This Day In Sox History...June 24

[Lip Man 1]

June 24, 1914 – In a telegram discovered in 2012, White Sox owner Charles Comiskey told scout George Mills that the asking price for pitcher “Babe” Ruth was too high at $16,000 dollars. At the time Ruth was playing for the Baltimore Orioles.

Comiskey had sent Mills to scout the best Orioles players on June 9. Mills gave Comiskey a list of six players he thought were the best with Ruth among them. He later revealed that Jack Dunn, the Orioles owner, said Ruth could be had himself for 16,000 dollars cash. In the telegram Comiskey replied “Do not need pitchers bad enough to go that high price.” The White Sox thus joined the Cincinnati Reds and the Philadelphia A’s in turning down chances to get Ruth. Ruth eventually was sold to the Red Sox. 

Comiskey later would try to get Ruth before the start of the 1920 season offering “Shoeless” Joe Jackson and cash to Boston to no avail as they then sold him to the Yankees.

 

June 24, 1956 - It was probably the biggest White Sox weekend of the 1950's. Two days earlier the Sox started, what was an unheard of, four game sweep of the Yankees winning 5-4 in 12 innings. Saturday the Sox shut out the Bombers 2-0. Then on Sunday before almost 48 thousand, the Sox took a pair, closing to within one game of first place.

Larry Doby would hit a pair of three run shots in the twin bill helping to account for the 14-2 and 6-3 wins. He went 5 for 7 with six runs scored in addition to the six RBI’s. Fans by the hundreds poured on to the field during the second game, simply to get the chance to shake players’ hands and run around the outfield. Then Chicago Mayor Richard J. Daley came out and said that the Sox would be in the World Series that fall. Of course, they didn’t... but they did finish the season at 85-69 good for third place.

 

June 24, 1969 - In the second game of a double header in Seattle, Sox third baseman Bill Melton slugged three home runs in the 7-6 win. All were solo blasts. The Sox took the first game as well winning 6-4 with relief pitcher Wilbur Wood picking up wins in both games allowing only two hits in almost six innings of work.

 

June 24, 1972 - Behind the inspired play of Dick Allen, Wilbur Wood, Stan Bahnsen, Rich “Goose” Gossage, Terry Forster and Carlos May, the Sox were in the middle of a pennant chase when the bizarre injury curse struck again.

Third baseman Bill Melton fell off a ladder damaging his back during the previous off season and had been playing in pain ever since. The defending American League home run champion was put on the disabled list and lost for the rest of the year when it was discovered he had a herniated disk. He only played in 57 games with seven home runs and 30 RBI’s.

The reason he was on the ladder? His young son was with him as he was re-nailing some patio roof shingles when the boy started to slide towards the edge. Melton caught him but fell backwards on to the ground right on his tailbone.  

The Sox would finish five and a half games behind the Oakland A’s with a record of 87-67.

 

June 24, 1973 - It almost tied the club record. In the second game of a double header at Comiskey Park, Sox catcher Ed Herrmann drove in seven RBI’s in the 11-1 win over the A’s. Herrmann went 3 for 4 with a three-run home run, a two-run double and a two-run single. The club record is eight RBI’s in a game.

 

June 24, 1977 – It was an embarrassing moment for Sox outfielder Ralph Garr and, as it turned out, a costly one for the team.

In the third inning of a game in Minnesota, Garr hit what appeared to be a three-run home run... however as he was running the bases he passed catcher Jim Essian who was returning to first base because he thought the ball might be caught. Garr was watching the ball and didn’t see Essian until it was too late. He was called out for passing the runner and awarded a two-run single.

The Sox wound up losing the game 7-6.

 

June 24, 2017 – It was Mark Buehrle day at Guaranteed Rate Field as the White Sox honored the left hander by retiring his number #56.

Buehrle played 12 seasons with the Sox winning 161 games including a perfect game against Tampa and a no-hitter against Texas. He also won two post season games and saved another. He was a three-time All-Star who won the 2005 contest.

Buehrle was a model of consistency with 11 straight years winning in double figures, starting 30 or more games and throwing at least 200 innings with the franchise. 

[The Kids Can Play]

I'm sure Mark is counting his lucky stars he played when he did and not during these current Sox years. There is no way in hell Mark Buehrle would have been as successful as he was, if he had to pitch with this current offense and defense behind him. 

[The Mighty Mite]

1 hour ago, Lip Man 1 said:

June 24, 1914 – In a telegram discovered in 2012, White Sox owner Charles Comiskey told scout George Mills that the asking price for pitcher “Babe” Ruth was too high at $16,000 dollars. At the time Ruth was playing for the Baltimore Orioles.

Comiskey had sent Mills to scout the best Orioles players on June 9. Mills gave Comiskey a list of six players he thought were the best with Ruth among them. He later revealed that Jack Dunn, the Orioles owner, said Ruth could be had himself for 16,000 dollars cash. In the telegram Comiskey replied “Do not need pitchers bad enough to go that high price.” The White Sox thus joined the Cincinnati Reds and the Philadelphia A’s in turning down chances to get Ruth. Ruth eventually was sold to the Red Sox. 

Comiskey later would try to get Ruth before the start of the 1920 season offering “Shoeless” Joe Jackson and cash to Boston to no avail as they then sold him to the Yankees.

 

June 24, 1956 - It was probably the biggest White Sox weekend of the 1950's. Two days earlier the Sox started, what was an unheard of, four game sweep of the Yankees winning 5-4 in 12 innings. Saturday the Sox shut out the Bombers 2-0. Then on Sunday before almost 48 thousand, the Sox took a pair, closing to within one game of first place.

Larry Doby would hit a pair of three run shots in the twin bill helping to account for the 14-2 and 6-3 wins. He went 5 for 7 with six runs scored in addition to the six RBI’s. Fans by the hundreds poured on to the field during the second game, simply to get the chance to shake players’ hands and run around the outfield. Then Chicago Mayor Richard J. Daley came out and said that the Sox would be in the World Series that fall. Of course, they didn’t... but they did finish the season at 85-69 good for third place.

 

June 24, 1969 - In the second game of a double header in Seattle, Sox third baseman Bill Melton slugged three home runs in the 7-6 win. All were solo blasts. The Sox took the first game as well winning 6-4 with relief pitcher Wilbur Wood picking up wins in both games allowing only two hits in almost six innings of work.

 

June 24, 1972 - Behind the inspired play of Dick Allen, Wilbur Wood, Stan Bahnsen, Rich “Goose” Gossage, Terry Forster and Carlos May, the Sox were in the middle of a pennant chase when the bizarre injury curse struck again.

Third baseman Bill Melton fell off a ladder damaging his back during the previous off season and had been playing in pain ever since. The defending American League home run champion was put on the disabled list and lost for the rest of the year when it was discovered he had a herniated disk. He only played in 57 games with seven home runs and 30 RBI’s.

The reason he was on the ladder? His young son was with him as he was re-nailing some patio roof shingles when the boy started to slide towards the edge. Melton caught him but fell backwards on to the ground right on his tailbone.  

The Sox would finish five and a half games behind the Oakland A’s with a record of 87-67.

 

June 24, 1973 - It almost tied the club record. In the second game of a double header at Comiskey Park, Sox catcher Ed Herrmann drove in seven RBI’s in the 11-1 win over the A’s. Herrmann went 3 for 4 with a three-run home run, a two-run double and a two-run single. The club record is eight RBI’s in a game.

 

June 24, 1977 – It was an embarrassing moment for Sox outfielder Ralph Garr and, as it turned out, a costly one for the team.

In the third inning of a game in Minnesota, Garr hit what appeared to be a three-run home run... however as he was running the bases he passed catcher Jim Essian who was returning to first base because he thought the ball might be caught. Garr was watching the ball and didn’t see Essian until it was too late. He was called out for passing the runner and awarded a two-run single.

The Sox wound up losing the game 7-6.

 

June 24, 2017 – It was Mark Buehrle day at Guaranteed Rate Field as the White Sox honored the left hander by retiring his number #56.

Buehrle played 12 seasons with the Sox winning 161 games including a perfect game against Tampa and a no-hitter against Texas. He also won two post season games and saved another. He was a three-time All-Star who won the 2005 contest.

Buehrle was a model of consistency with 11 straight years winning in double figures, starting 30 or more games and throwing at least 200 innings with the franchise. 

I remember that 1956 sweep of the Yankees, the fans were simply delirious and so happy that the Sox were sweeping the Yankees, I also remember Jack Brickhouse being extremely emotional with events of that day. 
What I remember most about 1956 was the next time the Yankees came to town in August and my favorite uncle took me to the second game of the series which was a night game and the Bombers killed us 10-1 and my uncle wanting to leave after the Sox batted in the 8th inning, this 10 year old was crying like a baby that we were leaving before the game was over and his boyhood heroes were being clobbered by the hated Yankees.
I miss the 1950s so much as the Sox were truly the darlings of Chicago with stars like Nellie, Looie, Minnie, Billy and Jungle Jim, everywhere you went people were talking about the Sox and of course the town went nuts in 1959 when the Sox won the Pennant.

Edited June 24, 2023 by The Mighty Mite