Today in White Sox History: August 7
The worst team in South Side history begins the worst stretch of its season
1910
White Sox pitcher Ed Walsh fired the first shutout in the original Comiskey Park, when he blanked Washington, 4-0. He allowed only two hits and struck out 10 in the game.
Senators outfielder William “Wid” Conroy got both of the hits off of Walsh that afternoon.
1932
With a 1-0 loss in the second game of a doubleheader against the Philadelphia Athletics, the White Sox started a season-worst, 10-game losing streak. Given the 1932 team was the worst in White Sox history, that the worst stretch for the team was just 10 losses is something of a minor miracle. However, the rest of August was simply miserable, as the 10 straight losses also were strung into 13 of 14, 16 of 18, and 21 of 24.
To put into perspective how horrible the 2024 was through 117 games, at this spot on the season calendar, that team was nine games worse than the 1932, worst-ever, White Sox club.
1960
The White Sox swept a doubleheader from the Senators, 9-7 and 3-2, both in walk-off fashion, with Gerry Staley picking up wins in both games.
In the opener, Washington rallied to tie, 7-7, in the top of the ninth off of Staley, but in the bottom half the Sox assaulted reliever Pedro Ramos: Sherm Lollar doubled, Al Smith walked, and Gene Freese crushed a homer to left to win it. (Ramos had started the game on Friday and had just pitch-ran in the ninth to enter the game, so it’s hard to blame him for being out of gas.)
The pattern repeated itself in the nightcap, with Washington rallying to tie in the top of the ninth and the White Sox punching right back. Again, Lollar instigated the rally, with a leadoff single. After two fly outs, Roy Sievers singled pinch-runner Jim Rivera to third, and then Minnie Miñoso cracked a single through the box and into center field for the game-winner.
On the day, Staley threw four innings of one-hit, one-run, one-walk ball. He blew his ninth save of the season in the opener, but earned two wins to up his record to 11-5 on the year (he’d finish at 13-8, topping all AL relievers in both wins and losses).
The White Sox were in the midst of a final push to defend their 1959 AL pennant, just 1 1⁄2 games out after the sweep. The South Siders fought back into a tie for first after another doubleheader sweep a week from today, but faltered from there and finished 10 games out, in third place, at 87-67.
1970
In the midst of the worst season in franchise history, some smiles were seen after the White Sox unveiled the “Big White Machine” at Comiskey Park.
The car was a 1929 Ford, rebuilt by Sox players Ed Herrmann, Bill Melton, Syd O’Brien and the folks at Hawkinson Ford (now known as Hawk Ford). It circled Comiskey Park every time the Sox won a home game — which wasn’t often!
1972
He played in the big leagues for 23 seasons, and his 300 lifetime wins punched Early Wynn’s ticket into the Hall of Fame, on this date.
Wynn pitched five seasons for the Sox, winning 64 games. He led the American League in innings pitched, games started, strikeouts and wins at various times between 1958 and 1962 when he was in Chicago. He averaged 38 starts per year during that stretch.
Wynn’s signature season was the pennant-winning year of 1959, when he won the Cy Young with 22 wins and a 3.17 ERA. (There was only one award in those days, instead of one winner per league.) In the early 1980s, Wynn became a White Sox broadcaster.
1974
Comiskey Park was the site for one of the most exciting games of the early 1970s, and it involved Nolan Ryan. The flamethrower took a no-hitter into the ninth inning and led, 1-0, thanks to a Frank Robinson home run. However, after getting the first out in the ninth, it all fell apart for Ryan.
Dick Allen beat out an infield hit, spoiling the no-hitter, and Carlos May reached on an error. Ken Henderson ripped a single to center to tie the game, and then with two out, Billy Sharp singled to right to win it.
The Sox beat the Angels, 2-1, getting all three of their hits in the final inning. White Sox starter Jim Kaat was brilliant as well, and the late rally saved him from a hard-luck loss.
1994
In a game in Anaheim, Frank Thomas drove in two runs in the a 10-5 White Sox win, in 12 innings over the Angels. The RBIs were his 100th and 101st on the season. They came in the team’s 110th game, which set the franchise mark for fastest to 100 RBIs.
Thomas also held the old mark — set the year before, when he collected his 100th RBI in the team’s 118th contest.