This Day In Sox History...August 14

[Lip Man 1]

August 14, 1910 - The Sox celebrated the first sellout in team history at Comiskey Park when over 26 thousand fans poured in to see a double header split against the New York Highlanders (Yankees.)

 

August 14, 1915 - The Sox purchased the contract of pitcher Claude “Lefty” Williams from Salt Lake City of the Pacific Coast League.  

Williams might have been inducted into the Hall of Fame for his abilities if not for the 1919 “Black Sox” incident. In his four seasons he’d go 81-44 for the White Sox. Twice winning over 20 games.

 

August 14, 1919 - Center fielder Oscar “Happy” Felsch tied a Major League record by recording four outfield assists in a 15-6 loss to the Red Sox at Comiskey Park. In that same season, Felsch ended up setting a record for outfielder double plays in a season, with 15.

 

August 14, 1939 – It was the first time a Major League night game was played in Chicago with the Sox besting the St. Louis Browns 5-2. Johnny Rigney got the complete game win with 10 strikeouts before 30 thousand fans.

After he retired Rigney would eventually become a vice president with the team. 

 

August 14, 1983 - Catcher Carlton Fisk appeared to hit a go ahead home run in the fifth inning off the Orioles Scott McGregor only to have home plate umpire Jim Evans overrule third base umpire Greg Kosc and say it was a ground rule double. The decision was based on the impression that a fan appeared to have leaned over the wall to catch it.

The Sox wound up losing 2-1.

That fan then called Jimmy Piersall’s radio show afterwards to give his side of the story. TV replays showed he was not leaning over the wall when he caught the ball. Manager Tony LaRussa went ballistic…arguing, kicking dirt, then taking the third base bag out of its position and flinging it towards the Sox dugout. Naturally he was thrown out for it. Just another in a series of bizarre plays that took place against Baltimore down through the years.

 

August 14, 2008 - White Sox outfielder Carlos Quentin set the Major League record when he was hit by a pitch for the sixth consecutive game. Quentin would get hit 20 times in the 2008 season.

 

August 14, 2008 - In a 9-2 win over the Royals at U.S. Cellular Field, the Sox would hit four consecutive home runs for the first time in franchise history. The four came in a six run, sixth inning and were hit by Jim Thome, Paul Konerko, Alexei Ramirez and Juan Uribe in order after two were out. It was the sixth time in Major League history a team hit four home runs in a row at the time.