White Sox History: Earl Sheely Sets Extra Base Hit Record
Earl Sheely was a legend in the Pacific Coast League. However, he saved his finest hitting performance for the majors, as on this day in 1926, he set a record for the most consecutive extra base hits while playing for the White Sox.
A minor league legend, Earl Sheely spent 23 years in professional baseball, with only nine of those in the majors. During that time in the minors, he had 2319 hits, 420 doubles, and an estimated .324 batting average. And yet, his greatest hitting accomplishment came during his time with the Chicago White Sox.
On this day in 1926, the White Sox faced off against the Red Sox in Boston, taking an 8-7 loss. Sheely was the offensive star that day, as he was 4-5 with three doubles and a home run. He scored three runs, and drove in three more, providing a great deal of the White Sox attack in their defeat.
All four of those extra base hits came in succession before Red Sox pitching finally got him out. This followed a 3-4 performance in the previous day’s contest, where Sheely ended the day with three consecutive doubles. He scored three runs in that game as well, while driving in four during the White Sox 13-4 victory.
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In hitting extra base hits in seven consecutive plate appearances, Sheely set a new major league record. It may not have been considered as impressive as hitting a homer in eight consecutive games, but the fact that he was able to pepper the gaps in Fenway to such a degree is quite the accomplishment in its own right.
That 1926 campaign would prove to be Sheely’s last hurrah in the majors. After five solid years, including a sixth place finish in the MVP vote, he produced a .299/.394/.417 batting line, hitting 40 doubles and driving in 87 runs. However, he only appeared in 45 games the following year with the White Sox before heading back to the Pacific Coast League. From there, he would spent one year with the Pirates and the Braves each, but was not able to come close to that level of production again.
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A solid hitter, Earl Sheely showcased his extra base power against the Red Sox. On this day in 1926, he set a major league record with his seventh consecutive extra base hit.