This Date In Sox History 9/9

[Lip Man 1]

September 9, 1917 - It’s the only time the Sox have ever won a forfeited game. In Chicago against Cleveland, the Indians were protesting a close call that went against them in the top of the 10th inning of a tie game. When they took the field in the last of the 10th, Cleveland players threw their gloves in the air, some rolled around in the dirt and catcher Steve O’Neill deliberately threw a ball into center field. Umpire "Brick" Owens had enough and declaired the game won by the Sox.

September 9, 1983 - The Sox express roars on crushing former Sox great Tommy John and the Angels 11 - 0. What’s significant in this one is for the first time in memory, the Sox hammer back to back to back home runs. They’re courtesy of Carlton Fisk, Tom Paciorek, and Greg Luzinski. In the same game Britt Burns throws a one hitter. Outfielder Mike Brown’s two out single in the 7th inning was Britt’s only mistake.

September 9, 2003 - With one move Sox manager Jerry Manuel perhaps cost his team a post season playoff berth and eventually led himself to be fired. In a game the Sox were leading Minnesota 8 - 2 in the 9th inning, Manuel brought in relief pitcher Jose Paniagua to get some work in. The Sox had a one game lead over the Twins and this was the second of a four game series at U.S. Cellular Field. Paniagua allowed four runs giving Minnesota momentum even though they’d lose 8 - 6. The Twins promptly won the final two games, swept the Sox the following week in Minnesota and won the second of three consecutive divisional titles. Paniagua, as he was leaving the field, made an obscene gesture at the home plate umpire and was released by Kenny Williams later that evening. Manuel’s dismissal would come a few weeks later.

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Lip

[anewman35]

September 9, 2003 - With one move Sox manager Jerry Manuel perhaps cost his team a post season playoff berth and eventually led himself to be fired. In a game the Sox were leading Minnesota 8 - 2 in the 9th inning, Manuel brought in relief pitcher Jose Paniagua to get some work in. The Sox had a one game lead over the Twins and this was the second of a four game series at U.S. Cellular Field. Paniagua allowed four runs giving Minnesota momentum even though they’d lose 8 - 6. The Twins promptly won the final two games, swept the Sox the following week in Minnesota and won the second of three consecutive divisional titles. Paniagua, as he was leaving the field, made an obscene gesture at the home plate umpire and was released by Kenny Williams later that evening. Manuel’s dismissal would come a few weeks later.

I still don't buy the generally accepted theory that somehow this game ruined the season. Were the Sox really that mentally weak that somehow one bad inning destroyed all their chances?

[chisoxmike]

I still don't buy the generally accepted theory that somehow this game ruined the season. Were the Sox really that mentally weak that somehow one bad inning destroyed all their chances?


Mentally weak was one of the things wrong with the '03 team.

[Huisj]

I think things really first looked grim when this game (http://www.baseball-reference.com/boxes/NYA/NYA200308280.shtml) happened. The infamous Neal Cotts start in Yankee Stadium when they pushed Buehrle back so he could face Detroit the next day instead. Cotts gave up 5 runs in the first inning, and Buehrle gave up 8 the next day against the Tigers in a pathetic loss.

[downstairs]

Wow... I remember that 1983 game, and I was 8. Watched it with my dad and saw the back to back to back... awesome!

[WhiteSox5187]

I remember that 2003 game VIVIDLY. With that big lead I thought we were gonna sweep 'em and as they always do, the Twins found a way to keep coming back and nipping at our heels. I also remember the next day on PTI Kornheiser was saying how it looked like the Sox were becoming unglued. Then that series in Minnesota, ugh, awful.

[Brian26]

September 9, 2003 - With one move Sox manager Jerry Manuel perhaps cost his team a post season playoff berth and eventually led himself to be fired. In a game the Sox were leading Minnesota 8 - 2 in the 9th inning, Manuel brought in relief pitcher Jose Paniagua to get some work in. The Sox had a one game lead over the Twins and this was the second of a four game series at U.S. Cellular Field. Paniagua allowed four runs giving Minnesota momentum even though they’d lose 8 - 6. The Twins promptly won the final two games, swept the Sox the following week in Minnesota and won the second of three consecutive divisional titles. Paniagua, as he was leaving the field, made an obscene gesture at the home plate umpire and was released by Kenny Williams later that evening. Manuel’s dismissal would come a few weeks later.
Lip

I don't think that one specific move cost Jerry Manual his job. If anything, Kenny Williams is just as much to blame as Manual. Williams is the one who signed Paniagua. In reality, that was the best possible situation to bring Paniagua into a game (with a huge cushion). Can you imagine the backlash if Manual actually brought him in with a one-run lead in a save situation and he blew up.

The Manual firing was more about three or four years of frustation boiling over.