Today in White Sox History: September 30

Jerry gets upset

1904

On Ladies’ Day at the park, pitcher Doc White completed one of the most amazing months in White Sox — and baseball — history, with a 4-0 win over the New York Highlanders. Over the course of 18 days, White threw five consecutive shutouts (1-0 over Cleveland on September 12, a 1-0 one-hitter over St. Louis on September 16, 3-0 over Detroit on September 19, 4-0 over Philadelphia on September 24, and this win, for a total of 45 consecutive scoreless innings). He also pitched a shutout to start the month, 4-0 over Detroit on September 5.

All in all, in September 1904 White went 7-0 with seven complete games, six shutouts, 63 innings, 28 hits, 21 walks, 48 strikeouts and a 0.43 ERA.

Only 21 other pitchers in team history have thrown as many as five shutouts in an entire season, accomplished only 37 times in the 124 years of White Sox baseball.

White’s shutout streak ended in his next start, two days later, against the same New York team, when they got a run in the first inning — although the hurler went on to win that game, 7-1.

1921

White Sox catcher Ray Schalk tied a major league record with three assists in one inning. It happened in the eighth inning of a 3-2 loss to Cleveland at Comiskey Park. Schalk fielded three ground balls, throwing to first to record each out, to tie the mark. He tallied five assists for the game.

1949

White Sox GM Frank Lane started the connection between the franchise and Venezuela when he dealt two minor-leaguers and $35,000 to the Dodgers for shortstop Chico Carrasquel.

Chico would be named to three All-Star teams and would become the first Venezuelan to appear in the midseason classic. He was traded to Cleveland before the start of the 1956 season for Larry Doby, which opened up the position for another shortstop, and a countryman of Carrasquel’s, Luis Aparicio.

1956

In the season-ending game at Kansas City, pitcher Jim Derrington became the youngest person to ever appear in a game wearing a White Sox uniform. Derrington was 16 years old when he started against the A’s. He went six innings, allowing six runs (five earned) in a 7-6 loss.

At 16 years, 10 months, Derrington remains the youngest player ever to suit up for the White Sox.

The teenaged lefty, who was a bonus baby signed only 18 days before making his big-league debut, didn’t last long in the big leagues. He pitched a total of 21 games (43 innings) in the majors and had a career record of 0-2.

1966

The White Sox defeated the New York Yankees, 6-5, in 11 innings, on a single to left by Johnny Romano. It scored Wayne Causey.

Why was that important? The loss guaranteed the 70-89-1 Yankees a last-place finish — their first since 1912.

1971

When Bill Melton smashed a home run on the last day of the season off of Milwaukee’s Bill Parsons, he became the first White Sox player to ever win a home run title. That’s right, no player in the first 72 seasons of White Sox baseball had won a home run title.

Melton was so excited to move into the lead he threw his batting helmet into the Comiskey Park stands!

Melton hit three home runs in the final two games to pass former Sox player Norm Cash and Reggie Jackson for the crown. Typical of the White Sox, Melton only hit 33 round-trippers, the lowest total for a champ since 1965.

In an effort to give Melton an additional at-bat or two and aid his chase for the title, manager Chuck Tanner had the power hitter leading off in Chicago’s final two games.

Melton’s homer turned out to be the difference in a 2-1 win.

1980

On his way out of baseball after selling the franchise, and for all of his contributions to baseball and the White Sox organization, owner Bill Veeck was honored with his own Night. The ceremonies took place before the White Sox dropped a 5-1 decision to Oakland.

1990

Eighty years of baseball history ended, as the original Comiskey Park closed with a 2-1 White Sox win over the Mariners. An emotional, capacity crowd, including politicians, musicians, sports and Hollywood figures, was in attendance.

Among the celebrities in the park were Governor Jim Thompson, Mayor Richard M. Daley, Goldie Hawn, Kurt Russell, Ron Howard, George Wendt, John Candy, Wayne Gretzky, Billy Cunningham and Maureen O’Hara. The Oak Ridge Boys sang the National Anthem and the rock group Styx sang “Take Me Out to the Ballgame” during the seventh inning.

Bobby Thigpen got his 57th save in the game. The Sox would close out a miraculous 1990 season with 94 wins. Their all-time record at the 80-year-old park was 3,024-2,926 (.508).

1997

After controversies on and off the field (calling for a relief pitcher with no one warming up, a fistfight with umpire Richie Garcia at a steakhouse, a brawl near third base with Brewers manager Phil Garner) manager Terry Bevington was fired. No flowers were sent, and no Sox fan (or player) shed any tears.

2000

White Sox infielder José Valentín became the fourth player in franchise history to hit home runs from both sides of the plate in the same game. Valentín connected off of Kansas City’s Blake Stein and Scott Mullen, driving in three runs in the 9-1 win.

Hitting home runs from both sides of the plate in the same game has only happened six times in franchise history, and Valentín is responsible for three of them! Also, three of the six times this feat happened it has come against the Kansas City Royals. Finally, this was the first time switch-hitting home runs was done by a White Sox player during a game in Chicago.

2008

For the first time, the White Sox played an extra game to get into the postseason. They hosted the Twins in the 163rd contest of the year, known as the Blackout Game, and won, 1-0, to clinch the Central Division title.

John Danks threw eight shutout innings, Jim Thome belted what turned out to be the game-winning home run and Ken Griffey Jr. threw out Michael Cuddyer at home after A.J. Pierzynski held the ball despite a violent home-plate collision. The Sox won the division with a record of 89-74.

The win also marked the first time in major league history that a club won games on three consecutive days against three different opponents.

2016

White Sox lefthander Carlos Rodón tied the franchise and the American League record by striking out the first seven Twins hitters in a game at U.S. Cellular Field. The original record was set by White Sox righty Joe Cowley back in 1986 at Texas.

Unlike Cowley, though, Rodón actually won his game, 7-3. Rodón struck out 11 on the night, pitching eight innings.

2023

It was the final embarrassment to an embarrassing season, on and off the field.

The White Sox lost to the Padres, 6-1, on the next-to-last day of the season. The defeat was No. 100 on the year, just the fifth time in franchise history the team lost at least 100 games.

In two years’ time, in the middle of a supposed window of contention, after a three-year rebuild, the Sox went from 93 wins to triple-digit losses.

A number of players were traded at the deadline, and then a few weeks afterwards both executive vice president Ken Williams and general manager Rick Hahn were fired by Jerry Reinsdorf. The owner called the season embarrassing, and said that if he were a fan he’d be “pissed off.”