Today in White Sox History: August 13
1943
Future Hall-of-Famer, shortstop Luke Appling, collected his 2,000th hit. It came against the Red Sox, helping the White Sox to a 3-2 win.
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 a 1-0 win at Comiskey Park. It has been estimated that Harshman threw 245 pitches in the game, facing 65 batters; no pitcher has faced more batters in a game since. The Sox finally plated a run in the last of the 16th on a triple by Minnie Miñoso. Billy Pierce also threw 16 innings 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. This game marked the beginning of the end of the dream. The Sox lost a controversial game to the Twins, 3-2, when Tommy 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. Afterwards, manager Eddie Stanky kept Vice President Hubert Humphrey waiting outside the Sox locker room, with reporters. Stanky later said, "What do I need Humphrey for? Can he hit?"
2002
White Sox infielder José Valentín homered from both sides of the plate in the same game. He did it in Texas, off of Dennys Reyes and Todd Van Poppel. The shot off Reyes was a grand slam. Valentín drove in six runs in the 12-3 win. Valentín first did this trick in 2000, and would do it a third time in 2003!
Mark Liptak is originally from Chicago and has been a White Sox fan since 1960. He and his wife Zoe reside in Pocatello, Idaho where he is the radio voice as part of Idaho State athletics in volleyball, football, women's basketball and softball.