Today in White Sox History: September 24
Move over, Ray Schalk
1919
A 6-5 win over the St. Louis Browns clinched the pennant for the White Sox. Eddie Cicotte got the win. Shoeless Joe Jackson’s double in the ninth drove in the game- and pennant-clinching run. The Sox would beat out Cleveland by 3 1⁄2 games for the title, and finish with a record of 88-52 in the war-shortened season.
1961
White Sox star pitcher Billy Pierce won his 186th and final game with the team, as he threw 6 2⁄3 innings in relief in an 8-7 win over Baltimore. Pierce would be traded to the Giants in the offseason, after 13 years on the South Side. He represented the Sox in seven All-Star games and started three of them for the American League — a White Sox record for pitchers.
1969
White Sox owner Art Allyn sold the club to his brother John Allyn, thwarting moves made by Kansas City Chiefs owner Lamar Hunt and Milwaukee’s Bud Selig to buy the team. Hunt wanted to move the White Sox to Dallas, Selig to Milwaukee.
1977
White Sox infielder Jack Brohamer had the game of his life, as he became just the second player in franchise history to hit for the cycle in a game. Brohamer went 5-for-5 at Seattle, with two runs scored and four RBIs in the 8-3 win. He homered in the first, doubled in the third, doubled in the fifth, singled in the sixth and tripled in the ninth inning.
The only other cycle in White Sox history had come from Ray Schalk in 1922.
2000
Despite losing to the Twins at the Metrodome, the White Sox clinched the AL Central when Cleveland lost to the Royals, 9-0. Chicago would go on to finish with a 95-67 record and outpace Cleveland by five games.
Owner Jerry Reinsdorf showed up in the locker room and said, “I’m sure all Sox fans are now happy the team made the White Flag deal.”
Because of injuries to the pitching staff, primarily the starters, the Sox were not in good shape heading into the playoffs, losing five of seven games after clinching. The were swept in three games in the ALDS by the Mariners.