Today in White Sox History: June 20
1926
In a game with the Yankees that the White Sox won, 4-3, they set the record for the largest crowd to see a game at Comiskey Park (before the upper deck was added): 43,000 were on hand for the contest.
1945
In the second game of a twin bill in St. Louis, a brawl broke out between the Browns and White Sox. Three members of the Browns, along with manager Luke Sewell, charged the White Sox dugout and battered former Marine and batting practice pitcher Karl Scheel. Scheel was heckling St. Louis pitcher George Caster as he was being removed from the game. The Sox won the contest, 4-1.
1973
White Sox relief pitcher Cy Acosta became the first pitcher to actually hit for the team, in the designated hitter era, striking out in the eighth inning of an 8-3 win over Nolan Ryan and the Angels at Comiskey Park. Acosta came to bat because manager Chuck Tanner pulled Dick Allen after a six-run seventh inning and moved Tony Muser from DH to first base. That meant the Sox gave up the DH and Acosta took Allen's spot in the batting order.
1980
Tigers outfielder Al Cowens attacked White Sox relief pitcher Ed Farmer. In the 11th inning of a game at Comiskey Park, Cowens ran towards Farmer after hitting a ground ball instead of running to first base. The two had a melee on the mound. One year earlier, Farmer broke Cowens' jaw when he was pitching for Texas. Chicago police went looking for Cowens after the game to press assault charges.
1986
In what he admitted was one of the biggest mistakes he’d ever made, White Sox owner Jerry Reinsdorf approved the firing of manager Tony La Russa. La Russa and his staff simply didn’t get along with new GM Ken “Hawk” Harrelson, and with the team struggling on the field, the decision to let La Russa go was made.
La Russa, who won more than 500 games for the White Sox and a division title in 1983, was hired by the A’s three weeks later. He eventually took both Oakland and St. Louis to the World Series, winning three titles. La Russa was elected to the Hall of Fame in 2014, with 2,728 wins in his career. Harrelson resigned his position after one season in charge of the White Sox.