Today in White Sox History: May 11
Robin finally gets his career Rockin’
1944
A Hal Trosky steal of home in the 16th inning broke a 2-2 tie in an eventual 4-2 White Sox win over the Philadelphia A’s. Trosky had missed the prior two seasons due to migraine headaches. This stolen base was one of just three Trosky had in 1944 and just one of 28 for his career.
1949
The White Sox scored at least one run in every inning when they beat Boston, 12-8. It was the first time the team had ever accomplished this unusual feat, and only four other AL teams since have matched it.
Second baseman Cass Michaels had three RBIs. The Sox clubbed 15 hits. and the Red Sox made four errors.
1968
The 1968 White Sox were not a good team, losing 95 games, but pitcher Joe Horlen was an exception to that rule.
Horlen, who had finished second in the 1967 Cy Young voting, began a run of 37 consecutive shutout innings on this day when he pitched into the seventh inning at Oakland, allowing three hits. Six days later in Chicago he shut out the A’s, allowing four hits over 10 innings. At Baltimore, he allowed two hits in seven innings, then at Yankee Stadium blanked the Bombers on four hits while pitching into the ninth inning.
The streak finally ended on May 29, when Baltimore scored a run on him in the sixth inning at Comiskey Park. In 37 innings, Horlen allowed a total of 18 hits, and picked up three wins including a complete game.
For the year, Joe would go 12-14 — but his ERA was 2.37!
1990
Bobby Thigpen became the all-time White Sox saves leader in a 6-4 win over Kansas City before 14,889 at Comiskey Park. Thigpen pitched a scoreless ninth inning in nailing down his 99th career save, surpassing Hall-of-Famer Hoyt Wilhelm on the all-time list.
The save was Thigpen’s eighth of the year. Before the remarkable season was over, Bobby would nail down 57 saves and set the major league record.
Also on this day, Robin Ventura snapped a 16-game, 0-for-39 streak (49 total plate appearances) that had sunk his batting average down to .117. After striking out facing Kansas City’s Bret Saberhagen in his first at-bat, Ventura broke his skid with a BUNT single back to the mound! Two at-bats later, Ventura homered off of reliever Steve Farr, slicing the K.C. lead to 4-2; the White Sox rallied late for the win.
While Ventura didn’t pass the .200 mark until mid-June, he managed to grind out enough good hitting to get to .249 by season’s end. For his White Sox career over 10 seasons, Ventura batted .274.