There’s a long line of White Sox moments tied to Sept. 21, and it stretches from pennant clinchers to record-setting homers, one-hitters and late-inning heroics.
The date has twice delivered a trip to the top of the standings. In 1901, even after a 10-4 loss in Philadelphia, the White Sox still clinched their second straight A.L. pennant under Clark Griffith.
That was also the first season the A.L. was recognized as a “major” league. Then in 1917, Red Faber shut the door in Boston by getting Babe Ruth to hit into a game-ending double play, sealing a 2-1, 10-inning win and the pennant.
Chicago broke through in the 10th when Ray Schalk doubled and scored on Shano Collins’ single.
Sept. 21 has also been a showcase for pitching. Ed Walsh tossed a three-hitter for his 36th win in 1908, part of his 40-win season, and Ed Cicotte reached 20 wins for the second straight year and third time in four years in 1920. More than a few arms have owned the day since then: Tommy John picked up his 82nd and final White Sox win in 1971, Bobby Thigpen tied Bob James’ club save record with No. 32 in 1988, then broke the big league mark with No. 52 in 1990, and Jeff Samardzija authored the 61st one-hitter in White Sox history in 2015, allowing only a leadoff single to Victor Martinez in the fifth.
The bats have had their moments too. Bill Melton launched his White Sox-record 30th home run in 1970, Jim Thome connected for career homer No. 503 in 2007, and Juan Uribe delivered one of the biggest swings of the bunch in 2004, hitting a pinch grand slam in the seventh against the Twins.
That slam was the first by a Sox player in their new home and the first since Joe DeSa did it on Sept. 12, 1985.
There are plenty of other Sept. 21 standouts in the franchise ledger. Bruce Campbell, the La Grange High School product, went 3-for-6 with a double, three runs and two RBI in 1930.
Earl Torgeson drove in both runs in a 2-1 win at Kansas City in 1958, homering in the fourth and bringing home Jim Landis in the eighth. Deacon Jones had the walkoff single in 1962 to cap a six-run ninth against the Yankees.
In 1983, the A.L. West champion White Sox wrapped up their home schedule with a doubleheader sweep of the Twins, with LaMarr Hoyt winning the opener for his 22nd victory.
Jim Abbott improved to 4-0 in 1998, and in 2018 Reynaldo Lopez struck out eight over seven innings as the Sox beat the Cubs at Wrigley Field.
The most recent White Sox win on this date came in 2019, when Tim Anderson homered, Yoan Moncada ripped a two-run triple in the fifth, and Ivan Nova earned his 11th victory in a 5-3 win at Detroit.
In Other News...
White Sox Make A Surprising Lineup Bet Against Kansas City
The White Sox head into a three-game series at Kauffman Stadium with an eye on a Kansas City pitching staff that is still settling into roles. Chicago announced a balanced lineup against a left-hander, with Miguel Vargas leading off and Randal Grichuk hitting third, a setup that gives the order a different look than usual while the club tries to find the right mix against the Royals.
Kansas Citys probable options add another layer to the matchup, with Anthony Kay coming in after a rough stretch and Daniel Lynch working as a starter since the trade deadline. For Chicago, the question is whether this lineup construction can give it an early edge in a series where the pitching matchup may be just as fluid as the batting order. [Read more 🡒]
White Sox Face A Real Playoff Roster Debate Over Acuna
As the White Sox chase both the AL Central lead and a postseason berth, Luisangel Acuna has become one of the more interesting roster questions on the board. The young outfielder and shortstop has not given the club much at the plate this season, with a .227/.260/.261 slash line and a .522 OPS, but his profile still carries a skill set Chicago cannot ignore when games tighten up.
Acunas speed is the obvious counterweight to the offensive numbers, since he ranks in the 98th percentile for sprint speed and could offer value as a late-game baserunner in October-style situations. For a team trying to balance present production with roster versatility, the debate is less about whether he has tools and more about how much those tools matter if the White Sox get into a short series and every bench spot starts to count. [Read more 🡒]
White Sox Still Have One Bullpen Trust Issue Before October
The White Sox brought in Huascar Brazoban at the trade deadline to give their bullpen a needed jolt heading into October, but the first month after the move did not exactly settle any nerves. Before the injury, he was fighting through control issues and had put up a 6.30 ERA with Chicago, making it hard to know what kind of late-inning help the club was actually getting from the former Met.
Brazoban has now returned from a left lat strain and logged a scoreless inning in his latest appearance, which at least gives the White Sox something to build on as the postseason nears. Still, the larger question remains the same: whether he can be trusted when the games tighten up and the margin for error gets thin. [Read more 🡒]