Today in White Sox History: July 7
Trios of homers and scampers from second all lead to wins
1931
In a 12-inning game in St. Louis won by the White Sox over the Browns, 10-8, neither team struck out. It remains the longest game ever played in the majors without a K. Tommy Thomas pitched a sloppy start but left in line for the win, leading 8-7 going into the ninth inning. But pinch-hitter Chad Kimsey, a pitcher, homered off of future Hall-of-Famer Red Faber to tie the game at eight. Faber vultured the win when the Sox scored two in the top of the 12th — off of Kimsey, who would join the White Sox and play on the South Side in 1932-33.
1959
White Sox pitcher Early Wynn started the first of the two All-Star Games played, this one in Pittsburgh. Wynn, who’d go on to take the Cy Young that season and win 22 games, went three innings, allowing one run. He didn’t get a decision in the NL’s 5-4 win.
Other Sox representatives in the game included Luis Aparicio (SS), Nellie Fox (2B), Sherm Lollar (C) and Billy Pierce (P). Fox and Aparicio joined Wynn in the starting lineup.
1964
White Sox manager Al Lopez, in charge of the AL All-Stars, saw a former Pale Hose player ruin his afternoon.
Johnny Callison, a top Sox prospect who was traded to the Phillies before the start of the 1960 season, belted a three-run home run in the last of the ninth to win the game for the NL, 7-4, at Shea Stadium in New York. The home run came off of Boston’s Dick Radatz and was the key blow in the four-run inning.
The White Sox quickly had realized what they traded away in Callison, and tried to get the outfielder back before the start of the 1962 season without success.
Joining Lopez and coach Don Gutteridge from the Sox on the 1962 All-Star team were pitchers Gary Peters and Juan Pizarro.
1971
Lee Richard did not have many White Sox highlights, but on this day he managed a feat of superhuman speed and smarts, scoring from second base on a sacrifice fly.
With the game tied with Oakland at Comiskey Park, 1-1, and future White Sox hurler Blue Moon Odom on the mound, Ed Herrmann led off the inning with a single. Rookie speedster Richard pinch-ran and was bunted to second by Luis Alvarado. Batting for starting pitcher Tommy John, Rich McKinney launched a deep drive to the warning track in center field, where Ángel Mangual made the catch, back turned to the infield, almost 400 feet from home plate. Richard took off and never hesitated turning third base, waved home all the way. Shortstop Larry Brown took the relay throw, but in his rush launched it up the third-base line, as Richard flew home to score what would prove the eventual winning run in front of 17,232 on Ladies Night.
The Sun-Times game story mentions that Richard’s speed already had been applied in other unorthodox ways, including scoring from second on a passed ball and an infield hit.
1982
It was the coming-out party for White Sox outfielder Harold Baines, who in a game in Chicago against the Tigers blasted three home runs in a 7-0 win. One of his blasts was a grand slam. Baines drove in six of the team’s seven runs, with his homers coming in the fifth, seventh and eighth innings.
Later that week at Toronto in a 16-7 win, Baines hammered two more home runs, including a second grand slam, and knock in five more runs. No wonder he was named AL Player of the Week!
2009
On the same date that Harold Baines clubbed three home runs in a game in 1982, White Sox first baseman Paul Konerko launched three in a 10-6 win over Cleveland at U.S. Cellular Field. Konerko had a solo home run, a two-run shot and a grand slam in his finest performance in a White Sox uniform. He went 3-for-4 with three runs scored and seven RBIs. He became the 12th player in franchise history to drill three home runs in a game and the 13th to hit at least three. He also became the first Sox player to ever hit three in a game at “new” Sox Park (1991-present).
On this same day, the White Sox sent first baseman Brandon Allen to the Arizona Diamondbacks for Tony Peña. Peña immediately was plugged into the White Sox bullpen and put up 0.6 WAR in 35 games. He was released by Chicago after the 2011 season.