History on the South Side can be brutal, but September 14 stands out as a true curse date. It marks the start of a 10-game losing streak in 1931 that ended any hope for a decent season. The numbers don’t lie, and they paint a grim picture for any fan who remembers those days. This wasn’t just a bad week; it was the beginning of a total collapse that defined a whole year.
On that day in 1931, the White Sox fell 12-8 at Fenway Park, a game that turned into a disaster very quickly. According to South Side Sox, starter Tommy Thomas and reliever Vic Frazier took a massive hit during a six-run Red Sox seventh inning. Boston pushed ahead 8-4 in that frame, and the team never really recovered. Even though Luke Appling and John Kerr each hit two-run shots in the top of the eighth to tie the score, it proved insufficient. Lou Garland surrendered four runs to the Carmines, costing the White Sox the 1931 game.
The 1921 Road Trip Nightmare
This date isn’t the only time the team has crumbled in September. On September 14, 1921, a defeat ten years earlier marked the start of an 11-game losing streak – all played on the road (Polo Grounds in New York, then Fenway, Griffith Stadium, and Shibe Park). It wasn’t a home curse; it was a brutal road trip. The 1921 skid slid the White Sox down to 58-90, and the 11-game losing streak in 1921 remains tied for the seventh-longest in franchise history.
Finishing 56-97, the 1931 season eventually produced the worst record in White Sox history at that time. Starting on this day in 1931, the South Siders went 1-13 and won only six games in September. These aren’t just old stats; they are scars on the team’s identity. When a team loses 13 games in a month, something is broken deep in the foundation.
One Bright Spot in the Dark
It isn’t all doom, though. There was one game in 1952 where the team fought back from the brink. In 1952, Sox pitcher Saul Rogovin proved arm strength was available by striking out 14 Red Sox across 15 innings. Sam Mele, Minnie Miñoso, Sam Dente, and Rocky Krsnich each hit a two-out single in the bottom of the 17th inning in 1952 to secure the 4-3 victory. Luis Aloma earned the decision over two relief innings to seal the win. As the first game of a doubleheader in 1952, the nightcap was suspended due to darkness.
That 1952 win proves the team can fight, but the September 14 losses show how easily they can break. Fans know the feeling of watching a season slip away in the final stretch. The 1-13 finish in 1931 and the 11-game road skid in 1921 are reminders that this team has struggled to close out years for decades.
