Today in White Sox History: September 9
A crushing blow from Alex Johnson
1917
It’s the only time the White Sox have ever won a forfeited game. In a game at Comiskey Park, Cleveland protested a close interference call that went against Jack Graney in the top of the 10th inning of a 3-3 game.
When they took the field in the last of the inning, Cleveland players threw their gloves in the air, some rolled around in the dirt, and all in all, the argument lasted 10 minutes, White Sox pitcher Dave Danforth stuck out to lead off the Chicago half of the 10th, whereupon Cleveland catcher Steve O’Neill deliberately threw the ball into center field.
At that point, umpire Clarence “Brick” Owens had enough and declared the game won by the Sox, 9-0.
1921
At Comiskey Park, the White Sox and Tigers set an AL record for most runs (35) and hits (42) in Chicago’s 20-15 win. The South Siders piled up 22 hits in the game, led by first baseman Earl Sheely going 5-for-5 with five runs, five RBIs and falling a double short of a cycle. (Sheely’s was the only homer for the 35-run game.) Johnny Mostil chipped in with four RBIs.
The 20 runs remain tied for the fifth-most ever scored by the White Sox in a game.
Dickie Kerr “earned” the win with four innings of nine-run (seven earned) relief. White Sox reliever Shovel Hodge was most responsible for restoring order, earning a save with two frames of scoreless, two-hit ball.
Perhaps most amazing is the fact that the 35 runs were all scored in the first seven innings of the game; the full eighth inning and top of the ninth all were scoreless.
And coincidentally, Brick Owens was the home plate umpire in this game, too.
1930
Acquired from the minor-league Atlanta Crackers on August 19, future Hall-of-Famer Luke Appling made it to Comiskey Park in time to see the last out of a 10-1 White Sox win over the Red Sox.
The next day, Appling made his major-league debut and notched his first of 2,749 hits for the White Sox, a single to center in a 6-1 loss; the shortstop went 1-for-4 in the game.
1931
At the Crosstown exhibition game between the White Sox and Cubs at Comiskey Park an infamous fan sat along the White Sox side of the field, in the front row. The fan was Al Capone, the head of the largest crime syndicate in Chicago (known as the “Chicago Outfit”). Capone took in the game with his son and a number of bodyguards who were seated directly behind them. They were part of a crowd of almost 35,000. The game was to benefit an unemployment relief fund established by Illinois governor Louis L. Emmerson, as the Great Depression strengthened its grip on the country.
Less than a month later, Capone went to trial on income tax evasion charges, was found guilty, and sent to prison.
1970
With two outs in the sixth inning of a doubleheader nightcap, left fielder Alex Johnson of the California Angels clubbed a solo homer to the center field bleachers at Comiskey Park. Such a clout was significantly more rare than a rooftop blast: 16 White Sox and opponent homers had cleared the Comiskey Park roof, while Johnson’s was just the third home run to reach the bleachers — and first such blast in 32 seasons.
The homer was Johnson’s 14th on the year, and did not prevent the 77-66 Angels from an embarrassing day at the ballpark: Getting swept by the atrocious White Sox, 11-4 and 3-1.
1983
The White Sox Express roared on, crushing former Sox great Tommy John and the Angels, 11-0. What was significant in this one was back-to-back-to-back home runs for the first time in team history, courtesy of Carlton Fisk, Tom Paciorek, and Greg Luzinski in the first inning.
Not to be outdone, pitcher Britt Burns threw a one-hitter. Outfielder Mike Brown’s two-out single in the seventh inning was Burns’ only mistake. Burns struck out nine in the game.
And on this very day in suburban Homewood, future White Sox play-by-play broadcaster Jason Benetti was born.
2003
With one move, White Sox manager Jerry Manuel perhaps cost his team a postseason playoff berth and eventually led himself to be fired.
In a game the Sox were leading Minnesota, 8-2, in the ninth inning, Manuel brought in relief pitcher José Paniagua to get some work in. The Sox had a one-game lead over the Twins, and this was the second of a four-game series at U.S. Cellular Field.
Paniagua allowed four runs, giving Minnesota momentum even though they’d lose this game, 8-6. The Twins promptly won the final two games, swept the Sox the following week in Minnesota, and won the second of three consecutive divisional titles.
Paniagua, as he was leaving the field, made an obscene gesture at the home plate umpire and was released by GM Ken Williams the next day. Manuel’s dismissal would come a few weeks later.
There has always been debate over the impact of this incident in the divisional race, but Twins players have been quoted as saying it was a difference-maker.
2017
White Sox slugger José Abreu became only the sixth player in franchise history to hit for the cycle, in a 13-1 rout of the Giants. José had a home run, double, single and triple, going 4-for-5 with three runs and three RBIs.