Chicago White Sox vs. California Angels — October 5, 1980
Ballpark: Comiskey Park (the original, South Side of Chicago) City: Chicago, Illinois
Occasion: Final day of the MLB regular season and the final White Sox broadcast on WSNS Channel 44 before their games moved to another station.
So this one wasn’t a thriller like a World Series Game 7 — but as a last-day-of-the-season snapshot at old Comiskeywith Harry Caray and Jimmy Piersall signing off WSNS
The Game Flow
- 1st Inning (Sox strike fast): Chicago got to Angels starter Ralph Botting right away. Wayne Nordhagen doubled home a run, and later Mike Squires singled, helping the Sox plate three runs in the opening frame. The sparse Comiskey crowd (just under 9,000 fans) had something to cheer about early.
- 2nd Inning (Insurance): The Sox added two more runs in the bottom of the second. It was mostly small ball — base hits strung together, plus a fielder’s choice. After two innings, it was 5–0 White Sox.
- Middle Innings: The game settled into a slower rhythm. White Sox starter Steve Trout mixed in his sinker and curve, keeping the Angels quiet through five. Botting, after the rough start, calmed down a bit but was already in too deep of a hole.
- 6th Inning (Angels answer): The Angels finally broke through. Carney Lansford and Rod Carew helped manufacture a run, trimming it to 5–1.
- 7th & 8th Innings: California added two more — Trout allowed a few baserunners and walks, and Dan Fordknocked in a run. Suddenly it was 5–3, but Trout wriggled out of a bigger jam.
- 9th Inning (nail down): With the game still tight, Mike Proly came in from the bullpen for Chicago. He worked around traffic to record the save, preserving a 5–3 White Sox victory.
Pitching & Key Players
- White Sox:
- Starter: Steve Trout — 8 innings, 9 hits, 3 runs, 5 strikeouts, 5 walks. Earned the win (finishing season 9–16).
- Closer: Mike Proly — 1 inning, nailed down the save.
- Angels:
- Starter: Ralph Botting — 1.1 innings, 5 runs allowed.
- Relievers (including John Montague) kept it close afterward, but the early deficit was too much.
- Notables at the plate (Chicago):
- Wayne Nordhagen: RBI double in the 1st.
- Mike Squires: timely RBI single.
- Jim Morrison & Chet Lemon contributed to early rallies.
- Notables (California):
- Rod Carew: reached base a couple of times, steady as ever.
- Carney Lansford: part of the late push.
- Dan Ford: RBI single late in the game.
- Harry Caray – the booming, colorful lead voice of the Sox.
- Jimmy Piersall – fiery former outfielder, gave colorful commentary.
- Lorn Brown – play-by-play man, also part of the rotation.
