1959 Chicago White Sox season


The 1959 Chicago White Sox season was the team's 59th season in the major leagues, and its 60th season overall. They finished with a record 94–60, good enough to win the American League championship, five games ahead of the second place Cleveland Indians. It was the team's first pennant since 1919 and would be its last until their championship season of.

Offseason

In 1959, the team won its first pennant in 40 years, thanks to the efforts of several eventual Hall of Famers – manager Al López, Luis Aparicio, Nellie Fox, and pitcher Early Wynn, who won the Cy Young Award at a time when only one award was presented for both leagues. Veteran catcher Sherm Lollar provided quiet leadership on and off the field, leading the team in home runs and RBIs. The White Sox also acquired slugger Ted Kluszewski in August, a local area native, from the Pittsburgh Pirates for the final pennant push. Kluszewski gave the team the needed power-hitting for the stretch run and hit nearly.300 in the final month of play for the White Sox. Lopez had also managed the Cleveland Indians to the World Series in, making him the only manager to interrupt the New York Yankees pennant run between 1949 and 1964.
After the pennant-clinching victory, Chicago Mayor Richard J. Daley, a lifelong White Sox fan, ordered his fire chief to set off the city's air raid sirens. Many Chicagoans became fearful and confused since 1959 was the height of the Cold War; however, they relaxed somewhat upon realizing it was part of the White Sox' celebration. The Sox won Game 1 of the World Series 11–0 on the strength of Kluszewski's two home runs, their last postseason home win until 2005. The Los Angeles Dodgers, however, won three of the next four games and captured their first World Series championship since moving to the west coast in 1958. 92,706 fans witnessed Game 5 of the World Series at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum, the most ever to attend a World Series game, or for that matter any non-exhibition major league baseball game. The White Sox won that game 1–0 over the Dodgers' 23-year-old pitcher Sandy Koufax, but the Dodgers clinched the series by beating the Sox 9–3 two days later at Comiskey Park.
Fox became the last player in the 20th century to have five hits on Opening Day.

Season standings

Record vs. opponents

Notable transactions

Player stats

Batting

Note: G = Games played; AB = At bats; R = Runs scored; H = Hits; 2B = Doubles; 3B = Triples; HR = Home runs; RBI = Runs batted in; BB = Base on balls; SO = Strikeouts; AVG = Batting average; SB = Stolen bases
PlayerGABRH2B3BHRRBIBBSOAVGSB
Luis Aparicio, SS152612981571856515340.25756
Earl Battey, C26649141227813.2190
Ray Boone, 1B92135001575.2381
Johnny Callison, LF491041218303121320.1730
Cam Carreon, C1100000000.0000
Norm Cash, 1B58104162501416189.2401
Larry Doby, OF,1B21581141109213.2411
Del Ennis, LF269610216027410.2190
Sammy Esposito, 3B,SS6966121110151116.1670
Nellie Fox, 2B156624841913462707113.3065
Billy Goodman, 3B10426821671411281920.2503
Joe Hicks, CF6703000011.4290
Ron Jackson, 1B101433101210.2140
Ted Kluszewski, 1B31101113021210910.2970
Jim Landis, CF149515781402675607868.27220
Sherm Lollar, C1405056313422322845549.2694
J. C. Martin, 3B3401000101.2500
Jim McAnany, RF672102258930271926.2762
Don Mueller, PH4402000000.5000
Bubba Phillips, 3B,OF117379431002715402728.2641
Jim Rivera, RF,LF801771839944191119.2205
John Romano, C531262037515252318.2940
Harry Simpson, RF387551451213414.1870
Lou Skizas, LF81331000032.0770
Al Smith, LF,RF1294726511216417554674.2377
Earl Torgeson, 1B1272774061539456255.2207

Pitching

Note: W = Wins; L = Losses; ERA = Earned run average; G = Games pitched; GS = Games started; SV = Saves; IP = Innings pitched; H = Hits allowed; R = Runs allowed; ER = Earned runs allowed; HR = Home runs allowed; BB = Walks allowed; K = Strikeouts
PlayerWLERAGGSSVIPHRERHRBBK
Rudy Árias204.09340244.049232072728
Dick Donovan9103.6631290179.21718473156171
Barry Latman853.7537210156.01387165157597
Turk Lown922.896001593.1733230124663
Ken McBride013.18112122.22011811712
Ray Moore364.12298089.2864641104950
Gary Peters000.002001.0200021
Billy Pierce14153.6234330224.021798902666114
Claude Raymond009.003004.0544221
Don Rudolph000.004013.0400030
Bob Shaw1862.6947263230.22177269155989
Gerry Staley852.2467014116.1111392953454
Joe Stanka103.382005.1222153
Early Wynn22103.1737370255.22021069020124179
Team totals
94603.29156156361425.11297588521129570761

1959 World Series

NL Los Angeles Dodgers vs. AL Chicago White Sox

Awards and honors