THIS DAY IN SOX HISTORY: APRIL 14TH

No White Sox today … no worries!

Here’s a look back at what happened on this date in Sox history to spark the old memory bank:

1907, CHAMPS MAKE IT TWO OF THREE: The defending World Champion White Sox defeated the Browns 2-1 before an overflow crowd of 17,000 in St. Louis. Fielder Jones gave the White Sox the lead for good with a two-run single in the in the second in a game where thousands more fans were turned away.

1908, BIG BEGINNING: The Sox opened their eighth A.L. campaign by blasting Detroit 15-8 before a record and overflow crowd of 20,000 at South Side Park. Billy SullivanZ homered and Doc White got the win as the Sox set a club Opening Day scoring record which would stand until the 1951 team christened their season with a 17-3 triumph at St. Louis. This was one of those games where the overflow crowd was allowed on the field and balls hit into the throng were ruled doubles of which there were eight in this game.

1910, LAST OPENER AT SOUTH SIDE PARK: Frank Smith commemorated the final Opening Day at South Side Park with a one-hitter in the White Sox 3-0 win over St. Louis. 20,000 watched as Smith gave up a single in the third while walking two and fanning five. Less than three months later, the White Sox opened Comiskey Park – their home until Sept. 30, 1990.

1914: DEATH VALLEY FOR NAPS: In his second big league game and fourth at bat, Tom Daly delivered a go-ahead two-run double in the seventh in the White Sox 5-2 win over Cleveland before 23,000 in the opener at Comiskey Park. Jim “Death Valley” Scott was the winning pitcher as the Sox began a club-record five-game season-starting win streak, which stood as the best in team history until the 1920 Sox started 6-0.

1915, DEATH VALLEY DOES IT AGAIN: Jack Fournier’s two-run pinch triple highlighted a three-run 13th as the White Sox prevailed 7-6 in the season-opener at St. Louis. The big hit came two innings after Bunny Brief launched a home run. Ed Cicotte got the win in relief of starter Jim “Death Valley” Scott.

1917, A NO-NO FOR CICOTTE: Ed Cicotte no-hit St. Louis in an 11-0 Sox win at St. Louis. Cicotte gave up three walks, hit a batter and struck out five in the fifth no-hitter in club history. The Sox gave Cicotte a lead right away with one in the first and added seven more in the second inning.

1920, CHAMPS START WITH A WIN: Thanks to Eddie Collins’ walkoff single in the 11th, the White Sox opened defense of their A.L. pennant with a 3-2 win over Detroit before 25,000 fans at Comiskey Park. Buck Weaver scored the winning run and Lefty Williams went the distance for the win, which was the first in a six-game winning streak.

1936, HEY BABE!: Reliever Babe Phelps doubled in the go-ahead run in the eighth and got the win in the White Sox 7-6 Opening Day win over St. Louis before 12,000 at Comiskey Park. Phelps capped his four inning stint by fanning Jim Bottomley to end the game.

1955, WELCOME A’S: Bob Nieman homered with three RBIs as the White Sox topped the A’s 7-1 before 14,067 in the Comiskey Park opener. Sandy Consuegra got the win as the Sox played the A’s for the first time since their move from Philadelphia to Kansas City.

1959, 4-0 IN 1959: Billy Pierce fired a six-hitter for the win as the White Sox improved to 4-0 with a 2-0 win over Kansas City before 19,303 in the Comiskey Park where all in attendance received a free beer and a soda. Pierce struck out three with no walks in helping the Sox move to 4-0 in the 1 hour and 55 minute affair. The Sox scored both of their runs in the fifth when Luis Aparicio’s single scored Johnny Callison and Bubba Phillips.

1969, FIRST SAVE: Bob Locker earned the White Sox first official save in a 4-3 win over the Angels in Anaheim. Locker fashioned two shutout innings to preserve Tommy John’s victory. Pete Ward’s two-out, two-run double in the eighth gave the Sox the lead for good.

1970, NO. 1 FOR HORLEN: Joel Horlen pitched into the eighth for his first win in the White Sox 3-1 triumph in Anaheim. The Sox scored their first run when Ken Berry scored on a passed ball. The Sox padded their lead on a Bill Melton double and a Duane Josephson single. Wilbur Wood tossed 1.1 perfect frames for his second save as the Sox halted a three-game losing streak.

1981, FISK SLAMS BREWERS: Carlton Fisk’s grand slam in his home debut with the White Sox sparked a 9-3 win over Milwaukee before an Opening Day record crowd of 51,560 at Comiskey Park. Greg Luzinski logged two RBI in his Comiskey Park debut in support of Ross Baumgarten, who went eight innings for the win.

1982, GOOD WORK, WIMPY: Behind Tom Paciorek’s three-run homer in the seventh, the White Sox notched their first 4-0 start since 1959 with a 5-4 win at Boston. Steve Trout got the win while Salome Barojas fired three perfect innings with two strikeouts for his third save.

1983, THE BULL, KITTY LEAD THE WAY: Ron Kittle drove in six and Greg Luzinski’s sacrifice fly in the eighth gave the Sox the lead for good in a 12-11 win over the Orioles before 13,622 at Comiskey Park. Carlton Fisk doubled twice as the Sox improved to 3-4.

1985, FISK HAUNTS RED SOX: Carlton Fisk victimized his old team with four RBIs in the White Sox 11-6 win over the Red Sox at Fenway Park. Fisk’s hit a three-run home run in a seven-run fourth that gave the Sox the lead for good.

1989, MERULLO LEAVES HIS MARK: Matt Merullo hit the last Opening Day homer at Old Comiskey Park in the White Sox 7-4 loss to Oakland in the home opener before 37,950 fans. Merullo homered off Rick Honeycutt during an Old Comiskey Park power outage so there were no fireworks to celebrate the milestone. Merullo collected his first Major League hit off Dave Stewart earlier in the game.

1990, SOSA TRIPLES HIS PLEASURE: Sammy Sosa tied a team record by banging out two triples in the White Sox 9-4 win vs. Cleveland before 12,125 at Comiskey Park. The Sox took the lead for good with two in the first thanks to a sac fly by Ivan Calderon and a single by Carlton Fisk. The win improved the surprising Sox to 3-1.

2000, NEW MILLENIUM OPENER AT COMISKEY: Frank Thomas celebrated the White Sox first home game of the 21st Century with a lead-providing homer in the first in the White Sox 9-4 win over Anaheim before 38,912 at Comiskey Park. Ray Durham treated the sellout crowd to a spectacular catch in the first to keep the Angels off the board. Paul Konerko also homered to help Mike Sirotka improve to 2-1 in the fourth nocturnal home opener in franchise history.

2004, NINTH INNING HEROICS: Joe Crede’s ninth-inning single plated Willie Harris with the winning run in the White Sox 10-9 win over Kansas City before 11,765 at US Cellular Field. Paul Konerko’s single earlier in the frame scored Magglio Ordonez with the tying run. The big ninth allowed reliever Jon Adkins to earn his first big league victory.

2010, THANKS, DANKS: John Danks allowed two hits over seven innings for the victory in the White Sox 11-1 win at Toronto. Danks walked three and fanned six for his first win of the season. Carlos Quentin hit a grand slam and drove in a career-best six runs and Andruw Jones also homered as the Sox avoided losing a series in Toronto for the first time since 2006.

2017, THE TRES GARCIAS GAME: Starting an All-Garcia outfield, the White Sox tipped the Twins 2-1 at Target Field. With Willy in left, Leury in center and Avisail in right, the Sox became the first team in baseball to start an outfield of three players with the same surname, according to Elias Sports Bureau. Leury Garcia scored the Sox first run in the third but it was Matt Davidson’s homer in the seventh that was the difference.

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21 YEARS AGO TODAY ANOTHER SOX TIME CHANGE!

Today isn’t the first time rotten weather has prompted the White Sox to drastically alter the first pitch of a game.

The time change isn’t the only thing binding these rescheduled games together.

Both opponents play in a dome and threw (or will throw) their ace at the Sox.

In 1997 it was the Toronto Blue Jays, who played in the since renamed SkyDome, and Roger Clemens taking on the Sox in the rescheduled tilt.

In 2018, it is the Tampa Bay Rays, who play in the covered Tropicana Field, and Chris Archer battling the Sox six hours earlier than originally scheduled.

In 1997, 746 hearty souls observed the Sox 5-0 loss to the Jays at what was known as Comiskey Park at the time.

The game was originally scheduled for 7:05 p.m. but moved to 1:05 p.m. because of freezing temperatures that forced the postponement of the previous day’s game.

With the mercury reading a New Comiskey Park record low 34 degrees at gametime, Clemens limited the Sox to two hits in 5.2 innings before the smallest crowd to watch a Sox home game since Sept. 21, 1970 when 672 took in a contest against Kansas City.

Hitting safely for the Sox that day were Frank Thomas, Ray Durham and Dave Martinez.

http://www.retrosheet.org/boxesetc/1997/B04090CHA1997.htm

COUNTDOWN TO WHITE SOX OPENING DAY: 32 DAYS

32 days to Opening Day, White Sox fans!

Sure-handed first baseman Jim Spencer hit 32 home runs for the White Sox in 1976 and 1977.

Spencer is one of the most underrated players in Sox history.

Consider:

*went 3-for-3 with a homer and three RBI in his Sox debut, a 4-0 win over Kansas City before 40,318 at Comiskey Park in 1976. … His bases-loaded walk in the third gave the Sox the lead for good

*Sox starting first baseman and collected one of the team’s three hits in a 3-0 loss to Texas in the first morning game in Comiskey Park

*tied Jorge Orta for the Sox lead with 14 homers in 1976

*led AL first baseman with 112 assists and a .998 fielding percentage for the 1976 Sox

*tied the club RBI mark twice in the span of 39 days in 1977. On May 14, Spencer used a two-run homer and a grand slam en route to an 8-RBI game in an 18-2 win vs. Cleveland at Comiskey Park. On July 2, Spencer launched a grand slam and a three-run homer for another 8-RBI outburst in a 13-8 win vs. Minnesota at Comiskey Park. He is the only player in Sox history with two 8-RBI games

*one of nine members of the 1977 Southside Hitmen to reach double figures in homers

*hit the second indoor home run in franchise history on July 4, 1977 at the Kingdome in Seattle after Oscar Gamble hit the first

*became the first Sox first baseman to win a Gold Glove for the 1977 club. Mike Squires (1981) is the only other Sox player to accomplish this feat

Picture: https://www.google.com/search?q=jim+spencer+sox&rlz=1CDGOYI_enUS738US738&hl=en-US&prmd=nsiv&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwil1MOty8HZAhVRylMKHdfMBbYQ_AUIEygD&biw=375&bih=591#imgrc=LUIy3NYD-NowRM:

COUNTDOWN TO WHITE SOX OPENING DAY: 35 DAYS

35 days to Opening Day, White Sox fans!

Wearing his trademark No. 35, Frank Thomas hit 35 home runs in winning the American League batting title with a .347 average for the 1997 White Sox.

picture: https://goo.gl/images/UW3Tep

COUNTDOWN TO WHITE SOX OPENING DAYS: 58 DAYS

58 days until White Sox Opening Day!

Hit No. 58 of Frank Thomas’ Hall of Fame career was the final White Sox home run at Comiskey Park.

On Sept. 28, 1990, “The Big Hurt” went deep off Randy Johnson in the seventh inning in Seattle’s 13-4 win before 37,662 fans in the first game of the final series at the old park.

A LOOK AT HOF JIM THOME … @SOXNERD STYLE!

Yes, Jim Thome broke in with the Cleveland Indians.

And, yes, Thome became a star in Cleveland.

And, yes, Thome’s likeness will most likely be sporting an Indians cap on his Hall of Fame plaque

And, yes, Thome arguably had two of his most productive seasons in Philadelphia

BUT …

White Sox fans certainly have every right to consider Thome, who was elected to the Hall “one of their own.”

“Big Jim” provided Sox fans with some HUGE moments AND really enjoyed being on the Southside.

If he didn’t like it here, would he still be a member of the organization?

With Cooperstown clearing out a space on its wall for him, here’s a look at Thome and all things White Sox, @soxnerd style!

*HALL MONITORING: Thome is the 30th White Sox player to earn induction into the Hall of Fame (31 if you count Jocko Conlan, who played with the Sox but went into the Hall as an umpire) … Thome is the 16th Sox player to make the Hall on the writers ballot. The rest earned induction via the Veterans or Old-Timers committees. … The only Sox players who earned induction into the Hall on the first ballot with a higher percentage than Thome’s 89.8 were Ken Griffey Jr. (99.3), Tom Seaver (98.8) and Steve Carlton (95.82). … Thome joins the three players mentioned above and Frank Thomas as the Sox only first-ballot Hall of Famers

*SOX TOTALS: Thome hit .265 with a .391 on-base percentage and .542 slugging percentage with 134 home runs and 369 RBI in 529 games for the Sox from 2006 to 2009

*HE’S NO. 1: Thome is first in Sox history with an average of one homer every 13.2 at bats

*SOX RANKINGS: Thome’s 134 homers are 13th in Sox history and third among lefties behind Harold Baines (221) and Robin Ventura (171). … Thome’s .542 slugging percentage is second in club annals to Thomas’ .568 and his on-base percentage is seventh.

*BIG YIELDS ON SHIELDS: Thome is second among New Comiskey Park/U.S. Cellular Field/Guaranteed Rate Field visitors with 19 homers behind Torii Hunter’s 20. … He is fourth overall with 98 homers at the park behind Frank Thomas (263), Paul Konerko (259) and Magglio Ordonez (113)

*SOCKING THE SOX: Thome homered in his first at bat against the Sox. On June 29, 1992, Thome went deep in the second inning off Jack McDowell in the White Sox 9-6 win at Cleveland Stadium. Thome batted eighth and played third base that day. … Thome hit .300 with 43 homers and 117 RBI in 144 games against the Sox.

*FIRST HR VS. SOX: Thome homered in his first game at New Comiskey Park/U.S. Cellular Field/Guaranteed Rate Field. On May 3, 1994, Thome accounted for Cleveland’s only run with an eighth inning homer Alex Fernandez in the Sox 12-1 victory. After hitting that homer, Thome was replaced by Herbert Perry, making his big league debut, at third in the bottom of the inning.

*HOW HE GOT HERE: Heading into his age 35 and 16th season, Thome was acquired by the Sox with cash for Aaron Rowand, minor leaguer Daniel Haigwood and a player to be named later, who turned out to be pitcher Gio Gonzalez on Nov. 25, 2005. … At the time, only Jose Canseco joined the Sox with more homers (446 in 2001) than Thome’s 430.

*OPENING WITH A BANG: Thome homered in his first game with the White Sox. On the night the Sox raised their 2005 championship banner and in front of an ESPN Sunday Night Baseball audience, Thome launched a two-run homer in the fourth inning of the Sox 10-4 rain-shortened win over Cleveland at U.S. Cellular Field.

*OPENING DAY EXCELLENCE: Thome hit a franchise record four home runs on Opening Day and went deep in three of his four season-starting games for the Sox. He hit .400 (6-for-15) in curtain-raisers for the Sox. In his last Sox Opener in 2009, Thome launched a three-run go-ahead homer in the eighth off Kyle Farnsworth in a 4-2 win at U.S. Cellular Field.

*NICE APRIL: Thome set White Sox record with 10 home runs in April of 2006

*A RECORD RUN: Thome scored a run in a big league record 17 consecutive games to start a season for the 2006 White Sox

*STAR GAZING: Thome represented the White Sox at the 2006 All-Star Game. As one of manager Ozzie Guillen’s seven Sox representatives, Thome grounded out against Tom Gordon as a pinch-hitter for Johan Santana in the eighth inning of the American League’s 3-2 win in Pittsburgh.

*RECORDS: Thome’s 42 home runs in 2006 are the most by a player in his first season with the White Sox and the most by a Sox left-handed hitter. … *Thome joins Jermaine Dye as the only set of White Sox teammates to hit 40 homers in the same season (2006). … Thome set Sox record with 14 RBI over a three-game span from July 11, 12, 17, 2009

*LAUDED: Thome hit .500 (5-for-10) with  two homers and seven RBI in being named A.L. Player of the Week for the period ending July 19, 2006

*MORE AWARDS: Thome was named A.L. Comeback Player of the Year by MLB and The Sporting News after hitting .288 with 42 homers and 107 RBI for the 2006 White Sox

*YOU AWESOME, BIG MAN! Thome’s 500th homer was a walkoff shot for the White Sox in a win over the Angels on Sept. 16, 2007 at U.S. Cellular Field … Thome became the first player to hit a walkoff homer for his 500th in the 9-7 triumph. … He was the 23rd player to reach the milestone and the third to do it in 2007 (Alex Rodriguez and Frank Thomas). … The homer off a 3-2 pitch ended an 0-for-11 slump for Thome.

*THE LEADER: Thome led the 2007 White Sox in average, runs, home runs, RBI, on-base percentage and slugging percentage

*THE THUMB: The last of Thome’s three ejections came April 11, 2008 when plate umpire James Hoye gave him the heave-ho in the fifth for arguing balls and strikes

*BIG BOMB: Thome’s 464-foot home run on June 4, 2008 was the first to land on the center field concourse at U.S. Cellular Field

*IN THE CLUTCH: Thome’s 461-foot homer in the seventh lifted White Sox to a 1-0 win over the Twins in the A.L. Central tie-breaking game (aka “The Blackout Game”) on Sept. 30, 2008 at U.S. Cellular Field

*PLAYOFFS! Thome hit .125 (2-for-16) with a run, a double, an RBI and a walk for the Sox in the 2008 Division Series loss to Tampa Bay. … Thome started all four games at DH and hit cleanup in every game but Game 2 when he hit fifth. … His lone RBI came in Game 2 when a first-inning single drove in Orlando Cabrera to give the Sox a 1-0 lead in a contest they would eventually lose, 5-2. … Thome’s final postseason hit was a double in the fourth-inning of Game 3 at U.S. Cellular Field. He eventually scored on an Alexei Ramirez sac fly that gave the Sox the lead for good in a 5-3 win. … Thome’s last postseason at bat for the Sox came in the ninth inning of Game 4 when he struck out.

*BIG DAY: Thome hit two home runs (including a grand slam) with a career-best seven RBI in White Sox 12-8 win over Orioles on July 17, 2009 at U.S. Cellular Field

*EPILOGUE: Thome’s Sox playing career came to an end when he was sent to the Dodgers for minor leaguer Justin Fuller on Aug. 31, 2009. … Thome was hired by the Sox as a special assistant to the general manager in June of 2012.

COUNTDOWN TO WHITE SOX OPENING DAY: 96 DAYS

96 days until White Sox Opening Day!

Alex Fernandez threw the Sox first pitch ever in the month of March in the franchise’ 96th Opening Day in 1996.

Who will throw the first pitch in the Sox latest March Opener on the 29th in Kansas City? Shields? Rodon? Fulmer? Giolito? Not known yet?

Fernandez’s start (a no decision) in that 12-inning loss was the last of his two Opening Day assignments for the Sox.