THIS DATE IN WHITE SOX HISTORY: APRIL 9TH

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THIS DATE IN WHITE SOX HISTORY: APRIL 9TH

 

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A DAZZLING DEBUT

1963: Pete Ward’s three-run homer in the seventh powered the White Sox to a 7-5 win over the Tigers in the season-opener – the earliest in Sox history -- at Detroit. Ward’s blast made a winner out of Frank Baumann but the real pitching hero was future Hall of Famer Hoyt Wilhelm. In his debut with the Sox, the knuckleballer fashioned three perfect innings with three strikeouts to earn the save.

 

JOHN, MAY LEAD THE WAY

1969: Carlos May hit his first two big league homers and Tommy John fired a four-hit shutout as the Sox beat the A’s 3-0 in Oakland. May’s blasts accounted two of the Sox three runs and came in the third and sixth innings. May also drove in a run in the eighth inning. John did not give up a hit until the fifth and walked one and fanned four in the Sox first win of the season.

 

THREE-FOR-THREE!

1971: Rich McKinney’s two-out single in the ninth scored Rich Morales with the winning run as the Sox edged the Twins 3-2 before 43,253 in the Comiskey Park opener. The dramatic victory made the Sox 3-0 for the first time since 1959. Morales started the frame with a single and was pushed to second on a bunt by reliever Vincente Romo (how about that!). After a wild pitch and a strikeout, McKinney came through.

 

LATE SURGE SAVES KAAT

1975: The White Sox scored three in the eighth and three in the ninth to overpower the A’s 7-5 in Oakland. The rally made a winner out of starter Jim Kaat, who went the distance and allowed five runs but none of them were earned. A two-run triple by Pat Kelly and a double by Carlos May got the Sox the lead in the ninth. Manager Chuck Tanner stuck with Kaat in the ninth and the left-hander responded with a 1-2-3 inning to secure the Sox first win of the season.

 

A THRILL FOR BILL

1976: The White Sox ushered in Bill Veeck’s second ownership stint with a 4-0 win over the Kansas City Royals in the season-opener before 40,318 at Comiskey Park. Wilbur Wood fired a six-hitter and Jim Spencer was 3-for-3 with a home run, a double and three RBIs as the Sox debuted in their “clam-digger” black-and-white uniforms. The shutout was the first for the Sox on Opening Day since 1947.

 

FIRST WIN ON FOREIGN SOIL

1977: The White Sox defeated the Blue Jays 3-2 in Toronto for the franchise’s first ever regular-season win outside of the country. Oscar Gamble’s home run in the fourth put the Sox on top to stay and the team added two more in the fifth. Chris Knapp got the win and Lerrin LaGrow earned his first save in what would be the best season of his career. The Sox and the American League made their debut the previous day in Canada in the Blue Jays’ victory two days earlier.

 

THE FIRST OF 1,764 FOR OZZIE

1985: Rookie Ozzie Guillen collected his first big league hit in the White Sox 4-2 Opening Day win at Milwaukee. Guillen, who batted leadoff, accomplished the feat with a bunt on a 3-0 pitch in the ninth inning off Ray Searage. Tom Seaver registered the victory in his record 15th Opening Day start. The Sox made things easy for Seaver by scoring two in the first on RBIs from Greg Walker and Ron Kittle. Seaver pitched into the seventh and got relief help from Bob James, who threw 2.1 scoreless innings for the first of his club-record 32 saves.

 

CANGY MAN HITS, BONILLA DEBUTS

1986: In a chilly matinee, John Cangelosi registered his first big league hit in the Sox 4-3 loss to Milwaukee before 9,007 at Comiskey Park. The diminutive outfielder homered off future Sox hurler Ray Searage, who exactly a year earlier had yielded Ozzie Guillen’s first career hit. Also in this game, Bobby Bonilla made his big league debut. The 23-year old switch-hitter grounded out as a pinch-hitter for Joel Skinner in the ninth inning.

 

THE LAST OPENER

1990: The White Sox trimmed the Milwaukee Brewers 2-1 in the last Opening Day at Old Comiskey Park before 40,008 fans. Scott Fletcher plated the winning run with a sacrifice fly in the seventh inning while five hurlers combined to hold Milwaukee to six hits. Starter Melido Perez got the win while Bobby Thigpen recorded the final two outs for the first of his record 57 saves.

 

BO KNOWS DRAMA

1993: In his first at bat after hip replacement surgery, Bo Jackson homered to right field off the Yankees' Neal Heaton before 42,775 in the Comiskey Park opener. The blast came on Bo's first swing of the season and sent the crowd and the Sox dugout into an emotional frenzy. The blast was the first Opening Day homer by a Sox player at New Comiskey Park but came in an 11-6 loss.

 

WHITE BEATS RED

1994: The White Sox rallied for a 6-5 win with three runs in the seventh in turning back Boston before 27,429 at Comiskey Park. Robin Ventura's RBI single off Greg Harris gave the Sox the lead for good. Frank Thomas clubbed his first homer of the season in the sixth inning off Roger Clemens and Ron Karkovice's homer padded the lead in the eighth. Roberto Hernandez nailed down the win with his first save of the season. … Also on this date, Michael Jordan made his professional debut by going hitless for the White Sox Double-A Birmingham affiliate in a loss to Chattanooga.

 

ABBOTT, DEVEREAUX COME ABOARD

1995: The White Sox signed free agents Jim Abbott and Mike Devereaux to one year contracts. While both proved productive for the Sox, neither would last the year with the team. Abbott was dealt with fellow left-handed pitcher Tim Fortugno to the Angels for pitchers John Snyder, Bill Simas and Andrew Lorraine and outfielder McKay Christensen July 27. About a month later, Devereaux was dealt to the Atlanta Braves for outfielder Andre King.

 

JAYS, CLEMENS FREEZE SOX BATS

1997: Because of a time change brought upon by unseasonably cold temperatures, only 746 people took in the White Sox 5-0 loss to the Toronto Blue Jays at Comiskey Park. The game was originally scheduled for 7:05 p.m. but moved to 1:05 p.m. because of freezing temperatures that forced the postponement of the previous day’s game. With the mercury reading a New Comiskey Park record low 34 degrees at gametime, Roger Clemens limited the Sox to three hits before the smallest crowd to watch a Sox home game since Sept. 21, 1970 when 672 took in a contest against Kansas City.

 

TIMO DELIVERS

2005: The future World Champion White Sox broke a 3-3 tie with four in the seventh in beating the Twins 8-5 in Minnesota. Timo Perez gave the Sox the lead when he started the frame with a homer. Jon Garland got the win while Shingo Takatsu picked up his second save as the Sox improved to 4-1.