This Day In Sox History...August 11

[Lip Man 1]

August 11, 1912 - The Sox purchased the contract of future Hall of Famer, catcher, Ray “Cracker” Schalk from Milwaukee. He’d wind up leading the league in games caught in a season seven times.

 

August 11, 1941 - In the first game of a double header at Comiskey Park between the Browns and Sox a fight broke out.

It happened in the seventh inning when pitcher Elden Auker hit the Sox Joe Kuhel in the shoulder with a pitch. As Kuhel was going to first base he said something and Auker charged him. Kuhel hit him in the face with a punch and blows were exchanged before Sox coach George “Mule” Haas and pitcher Ed Smith pulled Auker away. Browns utility infielder Alan Strange left the bench to join the fight.

Kuhel then challenged Auker to meet him under the stands to continue the fight. Umpire John Quinn then ordered Auker taken into police protective custody to avoid any more incidents. Kuhel, Auker and Strange were ejected.

In the ensuing melee Sox manager Jimmy Dykes jumped on the back of the St. Louis mascot and drove him to the ground. The teams split the twin bill, the Sox winning the first one 14-9, losing the second game 10-3.

 

August 11, 1964 - The Sox finally won a game against the Yankees 6-4, having lost 10 straight to them that season. Then they made it a double header sweep winning 8-2. Why was winning a game so important? Simple… the Sox won 98 games this season and finished one game behind New York!

Making things tougher for Sox fans was that the team closed out the season winning nine straight, unfortunately the Yankees reeled off a streak that saw them win 15 of their last 19 down the stretch to clinch the pennant.

 

August 11, 1965 - Sox star left hander Juan Pizarro came the closest in his career to a no-hitter. In the second game of a double header at Comiskey Park, Pizarro fired a one-hitter in beating the Senators 7-0. The only hit came in the fifth inning, a single to right, off the bat of future White Sox player Woodie Held. Pizarro also walked two hitters but those were the only baserunners.

 

August 11, 1969 - Promising Sox outfielder Carlos May lost part of his right thumb while serving with the Marine Reserves in California. A number of mortar rounds were fired off on the range but apparently the mortar in May’s unit didn’t. The misfire was never noticed in the confusion. May was ordered to swab the barrel out as everyone thought the shell went off.

It didn’t, and he when he pushed a metal rod with a swab at the end into it, the shell made contact with the firing pin and went off.

The rod, as it was ejected, took off part of his thumb which was later found by another Major League player Bob Watson. It was too late to surgically reattach it though. Intensive rehabilitation followed and May had to have a special batting glove made to protect his right hand.

Even though his season was prematurely ended he was named American League Rookie of the Year by The Sporting News. May would come back and have some very good years especially 1972 when he was named to the All-Star team.  

 

August 11, 1972 - It was one of the longest games in Sox history and was the start of a four-game series that may have been the best in the decade. The Sox went to Oakland fighting the Athletics for first place in the division, and the day before, the game was called by curfew with the score tied at three after 17 innings. It was picked up on this day and went another two innings before Joe Rudi ended matters with a two-run home run off Stan Bahnsen, as the A’s won 5-3. Sox slugger Dick Allen walked five times in his eight appearances.

In the regularly slated game, Cub castoff Dave Lemonds and Cy Acosta outdueled “Catfish” Hunter allowing two hits in a 1-0 win. The Sox and A’s would split the final two games of this series.

 

August 11, 1973 - Sox catcher Brian Downing got his first Major League hit, an inside the park home run off the Tigers Mickey Lolich at Detroit in the fourth inning. The last time Downing played a game against Detroit it was in Chicago, in his Major League debut back on May 31. He had just entered the game when he caught a foul pop up, diving in the process, and tearing up his knee which sidelined him until this game.

 

August 11, 1991- In only his second Major League start, the Sox Wilson Alvarez tossed a no-hitter against the Orioles in Baltimore. Alvarez was handed a big lead early on and made the most of it, shutting down the Birds. Lance “One Dog” Johnson made a diving catch in right center field in the eighth inning, off the bat of Chris Hoiles, to save it as Alvarez had his greatest moment in winning 7-0.

 

August 11, 1994 - The unthinkable finally happened as Major League players struck the rest of the season because of the unwillingness by owners to negotiate fairly on a new contract. (A charge later upheld by Federal court judge and future Supreme Court justice Sonia Sotomayor.)

At the time of the strike, the Sox were leading the division, had the second-best record in the A.L. and the fourth best in all of baseball. They were on their way to back-to-back playoff appearances for the first time in franchise history. Many Sox fans blamed owner Jerry Reinsdorf for forcing the strike, being a hard-line owner and sabotaging his own teams’ chance to get to that elusive World Series.

Frank Thomas ended the shortened season very close to the Triple Crown, hitting .353 with 38 home runs and 101 RBI’s. He did get his second consecutive M.V.P. award though.

 

August 11, 2011 - Mark Buehrle tied the franchise record when he made his 18^th consecutive start, allowing three runs or less. Buehrle tied the record in a 6-3 win at Baltimore. He went eight innings allowing three runs on six hits with six strikeouts. The record was originally set by Frank Smith in 1909.

 

 

Edited August 11, 2023 by Lip Man 1

[The Mighty Mite]

1 hour ago, Lip Man 1 said:

August 11, 1912 - The Sox purchased the contract of future Hall of Famer, catcher, Ray “Cracker” Schalk from Milwaukee. He’d wind up leading the league in games caught in a season seven times.

 

August 11, 1941 - In the first game of a double header at Comiskey Park between the Browns and Sox a fight broke out.

It happened in the seventh inning when pitcher Elden Auker hit the Sox Joe Kuhel in the shoulder with a pitch. As Kuhel was going to first base he said something and Auker charged him. Kuhel hit him in the face with a punch and blows were exchanged before Sox coach George “Mule” Haas and pitcher Ed Smith pulled Auker away. Browns utility infielder Alan Strange left the bench to join the fight.

Kuhel then challenged Auker to meet him under the stands to continue the fight. Umpire John Quinn then ordered Auker taken into police protective custody to avoid any more incidents. Kuhel, Auker and Strange were ejected.

In the ensuing melee Sox manager Jimmy Dykes jumped on the back of the St. Louis mascot and drove him to the ground. The teams split the twin bill, the Sox winning the first one 14-9, losing the second game 10-3.

 

August 11, 1964 - The Sox finally won a game against the Yankees 6-4, having lost 10 straight to them that season. Then they made it a double header sweep winning 8-2. Why was winning a game so important? Simple… the Sox won 98 games this season and finished one game behind New York!

Making things tougher for Sox fans was that the team closed out the season winning nine straight, unfortunately the Yankees reeled off a streak that saw them win 15 of their last 19 down the stretch to clinch the pennant.

 

August 11, 1965 - Sox star left hander Juan Pizarro came the closest in his career to a no-hitter. In the second game of a double header at Comiskey Park, Pizarro fired a one-hitter in beating the Senators 7-0. The only hit came in the fifth inning, a single to right, off the bat of future White Sox player Woodie Held. Pizarro also walked two hitters but those were the only baserunners.

 

August 11, 1969 - Promising Sox outfielder Carlos May lost part of his right thumb while serving with the Marine Reserves in California. A number of mortar rounds were fired off on the range but apparently the mortar in May’s unit didn’t. The misfire was never noticed in the confusion. May was ordered to swab the barrel out as everyone thought the shell went off.

It didn’t, and he when he pushed a metal rod with a swab at the end into it, the shell made contact with the firing pin and went off.

The rod, as it was ejected, took off part of his thumb which was later found by another Major League player Bob Watson. It was too late to surgically reattach it though. Intensive rehabilitation followed and May had to have a special batting glove made to protect his right hand.

Even though his season was prematurely ended he was named American League Rookie of the Year by The Sporting News. May would come back and have some very good years especially 1972 when he was named to the All-Star team.  

 

 

August 11, 1972 - It was one of the longest games in Sox history and was the start of a four-game series that may have been the best in the decade. The Sox went to Oakland fighting the Athletics for first place in the division, and the day before, the game was called by curfew with the score tied at three after 17 innings. It was picked up on this day and went another two innings before Joe Rudi ended matters with a two-run home run off Stan Bahnsen, as the A’s won 5-3. Sox slugger Dick Allen walked five times in his eight appearances.

In the regularly slated game, Cub castoff Dave Lemonds and Cy Acosta outdueled “Catfish” Hunter allowing two hits in a 1-0 win. The Sox and A’s would split the final two games of this series.

 

August 11, 1973 - Sox catcher Brian Downing got his first Major League hit, an inside the park home run off the Tigers Mickey Lolich at Detroit in the fourth inning. The last time Downing played a game against Detroit it was in Chicago, in his Major League debut back on May 31. He had just entered the game when he caught a foul pop up, diving in the process, and tearing up his knee which sidelined him until this game.

 

August 11, 1991- In only his second Major League start, the Sox Wilson Alvarez tossed a no-hitter against the Orioles in Baltimore. Alvarez was handed a big lead early on and made the most of it, shutting down the Birds. Lance “One Dog” Johnson made a diving catch in right center field in the eighth inning, off the bat of Chris Hoiles, to save it as Alvarez had his greatest moment in winning 7-0.

 

August 11, 1994 - The unthinkable finally happened as Major League players struck the rest of the season because of the unwillingness by owners to negotiate fairly on a new contract. (A charge later upheld by Federal court judge and future Supreme Court justice Sonia Sotomayor.)

At the time of the strike, the Sox were leading the division, had the second-best record in the A.L. and the fourth best in all of baseball. They were on their way to back-to-back playoff appearances for the first time in franchise history. Many Sox fans blamed owner Jerry Reinsdorf for forcing the strike, being a hard-line owner and sabotaging his own teams’ chance to get to that elusive World Series.

Frank Thomas ended the shortened season very close to the Triple Crown, hitting .353 with 38 home runs and 101 RBI’s. He did get his second consecutive M.V.P. award though.

 

August 11, 2011 - Mark Buehrle tied the franchise record when he made his 18^th consecutive start, allowing three runs or less. Buehrle tied the record in a 6-3 win at Baltimore. He went eight innings allowing three runs on six hits with six strikeouts. The record was originally set by Frank Smith in 1909.

 

 

My next door neighbor growing up in Rogers Park was famous amateur golfer Charles “Chick” Evans and I was lucky enough to be his personal caddie from summer of 1960 to early 1962. Despite us living down the street from the former Edgewater Country Club, Chick actually played most of his rounds at the Glenview Club on Golf road and his regular 4-some included Ray Schalk, very nice gentleman and he always got a kick that I was a White Sox fan. 

Edited August 11, 2023 by The Mighty Mite