A blockbuster deal with the Pacific Coast League!
Continuing to rebuild in the wake of the “Black Sox” scandal, owner Charles Comiskey spent $100,000 and purchased the contract of third baseman Willie Kamm from San Francisco of the Pacific Coast League. Comiskey also threw in pitcher Doug McWeeny, and added pitcher Shovel Hodge and third baseman Eddie Mulligan in the fall as players to be named later.
Kamm would lead the AL in fielding percentage for six straight seasons. In his eight full years with the Sox he had four seasons of 80 or more RBIs, and in 1925 he (not Babe Ruth) led the league with 90 walks.
After spending about two-thirds of the season (32 days) in first place this 6-3 win over the Yankees was the last day the White Sox would hold first place outright. By May 30, the Twins would overtake Chicago and basically hold on the rest of the summer.
The White Sox would finish with 95 wins, seven games back of the Twins, in second place. It would the the last South Side squad to win more than 90 for 18, years, when the 1983 team won 99.
LaMarr Hoyt was beaten in Cleveland, 5-2, getting pounded for four early runs. Hoyt had won his first nine decisions of the season, and with five straight wins to end 1981 added up to 14 consecutive decisions. At the time, that was longest winning streak over multiple seasons in franchise history. Hoyt hadn’t lost a game since Aug. 15, 1981, at Baltimore.
