This Day In Sox History...September 15

[Lip Man 1]

September 15, 1901 - In a doubleheader nightcap hosting Milwaukee, the White Sox hit an MLB-record five triples in the eighth inning — and three of them were consecutive! Sam Mertes, Fred Hartman and Herm McFarland started off the barrage with three three-baggers in a row, and after Frank Isbell failed to triple, two more were hit consecutively, by Frank Shugart and Billy Sullivan.

The second-biggest crowd at South Side Park that year saw the White Sox rally, from down 4-2, with a seven-run eighth to pace a sweep of the Brewers, 5-4 and 9-4.

Billy “Dummy” Hoy had hit a triple earlier in the game, giving the White Sox a total of six, setting the American League record — which the Sox would tie oin September 17, 1920 against the Yankees. The White Sox also had three triples in the opener (including from Hoy and Mertes), making nine total for the doubleheader.

 

September 15, 1940 - Ted Lyons Day was held at Comiskey Park. The “Baylor Bearcat” won 260 games with the club and was elected to the Hall of Fame in 1955. His number #16 would be retired in 1987. This was the second time he was honored this way, the first time coming in 1933.

This was the first game of a twin bill with Lyons getting the complete game 5-1 win on a three-hitter.

 

September 15, 1964 - In his first at bat in the American League after many seasons in the N.L., pinch hitter deluxe Forrest “Smoky” Burgess belted a game tying home run at Detroit.

The Sox would eventually win the game 3-2 in 10 innings keeping their pennant hopes alive.

Burgess would lead the league in pinch hits in 1965 and 1966. The 20 pinch hits in that 66’ season tied the big-league record originally set by Ed Coleman in 1936.

 

September 15, 1970 - Shortly after taking over as the new director of player personnel, Roland Hemond targeted the man who’d eventually in his words, ‘save’ the franchise.

Hemond called the Cardinals “Bing” Devine to see what the chances were of making a deal for slugger Dick Allen offering Luis Aparicio. Devine turned him down, but 15 months later Hemond would get his man from the Dodgers for pitcher Tommy John and infielder Steve Huntz. The Dodgers also wanted a young, hard throwing left hander named Terry Forster but Hemond refused to include him in the trade.

 

September 15, 1983 - The White Sox set the franchise record for most runs scored in the sixth inning of a game when they got 11 in a 12-0 win over the Mariners at Comiskey Park. LaMarr Hoyt got the win, his 21^st on the season. The game only lasted seven innings due to rain. Harold Baines had a grand slam as the Sox cut their magic number down to two for winning the division. The Sox sent 17 men to the plate in the inning which saw them get nine hits.

 

September 15, 1990 - Owner Jerry Reinsdorf fired G.M. Larry Himes citing ‘personality differences.’ Himes drafted and signed Sox future stars like Frank Thomas, Jack McDowell, Robin Ventura and Alex Fernandez. During the press conference announcing the hiring of Ron Schueler as new G.M., Reinsdorf issued his famous ‘Point A to point B to point C’ comment. Later in a rare radio appearance he was candid on the subject to host Chet Coppock. “The fact is Larry Himes cannot get along with anybody. You can hardly find anybody in the Sox organization that wasn’t happy when Larry Himes left.”         

 September 15, 1996 - Frank Thomas slugged his 215^th home run in a Sox uniform breaking Carlton Fisk’s team record. Thomas homered three times at Fenway Park off the Red Sox Tim Wakefield yet the Sox lost the game 9-8. Thomas went 3 for 4 with three RBI’s and four runs scored.

 

September 15, 1997 - In an 11-10 loss in Milwaukee, Sox rookies Mario Valdez and Jeff Abbott both hit their first big league home runs. Valdez got his in the fifth inning, Abbott an inning later.

   

Edited September 15, 2023 by Lip Man 1