Lip Man 1

June 6, 2021 – He got his first managerial win with the White Sox back in 1979 and for Tony LaRussa it was a sense of Deja’ vu. When the Sox shut out the Tigers at Guaranteed Rate Field 3-0 it was win number 2,764 in his Hall of Fame career. That put him second on the all-time list surpassing John McGraw. In the postgame press conference LaRussa mentioned the fact that his career started in Chicago and that now as he passed McGraw it also happened in Chicago, 42 seasons later.

It's amazing with the number of injuries they have had they are still...what? 10 games over .500 in the toughest division in baseball. Have to respect that organization. Winning seems to be the most important thing to them.

For decades we were told about the "Oriole Way" and the "Cardinal Way." It was a consistent baseball philosophy taught at all levels up to and including the big league team. If I remember right they had manuals like football playbooks that explained how things were to be done in situations.

The Sox remember had powder blue road uniforms for the 1967-1970 seasons too.

June 5, 1935 – White Sox rookie pitcher John Whitehead saw his eight-game winning streak to start his MLB career snapped, losing to the St. Louis Browns, 2-0. Whitehead would finish 13-13 in his rookie campaign, with 18 complete games. “Silent John” pitched in 127 games over four-plus seasons on the South Side winning 47 times before he was traded to the Browns. His 8-0 start to his big-league career was one of the best ‘beginnings’ in franchise history ranking right up there with Gary Peters going 19-8 in 1963 and James Baldwin starting out 9-1 in 1996. June 5, 1960 - Sox pitchers Russ Kemmerer and Frank Baumann both fired complete game shutouts in beating the Kansas City Athletics in a double header. The Sox won both games by the same score of 2-0. The A’s combined for only 10 hits on the Sunday afternoon. Baumann would wind up leading the league in ERA that season at 2.67 finishing 13-6. Kemmerer would fashion an ERA for the year at 2.98. June 5, 1967 - Eddie Stanky did it again. The Sox manager let loose a verbal assault on Red Sox All-Star Carl Yazstrzemski. Before a three-game set in Comiskey Park, Stanky was quoted as saying, “He may be an All-Star from the neck down but in my book he’s a moody ballplayer...and I don’t like moody ballplayers.” Red Sox fans were incensed and let Stanky and the Sox have an earful, as well as throwing tomatoes at him whenever he went to the mound when the Sox went to Boston the following week.

It's difficult but I don't know if it is tougher than that brutal, killer month of April.

I haven't heard anything about this either.

Thank you for the kind words. I still think the red pinstripes were one of the best uniforms they ever had.

The Yankees’ rotation depth will be further tested. Nestor Cortes is expected to land on the 15-day injured list with a left shoulder injury, manager Aaron Boone said prior to Sunday’s series finale against the Dodgers. Clarke Schmidt will start in place of Cortes on Tuesday against the White Sox at Yankee Stadium, and Wednesday’s starter has not yet been announced. Jhony Brito and Randy Vásquez are possibilities, as they are both on the 40-man roster.

51 years ago today one of the most famous home runs in Sox history took place. I was sitting in the lower right field deck and personally saw it, it was quite a moment. I've also attached some links that I provided material for honoring Dick's career on the South Side. The first is from the Chicago Baseball Museum's 40th anniversary celebration for Dick and that team. I co-hosted with Richard Roeper, the three day event. Dick was there along with Hank Allen, Bill Melton, Carlos May, Tom Bradley, Bart Johnson, "Goose" Gossage, Ed Spiezio and Roland Hemond. The second and third links are features Matt Flesch put together, Matt was the driving force behind the "Last Comiskey" documentary. You'll see actual home movie footage of the Chili Dog home run that I was able to provide to him in it. I hope you enjoy the memories: June 4, 1972 - It is forever known as the “Chili Dog Game” one of the most electrifying games ever played in team history. In the second game of a double header with the Yankees, the Sox having already won the first game 6-1, Sox manager Chuck Tanner wanted Dick Allen to be ready to pinch hit in the last of the ninth inning if needed. Allen at the time was wolfing down a chili dog since he had played in the first game, was sitting out the nightcap and was hungry. He quickly had to put on a uniform getting the last of the chili dog all over the top of it which caused the clubhouse boys to give him a new, clean jersey. With two men on and the Sox losing 4-2, Allen was called to hit. On the third pitch from future Sox relief pitcher Al “Sparky” Lyle, Allen deposited the ball into the left field lower deck for a 5-4 win and a sweep of the twin bill. A bat-day crowd of almost 52-thousand exploded. One of the greatest one-liners in Sox history took place as Lyle was walking in from the bullpen. Mike Andrews was on first base. He and Lyle were roommates when both were with the Red Sox. As Lyle approached the mound Andrews called out, “Sparky”, you’re in deep s%*# now!” As a side note, future sportscaster Keith Olbermann, a Yankee fan, wrote about listening to this game in his book that he co-authored with Dan Patrick “The Big Show”. Olbermann wrote that when Allen hit the home run, he threw his radio out of the second-floor window of his parent’s house.

I agree there's "blame" to go around but as you and others have repeatedly pointed out the organization is terrible at developing players and have been for years.

I have. Simply postulating. The odds are very long, not zero of course but close to it.

I stand corrected. Thank you...and I agree it's very unlikely.

This is par for the course for this incompetent, dysfunctional and inept organization.

They have some momentum going into New York. We'll see what happens, even with all their injuries the Yankees are still damn good.

99 games left. In my opinion the Sox need to win 59. If somehow they can that gives them 86 wins and that should at least get them in with a decent record. Can they do it? We'll see.

June 4, 1959 - 1959 was a year for marathon games for the White Sox. This was the first one that went at least 17 innings, and all took place against Baltimore. In this game first basemen Earl Torgeson’s solo home run in the last of the 17th, off Jerry Walker, was the difference in the Sox 6-5 win at Comiskey Park. Bob Shaw pitched five relief innings to get the victory. The Sox rallied from 4-2 and 5-4 deficits to get the win. The game lasted 4:37. June 4, 1972 - It is forever known as the “Chili Dog Game” one of the most electrifying games ever played in team history. In the second game of a double header with the Yankees, the Sox having already won the first game 6-1, Sox manager Chuck Tanner wanted Dick Allen to be ready to pinch hit in the last of the ninth inning if needed. Allen at the time was wolfing down a chili dog since he had played in the first game, was sitting out the nightcap and was hungry. He quickly had to put on a uniform getting the last of the chili dog all over the top of it which caused the clubhouse boys to give him a new, clean jersey. With two men on and the Sox losing 4-2, Allen was called to hit. On the third pitch from future Sox relief pitcher Al “Sparky” Lyle, Allen deposited the ball into the left field lower deck for a 5-4 win and a sweep of the twin bill. A bat-day crowd of almost 52-thousand exploded. One of the greatest one-liners in Sox history took place as Lyle was walking in from the bullpen. Mike Andrews was on first base. He and Lyle were roommates when both were with the Red Sox. As Lyle approached the mound Andrews called out, “Sparky”, you’re in deep s%*# now!” As a side note, future sportscaster Keith Olbermann, a Yankee fan, wrote about listening to this game in his book that he co-authored with Dan Patrick “The Big Show”. Olbermann wrote that when Allen hit the home run, he threw his radio out of the second-floor window of his parent’s house. June 4, 1973 - Sox pitching ace Wilbur Wood appeared on the cover of Sports Illustrated. At the time it looked like Wood was on his way to 30 wins, given he already had 13 before June 1. The cover’s caption read, “Wizard With A Knuckler. Chicago’s Wilbur Wood.” But because of a massive number of injuries to the team Wood would ‘only’ finish with 24 wins. He started 48 times, had an ERA of 3.46 and threw an incredible 359 innings. The Sox that year wound up using the disabled list 38 times. June 4, 1977 - In a game at Comiskey Park versus the Yankees, Richie Zisk, the “Polish Prince,” hit a rooftop home run near the left field line off Don Gullett. It was a solo shot in the second inning. He’d become the seventh Sox player to do this. Unfortunately, the Sox would lose the game 8-6 as the Yankees had a seven-run top of the second. June 4, 2016 – It was a trade that could wind up living in infamy. G.M. Rick Hahn sent young hurler Erik Johnson and 17-year-old Fernando Tatís Jr. to San Diego for veteran starter James Shields. Tatís, the son of a former Major League slugger, had been signed less than one year earlier and had yet to play a single game in the White Sox system. Three years after the trade, Tatis was in the Major Leagues, was garnering M.V.P. votes and was considered one of the top young stars in the game. Prior to the 2021 season, Tatis signed a 14-year, $330 million contract extension with the Padres, anointing him as perhaps the premier talent in all of baseball. It was suspected that Tatis was inserted into the deal to help persuade San Diego to eat some of Shields’ onerous remaining salary; that short-sighted gambit succeeded, as the Padres sent $31 million along with Shields, lowering the White Sox obligation to Shields to $27 million over four years. Shields’ 5.31 ERA ranks second only to Jaime Navarro for highest in team history among pitchers allowed to throw at least 400 innings for the club. The warning signs were there…in his last start for San Diego, Shields allowed 10 runs against the Mariners and was publicly ripped by the Padres owner.

According to STATS what happened today (all runs scored on wild pitches, no RBI's) has NEVER happened at least since the "live ball" was brought into the game in 1920.

I enjoy winning not empty promises by incompetent front office's. I like baseball but I LOVE the White Sox. Big difference. When the Sox are awful I don't take a lot of enjoyment watching other well run organizations succeed in the sport.

The White Sox have cornered the market on "baseball stupid" players both offensively, defensively and situational.

The Tigers are rebuilding they SHOULD be worse. The White Sox remember are supposedly in the middle of a contention window planning parade routes. ?

This offense is terrible, just plain brutal.

He can sit up there and do nothing because he's making $$$$$$$$$$.

June 3, 1925 - Sox star second baseman and future Hall of Famer Eddie Collins rapped out his 3,000th career hit. It came in a 12-7 win at Detroit. He had three hits on the afternoon. That season playing in 118 games he’d hit .346! He’d finish his 25-year career with 3,315 hits, 2,094 of them with the White Sox. June 3, 1963 - With the Sox in first place another freak injury occurred reminiscent of past bizarre circumstances that cost the team dearly. Sox first baseman Joe Cunningham, who hit .295, with 70 RBI’s and 101 walks in 1962, broke his right collarbone in Los Angeles running out a ground ball in the fifth inning. Cunningham was trying to avoid stepping on Angel’s first baseman Charlie Dees’ foot, so he twisted and lost his balance, tripping over the bag and crashing down on the ground. It was a wild throw from second baseman Billy Moran that started the sequence. He didn’t return until September. Tommy McCraw was called up to replace him but just couldn’t fill the bill. The Sox decline set in quickly after that, even though the club finished the season in second place at 94-68, 10 and a half games behind the Yankees. June 3, 2023 – It was truly a most bizarre game. The Sox beat the Tigers 2-1 at Guaranteed Rate Field with every run in the game scoring on wild pitches! That had never happened before since the live ball (1920) was introduced to the game. The Sox winning run scored in the last of the 10th when Detroit pitcher Jose Cisnero’s 97 MPH fast ball struck home plate umpire Cory Blaser in the face mask, knocking him down and bounding away from home plate. Yoan Moncada scored on the play.

As a Sox fan I'd still LOVE to have that playoff record. Six appearances in the last nine years? Count me in!