Today in White Sox History: September 21
Minnie Miñoso sends a titanic blast out of Comiskey Park
1901
The White Sox won the first major-league American League pennant despite losing to the Philadelphia A’s, 10-4. The Sox would end up winning the pennant by five games over the Boston Americans, with a record of 83-53. Unfortunately, the World Series didn’t start until 1903, so an AL pennant was the best that the Sox could do.
However, the White Sox did play a postgame series, against the “AL All-Stars” in what was dubbed the “All-American Series,” splitting the four-game set. In a telling statistic for an upstart team and league in its first season in the majors, the White Sox nearly doubled the attendance of the established Orphans (Cubs), 354,350-205,071.
The White Sox had a very balanced lineup, led by outfielders Billy Hoy and Fielder Jones, and scored the most runs in the league. The team relied primarily on speed, as Frank Isbell, Sam Mertes and Jones finished 1–2–3 in the AL in stolen bases, swiping 136 among them. The pitching staff was anchored by player-manager Clark Griffith, who went 24–7 with a 2.67 ERA.
1917
The White Sox clinched the pennant, beating the Red Sox, 2-1 in 10 innings behind Red Faber. Shano Collins singled after Ray Schalk led off the top of the 10th with a double, providing the eventual game-winner. The final outs came when pinch-hitter Babe Ruth rapped into a double play in the bottom of the 10th.
The White Sox would outdistance Boston by eight games in 1917, with a mark of 100-54, and then defeat the New York Giants four games to two in the World Series.
The 100 wins in a season have never been equaled in team history. The Sox offense led the league in runs scored that season while the pitching staff, led by Eddie Cicotte, had a season ERA of 2.16
1955
Frank “Trader” Lane, one of the best GMs in team history, resigned. During his seven-season tenure, Lane made 241 trades involving 353 players. He was one of the architects of the club that would win the 1959 American League pennant. Among the players Lane acquired for the Sox were Minnie Miñoso, Nellie Fox, Dick Donovan, Jim Rivera, Billy Pierce, Chico Carrasquel and Sherm Lollar.
1960
For just the second time among White Sox players, and eighth overall, there was a home run hit over the Comiskey Park roof. In a 7-2 victory over the Kansas City A’s, Minnie Miñoso clobbered a two-out, two-run homer to left that opened scoring.
Just seven White Sox homers and 21 total went over the roof in the 72 years of Comiskey Park history before home plate was moved forward, before the 1983 season.
1970
For the first time in 69 seasons, the White Sox finally had a 30-home run man. Bill Melton got an upper-deck shot off of Kansas City’s Aurelio Monteagudo (who was Melton’s teammate on the Sox the year before) to set the record for the most White Sox home runs in a season.
That same day, Luis Aparicio got his final hit in a Sox uniform. He had 1,576 of them for the White Sox. Just 672 fans were on hand to see the doubleheader at Comiskey Park, as the White Sox were in the process of setting their all-time losses mark.
1998
Jim Abbott’s amazing comeback with the White Sox continued, as he threw six innings of a 7-1 win over Minnesota to improve to 4-0.
It was Abbott’s second stint on the South Side, the first coming in 1995, where he compiled 2.6 rWAR in 17 starts before being dealt at the trade deadline to the Angels. After re-signing with the Angels and suffering an awful 1996 (2-18, 7.48 ERA), Abbott was flushed out of the majors and took a year off.
In 1998, the White Sox gave the southpaw another shot, and he swallowed his pride and made 18 starts across all four minors levels, from Low-A up to Triple-A. He was called up to the majors during roster expansion, making his season debut with the White Sox on September 5. He won all five of his starts for Chicago, racking up a 4.55 ERA and 4.31 FIP.
He signed with Milwaukee in the offseason and would play one more year in the majors, before retiring with a career 19.6 WAR and 87 wins.
2015
Jeff Samardzija was acquired from the A’s with the hope that the Chicago native (who grew up a White Sox fan) could be the difference in getting the team to the postseason. His campaign, though, was something to forget; he struggled all year, particularly in the first inning of games, and after the trade deadline.
On this day, however, he pitched the finest game in his career; in the opener of a doubleheader against the Tigers, he tossed a one-hitter in a 2-0 shutout. The only hit he allowed was a bloop single off the bat of Victor Martinez in the fifth inning. Samardzija struck out six and only faced one hitter over the minimum. Erik Johnson won the nightcap, completing a White Sox sweep.