Chicago White Sox - The Golden Years (1950-1959)

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1950

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Titles: AL Champs (1959 - Lost to Dodgers in World Series)

Top White Sox Players during the Fifties

BallPark: Comiskey Park

Pitchers:

Billy Pierce (43.7) - 117

Team Name: White Sox

Dick Donovan (14.46) - 47

Virgil Trucks (10.11) - 35

Owner: Grace Comiskey (1950-1956)

Jack Harshman (8.52) - 31

Dorothy Comiskey (1957-1958)

Early Wynn (3.48) - 26

Bill Veeck (1959)

Saul Rogovin (5.76) - 23

Jim Wilson (2.46) - 22

General Managers: Frank Lane (1950-1955)

Sandy Consuegra (8.04) - 19

Chuck Comiskey (1956-1958)

Bob Keegan (3.5) - 19

Hank Greenberg (1959)

Joe Dobson (6.28) - 15

Harry Dorish (7.78) - 15

Managers: Jack Onslow (1950)

Bob Shaw (4.64) - 12

Red Corriden (1950)

Gerry Staley (7.76) - 11

Paul Richards (1951-1954)

Bill Wight (4.06) - 9

Marty Marion (1954-1956)

Luis Aloma (4.7) - 3

Al Lopez (1957-1959)

Catchers:

Hall of Famers:

Sherm Lollar (21.59) - 81

Luis Aparicio

Minnie Minoso

First Basemen:

Larry Doby

Eddie Robinson (9.53) - 21

Nellie Fox

Earl Torgeson (4.21) - 5

Early Wynn

Second Basemen:

No Hitters:

Nellie Fox (40.58) - 62

Bob Keegan (1957)

ShortStop:

Rookie of the Year:

Chico Carrasquel (19.18) - 43

Luis Aparicio (1956)

Luis Aparicio (12.14) - 43

MVP: Nellie Fox (1959)

Third Base:

Bubba Phillips (5.35) - 10

Notable Events:

Outfield:

1950 - Frank Lane works his magic getting 2B Nellie Fox from the A's for

Minnie Minoso (36.9) - 93

journeyman catcher Joe Tipton. This is after stealing LHP Billy Pierce from

Jim Rivera (6.31) - 69

the Tigers for journeyman catcher Aaron Robinson and purchasing SS

Jim Landis (9.82) - 36

Alfonso Carrasquel from Brooklyn the year before. Lane will acquire OF

Larry Doby (6.7) - 19

Minnie Minoso the following year from Cleveland. He also picks up

Jim Busby (0.23) - 16

C Sherm Lollar and OF Jim Rivera from the Browns in 1952 in another

Al Smith (2.57) - 13

steal (altho' it must be said that Lane had traded Rivera to the Browns first

John Callison (0.06) - 0

and then quickly grabbed him back). In 1954 he once again perpetrates

a theft, this time purloining RHP Dick Donovan from the Braves.

Notable Events:

These deals create the heart of the excellent White Sox teams throughout

the Fifties.

1958 - Chicago acquires Early Wynn from Cleveland in 1958. At

thirty eight years old, the Indians figure he is washed up. However, Wynn

1951 - The White Sox have their first winning season in seven years

proves to be the biggest piece of the 1959 White Sox championship puzzle.

1955 - Frank Lane resigns after the season and is replaced by Chuck

1958 - The Sox acquire twenty five year old right hander Bob Shaw from

Comiskey. This could have been a disaster for the Sox, but Comiskey

Detroit. He is a big part of their pennant push the following season.

didn't dismantle what Lane had built Lane gave no reason why he left,

but he signed a three year contract with the wealthy St. Louis Cardinals

1959 - Bill Veeck buys the club. The White Sox instantly become fun.

organization not too long after his resignation. If negotiations had gone on

Part of the new ownership group is Hank Greenberg who becomes

earlier with St. Louis, no one would have admitted it as it would have been

General Manager. Greenberg was a brilliant baseball man who had built

tampering. With Grace Comiskey very ill at the time, Lane would not have

up the tremendous Cleveland club of the Fifties. Veeck had brought

been able to request permission to speak with other clubs. Also, Chuck

Greenberg to Cleveland when he bought the Indians in 1946 and the two

Comiskey could have chosen not to accept Lane's resignation, but

were now collaborating again.

graciously stepped aside in deference to all that Lane had done for the club.

1959 - The Sox win the American League pennant exactly forty years

1956 - The Sox finish third for the fifth straight year. The Yankees and

after their previous pennant - the year of the Black Sox scandal

Cleveland were top dogs in the league during this period finishing 1-2

ahead of Chicago in each of the five seasons. The Yankees of the Fifties

1959 - You get the feeling that Veeck and Greenberg weren't planning on

were one of the all time great teams and Cleveland had one of the all

staying in Chicago very long (Veeck eventually sold the club in 1961) and

time great pitching staffs plus a good club supporting them. Timing is

that they were looking to keep the club on top in the short term to maximize

everything and this Sox club had the misfortune of being around at the

the price. Otherwise, how could you explain the following three deals made

same time those two clubs were.

by these two extremely savvy baseball men after winning the 1959 title?:

1956 - Twenty two year old future Hall of Fame Shortstop Luis Aparicio

C Earl Battey, 24, and 1B Don Mincher, 21, to Wasington for Roy Sievers, 32

joins the club and is Rookie of the Year. He was signed as an IFA out of

Venezuela two years earlier.

C John Romano, 24, and 1B Norm Cash, 24, to Cleveland for OF Minnie

Minoso, 34 and three others

1957 - Twenty three year old centerfielder Jim Landis comes up to the

majors. He had been signed by the Sox five years earlier as an eighteen

OF John Callison, 20 to the Phillies for 3B Gene Freese, 26

year old out of high school. Jim was an extremely underrated ballplayer

in his time. A perfect fit for the cavernous Comiskey Park, Jim covered

1959 - RHP Joe Horlen, 21, is signed out of Oklahoma State U. He will team

tons of ground with his great speed. He was also a threat on the basepaths,

up with Gary Peters and Juan Pizarro in the mid Sixtis to give Chicago one

one of the few of the era, but it didn't help him that he was overshadowed

of the top starting rotations in baseball

by teammate Luis Aparicio in the steals department. Only a lifetime

.247 hitter, but with double figure home run power, the only All Star

team Jim made was in 1962, the year after his best offensive season

when he went 22-85-.283 with 18 stolen bases.