Today in White Sox History: May 26
Joe West makes a mockery of another baseball game
1959
White Sox owner Bill Veeck was always good for a crazy stunt, but this one topped the cake. Before a game hosting Cleveland and in front of 40,018 fans, four little people dressed up as Martians “landed” at Comiskey Park (via helicopter) and “captured” Nellie Fox and Luis Aparicio. One of the Martians was 3´7´´ Eddie Gaedel.
Terms were discussed for releasing the two Sox players when the Martian leader (Gaedel) said, ”Don’t bother taking me to your leader [Veeck], I’ve already met him.”
Gaedel, of course, came up to bat for Veeck’s St. Louis Browns in 1951.
The White Sox lost the game, 3-0, but Aparicio and Fox got some measure of “Martian power,” collecting three of the four White Sox hits in the shutout, and Aparicio adding a stolen base.
On the same day as Luis and Nellie were visited by aliens, White Sox legend and Hall-of-Famer Ed Walsh died in Pompano Beach, Fla., at 78.
1968
In an effort to jump-start a stagnant offense, White Sox manager Eddie Stanky batted pitcher Gary Peters in the No. 6 slot for a game in New York. Peters, who had 19 career home runs, was listed in the order ahead of Luis Aparicio, Duane Josephson and Tim Cullen. The move didn’t help, though, as the Sox lost, 5-1. Peters went 0-for-2 in the contest, as the Sox only managed four hits.
1973
The White Sox and Cleveland played to a 2-2 deadlock at Comiskey Park in 16 innings at Comiskey Park. Starters Gaylord Perry and Stan Bahnsen both threw the first 13 innings of the game. The Saturday night game was just the fourth suspension in White Sox history, having run up against a 1 a.m. curfew.
Bahnsen pitched around a leadoff triple by Buddy Bell to keep the game scoreless early. The White Sox drew first blood in the fifth when Jorge Orta beat out a drag bunt and advanced to second on third baseman Bell’s throwing error. Orta scored on an Eddie Leon single. Single and double combinations in the seventh and eighth pushed Cleveland ahead by one, but Bill Melton answered the call in the bottom of the eighth with a solo shot, knotting the game for the next eight innings at 2-2. During the “second half” of the game deep into extra innings, just two batters, both on the Cleveland side, even reached third base.
With a rainout on May 27, the game would resume and conclude two days later, on May 28, leading to several records and unique events. Tune in then to see how it all ends!
But also on this day, infielder Rich Morales was sold the the San Diego Padres.
1976
Recently-acquired pitcher Ken Brett nearly threw a perfect game and then a no-hitter, only to lose it on a controversial ruling by the official scorer. In a night game in Anaheim, Brett had a perfect game for almost eight complete innings before walking Leroy Stanton. Then with two out in the ninth inning of a scoreless game, Jerry Remy hit a ground ball that White Sox third baseman Jorge Orta misplayed, with the ball going under his glove.
Official scorer Don Merry called it a hit. Other writers disagreed with the ruling, while the Sox players were incensed and announcer Harry Caray went crazy on-air. But the decision stood. Former Sox player Bill Melton would get a clean single off of Brett with one out in the 10th inning, ending the controversy.
The Sox finally won the game, 1-0, in 11 innings, on a single by Bucky Dent. It was Chicago’s 10th straight victory.
Two years earlier (May 27, 1974), Brett had taken a no-hitter into the ninth inning for the Pittsburgh Pirates, before giving up two hits in the ninth but preserving a 6-0 shutout in the opener of a doubleheader. And in the nightcap, Brett’s pinch-hit triple pushed the Pirates to an 8-7 win.
1996
For the 16th time in American League history and first time in franchise history, the White Sox hit four home runs in an inning. It happened during a 12-1 rout over the Brewers at Comiskey Park. In the seven-run eighth inning, Frank Thomas, Harold Baines, Robin Ventura and Chad Kreuter all found the seats. Thomas, Baines and Ventura went back-to-back-to-back. The first three home runs were hit off Mike Potts, while Kreuter went deep off of former Sox pitcher Ramon Garcia.
On the same day as Frank, Harold, Robin and Chad hit homers in the same inning, White Sox legend Chico Carrasquel died in Caracas, at 77. He was the first of the great White Sox Venezuelan shortstops, followed by Luis Aparicio and Ozzie Guillén. Carrasquel was also the first Latin player to appear in an All-Star Game (1951).
2010
Assclown umpire Joe West ejected mild-mannered White Sox southpaw Mark Buerhle from a game in Cleveland, after Buehrle protested a second balk call against him in as many innings. West first hit Buehrle with a balk in the second inning, after a two-out single by Matt LaPorta; in the ensuing argument (Buehrle smartly remaining on the mound and simply asking why the call was made), manager Ozzie Guillén was ejected. In the third, Jason Donald dribbled a one-out, infield single and then was balked to second by Buehrle; in exasperation, Buehrle dropped his glove to the ground and was instantly ejected by West.
The White Sox, hamstrung by the ejection, nonetheless rallied for the 5-4 win, scoring one on a Paul Konerko single, two on a Mark Teahen single, and the eventual deciding runs on a Mark Kotsay two-run blast.
End note, little more needs be known of the erosion and downfall of Ken Harrelson than his eventual close friendship with West, struck mere years after the broadcaster’s outburst in this game.