This Day In Sox History...August 20

[Lip Man 1]

August 20, 1915 - The White Sox purchased the contract of “Shoeless” Joe Jackson from the Cleveland Indians for $31,500 dollars and three journeyman players. Jackson even with the “Black Sox” scandal is still considered one of the greatest hitters in baseball history. “Babe” Ruth said he modeled his swing after Jackson’s and Ty Cobb said Jackson was the best hitter he ever saw.  Joe hit .356 for his career in the Major Leagues.

 

August 20, 1928 - Sox rookie Art “The Great” Shires made a sensational debut with four hits against the Red Sox in a 6-4 win. His first at-bat was a triple then he added three singles. He’s one of only 11 players to ever get four or more hits in their first big league game. “The Great” nickname by the way was self-given!

 

August 20, 1929 - The Sox honored pitcher Urban “Red” Faber with a day at Comiskey Park. The Hall of Famer won 254 games, all with the Sox and had four seasons of 20 or more wins. On this day he threw 11 innings in a 5-4 loss to the Yankees. Before the game he was given a check for $2,700 dollars, a Majestic radio, a diamond ring and several baskets of flowers.

 

August 20, 1948 - The Sox played before the largest regular season crowd in franchise history as they faced the Indians on a Friday night in Cleveland. An amazing 78,382 were on hand to see the Tribe edge the Sox 1-0 at Cleveland Stadium. The winning pitcher that night for the Indians was none other than Leroy “Satchel” Paige who only gave the Sox three hits.

 

August 20, 1957 - Pitcher Bob Keegen tossed the first night no-hitter in Sox history as he blanked Washington 6-0 at Comiskey Park. It was the second game of a double header.

He’d walk two Senators and only faced 28 men in a game that lasted only 1:55. Only one ball was really hard hit and that came in the first inning when outfielder Larry Doby made a backhand catch of a drive by Herb Plews. Keegen also drove in the last run of the night for the Sox with an RBI single. At 37 he became the oldest Sox pitcher to ever throw a no-hitter.

Keegen would go 10-8 on the season that saw the Sox win 90 games and finish in second place.

 

August 20, 1989 - After Sox star Harold Baines was traded to Texas on July 29, the team retired his uniform number #3 when the Rangers came to Chicago. He was only the third active player to have his uniform number retired by a club, joining Frank Robinson and Phil Niekro.