THIS DATE IN WHITE SOX HISTORY: APRIL 30TH

[StatManDu]

THIS DATE IN WHITE SOX HISTORY: APRIL 30TH

 

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THE ONLY PERFECT GAME IN WHITE SOX HISTORY

1922: Rookie Charlie Robertson pitched the only perfect game in White Sox history by shutting down the Tigers 2-0 in Detroit. Making his second start of the season, Robertson mesmerized the sellout crowd of 25,000 at Navin Field with his fastball and slider. So frustrated by Robertson were the Tigers, they insisted he was doctoring the ball. The great Ty Cobb personally inspected every inch of Robertson's uniform but could not find any foreign substances. The Tigers managed just one hard hit ball off Robertson, who struck out six, but Johnny Mostil ran it down in left field while fighting off spectators and mounted police. The spectators were on the field -- a common practice during this era -- and the police were there to keep the crowd in check. The Sox scored twice in the second inning on Earl Sheely's single, which scored Harry Hooper and Mostil. When Robertson retired pinch-hitter Johnny Basler to end it, he had the sixth perfect game in big league history and even earned a standing ovation from the normally harsh Detroit faithful. The "perfecto" was the highlight of the Texan's big league career. Robertson played for the Sox in 1919 and from 1922 to 1925. He pitched for the Browns in 1926 before finishing his career with the Boston Braves in 1927 and 1928. Robertson won 14 games for the 1922 Sox and then 13 for the Sox the next season. After that, Robertson never won more than eight games in a season. (Source: Rich Lindberg's White Sox Encyclopedia).

 

MINOSO COMES ABOARD

1951: Minnie Minoso began his productive and colorful tenure with the White Sox when he was acquired in an involved three-team swap which also included the Philadelphia Athletics and Cleveland Indians and seven players. The Sox acquired Minoso from Cleveland and Paul Lehner from the A's and sent Gus Zernial and Dave Philley to the A's.

 

HOYT’S 100TH RELIEF SPARKS A STREAK

1967: The White Sox began a 10-game winning streak with a 4-2 victory over Cleveland in the second game of a doubleheader before 9,336 at Comiskey Park. The occasion also marked the 100th relief win for Hoyt Wilhelm, a major league record. The Sox scored one run in each of the fourth, fifth, sixth and seventh innings in overcoming a 2-0 deficit. Al Weis' RBI tied it in the fifth and Tommie Agee's hit.

 

A DAY LATER, THINGS ARE BETTER

1970: A day after being drubbed 18-2 by the Orioles, the White Sox exacted a little revenge from the reigning American League champs with a 6-3 win before 1,469 at Comiskey Park. Tommy John aided his own cause by driving in the go-ahead run in a four-run sixth. John pitched seven innings for his first victory of the season after five consecutive losses.

 

MAY, REICHARDT PROVIDE THE POWER

1971: Rick Reichardt's home run in the fourth tied the game and Carlos May's two-run single put the Sox on top in an 8-1 win over the Senators in Washington. The Sox banged out 15 hits with Ed Stroud, May, Reichardt, Mike Andrews, Ed Herrmann and Jay Johnstone each collecting two hits. Bart Johnson went the distance and allowed one run on five hits with four walks and eight strikeouts to move to 3-2.

 

HERRMANN SLAMS TIGERS

1972: Ed Herrmann's second career grand slam powered the White Sox to a 6-3 win over the Tigers in Detroit. The bases-loaded blast came in the sixth inning off Joe Coleman with the Sox trailing 2-1 with two outs and Carlos May, Jay Johnstone and Mike Andrews on base. Starter Tom Bradley got the victory but Terry Forster was the pitching hero, tossing four shutout innings of relief for his second save.

 

SANTO MAKES HIS FIRST SOX HR COUNT

1974: Ron Santo’s two-run home run off Jim Palmer in the seventh was all Stan Bahnsen needed in a 2-1 win over the Baltimore Orioles before 5,836 at Comiskey Park. Santo, starting at second base, followed Ken Henderson’s leadoff single with his first home run in a Sox uniform. Bahnsen went the distance giving up seven hits and three walks while fanning six.

 

ORTA, FORSTER TOO MUCH FOR TIGERS

1976: The White Sox did all of their scoring in the middle innings in doubling over the Detroit Tigers 8-4 to stop a five-game losing streak before 9,009 at Comiskey Park. Jorge Orta’s one-out solo homer in the fourth gave the Sox the lead for good. Terry Forster started and gave up three runs on nine hits while walking three and fanning four in 7.1 innings for the victory.

 

SCRAPPY SOX RETURN TO TOP

1980: The White Sox played "small ball" in pulling out a 2-1 victory over the Boston Red Sox before 10,626 at Comiskey Park. The scrappy victory enabled the White Sox to regain first place in the American League West by one game over the Oakland Athletics. The Sox grabbed a 1-0 lead in the fifth when Mike Squires clubbed the second home run of his career. After Boston tied the game in the seventh, the Sox staged their game-winning rally in the eighth. With two outs, Alan Bannister coaxed a walk out of Dennis Eckersley and stole second. Rookie Harold Baines then singled scoring Bannister. Ed Farmer, in the midst of an All-Star and 30-save season, pitched a scoreless ninth for his sixth save in relief of Richard Dotson, who gave up one run in eight innings to improve to 3-1.

 

KITTLE, BURNS TURN BACK YANKS

1984: The White Sox scored four in the first and held on for a 5-3 win over the New York Yankees before 15,322 at Comiskey Park. Ron Kittle keyed the early rally with a three-run home run off Ron Guidry. The Yankees scored three in the ninth but Britt Burns put out the fire to earn his first save in relief of winner Floyd Bannister. Burns got a force out with runners on first and third to end the game for his second save of the season and of his career.

 

BONILLA, KITTLE KEY WIN OVER BIRDS

1986: Back-to-back RBIs by rookie Bobby Bonilla and Ron Kittle helped the White Sox dump the Orioles 8-6 before 9,575 at Comiskey Park. Bonilla's single tied the game and Kittle's home run, a two-run shot, put the Sox on top for good in a six-run third. Richard Dotson picked up his first win of the season with relief help from Bill Dawley and Bob James, who notched his fourth save.

 

SOX RETURN ORIOLES TO THEIR LOSING WAYS

1988: A night after the Orioles snapped their record-setting 21-game losing streak to start a season, they succumbed to the White Sox, 4-1, before 16,078 at Comiskey Park. Carlton Fisk drove in the eventual game winner in the third. Ricky Horton got the win with seven strong innings while Ivan Calderon launched his sixth homer and Bobby Thigpen earned his fourth save.

 

SOX SCOOT PAST RANGERS

1990: Rodney "Scooter" McCray made his Major League debut a memorable one in the White Sox 5-4 win -- their fourth straight -- over the Texas Rangers in 13 innings before 8,406 at <?xml:namespace prefix = st1 ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:smarttags" />Comiskey Park. McCray was called up from Double-A Birmingham prior to the game and made his debut as a defensive replacement in extra innings. McCray made a fine running catch in extra innings to preserve the tie. Lance Johnson ended the five hour game in the 13th when his single to center scored Sammy Sosa, who had reached on an error. McCray was the last White Sox player to make his Major League debut at Old Comiskey Park.

 

BELL TOLLS FOR TEXAS

1992: George Bell went 5-for-5 with two doubles, two singles and a homer and Craig Grebeck added three hits with a career-best six RBI in the White Sox 12-1 rout of the Texas Rangers before 24,134 at Comiskey Park. Jack McDowell improved to 5-0 to become the first Sox pitcher to have an unbeaten month with at least five decisions since LaMarr Hoyt went 7-0 in September of 1983.

 

APRIL EXCELLENCE

1993: The White Sox recorded their franchise-record 13th victory in April by whipping Toronto 10-2 before 29,497 at Comiskey Park. Frank Thomas highlighted the victory with his second career grand slam (in the third off Todd Sttotlemyre) and matched his career-best with five RBI.

 

FINALLY, A WIN IN 1995

1995: The White Sox pounded out 17 hits in logging their first win of the season with a 17-11 decision over the Red Sox at Fenway Park. Ron Karkovice launched his fifth career grand slam to tie Harold Baines and Robin Ventura for first place in club history. The victory improved the White Sox to 1-4 in a season that started late because of a work stoppage.

 

SKID ENDS

2002: The White Sox halted a three-game losing streak by topping the Seattle Mariners 8-4 before 16,253 at Comiskey Park. Frank Thomas untied a 3-3 game with a two-run double in the fourth and Paul Konerko extended his hitting streak to 17 games with two hits as the Sox closed April at 16-10. Dan Wright was solid, giving up three runs on eight hits with one walk and two strikeouts for his third win.

 

BIG SEVENTH DOES IT

2005: The first-place and future World Champion White Sox scored three in the seventh to defeat the Tigers 4-3 before 30,189 at US Cellular Field. Tadahito Iguchi’s single scored Joe Crede with the winning run after Scott Podsednik’s ground out scored A.J. Pierzynski with the tying run. Orlando Hernandez got the win with seven strong innings while Dustin Hermanson earned his third save as the surprising Sox improved to 17-7.

 

SCRATCHING OUT A WIN

2006: Pinch-runner Pablo Ozuna scored on a wild pitch in the ninth as the first-place White Sox pulled out a 6-5 win over the Angels in Anaheim. Chris Widger started the rally with a single and was lifted for Ozuna. After a steal and a sacrifice, Ozuna came home on a Scot Shields wild pitch.

Edited April 30, 2008 by StatManDu