1959 American League Pennant

Lore & Background

The team won its first pennant in 40 years, thanks to several eventual Hall of Famers – manager Al López, Luis Aparicio, Nellie Fox (the league MVP), and pitcher Early Wynn, who won the Cy Young Award. Veteran catcher Sherm Lollar led the team in home runs and RBIs. The White Sox acquired slugger Ted Kluszewski in August from the Pittsburgh Pirates. After the pennant-clinching victory, Chicago Mayor Richard J. Daley ordered the city's air raid sirens set off, causing confusion during the Cold War. The Sox won Game 1 of the World Series 11–0, but the Los Angeles Dodgers won three of the next four games to capture the series. 92,706 fans attended Game 5 at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum, the most ever for a World Series game. The White Sox won that game 1–0, but the Dodgers clinched the series 9–3 two days later at Comiskey Park.

Reader's Guide

The 1959 White Sox finished with a 94–60 record, winning the American League pennant. Key players included Nellie Fox (league MVP), Luis Aparicio, Early Wynn (Cy Young Award), Sherm Lollar, and Ted Kluszewski. The team's Opening Day lineup featured Luis Aparicio, Nellie Fox, Jim Landis, Sherm Lollar, Norm Cash, Al Smith, Johnny Callison, Bubba Phillips, and Billy Pierce. Notable transactions included the trade of Lou Skizas and Don Rudolph to the Cincinnati Redlegs for Del Ennis on May 1, 1959, and the trade of Ray Boone to the Kansas City Athletics for Harry Simpson on May 2, 1959. Claude Raymond was returned to the Milwaukee Braves on May 11, 1959. Ted Kluszewski was acquired from the Pittsburgh Pirates on August 25, 1959.

Did You Know?

• 92,706 fans attended Game 5 of the 1959 World Series, the largest crowd ever for a World Series game.
• The White Sox' last postseason home win before 2005 was Game 1 of the 1959 World Series.