1904
Smack in the middle of an amazing, 45-inning scoreless streak, Doc White painted a masterpiece: a 1-0, one-hitter over the St. Louis Browns.
Without play-by-play data it’s hard to know how these games played out 120 years ago. But we do know that the one hit White allowed was a Tom Jones triple, so whether in the first or ninth inning, or with none out or two, that hit put the shutout and win in some jeopardy.
Likewise, White’s scoreless streak is commonly regarded as 45 innings, but even basic
research would place it at 45 1⁄3 innings, minimum. The streak was snapped on October 2 in a 7-1, complete-game win for White against the Yankees — but yes, the run came in the first inning and could conceivably been scored with none out. However, before the streak of complete-game shutouts began White finished up a complete-game win on September 9, 5-3 over Cleveland; while the Napoleons did score in the ninth, White must have retired at least his final batter in order to end the game.
1916
It was a dead heat among three teams (Tigers, White Sox, Red Sox) for the AL pennant, and with a 6-4 win over Boston in the opener of a series at Comiskey Park, the White Sox leapfrogged the Red Sox in the standings and stood just a half-game behind first-place Detroit.
However, the Carmines would win the next two games and take the series, sending the White Sox back to third place. Boston was getting hot, though, and would make a push to take the pennant, while Detroit dropped to third. The White Sox would win eight of 13 to finish the season, but that would only be good for second, 2 1/2 games behind the Red Sox.
The 1917 season, of course, would be another story …
1992
The White Sox hit the Bronx with a barrage of 18 hits in a 9-6 win over the Yankees. Frank Thomas went 5-for-5, for his only five-hit game in the majors. For such a prodigious slugger, the five hits — three singles, two doubles — were modest. Thomas ended up leading the major leagues with 46 doubles in 1992.
The White Sox improved to 78-67, and while 10 1⁄2 games out of first were still battling the Minnesota Twins for second place in the AL West.
2007
White Sox slugger Jim Thome joined an exclusive club when he hammered his 500th career home run, a two-run shot with a full count in the ninth inning of a White Sox 9-7 win over the Angels at U.S. Cellular Field. Thome was playing in his 2,000th career game when he connected off Dustin Moseley for the win.
The Sox trailed, 7-1, at one point before coming back. It was the first time that the 500th home run for a player was a walk-off winner. Jim would hit 134 home runs in a White Sox uniform.
Thome became the third player to reach 500 home runs in 2007, after Frank Thomas and Álex Rodríguez. The baseball was sent to the Hall of Fame.
