Today in White Sox History: July 10

1912

Looking for more pitching, White Sox owner Charles Comiskey acquired Eddie Cicotte from the Red Sox after the Cicotte argued with his manager and owner John Taylor. Cicotte, of course would pitch well for the White Sox, but then would be banned from baseball in 1920 because of his involvement in fixing the 1919 World Series. In eight and a half years with the White Sox, he won 156 games.

1916

The White Sox swept Boston in a doubleheader, 4-0 and 3-0, with Lefty Williams and Reb Russell earning the shutouts. About six weeks earlier, on May 28, the White Sox also swept a doubleheader with shutouts, as Jim Scott and Red Faber beat Cleveland by identical 2-0 scores.

But the doubleheader shutout pairs bury the lede on an even weirder story, as the Boston sweep came at the start of what would become a 19-day, 21-game road trip odyssey, with the White Sox playing in seven straight doubleheaders starting on this day, through July 20 — seven doubleheaders in 11 days!

The White Sox had a series in Boston in mid-May completely washed out by rain, so the July doubleheaders all wedged May and July games together. Then, traveling to Philadelphia for the next leg of the trip, the White Sox were deluged by rain to force additional doubling-up of games.

The White Sox only split one of the seven doubleheaders, otherwise sweeping three and getting swept in three. After this leadoff sweep in Boston, the White Sox dropped four straight, then took five straight, and finished the doubleheader marathon by losing three straight.

Based on the original schedule and all the rain-soaking, the White Sox ended up with just one scheduled day off (i.e. a day off not forced by rain) in all 19 days of the trip.

1956

For the third and final time, Billy Pierce was pegged to start for the American League in the All-Star Game. In this game, in Washington D.C., Billy was tagged with the loss despite only allowing one run in three innings of work. The NL won, 7-3.

Pierce would represent the Sox in seven All-Star affairs. Joining him on the team that year were Nellie Fox, Sherm Lollar and Jim Wilson.

1995

At the All-Star festivities in Texas, White Sox All-Star first baseman Frank Thomas won the home run contest, on the day before the actual game.

2001

Magglio Ordoñez homered off of the Cubs’ John Lieber at the All-Star Game in Seattle, becoming the second White Sox player to ever homer in the annual classic. The AL won the game, 4-1. Ordoñez was the only Sox player on the team.