Nonsensical Trivia of the Day

Right after a spur of the moment week long tour of Massachusetts (and a one day stop in the Bronx) and in the midst of many other plots and schemes, I stop making excuses to post...

A disheartening 4-1 loss to Seattle last night forces me to shy away from current White Sox matters once again to present this:

All these White Sox players homered in their first game in White Sox uniform

Al Simmons (4/12/33 off Bump Hadley)
Minnie Minoso (5/1/51 off Vic Raschi)
Dick Allen (4/15/72 off Dick Drago)
Richie Zisk (4/7/77 off Bill Singer)
Carlton Fisk (4/10/81 off Bob Stanley)
George Foster (8/15/86 off Bill Wegman)
Sammy Sosa (8/22/89 off David West)
Albert Belle (4/1/97) off Pat Hentgen
Paul Konerko (4/5/99) off Jeff Fassero
Carlos Lee (5/7/99) off Tom Candiotto
Jim Thome (4/2/06) off Fernando Cabrera

It blew my mind that THAT many quality players to have played for the White Sox have accomplished this feat. Simmons played in a cavernous Comiskey. In fact according to John Snyder's White Sox Journal, Simmons demanded they bring the fences in (which they did at least temporarily until they got rid of him after the 1935 season). After averaging 32 HR and 150 RBI a year from 1929-32, Simmons would average 16 and 100 during his three year stint with the White Sox. Regardless, despite hitting only 14 on the year, he did hit one in his first game of 1933 (even if it was at St. Louis).

Minoso didn't exactly put up Ruthian power numbers the year he did it either. A modest 10 homers for the Sox in 1951 after putting up a single homer in 17 combined games with the Indians in 1949-1951 before joining the Sox following an April 30th trade. Yet he made a point to take Vic Raschi out of Comiskey in his first game with the Pale Hose.

Allen went on to set a season homer record for the Sox in '72, and Zisk became part of the first 30 homer duo (with Oscar Gamble) in '77. No real surprises there.

But when you look at Carlton Fisk's 1981 season and see 7 homers in 96 games, you figure what are the odds that he hit one in his first game, right? Well of course he did; in dramatic fashion, nonetheless. Down 2-0 in Fenway of all places, he took Bob Stanley deep for a three run shot in a White Sox winner.

Foster played only 15 games with the Sox to close out his fine career, hitting a meager .216 with one homer, but of course it was in his White Sox debut.

Sammy Sosa had flashes of greatness with the White Sox, but struck out way too often and played shaky defense, so he was shipped to the North Side. However he too homered in his first game with the ChiSox.

1997 was an off year for the much heralded Albert Belle, who with a 30 HR, 116 RBI output was just getting warmed up for his monster 1998 campaign (setting Sox records in HR and RBI still standing today).

Konerko and Thome silenced their critics (both acquired for popular centerfielders; Cameron for Konerko and Rowand for Thome) by going long in their first game in black, and Carlos Lee, sandwiched inbetween, turned the trick in his first major league at bat (the only player on this list with that distinction).

So the next time a Sox player sets off fireworks in his first White Sox game, keep an eye on him; he just may become a franchise hero (or a Russ Morman or Joe Borchard, who also did it).