This Date In Sox History 4-24

[Lip Man 1]

April 24, 1901 - The White Sox play their first game regular season game as part of the ‘officially’ recognized American League. In fact it’s the ‘first’ game ever played in the league. They beat the Cleveland Blues 8 - 2. Roy Patterson got the win. Outfielder ‘Dummy’ Hoy got the first White Sox at bat. Hoy was a deaf - mute and in order for him to understand what the umpires were calling, the arbitrators came up with a series of hand signals indicating safe / out / ball / strike. The ceremonial first ball by the way, was supposed to be thrown out by Robert Burke, special counsel to the mayor. He declined however, stating that he was afraid the ball might get hit back to him (sigh...)

April 24, 1955 - In a game at Kansas City, Sox starter Dick Donovan was hit early and often and when manager Marty Marion came out to take the ball from him, Donovan, showing his competitive spirit and concerned about a possible return trip to the minors, refused to give it to him! Marion had to reassure Dick that he’d stay a part of the rotation before Donovan would turn the ball over and leave the field. That season he’d win thirteen of seventeen decisions before an emergency appendectomy felled him in late July.

http://i3.ebayimg.com/06/i/000/99/cd/1018_2.JPG (http://cgi.ebay.com/1958-Topps-290-Dick-Donovan-WHITE-SOX_W0QQitemZ230119094320QQihZ013QQcategoryZ60486Q QssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem#ebayphotohost ing)

Lip

[Foulke You]

April 24, 1901 - The White Sox play their first game regular season game as part of the ‘officially’ recognized American League. In fact it’s the ‘first’ game ever played in the league. They beat the Cleveland Blues 8 - 2.



Lip
Happy 106th birthday American League! :cool:

[pdr]

Were the signals given to Hoy the same signals umpires use now?

The mayor's counsel and the pitcher were both named Robert Burke? :o: Any relation to past or present aldermen?

[Lip Man 1]

PDR:

Yes to your first question.

I don't know to the second.

By the way thanks for the heads up on the Robert Burke typo. The winning pitcher was Roy Patterson. I've edited the original post to reflect this.

Lip

[Tempe]

Outfielder ‘Dummy’ Hoy got the first White Sox at bat. Hoy was a deaf - mute and in order for him to understand what the umpires were calling, the arbitrators came up with a series of hand signals indicating safe / out / ball / strike.

http://www.dummyhoy.com/
http://deafness.about.com/cs/sports/a/dummyhoy.htm
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dummy_Hoy

From 2000-2004 I attended NIU in pursuit of a degree in Deaf Education (didn't graduate-long story). My Deaf studies teacher happened to be friends with this guy Steve Sandy in OH, who happened to be part of the group that was trying to get Dummy Hoy elected into the Baseball Hall of Fame (http://www.dummyhoy.com/destination_cooperstown/index.html).

For that class I ended up doing a long paper and later giving a verbal report in class on my findings. It was a pure pleasure to learn that such a talented player was once part of the Chicago White Sox!!!

Tempe