Today in White Sox History: April 17

1906
The World Championship season began in Detroit with the White Sox beating the Tigers, 5-3. Frank Owen, who’d win 22 games on the season, picked up the victory. Just three days short of six months later, the Sox would close out the Cubs, winning the only all-Chicago World Series, four games to two.

1951
The “Golden Age” of White Sox baseball was born, as on Opening Day the Sox destroyed the St. Louis Browns, 17-3. New manager Paul Richards emphasized pitching, defense and speed, and for the next 17 seasons under Richards and two more managers the Sox would have 17 consecutive winning seasons, the fourth-longest streak in MLB history.

1956
In front of newly-elected Mayor Richard J. Daley, rookie Luis Aparicio collected his first major league hit. It came off Cleveland's Bob Lemon and helped set up the winning run in the South Siders' 2-1 Opening Day victory. Aparicio would be named Rookie of the Year and after an 18-year career was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1984. Lemon would become the Sox manager in 1977.

1980
Future White Sox star Harold Baines collected his first major league hit. It came off of Yankees pitcher Mike Griffin in New York. Baines would have an outstanding career, with 2,866 hits. His No. 3 was first retired by the team in 1989 when he was traded to Texas. He made the Hall of Fame in 2019.

1990
On a cold, miserable night in Chicago, Ron Kittle would connect for a rooftop home run off of Boston’s Rob Murphy. It was Kittle’s seventh rooftop shot, the most by any player in the history of the original Comiskey Park. It was also the last rooftop home run in the park’s history. The Sox would win the game, 2-1.