Today in White Sox History: May 28

Wilbur Wood puts on his cape, and unleashes the knuckleball

1922

Continuing to rebuild in the wake of the Black Sox scandal, owner Charles Comiskey spent $100,000 to purchase the contract of third baseman Willie Kamm from San Francisco of the Pacific Coast League. Comiskey also threw in three players. Kamm would lead the A.L. in fielding percentage for six straight seasons.

1973

It was a night Wilbur Wood did something that rarely happens in baseball. Two days earlier, the game between Cleveland and the White Sox was suspended by curfew at Comiskey Park, tied 2-2 after 16 innings. 

Rain washed out action on May 27, so when the suspended game was resumed the next day it was Wood’s turn to pitch. He went out and threw five innings before the Sox would win it, 6-3, in 21 innings. Thirty minutes later, Wood went out and started the regularly scheduled game. He would toss a complete-game, 4-0 four-hitter. Two wins in one evening! 

His line for the night: 14 innings pitched, one run, six hits, nine strikeouts, two wins. Wilbur was now 13-3 on the season, and it wasn’t even June.

1986

In a game against the Rangers in Arlington, White Sox pitcher Joe Cowley struck out the first seven men he faced, which set an American League record. However, Cowley wound up pitching only four-plus innings and took the loss in a 6-3 defeat.