Today in White Sox History: May 6

It was perhaps the longest home run in major league history.

1903
The White Sox were charged with 12 errors in a game in Chicago vs. Detroit. While that’s a big story in itself, it’s not the most remarkable item to come out of this game. What is? The fact that the Sox won the game 10-9!

1963
Making an emergency start in Kansas City, White Sox pitcher Gary Peters hit the first of his 19 career home runs. It came in the third inning off of Ted Bowsfield. Peters would toss eight innings, allowing one run, in a 5-1 win. It was the first win in 1963 for Gary, who’d go on to collect 18 more and win co-Rookie of the Year honors with teammate Pete Ward. Peters is also the franchise leader in home runs by a pitcher with 15, three more then Jack Harshman. Peters was told that he would be starting this game on the airplane flying into Kansas City by Sox pitching coach Ray Berres after scheduled starter Juan Pizarro got sick.

1964
Dave Nicholson hit what may have been the longest home run in MLB history. In the fifth inning of the first game of a twinbill versus the A’s, Nicholson blasted a shot off future White Sox pitcher Moe Drabowsky that went over the roof and was found across the street in Armour Square.

Some Sox fans claimed they heard the ball hit the top of the roof, but White Sox officials said when they found the ball it had no signs of tar on it and it wasn't scuffed. Nicholson’s shot went over the roof around the 375 foot sign in left-center field. It was found 135 feet from the base of the wall. Plus, add the elevation necessary to get the ball over the roof, approximately 175 feet high. Unofficial estimates place the drive as traveling 573 feet, eclipsing Mickey Mantle’s shot at Griffith Stadium in Washington in 1956, which went an unofficial 565 feet.

For the night, Dave would hammer three home runs and drive in five runs in the doubleheader as the Sox swept both games, 6-4 and 11-4.