Things To Do |

25 years later, the Cell and the Sox are barely recognizable (whew!)

Brian Cassella / Chicago Tribune

Twins left-hander Francisco Liriano entered with a 9.13 ERA and left the proud owner of the only no-hitter thrown against the White Sox in U.S. Cellular Field history. The Sox drew six walks and 123 pitches from Liriano but failed to push any runners home. Jason Kubel homered off Edwin Jackson in the fourth for the game's only run. He said it: "As a manager, I take it as a loss. As a player, they might take it another way." — Sox manager Ozzie Guillen Video link

Charles Cherney / Chicago Tribune

The Mariners' Yuniesky Betancourt became the 41st consecutive batter Bobby Jenks retired, tying a major-league record set by the Giants' Jim Barr in 1972. The Royals' Joey Gathright finally stopped Jenks' streak Aug. 20, ending a perfect stretch that spanned 27 days and 14 appearances. Mark Buehrle broke the record two years later by setting down 45 in a row. He said it: "I was nervous. When he came in I knew where he was. It wasn't quite the same as when (Mark) Buehrle had the no-hitter in the ninth, but it was close." — Sox catcher A.J. Pierzynski Video link

Phil Velasquez / Chicago Tribune

Double, double, flyout, single, single, single, single, home run, single, home run, strikeout, single, single, walk, single, groundout. That was how the White Sox's 11-run, 12-hit third inning went against the Cardinals during a 20-6 victory. Joe Crede, Tadahito Iguchi and Paul Konerko each had two hits in the inning and helped chase Mark Mulder, who allowed nine of those runs. For good measure, the Sox tacked on six runs in the sixth and finished with 24 hits. Sox manager Ozzie Guillen and pitcher David Riske were ejected for retaliating after the Cardinals hit two batters. He said it: "My players know what they have to do, when they have to do it and how. I always want to protect my players." — Guillen

Chicago Tribune

Hall of Famer Frank Thomas was the last Sox player to hit a home run at the old Comiskey Park, so it was fitting he was the first Sox player to do the same at the new park. "The Big Hurt" deposited the two-run blast deep into the left-center-field seats in the fifth inning against the Orioles' Ben McDonald. It gave the Sox a 6-5 lead in what turned into an 8-7 victory. Thomas hit a pair of home runs in his first game at the Cell as a visiting player with the A's on May 22, 2006. He said it: "Boy, he really laced that son of a gun." — Sox manager Jeff Torborg Video link

TED S. WARREN / Associated Press

In the most embarrassing moment in U.S. Cellular Field history, a shirtless father, William Ligue Jr., and his shirtless 15-year-old son, William Ligue III, rushed the field and attacked Royals first-base coach Tom Gamboa, who said he had permanent hearing loss in his right ear because of the incident. Both Ligues were put on probation and both later spent time in prison. He said it: "I felt like a football team had hit me from behind. Next thing I knew, I'm on the ground trying to defend myself. It just happened so fast." – Gamboa.

Scott Strazzante / Chicago Tribune

In Game 162 of the season — a makeup against the Tigers — shortstop Alexei Ramirez cleared the bases that were filled with Jermaine Dye, Paul Konerko and Ken Griffey Jr. for his fourth grand slam of the year, a rookie record. The homer off reliever Gary Glover gave the Sox a 6-2 lead in an 8-2 victory to push them into a tie atop the AL Central, forcing the "Blackout Game" the following day. He said it: "One thing about Alexei, he's not scared. He doesn't know what kind of game this is." — Sox manager Ozzie Guillen Video link

Nuccio DiNuzzo / Chicago Tribune

Mark Buehrle needed just 106 pitches to render the Rangers hitless, the 16th no-hitter in Sox history and the first at U.S. Cellular Field. A Sammy Sosa walk in the fifth stood between Buehrle and perfection. Of course, Buehrle promptly picked Sosa off first. The Sox rode a pair of Jim Thome homers to victory in what began with Kenny Lofton's groundout to second and ended with Gerald Laird's groundout to third. He said it: "I probably was more nervous coming out of the eighth and going back in the ninth with the crowd going crazy. I could feel my knees shaking." — Buehrle Video link

Scott Strazzante / Chicago Tribune

The kick with his left foot didn't do the trick on Opening Day. So with his glove, Mark Buehrle picked up the ball he had booted into foul territory and flipped it backward, between his legs, to Paul Konerko at first to retire the Indians' Lou Marson for the second out in the fifth inning of a 6-0 victory. It was the most remarkable defensive play in the four-time Gold Glove winner's career. He said it: "It just kind of happened and I didn't know it got to Konerko until the crowd staring going crazy. I didn't plan on doing that." — Buehrle Video link

Phil Velasquez / Chicago Tribune

White Sox right-hander Esteban Loaiza, unaware the All-Star Game would be in Chicago when he signed with the Sox, started the game on the South Side and gave up one hit in two scoreless innings (Magglio Ordonez, center, and Carl Everett also represented the Sox that year). Hank Blalock's two-run homer in the eighth helped the American League rally for a 7-6 victory in the first All-Star Game that determined home-field advantage for the World Series. He said it: "It has been unbelievable for me, the way I've been pitching." — Loaiza Video link

Scott Strazzante / Chicago Tribune

With two outs in the ninth inning of a tied Game 2 of the ALCS, A.J. Pierzynski "stole" first base after striking out against the Angels' Kelvim Escobar. The Sox catcher, who started toward the dugout, bolted for first when catcher Josh Paul rolled the ball toward the mound. Pinch runner Pablo Ozuna scored the winning run on a double from Joe Crede to untie the game 2-1 and tie the series 1-1. He said it: "I thought for sure the ball hit the ground. I watched the replay 50 times and I still don't know." — Pierzynski Video link

NAM Y HUH / Associated Press

After being held to three hits through eight innings, the Sox scored four in the ninth against the Dodgers on Turn Back the Clock Night. None of those runs was bigger than the two for which A.J. Pierzynski was responsible. The catcher's two-out, two-strike, two-run, walk-off home run gave his team a 5-3 victory and put the Sox 61/2 games ahead of the Twins in the American League Central. It was their 20th come-from-behind victory and 10th in their last at-bat. He said it: "My first walk-off anything." — Pierzynski

John Swart / AP

Sure, the former NFL running back had hit a home run on the second pitch he saw in a year, more than a year after he had hip-replacement surgery. But Bo Jackson's three-run home run against the Mariners' Dave Fleming in the sixth inning turned out to be the runs that clinched the Sox's first division title since 1983. He said it: "You write a script and Bo's there to fill it out." — White Sox general manager Ron Schueler Video link

Scott Strazzante / Chicago Tribune

It took 163 games and John Danks, Jim Thome, Ken Griffey Jr. and A.J. Pierzynski to decide the American League Central. Before a sellout crowd of 40,354 dressed mostly in black, Danks dominated the Twins 1-0 on three days' rest, allowing two hits in eight innings. Thome's 461-foot home run in the seventh accounted for the only run. Griffey's throw and Pierzynski's tag at the plate on Michael Cuddyer in the fifth finished an inning-ending double play. He said it: "Adrenaline carried me." — Danks Video link

José M. Osorio / Chicago Tribune

Aaron Rowand emerged from the dugout in a suit to collect his 2005 World Series ring. His relationship with the Sox was over, but the then-Phillie had an off day and picked up his 14-karat yellow-gold ring that featured 95 diamonds with the rest of his former teammates before the Sox fell to the Indians 8-2. He said it: "I can't wait to dress up to give me a reason to wear this. I might come in in a suit just for the heck of it." — Sox reliever Cliff Politte

John J. Kim / Chicago Tribune

STEPHEN J. CARRERA / Associated Press

Former Sox outfielder Mike Cameron made it look as easy as 1-2-3-4 when he became the 13th player in history to homer four times in a game, including twice in the first inning of the Mariners' 15-4 victory. Bret Boone also homered twice in the first, making them the first teammates in history to do so. Cameron just missed becoming the first player to hit five in a game when he flied out just shy of the warning track in the ninth inning in his last at-bat. Cameron, who was the fifth player to hit four consecutive homers, also robbed Magglio Ordonez of a grand slam. He said it: "I'm going to cherish it forever. … This is the best day of my baseball career." — Cameron Video link

Phil Velasquez / Chicago Tribune

Hurricane Ivan sent the first two games of the series between the Marlins and Expos to the South Side, marking the first time two National League teams played in an American League park since 1946, when the Boston Braves and Philadelphia Phillies played at Fenway Park. The Marlins, already in town for a series with the Cubs, won 6-3 and 8-6 before the teams headed to south Florida for a doubleheader the next day. A combined 9,460 fans saw the two games at the Cell. He said it: "It was terrible. … I don't care what anyone says, everyone was Cubs fans or anti-Marlins fans. It was just not a home game." — Marlins third baseman Mike Lowell

José M. Osorio / Chicago Tribune

Because of the Hall of Fame numbers Frank Thomas put up during 16 seasons on the South Side, the Sox returned the favor by putting up Thomas' No. 35 on the outfield wall, next to the other nine numbers retired by the franchise. During a ceremony in front of 39,433 fans, Thomas showed rare emotion while reflecting on his time with the team. "The Big Hurt" is the franchise's leader in home runs (448), RBIs (1,465), runs (1,327), doubles (447), walks (1,466) and on-base percentage (.427). He said it: "I'm a very, very proud man today and this probably was the proudest day of my life. I had a speech written out, but as soon as I broke down I couldn't even think about reading that whole thing." — Thomas Video link

Michael Fryer / Chicago Tribune

Sox ace Jack McDowell threw the first pitch in stadium history at 1:47 p.m. Not long after, the Tigers scored six runs in the third and 10 in the fourth to ruin the Sox's housewarming party to the tune of 16-0. Tony Phillips and Alan Trammell each had four of the Tigers' 19 hits. Rob Deer hit a pair of home runs and drove in four, and Cecil Fielder and Phillips homered. The Sox managed seven hits against Frank Tanana, who threw a complete game in front of 42,191. He said it: "It was embarrassing." — Sox manager Jeff Torborg

José M. Osorio / Chicago Tribune

On this rainy autumn night, two innings before Podsednik surprised everyone, Sox captain Paul Konerko belted the first pitch he saw from Astros reliever Chad Qualls over the left-field wall to give his team a 6-4 lead. Konerko raised his right arm in triumph after the two-out grand slam, which completed an unprecedented postseason home-run cycle for Konerko. He also hit a solo, two-run and three-run homer during the playoffs. The Astros scored twice in the ninth to set up Podsednik's game-winner. He said it: "Usually I try not to show that kind of emotion. I don't even remember what I did or what I looked like. … I'm yesterday's news because of (Podsednik)." — Konerko Video link

Nuccio DiNuzzo / Chicago Tribune

Joe Crede and Jermaine Dye hit home runs, and Jose Contreras lasted seven innings during the Sox's 5-3 victory against the Astros in the first World Series game in Chicago since the White Sox lost to the Dodgers in Game 6 of the 1959 Series. Crede's homer broke a 3-3 tie, and he made several key plays at third base to help preserve the victory. He said it: "How many times did you look up and your jaw is on the ground? (Crede) saved us quite a few runs during that series." — Sox center fielder Aaron Rowand Video link

Nuccio DiNuzzo / Chicago Tribune

Chris Singleton became the fourth player in franchise history to hit for the cycle, but his five hits weren't enough for the Sox during an 8-7 loss in 10 innings to the Royals. Singleton's only at-bat without a hit came with two outs and a runner on third in the 10th, when he flied out to deep left-center. Singleton, who scored three runs and drove in four, was the first Sox player to hit for the cycle since Carlton Fisk in 1984. He said it: "It felt effortless tonight, like I wasn't exerting a whole lot of energy at the plate. That's a good feeling." — Singleton Video link

Phil Velasquez / Chicago Tribune

Jim Thome, Paul Konerko and Alexei Ramirez hit consecutive home runs against the Royals' Joel Peralta, and Juan Uribe connected for the Sox's fourth in a row against Rob Tejeda in the sixth inning of a 9-2 victory. The South Siders became the sixth team in history to hit four home runs in a row. Toby Hall struck out while admittedly swinging for the fences as he attempted to make the Sox the first team to hit five straight. He said it: "It was more of a quirky thing. … This was more like you probably won't see it again. You might see it once if you play for 10 or 15 years." — Konerko Video link

Nuccio DiNuzzo / Chicago Tribune

His story will go down in White Sox history as one of the most memorable. Scott Podsednik had zero home runs in 568 plate appearances during the regular season. But his improbable solo home run off Astros All-Star closer Brad Lidge in the bottom of the ninth inning of Game 2 of the World Series pushed the Sox to a 7-6 victory and a 2-0 series lead. His second home run of the postseason marked the first time a player with zero home runs hit a walk-off in the World Series and goes down as Chairman Jerry Reinsdorf's favorite moment. He said it: "I think I surprised everyone in Chicago that night, including myself." — Podsednik Video link

Chris Sweda / Chicago Tribune

When he fanned the Tigers' James McCann looking for the first out of the second, Chris Sale cemented his spot in the franchise record book with his 270th strikeout of the season. That broke Ed Walsh's 107-year-old record of 269. Sale finished with an American League-best 274 punchouts and placed fourth in American League Cy Young voting. He said it: "I took a little bit to soak it in. … It comes and goes real quick, but I'll never forget that." — Sale Video link

Nancy Stone / Chicago Tribune

Forty-five-year-old Carlton Fisk broke Bob Boone's record for games caught with his 2,226th, and the White Sox pooled their money to buy him a Harley-Davidson motorcycle on "Carlton Fisk Night." Bo Jackson guided the bike from center field to home plate before the Sox defeated the Rangers 3-2 on a Lance Johnson single in the ninth. It was the final game of Fisk's 24-year, Hall of Fame career, the final 13 of which he spent with the White Sox. He said it: "When the old rooster crows, the young rooster learns. And I've crowed a lot in my life." — Fisk Video link

Nuccio DiNuzzo / Chicago Tribune

Jim Thome, the boy from Peoria who grew up a Cubs fan, socked a Dustin Moseley ninth-inning pitch 426 feet into the left-center-field seats for his 500th career home run. It also happened to be a walk-off shot that capped a comeback from six runs down for a 9-7 victory against the Angels on Jim Thome bobblehead day. Thome retired with 612 home runs, seventh all time. He said it: "It's amazing. It really is — like a movie script. I would never have imagined doing it in that situation." — Thome Video link

Scott Boehm / Getty Images

The first — and only — perfect game in stadium history belongs to Mark Buehrle, who retired 27 of Joe Maddon's Rays in a row for his second career no-hitter and the 18th perfecto in baseball history. Perfection was preserved when center fielder Dewayne Wise, a defensive replacement, robbed Gabe Kapler of a home run for the first out of the ninth. He said it: "I never thought I'd throw a no-hitter, never thought I'd throw a perfect game and I never thought I'd hit a home run. Never say never in this game because crazy stuff can happen." — Buehrle Video link

Phil Velasquez / Chicago Tribune

A.J. Pierzynski bowled over Cubs catcher Michael Barrett at home in the second inning, smacked the plate with his right hand for emphasis and then caught a right hook to the face from Barrett. The punch launched a thousand words and more pushing and shoving between the teams. Scott Podsednik quickly jumped on Barrett as both benches cleared, resulting in four ejections during the Sox's 7-0 victory. The Sox ran a "Punch A.J." All-Star campaign later that season to help him be elected as the fans' choice to the game. He said it: "I went to get my helmet and the next thing I know I'm in a bear hug and he said, 'I didn't have the ball, (expletive)' The next thing I know I got punched." — Pierzynski Video link