Today in White Sox History: May 1

Minnie makes his auspicious debut

1901
It was the first time in team history the White Sox hit two grand slams in the same game. The Sox buried Detroit, 19-9, with outfielders William “Dummy” Hoy and Herm McFarland clearing the bases.

1951
Recently-acquired outfielder Minnie Miñoso made his White Sox debut. The “Cuban Comet” became the first black player in team history. In his first at bat as a member of the Sox, Miñoso hit a home run into the center field bullpen at Comiskey Park off Vic Raschi. The drive went an estimated 415 feet and drove in a pair of runs. Later in the same game, won by the Yankees, 8-3, Mickey Mantle would hit the first of his 536 home runs.

1954
White Sox pitcher Virgil Trucks tossed a one-hitter in beating the Red Sox, 3-0. The only hit he allowed came in the sixth inning, a single by future White Sox player Billy Goodman. It was the first of Trucks' pair of one-hitters in 1954.

1959
Early Wynn had one of the greatest days ever by a pitcher, as he did it all in a 1-0 Sox win over Boston. Wynn tossed a one-hit complete game, striking out 14. In addition, he slammed a home run in the last of the eighth inning to account for the game’s only run. The only hit he allowed was by Pete Runnels in the first inning, a single to center field at Comiskey Park. Wynn would wind up taking the Cy Young Award in 1959, going 22-10 and throwing more than 255 innings.

1960
Al Smith connected on a Jim Bunning pitch and set off owner Bill Veeck’s new exploding scoreboard for the first time. The White Sox would win the opener of a doubleheader, 6-3, and then sweep the Tigers by taking the nightcap by the score of 5-2.

1963
Nellie Fox rapped out his 2,500th career hit. It came during a 7-0 Sox win over the Orioles at Comiskey Park off of pitcher Mike McCormick.

1973
Dick Allen hit a lot of long home runs in his time with the White Sox, but this may have been his longest. On a cool, damp night at Comiskey Park, Allen deposited a pitch from the Orioles' Mike Cuellar on to the roof in left-center field. The pitch was unusual as it approached home plate, and many speculated that what Allen hit was a "Cuban forkball" (i.e. spitball) that failed to break downwards. Allen would hit two home runs on the night in a 6-5 win.

1991
The White Sox lost one of the longest games in their history, 10-9, to the Brewers in Milwaukee. The Sox blew leads of 5-0 and 9-6 in this one. The game went 19 innings and ran 6:05. The game went so long that WGN-TV sports director Dan Roan, who was covering the game, had to do his evening sportscast from a parking lot at a bar just inside the state line on Route 41. He couldn’t get back to the studio in downtown Chicago in time!