Today in White Sox History: June 22
Jesse Jefferson’s first start of the South Side is one to remember
1913
Behind Ed Walsh’s shutout, the White Sox beat the St. Louis Browns, 2-0, in the second game of a doubleheader at Comiskey Park. It was the team’s 1,000th victory. Outfielder Shano Collins drove in both runs for the Sox in the win.
Walsh’s shutout was actually the second attempt at 1,000 wins for the White Sox. In the doubleheader opener on this day, Jim Scott tossed a complete game, 85 game score (among the 250 or so best scores in White Sox history) with five hits, one walk and a club-record 15 Ks — yet still lost the game, 2-0. Death Valley Jim didn’t help his cause in the ninth, when his throwing error led to St. Louis’ second run. However, the opener loss was all on the Sox offense and its two singles; the unit didn’t get a runner to second base until the eighth inning, and only two got that far all game.
1938
White Sox outfielder Hank Steinbacher became the second player in franchise history to rap out six hits in a game. Steinbacher went 6-for-6 (five singles and a double) with two RBIs and three runs in Chicago’s 16-3 win over the Senators at Comiskey Park. The outburst raised his batting average to .337, and he finished the season at .331.
The other six-hit game for the White Sox had come all the way back in ... 1936.
1958
Some 45 years after winning Game No. 1,000 in franchise history, Ed Walsh Day was celebrated at Comiskey Park. The Sox honored their Hall of Fame pitcher, who recorded 195 wins, with a ceremony whose proceeds went to help pay his medical bills. Urban “Red” Faber and Ted Lyons were among those who attended.
Less than a year later, the man who won 40 games in 1908 was dead of cancer.
1975
In just his fifth game of the season and first-ever start for the White Sox, Jesse Jefferson threw 5 ⅓ no-hit innings against the Minnesota Twins to highlight a 9-2 romp at Comiskey Park. Jefferson’s nightcap masterpiece spurred the anemic, 26-38 White Sox to a doubleheader sweep in front of 23,299.
In the second inning, Twins rookie (and future Minny manager) Tom Kelly lined a grounder through the box that Jefferson instinctively attempted a kick-save on; the righthander recovered the ball and threw Kelly out, but landed hard on his right wrist.
Still, Jefferson powered through nearly four more innings before yielding a single to left field by future Hit Man Eric Soderholm. A double-play ball to third base should have gotten Jefferson out of the inning, but second baseman Bill Stein threw wildly to first and prompted manager Chuck Tanner to yank Jefferson; Cecil Upshaw finished out the game, going 3 ⅓ innings for his first save of the season (and what turned out to be the final save of his nine-year closing career).
1983
Noted team prankster, pitcher Jerry Koosman, somehow “discovered” Gaylord Perry’s false teeth on the mound at Comiskey Park during a game against the Mariners. He offered to return them, but Perry declined. The White Sox won the game, 6-3.
1986
Two days after the firing of Tony La Russa, Jim Fregosi signed on as White Sox manager. The Sox has lost seven of La Russa’s final 10 games as skipper, burying the club in the AL West race.
“The team is 9 1⁄2 games out, that’s nothing,” Fregosi said. “I don’t see any reason we can’t turn things around and compete in our division. This is a young club, there’s talent here. There’s some speed, there’s defense and there’s power. We have to put it all together.”
The White Sox briefly did put it all together under Fregosi, winning 11 of his first 15 games and clawing back to 38-43 and 6 1⁄2 back. However, they would get no closer, finishing 72-90 and in fifth place, 20 games behind. Under Fregosi, the White Sox did improve, however, going 45-51.
1993
On Carlton Fisk Night, the veteran set the major league record for games caught, at 2,226, breaking the old record held by Bob Boone. Teammates surrounded Fisk on the field for pregame ceremonies and presented him with a motorcycle that they chipped in $500 each and bought for him. The cycle was driven to home plate by Bo Jackson.
Then the Sox went out and beat the Rangers, 3-2, on a game-winning single in the ninth inning by Lance Johnson, with Donn Pall getting the win in relief. Fisk went 0-for-2 in the game, and sent his jersey to the Hall of Fame afterwards.
2010
What would stand as the hottest winning stretch of the 21st Century continued with a 9-6 win over Atlanta, moving the White Sox one game better than .500. The game featured a bizarre play that factored in the win: With two outs in the fourth inning and the Sox ahead, 6-3, Alex Ríos tapped a grounder that worked its way inside third baseman Brooks Conrad’s jersey, ending in an infield single. Paul Konerko then singled, and Carlos Quentin homered to make the jersey mishap cost the Braves.