Today in White Sox History: July 31
So long, Billy Pierce
1909
“Sleepy” Bill Burns fired a two-hitter in a doubleheader opener, defeating Walter Johnson in Washington, 1-0. The White Sox also knocked off the Senators in the nightcap behind a complete game from Frank Smith, 4-0, holding Washington to seven hits on the entire day.
If that name sounds familiar, it’s because Burns would become one of the ringleaders in the plot to fix the World Series 10 years later. It was he who had the idea of going to gambler Arnold Rothstein to get the financial backing to rig the White Sox-Reds World Series of 1919.
1910
Lee Tannehill hit the first White Sox home run at Comiskey Park — when his ball rolled under the fence! According to the ground rules at the time, a ball rolling under the fence was still considered a home run — and this one was a grand slam, to boot.
It took the White Sox 10 games and almost a full calendar month since opening Comiskey Park on July 1 to record their first home run. It came in front of a crowd of 21,000, the biggest since Opening Day on July 1.
It’s ironic that Tannehill would be the first player to get a home run at the new ballpark, as he was considered one of the worst hitters in the early days of the American League. The Sox lost to the Tigers that afternoon, 6-5.
It was a big day for homers, though, as Ty Cobb hit the first opponent home run in Comiskey Park as well. His went over the fence, heh.
1964
White Sox star lefthander Juan Pizarro struck out 14 Senators in a 6-0 win in Washington. Pizarro allowed only four hits and struck out eight of the nine Washington starters at least once.
Pizarro made the All-Star team that year, winning 19 games with a 2.56 ERA.
1972
It was another baseball rarity: Dick Allen’s magical season continued, with two inside-the-park home runs in a single game, tying the major league record.
It happened in Minnesota, at Metropolitan Stadium, as the White Sox beat Bert Blyleven, 8-1. Bobby Darwin was the Twins center fielder who misplayed both of Allen’s drives. He slipped on the first one, which saw the ball bounce completely over his head in right center. Then on the second one, he mistimed his dive in left-center and the ball got by him and rolled all the way to the wall. Allen was credited with five RBIs on the day. The win started a stretch that saw the Sox win 14 of the next 17 games.
The last time a player had hit two inside-the-park home runs in one game was 33 years earlier, in 1939.
1977
It was the high point of the 1977 season. The South Side Hit Men had won the first two games of a crucial four-game series with the Royals — coming from behind each time.
In the first game of a Sunday doubleheader, Chet Lemon’s two-run home run in the last of the 10th tied the game 4-4, then Ralph Garr’s single drove in the game-winner. The White Sox were now 6½ games ahead in the Western Division, the franchise’s largest first-place margin since 1967. Three straight come-from-behind wins had the crowd of 50,142 (19th-largest in Comiskey Park and Chicago baseball history) in a frenzy.
The second game also produced fireworks, as the Royals routed the Sox, 8-4. Hal McRae homered, then did a slow trot around the bases, tipping his cap as he touched home plate, mocking Sox fans who had demanded “curtain calls” all season long. Sox fans reacted by throwing garbage at McRae and the Royals from the stands.
Pitcher Steve Stone always felt that manager Bob Lemon made a major mistake by not putting his best lineup out for the second game and going for the jugular.
The White Sox would falter in August and fall out of first, finishing their surprising season with a record of 90-72 and in third place.
1991
The white-hot White Sox capped off a sizzling month with one of the most dramatic moments in team history. The Sox trailed the Rangers, 8-6, going into the bottom of the ninth inning. Texas brought in former White Sox All-Star pitcher Rich “Goose” Gossage to close things out. But the Goose got cooked on this night as with two out, Robin Ventura hammered a grand slam into the right-field stands, winning the game, 10-8.
A full house, which included noted Cubs fan Bill Murray sitting almost directly behind home plate, went wild as Ventura was lifted off the ground by massive Frank Thomas in a celebration hug at home plate. The win capped a 19-8 for the White Sox.
This was the third walk-off home run in new Sox Park history — and the second by Ventura, who’d also done so just 11 days earlier, on July 20.
1993
With the White Sox looking for any type of reliable starting pitching help in the middle of a pennant race, GM Ron Schueler was finally convinced to deal two of his “can’t-miss kids” (MiLB pitchers Johnny Ruffin and Jeff Pierce) to Cincinnati for pitcher Tim Belcher. Belcher provided some consistency to help the rotation, including throwing a shutout against Oakland, but came up big when it was really needed: in the postseason. In Game 4 of the ALCS, he relieved a shell-shocked Jason Bere, pitched nearly four innings, and picked up the win to tie the best-of-seven series at two games each.
1996
The White Sox infuriated their fans and angered their own players by refusing to make any significant trade moves at the deadline, settling for relief pitcher Tony Castillo later in August, to try to help a bullpen that was among the worst in baseball. In fact, the 1996 White Sox would set the record (since broken) for most blown save opportunities. As the Deadline passed the White Sox were in the midst of losing a substantial lead in the Wild Card race after having started the season at 40-21 and fighting Cleveland for the division lead.
The following week, pitcher Roberto Hernandez and outfielder Tony Phillips ripped the organization to The Sporting News.
The Sox ended the year a disappointing 85-77 and out of the postseason.
1997
One of the lowest points in White Sox history occurred, as owner Jerry Reinsdorf issued his ”Anybody who thinks this club can catch Cleveland is crazy” comment and gutted the team with the White Flag Trade: GM Ron Schueler dealt Wilson Álvarez, Roberto Hernández and Danny Darwin to the Giants with the Sox only 3½ games out of first.
The Sox got back six minor league prospects.
The trade resulted in catastrophic consequences for the team from an attendance and local/national public relations standpoint. No team before had ever traded their top pitchers when they were only a few games off of the lead.
Joe Morgan went on ESPN’s Baseball Tonight and angrily denounced Sox management, saying how sorry he felt ”for the fans and the season-ticket holders.” Dave Campbell echoed those remarks on the same show. Sports Illustrated had “Sox Surrender” as their feature story, and quoted both Álvarez and Hernández as stating that when manager Terry Bevington told them they were traded he was ”laughing.” White Sox star third baseman Robin Ventura, who worked his way back from a grotesque injury to his lower leg in late March, also contributed his famous, ”I didn’t know the season ended in August” quote.
1998
Albert Belle clocked his 16th home run of July, which set the major league record at the time. The old mark was 15, set by Joe DiMaggio, Hank Greenberg, Juan Gonzalez and Joe Adcock. The Sox hammered the Rangers in Texas, 10-2. Belle had 32 RBIs for the month as well.
2004
At the trade deadline, GM Ken Williams made a pitching swap that would dramatically alter the franchise. He sent 2003 All-Star Game starting pitcher Esteban Loazia to the Yankees for disappointing the José Contreras — and cash.
In 2005, Contreras would become the best pitcher in baseball after the All-Star break and help lead the Sox to the World Championship. He then set the club record with 16 straight wins, spanning the 2005 and 2006 seasons.
2005
In a very minor deal, the White Sox picked up utilityman Geoff Blum from the Padres for a minor league pitcher. Blum wrote his name into Sox history with his extra-inning home run in Game 3 of the 2005 World Series fewer than three months later, helping the Sox beat the Astros, 7-5, in 14 innings.
2007
Fewer than two seasons removed from winning a World Series title, the White Sox allowed the most home runs ever in a single game in franchise history. The Yankees hit eight of them in a 16-3 pounding at Yankee Stadium. José Contreras gave up three, Charlie Haeger a pair and Gavin Floyd the other three.
2008
In another example of Kenny Gets His Man, White Sox GM Ken Williams swung a deal for future Hall-of-Famer Ken Griffey Jr., sending reliever Nick Masset and infielder Danny Richar to Cincinnati. Griffey, at 38, was well past his prime and didn’t have much of an impact in Chicago’s the push for the playoffs, as the team went 29-26 the rest of the way (22-17 in games Griffey started) with Griffey logging -3.7% WPA in the span.
However, in the crucial Blackout Game 163 to determine the division champion, Griffey had a memorable defensive play that will live on forever — a deadeye one-hopper from short center field that nailed Michael Cuddyer at home on a sacrifice fly attempt that kept the game scoreless.
2015
One of the greatest players in franchise history and a key part of the “Go-Go” Sox of the 1950s, pitcher Billy Pierce, passed away at the age of 78. Pierce was acquired from the Tigers in 1948 and immediately moved into the starting rotation the following season.
He’d win 183 games in a Sox uniform, represent them in seven All-Star games (starting three) with four one-hitters, and at various times led the American League in games started, complete games, strikeouts, wins and ERA. He was twice named AL Pitcher of the Year by The Sporting News and for one season (1970) was the color analyst on White Sox TV broadcasts. He was named to the White Sox All-Century team in 2000.
By WAR, Pierce was the best pitcher for the decade of the 1950s.
After retiring, for many years, he helped raise millions of dollars through Northwestern’s Cancer Research Charity for Children, and as a White Sox ambassador he’d visit with kids, retirement homes, and people at the ballpark.
Billy Pierce was beloved by the city.
2021
It was a night to remember for White Sox rookie Seby Zavala.
The light-hitting catcher blasted three home runs in a stunning 12-11 loss to Cleveland (the White Sox built a 6-1 lead in the game before the bullpen gave it up).
Zavala became the first player in big league history to hit his first three career home runs in the same game. In the losing effort, he went 4-for-4 with four runs scored and six RBIs.