Today in White Sox History: August 1
Nix on almost every hit, as Callahan spins first Pale Hose one-hitter
1901
In a 4-0 masterpiece hosting Detroit, Nixey Callahan tossed the first one-hitter in White Sox history. Only his Tigers counterpart, Joe Yeager, had a safety. Callahan himself had two hits in his win, while the White Sox also tapped out three triples and left fielder Herm McFarland went 3-for-4 with three singles.
1925
Ted Lyons threw 14 1⁄3 IP — all but two outs — of a 15-inning, 5-3 win at Philadelphia.
The 24-year-old allowed 13 hits, three earned runs and three walks — and whiffed just two batters, earning a very modest 74 game score. Lyons would have completed the game, but after the White Sox struck for two runs in the top of the frame (Ray Schalk double, Ike Davis sac fly), the A’s rallied. With two on and one out, Sarge Connally took the pill and ended the game on a bizarre note: a strike ’em out (Sammy Hale), throw ’em out at third base on a CS (Bill Lamar).
The White Sox improved to 55-46 and climbed to within 10 of the first-place A’s (62-33).
Amazingly, this marathon start was not the longest of Lyons’ career, as he went 21 innings — yes, 21 — in a complete-game, 6-5 loss in 1929.
1962
Early Wynn had a 62 game score complete game, allowing eight hits and four walks while striking out five, and giving up one run. But the veteran lost, as Red Sox righty Bill Monbouquette tossed a no-hitter in front of 17,185 at Comiskey Park. Only a walk to Al Smith in the second inning prevented this from becoming a perfect game, as no White Sox batter even reached second base.
1982
With the White Sox up, 3-0, in the top of the sixth at Comiskey Park, Ron LeFlore committed the worst error of his career. Catcher Gary Allenson lofted a soft liner to center field, and the ball struck LeFlore on his forehead as he drifted back to make the catch. A crazy bounce aided Allenson’s romp around the bases, to trim starter Jerry Koosman’s lead to 3-1.
LeFlore, however, had a great day at the plate, leading off and going 2-for-3 with two RBIs. It was his double in the third inning that game the White Sox a 1-0 lead that they would not relinquish.
1983
On a nationally-televised ABC Monday Night Baseball game, Greg Luzinski drove a Ray Fontenot pitch over the left-field roof at Comiskey Park. It was a record-breaking series for the White Sox, as 44,812 attended on this Monday night to push the four-game series box office to 172,264 — the biggest four-game series in Chicago history.
The homer was the Bull’s second roof shot in 1983, and the first home run ever allowed by Fontenot. The Sox beat the Yankees, 4-1, starting a torrid stretch where they went an incredible 46-15 to close out the regular season and finish with 99 wins.
Before the game, the White Sox announced that struggling starter Britt Burns would head to the bullpen in hopes of ironing out his problems — which he did, finishing the 1983 season extremely strong and then pitching a classic, extra-inning loss to the Orioles in Game 4 of the ALCS.
2003
The White Sox won their 8,000th game in franchise history, as they buried the Mariners in Seattle, 12-1. Carl Everett had a huge evening, going 2-for-4 with five RBIs, including a three-run home run off of future teammate Freddy García.
2005
Pitcher Mark Buehrle’s streak of 49 straight starts pitching six or more innings ended when he was thrown out of a game with two outs in the sixth in Baltimore — without even a warning — by umpire Brian Gorman.
White Sox TV announcer Hawk Harrelson became extremely upset in the TV booth (“You’ve GOT to be kidding me!”). Buehrle got tossed, without warning, for hitting B.J. Surhoff after White Sox hitters. A.J. Pierzynski had been hit by a pitch in the top half of the inning. (A.J. exacted some revenge in his next at-bat, leading off the eighth inning with a homer.)
Buehrle’s streak was the longest in the majors since Steve Carlton, between 1979 and 1982.
The Sox would get the last laugh, however, winning the game, 6-3, and sweeping the four-game series to increase their division lead to a season-high 15 games over Cleveland.