On this day in White Sox history, May 12 brings back some truly remarkable pitching performances that deserve a fresh look. Let's step into the time machine and revisit these gems from the diamond.

First up, we go all the way back to 1904. A young Ed Walsh, who would later earn his place in Cooperstown, made his White Sox debut in Philadelphia. It wasn't a storybook start—he came on in relief during a 9-3 loss to the A's, tossing just one inning while giving up two hits and a run. But every legend has to start somewhere, and this was the beginning of something special for the future Hall-of-Famer.

Fast forward to 1915, and we find Red Faber delivering one of the most efficient complete games you'll ever hear about. At Comiskey Park, Faber beat Washington 4-1, but the score only tells part of the story. This was his sixth start of the season, his fifth win—and his sixth complete game. Yes, you read that right: every single start went the distance.

Here's where it gets really interesting. While official pitch counts didn't exist 110 years ago, a young boy-clerk named Frank Saffell was tracking every pitch for an electronic scoreboard in Washington. After the game, he telegraphed the Chicago Tribune with astonishing numbers: just 50 strikes and 17 balls over the entire game, including two three-pitch innings. That's a total of 67 pitches—five fewer than what Saffell claimed was the previous record held by Christy Mathewson (72 pitches). Saffell's count has been accepted into baseball lore and even acknowledged by the Baseball Hall of Fame.

Faber carried a one-hitter into the ninth inning. With two outs, a single, a passed ball, and a double finally gave the Senators their lone run—at a point when, as the Tribune so colorfully put it, "nobody cared a whoop what happened." The game lasted just one hour and 35 minutes. For context, the most efficient officially-counted games at Baseball-Reference are 75 pitches by Bob Tewksbury (1990) and Andy Ashby (1998). The unofficial MLB record belongs to Red Barrett of the Boston Braves, who threw a 58-pitch complete game on August 10, 1944.

Now let's jump to 1923, where the White Sox pulled off a savvy roster move. St. Louis's haste became Chicago's gain when Hollis "Sloppy" Thurston was placed on waivers by the Browns just two games and four innings into his professional career. The White Sox wasted no time purchasing the screwballer, and Thurston immediately became a valuable asset. He threw both starts and relief appearances that season, but it was out of the bullpen that he etched his name in history—becoming just the fifth pitcher ever to throw an immaculate inning (three strikeouts on nine pitches).

Whether it's Ed Walsh's humble debut, Red Faber's pitch-count masterpiece, or Sloppy Thurston's unexpected arrival, May 12 is a day that reminds us of the rich, quirky history that makes baseball so endlessly fascinating. And for fans of the game, these stories are a perfect reminder that greatness often comes in the most unexpected packages—much like finding that perfect vintage-style jersey or cap to celebrate your team's legacy.