1901 In the dead ball era, homers were sparse. In fact, the White Sox went their first four official American League games without one. But on this day, the offense exploded by banging out 16 hits to bury Detroit, 19-9. The onslaught marked the first time in the AL that the White Sox hit two home runs in one game. Both Billy Hoy and Herm McFarland hit their first round-trippers of the season; Hoy’s was a three-run shot and McFarland’s in the second inning a grand slam — the first in White Sox and American League history.
On the Tigers side, things were ugly. Detroit made 10 errors in the game; starting pitcher Joe Yeager allowed 12 runs, but just five were earned over his three innings.
1924
In a game at Cleveland, White Sox outfielder Bill Barrett banged out four hits and stole home twice in a 13-7 win. Barrett went 4-for-5 with three runs and two RBIs for the afternoon. His steals of home came in the first and ninth innings.
1936
The White Sox claimed Dixie Walker off waivers from the Yankees. Alas, this was a big one who eventually got away, as the Sox traded Walker to the Tigers after only one season. In 1937 with the Sox, Walker drove in 95 runs while hitting .302. Walker later achieved stardom in Brooklyn, winning a batting title and playing in four All-Star games.
1951
Minnie Miñoso (acquired on April 30) made his White Sox debut. The Cuban Comet became the first Black player in team history. In his first at-bat, he hit a home run off of Vic Raschi into the center field bullpen at Comiskey Park. The drive went an estimated 425 feet and drove in a pair of runs. Later in the same game, won by the Yankees, 8-3, Mickey Mantle hit the first of his 536 career home runs.
1954
White Sox pitcher Virgil Trucks tossed a one-hitter in beating the Red Sox, 3-0. The only hit he allowed came in the sixth inning, a single by future White Sox player Billy Goodman. Trucks struck out eight Boston batters in the game.
This was the first of his pair of one-hitters in 1954; he’d end the year at 19-12 with a 2.79 ERA, having made the All-Star team and saving the win for the American League.
1959
Early Wynn had one of the greatest days ever by a pitcher, when he did it all in a 1-0 White Sox win over Boston. Wynn tossed a one-hit complete game, striking out 14. In addition, he slammed a home run in the last of the eighth inning to account for the game’s only run. Wynn’s drive bounced off the glove of Boston’s Bill Renna into the first row of seats at Comiskey Park.
The only hit Wynn allowed came to Pete Runnels in the first inning, a single to center field at Comiskey Park. Ironically, seconds before the hit Wynn moved Luis Aparicio over a few steps to his right, and he wasn’t able to reach Runnels’ grounder. Wynn’s control wasn’t the best, as he walked seven batters, but he was always able to get out of trouble.
Also on this day, the White Sox traded for Cincinnati Reds outfielder Del Ennis. Ennis, a three-time All-Star, was simply horrible for the White Sox, compiling -0.8 WAR over 26 games and getting released on June 20. At 34, his major league career was over.
1960
Al Smith connected on a Jim Bunning pitch and set off owner Bill Veeck’s new exploding scoreboard for the first time. The blast came in the third inning, with Jim Landis on base. The White Sox would win the game, 6-3, and then sweep the Tigers by taking the nightcap, 5-2.
The scoreboard was 130 feet wide and cost $300,000. There was a firing platform in back that went into action when a White Sox player hit a home run. There were noises of varying tones and intensities, including the sounds of horses running, thunder and the collision of locomotives. The eight small ladders atop the scoreboard flashed into electrical patterns. Strobe lights were atop the two highest ladders. Bombs and fireworks also were exploded from the firing platform.
1973
Dick Allen hit a lot of tape-measure home runs in his time with the White Sox, but this may have been his longest.
On a cool, damp night at Comiskey Park, Allen deposited a pitch from Baltimore’s Mike Cuellar onto the roof in left-center field. The pitch was unusual as it approached home plate, and many speculated that what Allen hit was a “Cuban Forkball” (i.e. spitball) that failed to break downwards. Allen hit one more home run on the night, in a 6-5 win.
For many years afterwards the Sox hung a sign on the roof in left center field indicating where his ball passed over.
1979
Calling her the “most outstanding performer to play for the White Sox” in 1978, owner Bill Veeck declared it Nancy Faust Day. Faust was to be given “lots of presents” in an effort also to commemorate her 10th year with the White Sox. True to Veeck, however, fans would receive a direct benefit from the Night, as anyone bringing in a musical instrument (“even a comb with tissue in it”) would get half-off of their game ticket price.
As for the game, a chilly, 42° night drove down the size of the orchestra, as just 16,470 showed up for a lackluster, 5-2 loss to Detroit.
1987
Leading 1-0 in the sixth inning at Memorial Stadium, the White Sox blew the game open with three homers against the Orioles: Greg Walker went out deep to center to start the barrage, as Iván Calderón followed suit after a Carlton Fisk walk, and Tim Hulett finished off the scoring with a solo shot to left field. The White Sox would win the game, 5-1, with nine hits — eight coming from the trio of Walker, Calderón and Hulett.
1991
The White Sox lost what remains the eighth-longest game in their history, 10-9, to the Brewers in Milwaukee. The Sox blew leads of 5-0 and 9-6 in this one. The game went 18 2⁄3 innings and ran 6:05.
The game went so long that WGN-TV sports director Dan Roan, who was covering the game, had to do his evening sportscast from a parking lot at a bar just inside the state line on Route 41. He couldn’t get back to the studio in northern Chicago in time!
2006
In a wild, 8-6 win at Cleveland, Scott Podsednik again stole four bases in a game, tying a team record. However, in doing so for the third time in his White Sox career, Podsednik established himself as the only player to steal four bases in a game more than one time (Scotty Pods did so in three games, 30% of the 10 times it’s been achieved in franchise annals). Podsednik was on base five times (four singles, one walk) in six trips to the plate and scored three runs.
Podsenik stole third base as the lead runner on a double-steal with Tadahito Iguchi in the first inning and came home on Paul Konerko’s three-run blast; he was caught stealing in the second inning but made it to third base on an error at first base; in the sixth he stole second base, was picked off but a throwing error by pitcher Brian Slocum sent him instead to third; and stole second and third base in the ninth.
The win improved the first-place White Sox to 18-7 on the season.
