Today in White Sox History: May 6

1903

The White Sox were charged with 11 errors in a game in Chicago vs. Detroit. While that’s a big story in itself, it’s not the most remarkable item to come out of this game.

What is the most remarkable item to come out of this game is the fact that the Sox won the game, 10-9, scoring three runs in the ninth inning! Cozy Dolan had an error, Frank Isbell made three, Lee Tannehill had four and Patsy Flaherty had three.

1917

Remember just a day ago, when the lowly Browns no-hit the mighty White Sox? Well, it happened again, one day and two games later.

St. Louis swept Chicago in a doubleheader, with Bob Groom holding the White Sox hitless in a 3-0 nightcap win.

However, the loss marked the end of the eventual world champions’ four-game losing streak (what would be their longest of the season), and the 11-10 club would win 89 of its final 135 games (a .659 winning percentage!) in storming to the sole 100-win season in White Sox history.

Unlike the no-hitter on May 5, the Browns actually played a very good game in this win, and moved one full game ahead of the White Sox in the AL standings.

This is the only time in major league history that a team has been no-hit on consecutive days. And the team no-hit was a 100-win eventual World Series winner.

Also, this was Groom’s last full season in the big leagues, and he would lead the AL with 19 losses, against just eight wins.

Baseball is crazy.

1963

Making an emergency start in Kansas City, White Sox pitcher Gary Peters hit the first of his 19 career home runs. It came in the third inning off Ted Bowsfield. Peters tossed eight innings of one-run ball in the 5-1 win. It was the first win in 1963 for Gary, who’d go on to collect 19 of them and win Co-Rookie of the Year honors with teammate Pete Ward.

Peters is also the franchise leader in most home runs hit by a pitcher with 15, three more than Jack Harshman.

Peters was told that he would be that game’s starter late — while on the airplane flying into Kansas City — by pitching coach Ray Berres after scheduled starter Juan Pizarro got sick.

1964

Dave Nicholson hit what may have been the longest home run in MLB history.

On this night, in the fifth inning, in the first game of a twin bill versus the A’s, Nicholson blasted a shot off of future White Sox pitcher Moe Drabowsky that went over the roof and was found across the street in Armour Square.

Some Sox fans claimed they heard the ball hit the top of the roof, but White Sox officials said when they found the ball it had no signs of tar on it, nor was it scuffed.

Nicholson’s shot went over the roof around the 375-foot sign in left-center field. It was found 135 feet from the base of the wall. Plus, you have to add in the elevation needed to get the ball over the roof, approximately 70 feet. Hitting a ball on to the roof or over it required a ground-to-ground distance of at least 474 feet.

Unofficial estimates place the drive as traveling 573 feet, eclipsing Mickey Mantle’s shot at Griffith Stadium in Washington in 1956 that went an unofficial 565 feet.

For the night, Dave would hammer three home runs and drive in five runs in the twin bill as the Sox swept both games, 6-4 and 11-4.