team a 5-4 victory after the Sox had been trailing 4-0.
WORKHORSE SAVE
1980: Bound for the All-Star Game, Ed Farmer posted his 14th save with 3.2 innings of shutout work in a 7-4 win over Toronto before 17,537 at Comiskey Park. Lamar Johnson had three RBIs while Junior Moore had two and Jim Morrison added three hits in helping starter Ken Kravec pick up the victory.
FIRST WIN AT WRIGLEY
1999: Greg Norton’s two-run homer helped the White Sox notch their inaugural regular-season win over the Cubs at Wrigley Field with a rain-shortened 5-3 victory. Jim Parque went the distance for his second straight win. The game was halted by rain after the top of the sixth and delayed for 2 hours and 33 minutes before it was called.
ROLLING IN WRIGLEY
2010: A.J. Pierzynski went 4-for-5 with a double, a homer and three RBIs in the White Sox 10-5 win over the Cubs at Wrigley Field. Alex Rios went 4-for-4 with the homer as the Sox built a 10-2 lead after eight in support of winning pitcher Jake Peavy, who gave up two runs in seven innings for his fifth win.
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TRIPLIN’ TED TOO MUCH FOR YANKS
1927: Ted Lyons limited the legendary “Murderer’s Row” Yankees to five hits in the White Sox 4-2 win in New York. Lyons gave up one earned run and four walks with one strikeout for his 11th win. He even helped his own cause with a tie-breaking RBI triple in the fifth. Bibb Falk provided insurance with a homer in the eighth as the Sox halted an eight-game slide.
STRATTON SLAMS BOSTON
1938: Starting pitcher Monty Stratton launched a grand slam in the second inning of the White Sox 15-2 thumping of the Red Sox at Fenway Park. Stratton, whose promising career was later derailed by a hunting accident, earned his fourth win of the season. Stratton gave up a homer to Red Sox rookie pitcher Bill Lefebvre in Lefebvre’s first big league at bat. Lefebvre became the first player to homer in his only at bat in a season.
SAM I AM A BIG RBI MAN
1952: Sam Mele tied an American League record by driving in six runs in an inning in the White Sox 15-4 win at Philadelphia. Mele’s outburst came courtesy of a three-run homer and a three-run triple in the White Sox 12-run fourth inning. The teams combined to score 14 runs in the inning for the highest-scoring fourth inning in American League history.
ROBIN A DOUBLE HERO
1998: Robin Ventura hit a game-tying homer in the ninth and delivered the walkoff shot in the 11th in the White Sox 10-8 win over St. Louis before 16,151 at Comiskey Park. Ventura’s fourth career game-ending blast capped the Sox comeback from a 7-0 deficit. Ventura’s homer in the ninth came with two outs and followed Albert Belle’s three-run blast.
SOX PICK OFF CUBS
2000: Sean Lowe squelched a Cubs rally by picking the go-ahead run off first in the eighth inning of the White Sox 4-3 win before 43,806 at Comiskey Park. Lowe nabbed Mark Grace with the tying run on third and Sammy Sosa at bat. Keith Foulke worked a perfect ninth to preserve Mike Sirotka’s win. The Sox scored two in the first on Magglio Ordonez’s homer and two more in the sixth to take the lead for good.
SOX CUT DOWN CUBS
2001: Sandy Alomar Jr. took a throw from Royce Clayton and survived a collision with Gary Matthews Jr. to cut down the tying run in the seventh inning of the White Sox 3-1 win over the Cubs before 45,079 at Comiskey Park. It was one of the most exciting plays in the intense series between the Chicago rivals. Kip Wells pitched into the seventh for his third win before getting relief help from Cub organization castoff Jon Garland and Bob Howry, who earned his third save.
BTW, some of these appear as the White Sox Almanac on the LF board during games at the Cell
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I was at that game in 2000. Wow- 11 years ago! IIRC Durham's hit was from the right side and down the 3rd base line.
Yes he jerked it down the third base line if memory serves.
I was always a big Ray Durham fan and thought he should have been a member of the Sox All-20th Century team.
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THE WHITE SOX-FARMER-HARRELSON-DEBUT CONNECTION
1971: The White Sox lost to the Indians 3-1 in Cleveland with Ed Farmer earning the save in his big league debut for the Indians. Farmer nailed down the win for Cleveland by fanning Tom Egan, the only man he faced. Farmer made his debut against the White Sox exactly eight years to the day that future fellow White Sox broadcaster Ken Harrelson did the same. In another coincidence, Harrelson was the Indians’ starting left fielder but was not in the game when Farmer closed it out.
A BIG DAY FOR SECOND BASEMAN SANTO
1974: Ron Santo, starting at second base, hit two homers – including an inside-the-park home run -- in the White Sox 10-6 loss to the Boston Red Sox before 16,678 at Comiskey Park. The multi-homer game, the 26th and last of his career, came a day after Santo hit a grand slam. The former Cub would hit just one more homer for the Sox the rest of the season.
HELLO, HANK
1975: Hank Aaron made his Comiskey Park debut as the Brewers’ designated hitter in a White Sox 1-0 loss. 4,949 on the Southside witnessed Aaron’s 1-for-3 performance. Aaron’s hit was an eighth-inning single off Rich Gossage.
WIN TOTAL FOR THE STARTERS? 605!
1986: In a battle of one 300-game winner and a future 300-game winner, California’s Don Sutton picked up his 299th career win by outdueling the White Sox and 306-game winner Tom Seaver 3-0 before 19,611 at Comiskey Park. Sutton’s gem ended the White Sox four-game winning streak.
A 14TH INNING STRETCH AND A VICTORY
2000: Ray Durham’s single off Daniel Garibay scored Herbert Perry with the winning run as the White Sox topped the Cubs 6-5 in 14 innings before 44,140 at Comiskey Park. Sammy Sosa’s two-run homer in the ninth forced extra innings but Bill Simas and Jesus Pena combined to hold the Cubs hitless over the final five innings with Pena earning his first career victory.
BTW, some of these items appear on the LF scoreboard as the White Sox Almanac during home games
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SOX TAKE BATTLE OF LEGENDS
1925: Future Hall of Famers Red Faber and Lefty Grove swapped zeroes for eight innings before the White Sox broke through for a 1-0 win over Philadelphia before 1,200 at Comiskey Park. The Sox pushed across a run in the ninth when Ray Schalk drove in Bibb Falk. Faber was brilliant, limiting a lineup which featured future Hall of Famers Al Simmons and Mickey Cochrane to six hits as he improved to 4-4.
IT’S YOUR DAY, LUKE
1947: The White Sox celebrated Luke Appling Day during a doubleheader with the Washington Senators at Comiskey Park. “Old Aches & Pains,” in his 18th year with the franchise, collected one single in the 18-inning 1-0 loss to Washington in the first game. The Sox took the second game 8-4 with Bob Gillespie getting the victory.
SANTO SLAM
1974: Ron Santo’s grand slam capped a seven-run sixth in the White Sox 13-6 win over Boston before 42,096 at Comiskey Park. Santo’s slam, his second homer of the season, came two batters after Dick Allen had given the Sox the lead for good with a two-run double.
SOX PULL OFF SWEEP
1986: Greg Walker drove in three runs and Bobby Bonilla brought in two to make a winner out of Joel Davis as the White Sox completed their four-game sweep of Oakland in 10 seasons with an 8-5 win before 20,975 at Comiskey Park. Dave Schmidt tossed four shutout innings of relief with six strikeouts for his second save.
SOX BOMB RYAN BUT LOSE
1989: The White Sox clubbed four homers off Nolan Ryan – the most the future Hall of Famer would surrender in a game in his career -- in an 11-7 loss at Texas. Harold Baines hit two homers while Ivan Calderon and Ron Kittle each socked one off the future Hall of Famer.
LEE SLAMS CUBS IN OVERTIME
2001: Carlos Lee’s walkoff grand slam powered the White Sox to a 7-3 win over the Cubs before a thrilled crowd of 45,936 at Comiskey Park. Lee’s slam was the first in extra innings in any interleague game, including the World Series. Sandy Alomar’s RBI single in the seventh eventually sent the game into extra innings. The Sox were forced to exhaust their pen because starter David Wells left the game in the first with back spasms. Keith Foulke, the last of six relievers, got the win. The unsung hero of this one was Sean Lowe, who took over for Wells and turned in five shutout frames.
BTW, some of these are displayed on the left field board three times during home games
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FIRST SAVE FOR GOOSE
1972: Rookie Rich Gossage notched the first of his 310 career saves in the White Sox 2-1 triumph of the Red Sox before 11,857 at Comiskey Park. Gossage, appearing in his 11th big league game, earned the save with three shutout innings which included two strikeouts.
SOX WIN GAME, LOSE POPCORN MACHINE
1974: The White Sox used a three-run fifth to overtake the Boston Red Sox in an 8-6 win over the Red Sox before 15,173 at Comiskey Park in a game that was delayed 70 minutes when a popcorn machine in the right field stands caught fire causing fans to flee for safety. Bill Melton scored the tying run on an error and Jorge Orta forced home Ron Santo with the go-ahead run to make a winner out of Jim Kaat, who was making a rare appearance out of the bullpen.
SOX PICK HAROLD
1977: The White Sox used the top overall pick in the draft to select Harold Baines, who went on to have a brilliant career on the South side.
BTW, some of these are displayed on the left field board three times during home games
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A DAY OFF TO HOPE AND PRAY
1944: All Major League games were cancelled as the country turned its attention to Europe where allied forces invaded occupied France.
AND PRINT IT!
1966: Lee Elia clubbed the first home run of his career in the White Sox 5-1 win – their fifth straight – at California. Elia’s blast came in the second, an inning after the Sox had taken the lead for good on Floyd Robinson’s RBI single. Dennis Higgins, the cousin of Joe Crede, fired four perfect innings for his second save in preserving Juan Pizarro’s fifth win.
LET’S BE FRANK: HE’S DRAFTED
1989: The White Sox used their first round pick on Frank Thomas thus beginning one of the most productive careers in franchise history. The first baseman out of Auburn was the seventh overall pick of the draft. Fourteen months later, Thomas debuted for the Sox.
ATTA BOY, ALEX
2006: Alex Cintron’s three-run homer in the eighth lifted the White Sox past the Tigers 4-3 before 37,192 at US Cellular Field. Cintron’s homer, his first with the Sox, came with two outs and Jermaine Dye and Joe Crede on base.
By the way, some of these appear on the left field board at three times during each Sox home game as the "White Sox Almanac"
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THE FRANK BAUMANN SHOW!
1961: Frank Baumann fired a seven-hitter and went 3-for-4 with a double, a steal – the first by a White Sox pitcher in six seasons -- and three RBIs in the White Sox 8-0 win over Detroit before 17,166 at Comiskey Park. The Sox gave Baumann an early lead thanks to RBIs by Jim Landis and Sherm Lollar in the second. Baumann drove in a run in the fourth and two in the seventh. Baumann’s steal in the sixth inning was the first by a Sox pitcher since Billy Pierce accomplished the feat Sept. 10, 1955 at New York.
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Wow I was at that doubleheader.
Back in the day, bat day always drew a huge crowd.
The home run by Allen that day was the must exciting I'd ever seen until Konerko hit his grand slam in game two
of the '05 series.
1972 was an underrated year in Sox annals ... It was one of those campaigns that "saved" the team. I shudder to think what would have happened to the Sox if there weren't renaissance years in 1951, 1972, 1977 and 1990.
I have some good stuff from Roland Hemond on 1972 that I'll post one of these days. Hemond, too, is one of those seminal figures in team history. More than anyone, save for Veeck (and that's debatable), he SAVED the team. He built the 1972 and 1983 teams AND acquired both Ozzie Guillen and Ken Williams. If you think about it, Hemond should be in the Hall of Fame
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BROOMING THE BRONX BOMBERS
1972: Dick Allen’s three-run pinch-hit walkoff homer handed the White Sox a sweep-clinching 5-4 win over the Yankees in Game 2 of a doubleheader before a Bat Day crowd of 51,904 at Comiskey Park. The blast made a winner out of Cy Acosta, who pitched a scoreless top of the ninth in his big league debut. In the opener, the Sox rode a four-run third -- thanks to two-RBIs each by Mike Andrews and Carlos May -- to a 6-1 win. Tom Bradley gave up one run on six hits with one walk and eight strikeouts in a complete game effort to improve to 6-2.
THIS DATE IN SOX HISTORY: FEB. 4TH
in Pale Hose Talk
Posted · Edited by StatManDu
MAX SURKONT: THE WHITE SOX FIRST FAT SIGNAL
1950: Before there was Bobby Jenks, there was Max Surkont. On this date, the White Sox demoted portly pitcher Max Surkont, who – like Jenks -- was summoned from the bullpen by a manager using the “wide” sign. Surkont, listed by baseballreference.com at 6-foot-1, 195-pounds, was shipped to minor league Sacramento “with no strings attached,” according to the Chicago Tribune after leading the 1949 White Sox with 44 appearances.
While Ozzie Guillen affectionately used the signal to ID Jenks in the 2005 World Series, there was no jolliness attached to Surkont’s beef. “Sox release Surkont and his appetite” blared the Tribune headline of Feb. 5. The Tribune reported Surkont’s “tendency toward heft not only handicapped the righthander, but sometimes was a source of family embarrassment, according to accounts.”
One such source was manager’s Jack Onslow using the “fat signal” to bring in Surkont from the pen. Surkont asked for a halt to the practice because it offended his wife. Said the Tribune, “The situation, however, did not cause Max to stay away from the chuckwagon and that’s the main reason he’s departed.”
The 27-year old Surkont was 3-5 with a 4.78 ERA for the 1949 Sox wearing No. 16, the number Ted Lyons made famous. Surkont won 18 games at Sacramento in 1950 but never pitched again for the White Sox. He went to pitch in the National League through 1957.
I tweet about White Sox history, facts and oddities throughout the day at @DaveMarran ... no money to be made or products to push. I just enjoy it! ... I am currently giving a unique Sox-centric countdown to the start of spring training