The field general who kick-started the best stretch in South Side history stepped off into the sunset
With a 11-1 loss in the nightcap of a doubleheader in Washington, the White Sox began a 12-game losing streak, which remains the third-longest in franchise history. The South Siders came into the game at a respectable 65-68, but losing 15 of 20 to end the season dumped them down from 30 to 39 1⁄2 games off of the pace in the American League.
The last-season collapse also started a streak of nine straight losing seasons — by far the longest stretch in team history. The White Sox, in fact, had only suffered back-to-back losing seasons once in the first 29 years of team history.
Future Hall-of-Famer Luke Appling made his White Sox debut. It was the start of the legacy of great Sox shortstops, which would include Chico Carrasquel, Luis Aparicio and Ozzie Guillén.
Appling went 1-for-4 in a 6-2 loss to the Red Sox.
Paul Richards, one of the greatest managers in club history, resigned to accept a dual position of general and field manager for the Baltimore Orioles. Richards was the man credited with turning around the fortunes of the franchise in 1951 with his aggressive running/pitching/defense philosophy. White Sox pitcher Billy Pierce called Richards the smartest manager he ever had. Richards was also credited with turning around Nellie Fox, helping transform him into a very good hitter.
Richards left because the White Sox were not willing to give him a multi-year contract extension or a raise, and because of personal disagreements he had with GM Frank Lane.
Coming off of two straight losses to the Tigers and in danger of falling out of the pennant race, Joe Horlen threw a 6-0 no-hitter in front of 23,625 fans at Comiskey Park.
White Sox second baseman Wayne Causey saved the no-hitter with a grab of a smash up the middle off the bat of Jerry Lumpe in the ninth inning. Causey’s throw just nipped Lumpe at the bag. Horlen hit a Tiger and another reached base on an error, but other than that he was perfect on the afternoon. Horlen got Dick McAuliffe on a ground ball to shortstop Ron Hansen for the final out of the 12th no-hitter in White Sox history.
Rookie Cisco Carlos then shut out Detroit, 4-0, in the second game, vaulting the Sox right back into pennant contention, just 1 1⁄2 games off of the lead. It was the last time in franchise history the White Sox threw doubleheader shutouts.
Nolan Ryan struck out 18 White Sox in a 3-2 win at Comiskey Park. Chicago rallied to tie the game, 2-2, in the bottom of the sixth, after a walk to Jim Essian, a single by Jim Spencer and a two-run double from Jorge Orta. Two more walks (Ryan had nine in the game) loaded the bases with two outs, but Alan Bannister popped out to right field to end the threat. California came right back during their next bats to take the lead, on a run-scoring double.
Ryan finished strong, striking out the final five White Sox batters he saw in the game, but only after loading the bases again in the eighth inning.
Also, it was on this day the White Sox activated 52-year-old Minnie Miñoso, making him an active player in the majors for his fourth decade. He would make his season debut in the next day’s game.
White Sox pitcher Wilbur Wood tied an AL record by hitting three Angels hitters in a row, in the first inning of the club’s 6-1 loss at Anaheim. With two out and a man on, Wood hit Dave Kingman, Don Baylor and Dave Chalk.
