{"id":8428,"date":"2018-04-22T10:15:35","date_gmt":"2018-04-22T15:15:35","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.baseballroundtable.com\/?p=8428"},"modified":"2021-04-22T11:06:43","modified_gmt":"2021-04-22T16:06:43","slug":"eleven-runs-on-one-hit-revisiting-a-most-peculiar-inning","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/baseballroundtable.com\/eleven-runs-on-one-hit-revisiting-a-most-peculiar-inning\/","title":{"rendered":"Eleven Runs on One Hit \u2013 Revisiting a Most Peculiar Inning"},"content":{"rendered":"
On this Date (April 22) in 1959, the Chicago White Sox completed what may be the weirdest MLB offensive inning ever \u2013 an event Baseball Roundtable feels is worth revisiting.<\/p>\n
In the seventh inning of a 20-6 road win over the Kansas City A\u2019s, the Chicago White Sox scored 11 runs on just one base hit. In fact, they got only one ball out of the infield.<\/strong><\/span><\/p><\/blockquote>\n
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Nellie Fox drew two bases-loaded walks in the seventh inning of a White Sox 20-6 win.<\/p><\/div>\n
This unique offensive \u201coutburst\u201d would prove to be a portent of things to come. The 1959 AL pennant-winning White Sox were became known as the \u201cGo-Go Sox\u201d for their ability to manufacture runs despite a punchless offense. (The Sox finished last in the league in home runs and sixth – out of the eight AL teams – in batting average and runs scored, but first in stolen bases and second in walks).<\/p>\n
Still, it would have been hard to predict an inning in which the boys from Chicago would plate eleven runs on just one hit (a single) – or to anticipate a frame which included ten walks, a hit batsman, and three opposition errors. Here are few \u201cnumbers\u201d from that 11-run inning:<\/p>\n
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- The Sox sent 17 batters to the plate, but collected just one hit – and, in fact, got only one ball out of the infield.<\/li>\n
- Sox\u2019 hitters stepped into the box with runners in scoring position 14 times.<\/li>\n
- Sox hitters batted with the bases loaded 12 times and never got the ball past the pitcher.<\/li>\n
- Eight different White Sox\u2019 players drew walks.<\/li>\n
- The Sox drew eight bases-loaded walks (and had one bases-loaded hit batsman). and<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
White Sox 2B Nellie Fox walked twice with the bases loaded in the inning.<\/strong><\/span><\/p><\/blockquote>\n
Here\u2019s how it went that inning (per baseball-reference.com):<\/p>\n
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- 1B Ray Boone is safe on a throwing error by A\u2019s shortstop Joe DeMaestri.<\/li>\n
- RF Al Smith attempts to sacrifice Boone to second (score was 8-6 at the time) and reaches safely on an error by A\u2019s third baseman Hal Smith.<\/li>\n
- LF Johnny Callison singles to right. Scoring Boone and Smith (with the help of an error by A\u2019s right fielder Roger Maris). Callison ends up on third.<\/li>\n
- SS Louis Aparicio walks \u2013 steals second (runners now on second and third).<\/li>\n
- P Bob Shaw walks (loading bases).<\/li>\n
- PH Earl Torgeson (batting for 3B Sammy Esposito) walks (scoring Callison).<\/li>\n
- 2B Nellie Fox walks (scoring Aparicio).<\/li>\n
- CF Jim Landis reaches on fielder\u2019s choice – grounding back to pitcher Mark Freeman, who takes the force at home (bases still loaded).<\/li>\n
- C Sherman Lollar walks (scoring Torgeson, bases still loaded).<\/li>\n
- Ray Boone makes his second plate appearance of the inning and walks (scoring Nellie Fox).<\/li>\n
- Al Smith makes his second plate appearance of the inning and walks (scoring Landis).<\/li>\n
- Johnny Callison, who had the only hit of the inning in his first plate appearance, is hit by a pitch (scoring Lollar, bases still loaded). Lou Skizas comes in to run for Callison.<\/li>\n
- Louis Aparicio draws his second walk of the inning (scoring Boone, bases still loaded).<\/li>\n
- Bob Shaw strikes out.<\/li>\n
- PH Bubba Phillips (batting for Torgeson, who batted for Esposito earlier in the inning) walks (scoring Smith, bases still full).<\/li>\n
- Nellie Fox draws his second bases loaded walk of the inning (scoring Skizas).<\/li>\n
- Jim Landis grounds out pitcher to first to end the inning.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
The 20-runs the White Sox scored that day were the most they plated in any game that season.\u00a0 Another side note: It did not start out like it was going to be a good day for the White Sox.\u00a0 The A\u2019s knocked Chicago\u2019s starting pitcher Early Wynn – who would go on to lead the AL in wins with 22 – out of the game with six runs on six hits and two walks in the first 1 2\/3 innings. The Sox actually trailed 6-1 after two frames.<\/em> A few other stats:<\/p>\n
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- The Sox collected a total of 16 hits and 13 walks in the contest; which also saw four Kansas City errors.<\/li>\n
- In addition, to scoring 20 times, Chicago left eleven runners on base.<\/li>\n
- Nellie Fox was the offensive star of the game \u2013 with four hits (five at bats), two walks and five RBI.<\/li>\n
- The A\u2019s used six pitchers in the contest, three in the seventh inning.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
Primary Resource:\u00a0 Baseball-Reference.com<\/em><\/p>\n
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