These 13 Chicago White Sox rookie managers won on Opening Day
By Joe Santoro
Hugh Duffy, 1910
Hugh Duffy was the man in charge for the Chicago White Sox in 1910.
Duffy beat the Browns, 3-0, on Opening Day (April 14) as 23,660 fans at South Side Park sat through a 100-minute game at 37th and Wentworth. Comiskey Park, on 35th Street, would open on July 1 that same season with a 2-0 loss to the Browns.
Fans were allowed to stand on the field in foul territory, though the game was momentarily halted in the fifth inning as fans crowded into fair territory. White Sox shortstop Lena Blackburne had his glove stolen immediately after the final out by a fan, according to the Chicago Tribune.
Patsy Dougherty scored two runs and hit a double while Chick Gandil, Billy Purtell, and Fred Payne drove in the Chicago runs.
White Sox pitcher Frank Smith, a surprise choice as the Opening Day starter over Ed Walsh and Doc White, allowed just one hit in nine innings. Smith would win just three more games and lose nine in 1910 despite a 2.03 ERA in 19 games (15 starts).