Today in White Sox History: July 29

1942

The White Sox staged the first twi-night double header in club history, as they swept the Yankees, 7-5 and 7-2. More than 27,000 fans showed up at Comiskey Park for the wartime promotion, which became a regular attraction over the next several decades.

1962

In a doubleheader versus the Yankees, Sox outfielder/first baseman Charlie “Paw Paw” Maxwell hit three home runs and knocked home five run in the split. Maxwell had a curious history of doing his best hitting on a Sunday.

When acquired from the Tigers, it was discovered that 25 of Maxwell’s 70 career homers (to that point) were hit on the Sabbath. Of his 10 in 1962, five came on Sunday. On July 8, Maxwell got six hits in a doubleheader against Cleveland and on August 19, Maxwell hit a grand slam and knocked in six against Detroit.

Yes … all of those games were on Sunday.

1963

Facing the Senators in Washington, White Sox pitcher Joe Horlen took a no-hitter into the ninth inning. Only leading 1-0 and under incredible pressure, Horlen not only lost the no-hitter but the game, 2-1, as Chuck Hinton grounded a roller up the middle with one out for a hit that Horlen wasn’t able to get a glove on. Then Don Lock belted a curveball for a two-run homer with two out to win it.

Horlen looked ready to cry on the postgame show, talking with announcer Jack Brickhouse of WGN-TV.

1989

At the time it was an unpopular deal, but in the long term it worked out very well for the White Sox: GM Larry Himes sent All-Star outfielder/DH Harold Baines and infielder Fred Manrique to the Rangers for infielder Scott Fletcher, outfielder Sammy Sosa and pitching prospect Wilson Alvarez. Fans hated to lose Baines but the Sox weren’t going anywhere, and he was expendable.

Fletcher and the pre-steroid Sosa played important roles in the franchise’s revival in 1990, and Alvarez would become a very solid starter beginning in 1993. He also fired a no-hitter in August 1991 at Baltimore, winning 7-0 in only his second big league start.

1998

It was a small move at the time that would turn out to have major implications: GM Ron Schueler shipped inconsistent relief pitcher Matt Karchner to the Cubs for recent former first round draft pick, pitcher Jon Garland. It took time, but Garland realized his potential in the 2005 season, when he helped lead the club to the World Series title with 18 wins and an All-Star appearance. In seven years with the White Sox, Garland won 90 games and had double-figure wins in six of those seasons.

2000

With the White Sox badly in need of pitching at the trade deadline due to injuries to starters Cal Eldred and James Baldwin, GM Ron Schueler went off in another direction, acquiring catcher Charles Johnson and DH Harold Baines. It was Baines’ third stint with the Sox, and while he and Johnson helped offensively, it did nothing to lighten the load on the pitching staff.

That staff, even though they’d go on to win the division, suffered even more arm injuries, to starters Jim Parque and Mike Sirotka and relief pitchers Bobby Howry and Kelly Wunsch. The Sox would pay for Schueler’s mistake the following season because the staff was decimated, many coming off surgeries.

It should be noted however, in Schueler’s defense, that some of the pitchers the Sox were rumored to be interested in trading for, like Mike Mussina and Curt Schilling, said they would not accept a trade to Chicago.