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Today in White Sox History: October 4

Two very loud South Side institutions say goodbye.

By Mark Liptak
Sportscaster Harry Caray Announcing Baseball Game
Two loud icons of Comiskey Park — the original exploding scoreboard, and Harry Caray — said goodbye on this day, 40 years ago.

1948

Chuck Comiskey III was named vice president of the White Sox. He refused to see the team continue to be the laughingstock of the American League, and immediately began to take steps to change things on and off the field. Those changes started to bear fruit as soon as the 1951 season.

1981

Jerry Hairston’s grand slam helped beat the Twins, 13-12, setting off Bill Veeck’s original exploding scoreboard for the last time. The blast came off of future White Sox pitching coach Don Cooper.

The White Sox trailed in the game, 12-5, before scoring eight unanswered runs in the final two innings. The victory gave the Sox their first winning year since 1977, at 54-52.

The game also marked the end of broadcaster Harry Caray’s association with the Sox, after 11 seasons.

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