This Day In Sox History...October 5

[Lip Man 1]

October 5, 1908 - Sox pitcher “Big” Ed Walsh won his 40^th game of the season, as he beat Detroit 6-1. No one has come close to matching it in the ensuing seasons.

Walsh led all of MLB in games (66), starts (49), complete games (42), shutouts (11), innings (464) and strikeouts (269). Oh, and he led the majors in saves as well, with six, had that been an official statistic.

 

October 5, 1983 - Cy Young Award winner LaMarr Hoyt pitched a brilliant complete game, five-hitter in beating the Orioles 2-1 in game #1 of the A.L.C.S.

It was the first time since divisional playoffs started in 1969 that Baltimore ever lost the first game of a post season series. It would be the high-water mark for the Sox in the next week.

He struck out four and lost his shutout in the ninth inning on a bloop hit by Cal Ripken Jr. With Ripken on base, Hoyt got the dangerous Eddie Murray to hit a ground ball up the middle, he deflected the ball just enough to slow it down so Scott Fletcher could field it, step on second base, record the force out and end the contest played at Memorial Stadium.

 

October 5, 1993 - Game #1 of the A.L.C.S. was a complete unmitigated disaster both on and off the field for the Sox.

On the field, Toronto ripped the Sox 7-3 but by the middle of the game, not one fan cared.  

Michael Jordan who threw out the ceremonial first pitch confirmed reports that he was holding a press conference the next morning to announce his retirement from the Bulls. Fans at the game and around the city were in shock.

Adding insult to injury, future Hall of Fame catcher Carlton Fisk and Chicago native and former Sox pitcher Donn Pall were turned away by security guards when they attempted to wish the team good luck in the locker room before the game started. The White Sox claimed the rules were set by Major League Baseball but no fan or media member was fooled by that comment. Most media members felt Fisk was turned away on explicit orders from owner Jerry Reinsdorf. It was an insult Fisk never forgot.

Reinsdorf then took an unprecedented step of apologizing to the team in the clubhouse before the start of game #2 saying he had no wish to take away their spotlight because of the Jordan situation.

 

October 5, 2008 - Making the post season for the third time in the decade the Sox were on the brink of elimination in the 2008 A.L.D.S., but behind the strong starting pitching effort from John Danks they beat Tampa Bay 5-3 to survive another day.

Danks pitched into the seventh inning of game #3 with seven strikeouts. A three run fourth inning set the tone for the Sox in the game. Dewayne Wise had two RBI’s for the Sox.  

 

October 5, 2022 – It was the end to one of the most disappointing seasons in White Sox history.

Six years earlier Sox G.M. Rick Hahn started the rebuild with the words that the franchise was “Mired in mediocrity.” After the Twins pounded the Sox 10-1 to end the 2022 campaign the team finished…at 81-81. The very definition of mediocrity.  

It was only the fifth time in team history the club ended a year exactly at .500.

The season was supposed to see the Sox make the postseason for a third straight year and potentially play in the World Series.

Instead the team played listless, seemed to have little sense of urgency, couldn’t stay healthy and was saddled with bizarre in-game decisions by manager Tony LaRussa who resigned before the season even ended because of serious health issues.

The year marked season 10 under G.M. Hahn whose track record was less than stellar. Seven losing years, two winning ones and a .500 year. The Sox had two playoff appearances but also two quick first round playoff exits under his watch. 

Edited October 5, 2023 by Lip Man 1

[The Mighty Mite]

4 hours ago, Lip Man 1 said:

October 5, 1908 - Sox pitcher “Big” Ed Walsh won his 40^th game of the season, as he beat Detroit 6-1. No one has come close to matching it in the ensuing seasons.

Walsh led all of MLB in games (66), starts (49), complete games (42), shutouts (11), innings (464) and strikeouts (269). Oh, and he led the majors in saves as well, with six, had that been an official statistic.

 

October 5, 1983 - Cy Young Award winner LaMarr Hoyt pitched a brilliant complete game, five-hitter in beating the Orioles 2-1 in game #1 of the A.L.C.S.

It was the first time since divisional playoffs started in 1969 that Baltimore ever lost the first game of a post season series. It would be the high-water mark for the Sox in the next week.

He struck out four and lost his shutout in the ninth inning on a bloop hit by Cal Ripken Jr. With Ripken on base, Hoyt got the dangerous Eddie Murray to hit a ground ball up the middle, he deflected the ball just enough to slow it down so Scott Fletcher could field it, step on second base, record the force out and end the contest played at Memorial Stadium.

 

October 5, 1993 - Game #1 of the A.L.C.S. was a complete unmitigated disaster both on and off the field for the Sox.

On the field, Toronto ripped the Sox 7-3 but by the middle of the game, not one fan cared.  

Michael Jordan who threw out the ceremonial first pitch confirmed reports that he was holding a press conference the next morning to announce his retirement from the Bulls. Fans at the game and around the city were in shock.

Adding insult to injury, future Hall of Fame catcher Carlton Fisk and Chicago native and former Sox pitcher Donn Pall were turned away by security guards when they attempted to wish the team good luck in the locker room before the game started. The White Sox claimed the rules were set by Major League Baseball but no fan or media member was fooled by that comment. Most media members felt Fisk was turned away on explicit orders from owner Jerry Reinsdorf. It was an insult Fisk never forgot.

Reinsdorf then took an unprecedented step of apologizing to the team in the clubhouse before the start of game #2 saying he had no wish to take away their spotlight because of the Jordan situation.

 

October 5, 2008 - Making the post season for the third time in the decade the Sox were on the brink of elimination in the 2008 A.L.D.S., but behind the strong starting pitching effort from John Danks they beat Tampa Bay 5-3 to survive another day.

Danks pitched into the seventh inning of game #3 with seven strikeouts. A three run fourth inning set the tone for the Sox in the game. Dewayne Wise had two RBI’s for the Sox.  

 

October 5, 2022 – It was the end to one of the most disappointing seasons in White Sox history.

Six years earlier Sox G.M. Rick Hahn started the rebuild with the words that the franchise was “Mired in mediocrity.” After the Twins pounded the Sox 10-1 to end the 2022 campaign the team finished…at 81-81. The very definition of mediocrity.  

It was only the fifth time in team history the club ended a year exactly at .500.

The season was supposed to see the Sox make the postseason for a third straight year and potentially play in the World Series.

Instead the team played listless, seemed to have little sense of urgency, couldn’t stay healthy and was saddled with bizarre in-game decisions by manager Tony LaRussa who resigned before the season even ended because of serious health issues.

The year marked season 10 under G.M. Hahn whose track record was less than stellar. Seven losing years, two winning ones and a .500 year. The Sox had two playoff appearances but also two quick first round playoff exits under his watch. 

This day in White Sox fan history, yours truly married Mrs. Mighty Mite 54 years ago in 1969.