May 23: A Look Back at Memorable Moments in White Sox History

May 23 has been a day of remarkable events in White Sox history, showcasing everything from defensive brilliance to unusual ejections. In 1911, Shano Collins etched his name into the record books by hitting the first three-run homer at Comiskey Park—though notably, it was an inside-the-park variety. Collins’ milestone came against the New York Highlanders, putting the White Sox ahead 3-1 in the fourth inning. However, the Highlanders rallied, tying the game with two runs in the seventh before clinching victory with a run-scoring single in the 12th inning. Ed Walsh pitched all 12 innings for the White Sox, suffering a hard-luck loss despite striking out seven batters and picking off three runners during the game.

Fast forward to 1928, where the White Sox once again faced the Cleveland Indians in a nail-biting contest. Just a day after Johnny Mostil tied an American League record with 12 chances in a previous game, the White Sox found themselves in another close match, winning 4-3. The ending was chaotic; in the bottom of the ninth, the White Sox loaded the bases with an error, a single, and a walk, leading to Mostil walking in a run to tie the game at 3-3. However, Cleveland’s defense shone through in the clutch, executing a double play and then a triple play to snuff out the White Sox’s rally. Ted Lyons, who had just come in to pitch, ultimately secured the win in the 10th inning as the White Sox rallied again.

In 1954, the White Sox made a significant move to improve their roster, as General Manager Frank Lane traded infielder Grady Hatton and $100,000 to the Boston Red Sox for All-Star George Kell. This marked the first time in over 25 years that the Red Sox had sold a player outright. Kell’s tenure with the White Sox saw him hit .312 with 81 RBIs in 1955, although injuries hampered his performance, leading to a trade to the Orioles early in 1956.

Fast forward to 2003, and the Kannapolis Intimidators, the White Sox’s Low-A affiliate, experienced one of the oddest moments in baseball history. During a road game against the Lakewood BlueClaws, a storm prompted groundskeeper Bill Butler to rush onto the field to prepare for the tarp. However, umpires Brandon Cooney and Steve Cummings hadn’t officially called for a delay, resulting in Butler being ejected from the game—believed to be the first-ever ejection of a groundskeeper. The game was ultimately not resumed, and Kannapolis fell to Lakewood, 3-0.

Finally, on a night in 2024 at Guaranteed Rate Field, the White Sox faced the Orioles in a game that ended in bizarre fashion. Trailing 8-6, the Sox rallied for four runs in the ninth inning, with the tying runs on base. But the game concluded in an unusual manner when Andrew Benintendi’s pop-up led to a call for interference against base runner Andrew Vaughn, despite the fact that Orioles shortstop Gunnar Henderson had ample time to make the catch. This resulted in an unassisted double play, sealing a strange ending to a thrilling contest.

Note: This recap is an independently written summary based on publicly available reporting.