This Day In Sox History 8/22...

Five factoids today:

August 22, 1923 - In a game at Comiskey Park, Sox pitcher Hollis “Sloppy” Thurston struck out the side on only nine pitches versus the Philadelphia Athletics. It came in the 12^th inning. He retired the A’s Frank “Beauty” McGowan, Clarence “Chick” Galloway and Sam Hale.  Thurston however, who came on in relief starting in the 11^th inning, got the loss in the game, 3-2 which went 13 innings. Striking out three hitters on only nine pitches is called an “Immaculate Inning.”

August 22, 1968 - In Detroit, White Sox pitcher Tommy John was attacked by the Tigers Dick McAuliffe.

McAuliffe, who made the final out in Joe Horlen’s no-hitter in 1967, walked in the third inning then attacked John while going down the baseline. John had a 3-2 pitch sail over McAuliffe’s head just moments before.

As the benches cleared McAuliffe and John wrestled near the mound, during it McAuliffe’s knee struck John’s shoulder damaging it so badly that he went on the disabled list and was lost for the year with a separation.  

He was 10-5 with an ERA of 1.98 at the time he was hurt. McAuliffe was suspended for only five games.

August 22, 1980 - Sox owner Bill Veeck agreed to sell the team to Edward DeBartolo Sr., a multi-millionaire who invented the modern-day shopping mall in Ohio.

DeBartolo though was voted down by the other league owners due to speculation about his possible association with mobsters and his acknowledged horse racing interests. The way was then opened for Jerry Reinsdorf and Eddie Einhorn to purchase the team. Einhorn was part of a group originally trying to buy the San Diego Padres and Reinsdorf was part of a group attempting to own the New York Mets. DeBartolo meanwhile eventually bought the San Francisco 49’ers, let his son run the franchise and promptly won multiple Super Bowls.

August 22, 2020 – It seemed like every day during the pandemic influenced season something record setting was happening for the White Sox. On this date against the Cubs at Wrigley Field, Jose Abreu wrote his name in the record books by homering in three straight at-bats, driving in four runs in the 7-4 win. On the night he went 4 for 4 with three runs scored.

Abreu had already homered twice in the Friday night win and added a solo shot on Sunday afternoon giving him six round trippers in the three-game set, the first time a Sox player had ever done that. And his home run Sunday came in his first at-bat giving him four in a row over those two days. He became the 15^th player in team history to homer three times or more in a single game.

August 22, 2023 – After a failed rebuild that saw the team win only two playoff games total in two appearances and with attendance and fan interest falling off a cliff. Owner Jerry Reinsdorf fired Executive Vice President Ken Williams and G.M. Rick Hahn.

Reinsdorf who was very loath to make serious changes and was loyal to a fault, appeared to have no choice as the team, which was expected to contend for multiple championship became one of the worst clubs in baseball.

Williams was in his 11th season as Executive Vice President with the Sox after serving as the club’s General Manager for 12 seasons. The Sox won the 2005 World Series under his guidance as G.M. 

Hahn served as the General Manager for the past 11 seasons, leading the Sox to consecutive postseason appearances in 2020 as a wild card and 2021 as A.L. Central champions but those were the only two winning seasons the franchise had under his guidance.