The Chicago White Sox were a team that knew how to use miracles. Despite carrying the yoke of "the hitless wonders," the Sox had finished in second place in each of the past two campaigns. The 1958 season was especially serendipitous when they hit the fewest home runs and outscored their opponents by a total of only 19 runs yet finished as runners-up to the Yankees. Scribes had joked for years that a typical Chicago rally consisted of a walk, stolen base, sacrifice, and wild pitch.

This season was little different. Although they had the best base-stealing team in the majors, Chicago was again on pace to hit the fewest home runs. Management was concerned enough with their punchless attack that they opened negotiations with Washington in an effort to acquire slugger Roy Sievers. In addition, manager Al Lopez had become so exasperated that he routed his team out of bed this Wednesday morning to command a two-hour batting practice session.

The Sox responded later in the night with a 16-hit attack against the Athletics, but it wasn't the hits that drew the headlines. Rather, Chicago demonstrated a new level of efficiency in scoring runs without hits. After falling behind 6-1, the Sox stormed back to take an 8-6 lead after six innings. At that point they already had gathered 11 hits and three walks. Then came the miraculous seventh when Kansas City pitching and fielding generosity afforded the Sox an astonishing eleven runs on only one hit. Here's how that frame unfolded (runs scored in parentheses):

• Right-hander Tom Gorman took the mound for the Athletics. Chicago's Ray Boone was safe when his grounder to shortstop Joe DeMaestri was thrown wild.

• In typical ChiSox style, Al Smith attempted to sacrifice but was safe when third baseman Hal Smith fumbled the pick up.

• Johnny Callison then collected the only hit of the inning when he singled to right scoring Boone (1). Right fielder Roger Maris mishandled the hit enabling Smith (2) to also score and Callison to move around to third.

• Luis Aparicio walked and promptly stole second. (It was one of 56 steals for Luis.)

• Chicago relief pitcher Bob Shaw was also given a free pass, loading the bases. That was all for the A's Gorman, who was replaced by Mark Freeman.

• Earl Torgeson pinch-hit for Sammy Esposito (who had earlier pinch-run for Billy Goodman). Earl also walked and collected an RBI as Callison (3) strolled home.

• Nellie Fox walked and forced home teammate Aparicio (4).

• Jim Landis made the first out when he bounced back to Freeman, forcing Shaw at the plate.

• Sherman Lollar got the game back on track by walking and forcing home Torgeson (5).

• A's manager Harry Craft then beckoned left-hander George Brunet to take the hill, but Brunet resumed the charity and walked Boone, bringing home Fox (6).

• Smith also walked, scoring Landis (7).

• Callison broke the monotony by not walking. Instead, Johnny was hit on the wrist by a pitch, bringing in Lollar (8). Lou Skizas ran for Callison.

• Back in the swing of things, Brunet walked Aparicio sending Boone home (9). That was the eighth free pass issued by Athletics hurlers this inning.

• Shaw must have felt compassion for his Kansas City counterpart and struck out for the second out.

• After that temporary break in decorum, Brunet walked Bubba Phillips, scoring Smith (10). Phillips had been pinch-hitting for Torgeson who earlier in the frame had "pinch-walked" for Esposito.

• Nellie Fox walked for the second time in the inning and harvested his second RBI without touching the ball as Skizas (11) trotted home.

• Landis mercifully ended the carnage by grounding out, Brunet to first baseman Kent Hadley. It was the second out of the inning made by Landis, both on grounders back to the pitcher.

There you have it-11 runs on one hit, three errors, 10 walks, and one hit-batsman. The Sox left the sacks filled and hit only one ball past the pitcher's mound. Nine of the runs were forced in by walks, and only two of the 11 runs were earned during the 45-minute half-inning. The 10 walks fell only one short of the all-time single-inning mark (see 9-11-49). And, Chicago's biggest offensive guns were two of their smallest players-Luis Aparicio who had three hits including a three-run home run, and Nellie Fox who collected four hits and five RBIs. Six Sox scored runs and four got RBIs without getting a hit. Approaching the plate in the leadoff position for Chicago was a particularly bizarre experience. Sammy Esposito pinch-ran for Billy Goodman in the fifth and scored. Sammy did step to the plate in the sixth but walked. When he was scheduled to hit in the seventh, left-handed hitting Earl Torgeson pinch-hit for him and walked. Torgeson thereby collected an RBI and later in the inning himself scored. But when the Sox batted around and Earl was again scheduled to bat, left-hander Brunet was on the hill. Thus, right-handed Bubba Phillips pinch-hit for Torgeson and also walked and collected an RBI. (Phillips later blemished his record by grounding out in the ninth.)

The miracle in Kansas City served as a portent of things to come. Chicago finished the season sixth in hits, sixth in runs scored, and eighth (last) in homers yet captured the AL flag, their first in 40 years. Kansas City finished in seventh place, and their pitching staff allowed more hits than any other in the circuit.

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