For once in his life, Bobby Thigpen was speechless.
Carlton Fisk, as is par for the course, was ageless. Together, the familiar White Sox batterymates helped make history Monday night in the final month of old Comiskey Park, during the Sox`s 4-2 victory over Kansas City.
Thigpen recorded his 47th save of the season, breaking the all-time major-league mark set by the Yankees` Dave Righetti in 1986. George Brett`s game-ending double-play grounder to Scott Fletcher set off a wild celebration on the infield, as Thigpen was mobbed by teammates and coaches while the crowd of 25,236 saluted him with a prolonged ovation.
”I could barely talk to my teammates,” said Thigpen. ”I never thought I`d be as emotional as I am right now.”
”We`re going to need another 15 or so from him to win the division title,” said manager Jeff Torborg. ”Bobby`s going to annihilate the record.”
With Oakland beating Boston, the Sox still trailed the division leaders by 6 1/2 games with only 29 remaining. But, at least for the time being, no one seemed too concerned over the pennant race.
Fisk provided the offensive fireworks on Fireworks Night with three hits, including an upper-deck home run in the sixth inning that gave the Sox the lead for good.
Fisk started his evening off with a dinky 25-foot hit and worked his way up from there. An infield single on a dribbler halfway to the mound in the second inning begat a sharp double to right in the fourth, which begat the blast in the sixth that Fisk couldn`t help but stand back and admire at home plate.
”There was no doubt whether it would go fair or foul,” he said. ”Just where it was going to land.”
Fisk wasn`t finished. He came up in the eighth with a chance for the cycle, but after Sammy Sosa stole second with no outs, ”the Commander” gave himself up with a grounder to second to advance Sosa to third.
Smart hitter. Smart hitting. And smart fans, said Torborg, pointing at the ovation Fisk received.
”You know what`s great?” Torborg said. ”The fans` responding to him getting a guy over. That shows how knowledgeable they are.”
Sosa scored an insurance run soon after on Robin Ventura`s two-out single, setting up Thigpen`s record-breaking save. Guillen`s solid fielding in the ninth helped get the champagne corks popping again.
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”Ozzie is a big fan of mine and I am a big fan of his,” said Thigpen.
”I`m glad he made the final three outs.”
Thigpen`s record-setting save and Fisk`s big night obscured Eric King`s return from the disabled list. Making his first appearance since July 31, when he was shelled for nine hits and four runs in four innings at Boston, King was greeted rudely in the first inning.
Danny Tartabull`s two-run double off King gave Kansas City a quick 2-0 lead, but the Sox tied it off Kevin Appier (11-5) in the fourth on sacrifice flys by Frank Thomas and Ventura.
King settled down but was removed by Torborg after putting the first two batters on in the fifth.
”He was out of gas,” said Torborg. ”We weren`t expecting a lot out of him.”
Wayne Edwards (4-3), the erstwhile No. 5 starter who has returned to the bullpen due to King`s return from the DL, got out of a one-out, bases-loaded jam by whiffing Tartabull and inducing Kurt Stillwell to ground out.
Fisk`s solo shot in the sixth, his 15th homer of the year and 351st of his career (tying him with ex-Sox slugger Dick Allen for 42nd on the all-time list) put the Sox up 3-2. Barry Jones and Thigpen slammed the door thereafter to preserve the victory for Edwards.
”It`s nice to get the win,” said Edwards, ”But just being in the same box score for Bobby`s save is great.”
When Thigpen last appeared at Comiskey, he allowed a two-out, two-strike, ninth-inning three-run homer to California`s Lee Stevens that started a Sox slide. Now the Sox have won four of five, with Thigpen saving each victory.
”I`m not perfect,” he said. ”I`m not going to make the right pitch every time.”
But 47 times this year he`s made the right pitch that ended a Sox win. Thigpen may not be perfect, but he`s in the record books nonetheless.