Today in White Sox History: August 13

1943

White Sox shortstop Luke Appling collected his 2,000th hit. It came against the Red Sox, helping the White Sox to a 3-2 win. The hit drove in a run in the first inning, off of Cecil “Tex” Hughson.

1954

White Sox pitcher Jack Harshman, who holds the franchise mark for most strikeouts in a game, notched another milestone. On this date against the Tigers, Harshman pitched all 16 innings in the Sox 1-0 win at Comiskey Park.

The Sox finally plated a run in the last of the 16th, on a triple by Minnie Miñoso scoring Nellie Fox.

Harshman allowed nine hits and faced 57 hitters. Incredibly, Detroit’s Al Aber also went the distance in the contest! Billy Pierce also threw 16 innings for the Sox, in a game in 1959.

1967

All season long the White Sox battled the big boys — the Tigers, Twins and Red Sox — in the greatest pennant race in American League history. But for the White Sox, this game marked the beginning of the end of the dream.

The Sox lost a controversial game to the Twins, 3-2, when Tommie Agee was called out at third base on a close play in the ninth inning. The Sox dropped out of first place for the first time in two months, as the Twins swept them in the series and moved atop the American League standings.

Afterwards, manager Eddie Stanky kept Vice President Hubert Humphrey waiting outside the Sox locker room, along with reporters. Stanky later said, ”What do I need Humphrey for? Can he hit?”

1996

Robin Ventura clubs his team-record ninth grand slam, leading the White Sox to an 8-4 victory over the Yankees.

2002

White Sox infielder José Valentín homered from both sides of the plate in the same game. He did it in Texas off of Rangers hurlers Dennys Reyes and Todd Van Poppel, and the shot off of Reyes was a grand slam.

Valentín drove in six runs in the 12-3 win. He first did this trick in 2000, and would do it a third time in 2003!