Today in White Sox History: May 19
1963
White Sox starter Ray Herbert’s consecutive scoreless inning streak ended controversially in (where else?) Baltimore. Herbert, a 20-game winner in 1962, had thrown 38 straight scoreless innings when he faced the Orioles Johnny Orsino in the third inning. Orsino then hit what appeared to be a home run to left field. Or did he?
Both manager Al Lopez and outfielder Dave Nicholson argued that the ball Orsino hit passed between the top of the wall and an iron railing mounted on top of it with support posts to help keep fans from falling over on to the field of play. By going through the gap, Orsino's hit should have been ruled a ground-rule double. The White Sox lost the argument, Herbert lost his scoreless streak, but the Sox won the game 4-3 in 10 innings to get a doubleheader split.
1996
In a 14-3 clubbing of the Tigers in Detroit, Darren Lewis and Robin Ventura hit grand slams. The home runs came in the third and ninth innings.
2004
The 2004 season, which had started off well for the White Sox, took a dramatic turn. On a short popup to right field in Cleveland, infielder Willie Harris slammed his shoulder into outfielder Magglio Ordoñez’s knee. Ordoñez would go on the injured list, come back and play a few games, then miss the rest of the season. Eventually, he’d go to Europe for an operation (over the strenuous objections of the White Sox) and leave as a free agent to sign with Detroit.