Today in White Sox History: May 13

1975
White Sox pitcher Jim Kaat’s 12-game winning streak ended, losing 3-2 in Baltimore. Kaathad won his first five decisions in 1975 to follow his final seven in 1974. He’d become a 20-game winner in both seasons, averaging 290 innings pitched. Kaat made the All-Star team in 1975.

1982
SportsVision made its debut. The first regional pay cable service devoted exclusively to sports began operations with a game at Comiskey Park vs. Milwaukee. The service was the brainchild of White Sox co-owner Eddie Einhorn and while brilliant, was ahead of its time. The technology wasn’t there, and more importantly, fans weren’t ready to pay for something they had been getting for free all their lives. At its peak, roughly 20,000 fans subscribed to the channel, which also included Bulls, Blackhawks and pro soccer Sting games.

The decision to go to a pay service caused popular announcer Harry Caray to bolt the team for the Cubs after 11 seasons on the South Side, despite a richer offer from the Sox for 1982. SportsVision, in its original version, lasted until the end of 1983, when it was sold to the Cablevision Company and turned into SportsChannel-Chicago.

The White Sox, to their credit, put on a show for the first SportsVision game, banging out 20 hits to rout the Brewers, 13-2. LaMarr Hoyt went the distance, running his record to 7-0 and keeping the White Sox in first place in the AL West.

1988
Sure, when Harold Baines clubbed a third-inning home run to bring in two runs of an eventual 4-1 win vs. Toronto, it brought the White Sox back to .500 at 16-16. But the real consequence of Baines’ fifth round-tripper of the season was that it was the 155th of his career, passing Bill Melton to reach the top of the team’s all-time home run list. Melton had held the White Sox home run mark for 13 years.

Baines remains No. 5 on the White Sox dinger list, which is now led by Frank Thomas, with 448. Melton is still in the Top 10, ranking No. 9 in White Sox history.

2011
With the A’s trailing the White Sox, 4-3, in the eighth inning, Coco Crisp attempted heroism by stealing home, with southpaw Matt Thornton pitching. Crisp failed, with A.J. Pierzynski applying the tag, as the White Sox end up winning by the same one-run margin.

2025
By curious decree demanded by no one, commissioner Rob Manfred reinstated all players from the ineligible list, employing the logic that death should break any “ban” on them by MLB. Thus the Black Sox were reduced from stain to smudge. Joe Jackson and Ed Cicotte, in particular, are now eligible for the Hall of Fame.