Today in White Sox History: May 24
Ron LeFlore’s Little League grand slam keeps a hot streak going
1917
Reb Russell threw a 12-inning shutout against the Senators, giving up 11 hits, striking out six, and walking none. Russell was helped by Ray Schalk gunning down all four of Washington’s attempts to steal second base.
Oh, and at the plate, Russell also went 2-for-4 with a triple.
1929
In one of the greatest pitching performances in baseball history, White Sox starter Ted Lyons threw all 21 innings of a heartbreaking 6-5 loss to the Tigers. He allowed 24 hits in the game and faced an astounding 85 hitters. His opponent that day, George Uhle, pitched 20 innings and faced 79 batters himself.
The 85 batters faced is the most-ever in White Sox history, and ranks seventh all-time in baseball history; the 21 innings pitched is the most in White Sox history, and is tied for sixth all-time.
The 21-inning game is tied for the third-longest in White Sox history.
1946
White Sox manager Jimmy Dykes was fired, replaced by ... Ted Lyons. Dykes is atop the White Sox leaderboard in several manager categories:
- Longest tenure: 12 years, 13 days
- Most games: 1,839
- Most wins: 899
- Most losses: 940
- Most managerial WAR: 34.4
- Most managerial WAR per season: 3.0
With Lyons moving to manager, White Sox pitching legend Red Faber joined the team as a coach.
Dykes also was involved in a footnote that could have changed White Sox and baseball history.
In March 1938, the White Sox played a benefit exhibition against the Pasadena Sox, a group of young players from that California city. Holding forth on the local team was a 19-year-old Black youth who made several brilliant plays. Acknowledging the color line in place in the major leagues at the time, Dykes said, “Geez, if that kid was white, I’d sign him right now.”
In March 1942, Dykes allowed the phenom and another black baseball player, Nate Moreland, to try out for the White Sox. He sent them away without an offer. Perhaps he allowed the tryouts only to deflect integration criticism, since no major league team had yet expressed any positive attitude toward integration. In any event, nothing came of it. How history might have changed if he had been able to offer a contract to that phenom ... a lad named Jackie Robinson!
(The White Sox also nearly had a third crack at Robinson, as Bill Veeck had arranged a trade for the Dodgers star in the mid-1950. The Cincinnati Reds made a waiver claim, nixing the deal.)
1961
For the first time since the 1950 season, the White Sox dropped into last place in the American League (although just briefly), after they lost a doubleheader in Baltimore, 5-3 and 6-4. The plight of the Sox actually caused some Chicago aldermen in a city council session to publicly ask what was going on.
The Sox rebounded, though, to end the year in fourth place, with 86 wins.
1967
White Sox first baseman Tommy McCraw had his career day. In a game at Minnesota, McCraw slammed three home runs (all off of future White Sox pitcher Jim Kaat) and knocked in eight as the Sox pounded the Twins, 14-1. On the day he went 3-for-6, with three runs. The eight RBIs tied a franchise record.
1981
With a 10-2 win at California, the White Sox completed a three-game sweep compiling 45 hits and 34 runs (in victories of 9-5, 15-4, 10-2). The big blow came in the second inning, when Ron LeFlore hit a Little League grand slam by singling in three runs with the bases full, with an error by Brian Downing in left field allowing LeFlore to score and put the White Sox up, 5-0. Both LeFlore and Mike Squires had three hits apiece in the win.
It was a fourth straight win and seven victories in eight games. Chicago would win three of four games to come, making the run a full 10 wins in 12 games. For the road trip that included Toronto, California and Oakland, the White Sox won seven of nine.
The sweep pushed the White Sox to 21-15 and firmly in second place. With the season disrupted by the players’ strike with the club better than .500 all season, 1981 goes down as a great what-if in White Sox history.
1983
The 1983 season turned around completely on this evening, as the White Sox destroyed Boston and pitcher Doug Bird, 12-4. Bird, who hadn’t lost a game in two years, was roughed up as the Sox blasted five home runs on the night. Greg Luzinski hit one of them, his fifth shot in five games.
It was the start of the drive that led, four months later, to 99 wins and the Western Division championship.
2011
White Sox outfielder Carlos Quentin wrote his name in the franchise record book when he hit three home runs in a game against the Rangers. Quentin hit them before and after a rain/high wind delay of almost three hours, which caused the game to end at 1:27 a.m. local time. He went 3-for-5 on the night, with five RBIs in the 8-6 win.