This Day In Sox History...April 15

[Lip Man 1]

 

April 15, 1954 - The White Sox reintroduced baseball to Baltimore for the first time since 1902 as they played the new Baltimore Orioles as their first home opponent. The franchise had moved from St. Louis that off season.  Virgil “Fire” Trucks got the start for the White Sox but the O’s beat them 3-1 on the afternoon starting a run of numerous unfortunate, strange and bizarre happenings at Memorial Stadium over the next 37 seasons.

 

April 15, 1972 - The labor impasse, over the pension plan, caused regularly scheduled games to be cancelled for the first time ever. Opening day was consequently pushed back.

The Sox opened in Kansas City and lost to the Royals 2-1 in 11 innings despite Dick Allen’s first White Sox home run. Allen blasted a shot in the ninth inning off Dick Drago to give the team a brief 1-0 lead. Kansas City would tie the game with two out in the ninth inning on a Bob Oliver home run off Wilbur Wood, then go on to win the game.

The Sox would drop three consecutive one run games to the Royals to start the season, two in extra innings, but would end up with 87 wins in only 154 games and battle the eventual World Series champion Oakland A’s until the end of September. This series also marked the Major League debut for future Hall of Fame pitcher Rich “Goose” Gossage who pitched a scoreless inning in relief the next day for the White Sox.

 

April 15, 1983 - Former Cub pitcher, Milt Wilcox had his perfect game ruined with two out in the ninth inning at Comiskey Park.

Sox pinch hitter Jerry Hairston ripped a clean single up the middle. It was the only hit of the night for the Sox who lost to Detroit 6-0.

It was only the third time, at that time, a perfect game was ruined with one out to go. Sox star pitcher Billy Pierce being one of the other two pitchers to have that happen to him when he lost his to the Senators on June 27, 1958.

 

April 15, 1985 - In a game at Boston, pinch hitter Jerry Hairston collected his 51^st safety in that role, setting the franchise record. Jerry would lead the league in pinch hits from 1983 through 1985 and would retire with 87 of them in his career. He also hit the last home run to set off Bill Veeck’s original exploding scoreboard in October 1981 and he hit it off future Sox pitching coach Don Cooper who was with the Twins. Hairston’s blast was a grand slam.  

 

April 15, 2006 – It was an incredible play. In the ninth inning of a game at U.S. Cellular Field against Toronto, Sox second baseman Tadahito Iguchi had to charge in on a slowly hit ball by Bengie Molina. His momentum carried him forward and because of it he left his feet and starting falling to the ground. Before he hit the field though, he got a throw off, despite being parallel to the playing surface. His throw was strong enough to get Molina at first. The Sox would win the game 4-2.