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Today in White Sox History: June 11

It’s Zeke Bonura Day!

White Sox Player Zeke Bonura Eating A Watermelon
I mean, how can you not love Zeke Bonura?
Chicago Sun-Times/Chicago Daily News collection/Chicago History Museum/Getty Images

1937

Zeke Bonura Day at Comiskey Park sees the slugger drive in five runs with a homer, two doubles and a single in a 14-8 win over Washington. Pregame, Bonura received a car.

Bonura made his mark in just four seasons with the White Sox, logging 15.7 WAR and putting up a .914 OPS and 128 OPS+. Twice he finished in the Top 20 of MVP voting.

Right before the 1938 season, Bonura was traded to the Senators to get Joe Kuhel, in a swap of first basemen. Kuhel’s White Sox career was good, though not to Bonura’s standard; however, Bonura suffered outside of Comiskey Park, playing just three more seasons and tallying a mere 5.8 WAR before dropping into the minors for a year, then entering military service.


1939

White Sox pitcher Ted Lyons began his streak of 41 consecutive innings pitched without issuing a walk. The streak would last through his game on July 23, when he walked New York’s Frank Crosetti to lead off the game.


1959

It was the fourth and last one-hitter in Billy Pierce’s White Sox career. On this date he beat the Senators, 3-1. Shortstop Ron Samford’s double leading off the third inning was Washington’s only safety. Billy struck out six in the contest.


1965

In Washington, in the first game of a doubleheader, the Sox beat the Senators, 5-2, to collect the franchise’s 5,000th win. Juan Pizarro got the victory, with Eddie Fisher picking up the save. Pete Ward knocked in two runs to lead the Sox offense.

Then the South Siders won the second game, 5-4 in 10 innings, on a home run by Don Buford.

The Sox would go 95-67 that season and finish in second place, seven games behind the Twins.