Today in White Sox History: June 21

1942

White Sox pitcher and future Hall-of-Famer Ted Lyons won his 250th career game, beating the Red Sox, 6-5. (And a week later, Lyons would knock off the Yankees and Red Ruffing to tie Ruffing with 251 career wins.)

That season, Lyons only pitched on Sundays, and posted this incredible statistic: In his 20 starts that year he completed all 20 games! He went 14-6 with a league-leading 2.10 ERA. At the end of the season, at age 42, Lyons joined the Marines and served for four years during World War II.

1956

It was either a case of great pitching, or terrible hitting, as it was dual one-hitters as the White Sox beat the Orioles, 1-0, in a game that took just 2:12 in front of a mere 4,581 at Comiskey Park. Baltimore starter Connie Johnson, a former White Sox pitcher, threw seven innings of one-hit ball, relieved by George Zuverink and his clean eighth inning. Meanwhile Jack Harshman of the White Sox went all nine innings and allowed only one hit.

The White Sox scored their run in the first inning, when Jim Rivera walked, stole second and scored on a double by Nellie Fox. Baltimore’s only hit came in the seventh inning, a double off the bat of Gus Triandos.

1964

The White Sox dropped their ninth straight game on the season to the Yankees, 2-1, in 17 innings. It allowed New York to sweep a twin bill where the Sox scored only one run on the day (over 26 innings), having lost the opener, 2-0. The nightcap loss really hurt, because New York got the winning run home thanks to an error by infielder Al Weis.

The Sox would lose another one to the Yanks the next day (running the streak to 10 in a row), and the Yankees would sweep the four-game series, giving up just one run over 41 total innings. In fact, this was part of a run that saw the White Sox lose nine games to the Yankees over 11 days. Chicago finally won again vs. the Yankees ... in August.

Strangely, the White Sox were 6-12 vs. New York in 1964, but the dozen head-to-head losses were very costly, because the Sox ended the season with nine straight victories but still finish one game behind the Yankees.

1973

White Sox pitcher Stan Bahnsen, a 21-game winner in 1972, threw one of the strangest shutouts in baseball history. Bahnsen beat the A’s, 2-0, at Comiskey Park. He allowed 12 hits and a walk in the process. The A’s left 10 men on base.

Bahnsen’s 12 hits allowed fell just two shy of the major league record for most hits given up in a shutout.