SIX factoids today:

May 31, 1914 - Joe “The Butcher Boy” Benz, (so named because that’s what he did in the off season) fired a no-hitter beating Cleveland 6-1. The no-hitter was at Comiskey Park. The Indians run was unearned in the fourth inning because of three White Sox errors in succession. Benz walked two and struck out three on the day.

May 31, 1950 - Sox G.M. Frank Lane made a six-player deal with the Senators and included former All- Star second baseman Cass Michaels (real name Casimir Kwietniewski) in it. The move was important because it cleared the way for a youngster named Nellie Fox to take over full time at the position. That year Fox would play in 130 games with 497 at-bats.

May 31, 1970 - The torpid White Sox, on their way to the worst single season in franchise history at that time, annihilated the Red Sox in Boston 22-13. The Sox banged out 24 hits, Luis Aparicio and Walt Williams had five each with Bill Melton knocking in four RBI’s. Williams also scored five runs. The Sox had innings where they scored seven, six, four and three runs. The Sox victim that afternoon? None other than former Sox star pitcher Gary Peters who lasted less than an inning. It was the second most runs ever scored in a single game by the franchise.

May 31, 1971- In the second game of a double header with the Orioles at Comiskey Park, former Sox infielder Don Buford charged pitcher Bart Johnson with his bat after Johnson drilled him with a pitch in his behind in the eighth inning.

When Buford went out to left field in the last of the eighth inning, Sox fans pelted him with garbage and vocally let him know what they thought of his actions.

Cooler heads prevailed but in the ninth inning while in the on-deck circle Buford went towards the screen to warn a fan.  He was then attacked by a second fan from behind who ran across the field. He was alerted by White Sox players yelling from the field since they could see what was happening. Buford knocked him out then his Oriole teammates charged out of the dugout and did a bloody number on that fan who was led away by security.

Buford was then thrown out by umpire Nestor Chylak for going to the screen to warn the original fan in the first place and antagonize the situation.

As far as the fan who was beat up? Sox infielder Mike Andrews said he was told when that fan was getting attention, medics turned their backs for a moment and the guy disappeared from the medical room!

The teams split the double header that afternoon.

May 31, 1973 - It was an inauspicious debut for a player who’d make himself into a fine big-league hitter. In a game at Chicago that the Sox won 10-2, Brian Downing had just entered the game in the seventh inning making his Major League debut at third base. On his first play in the big leagues, in fact on the first pitch, Downing caught a foul pop off the bat of the Tigers Dick McAuliffe, diving to make the catch. On the play though he’d tear up his knee and have to be placed on the disabled list.

Downing would collect his first big league hit in August, an inside the park home run off the Tigers Mickey Lolich in Detroit.

May 31, 2007 - Mark Buehrle lost to Toronto, 2-0, giving up solo home runs to Aaron Hill and Frank Thomas. That’s it: no other hits, walks, or Sox errors in the game. Thus the Blue Jays became the first team ever to win a game without a single baserunner.

Despite the loss, Buehrle also became the first White Sox pitcher since Joe Horlen in 1967 to throw a no-hitter and a complete game of only two hits or less in the same season.

I remember watching that 1971 game on t.v. The fans were out for blood. Takes me back to my childhood. Imagine that happening today because the Orioles really did a number on that guy

Edited Sunday at 07:34 PM1 day by Melton1972

1 hour ago, Melton1972 said:

I remember watching that 1971 game on t.v. The fans were out for blood. Takes me back to my childhood. Imagine that happening today because the Orioles really did a number on that guy

I'm guessing lawsuits would be filed if that happened today.

Wish video still existed of the incident, would like to see it.

Here's from my interview with Bart:

ML: Something else happened that 1971 season that was unusual. On May 31, Memorial Day, in the eighth inning of the second game with Baltimore at Comiskey Park, you hit Don Buford with a pitch. Buford charged the mound still holding his bat. Can you take us through what was going on? (Author’s Note: Then in the ninth inning with Buford standing in the on-deck circle he was jumped by a fan, after having words with another fan along the box seat railing. The Orioles then came out of the dugout and beat the second fan to, in the words of Sox second baseman Mike Andrews, “A bloody pulp.”)

BJ: “He hit a home run off me earlier in the game and I was going to knock him down. I wound up hitting him right in the backside and he comes charging out waving his bat. Now I watched the game when Juan Marichal hit Johnny Roseboro in the head with a bat, so I started backing away. Frank Robinson came out of the dugout and grabbed him trying to keep him from doing something that would result in a big suspension. While all this was going on I took a swing at Buford which didn’t endear me to the Orioles.” 

“I was out of the game when that fan went after Don so I really didn’t see what went on. I’ve heard over the years though that the guy was a big Blackhawks fan and was a fighter. I may have even met him at one time but I really don’t remember clearly.”

Edited Sunday at 09:33 PM1 day by Lip Man 1

Maybe I am wrong after all I was a 10 year old kid watching it on T.V. But I remember Buford walking toward Bart and carrying it on his side. I don't remember him waving it at Johnson at all but he was yelling at him. I remember Bart taking a few steps toward the dugout before the catcher Tom Egan? Caught up to Buford. If Buford had been waving a bat I think the umpires would have thrown him out. When Buford took his position in the outfield fans were were screaming Buford Buford Buford and trash was thrown all over the outfield. I don't think telecasts today would show a fight between a fan and baseball players. You are right Lip I would love to see this game again and I find your interviews and your White Sox history very enjoyable.

16 hours ago, Melton1972 said:

Maybe I am wrong after all I was a 10 year old kid watching it on T.V. But I remember Buford walking toward Bart and carrying it on his side. I don't remember him waving it at Johnson at all but he was yelling at him. I remember Bart taking a few steps toward the dugout before the catcher Tom Egan? Caught up to Buford. If Buford had been waving a bat I think the umpires would have thrown him out. When Buford took his position in the outfield fans were were screaming Buford Buford Buford and trash was thrown all over the outfield. I don't think telecasts today would show a fight between a fan and baseball players. You are right Lip I would love to see this game again and I find your interviews and your White Sox history very enjoyable.

Buford never swung his bat at Bart from what Mike Andrews told me when I interviewed him. Andrews though Buford didn't realize in the moment he still had it with him.

And thank you for the kind words.