1983 World Series Sweep of Dodgers

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Lore & Background

For the White Sox, who had last won a championship in 1917, it was their first World Series appearance since 1919, when the team's unexpected loss to the Cincinnati Reds coincided with the Black Sox Scandal. This was the only World Series to be played in the City of Chicago between the Cubs' loss in 1945 and the White Sox win in 2005. Managed by Al López, the White Sox were built on pitching, speed and defense. Nicknamed the 'Go-go Sox', they were last in the A.L. in home runs but led the league in stolen bases, fielding percentage, and lowest team ERA. They battled the Cleveland Indians for the American League pennant, and after a close race, the White Sox built a 6+1⁄2 game lead in early September. The Indians could get no closer than 3+1⁄2 games, and when the White Sox beat Cleveland 4–2 on September 22, they clinched the pennant with three games to play. The White Sox were only the second team besides the Yankees to win the A.L. pennant between 1949 and 1964 inclusive; the other was the 1954 Indians, also managed by Al López.

In Their Own Story

Game 1 at Historic Comiskey Park hosted a crowd of 48,103 that included Hollywood's Joan Crawford and Orson Welles and former Illinois governor Adlai Stevenson. Early Wynn of the White Sox faced Roger Craig of the Dodgers. After scoring twice in the first inning on back-to-back RBI singles by Ted Kluszewski and Sherm Lollar after a walk and single, the Sox pounded across seven runs in the third. Nellie Fox doubled with one out and scored on Jim Landis's single before Kluszewski's two-run home run knocked Craig out of the game. Lollar reached second on an error off of Chuck Churn and scored on Billy Goodman's single. Then RBI doubles by Al Smith and Early Wynn and fielder's choice by Jim Rivera aided by two more errors made it 9–0 White Sox. Ted Kluszewski's second home run of the game off of Churn next inning capped the game's scoring as the Sox routed the Dodgers 11–0. In Game 2, Bob Shaw faced Johnny Podres. The Sox jumped out to a quick 2–0 lead in the first inning on Ted Kluszewski's RBI groundout with runners on first and third followed by Sherm Lollar's RBI single. In the fifth, Charlie Neal homered for the first Dodger run of the series. Chuck Essegian's two-out home run tied the game 2–2 in the seventh, then after a walk, Neal hit his second home run of the day to put the Dodgers ahead for the first time, 4–2. During a Sox uprising in the eighth against Larry Sherry, Al Smith doubled to left with two men on, cutting the lead to 4–3. However, Sherm Lollar was thrown out by a mile at the plate trying to score due to Wally Moon faking a catch that fooled Lollar. Sherry pitched a perfect ninth to notch a save and give the Dodgers the win. In Game 3, 92,394 showed up for the first World Series game ever played on the West Coast. Dick Donovan faced Don Drysdale. Six scoreless innings were thrown by the two, with Donovan giving up only one hit. However, Donovan would load the bases in the seventh inning on two walks and a single before being replaced by Gerry Staley. A single by Carl Furillo scored two runs. Drysdale allowed two singles and Larry Sherry hit a batter to load the bases with no outs in the eighth, but gave up just a run on Al Smith's double play. The Dodgers got that run back in the bottom half when Maury Wills hit a leadoff single off of Gerry Staley and scored on Charlie Neal's double. Sherry shut down the Sox in the ninth as the Dodgers won, 3–1 despite being outhit 12–5. The White Sox stranded 11 runners and were 0–for–7 with them in scoring position. In Game 4, Early Wynn and Roger Craig faced off once again before a crowd of 92,650. Wynn was knocked out by a four-run Dodger third inning. Wally Moon singled with two outs and scored on Norm Larker's single. Larker, who moved to second on an error, scored on Gil Hodges's single. Hodges moved to third on a Don Demeter single and scored on a passed ball, then John Roseboro's RBI single capped the inning's scoring. The Sox tied the game in the seventh on Ted Kluszewski's RBI single with two on followed by Sherm Lollar socking a three-run home run, but Gil Hodges blasted one over the fence in the next inning off of Gerry Staley to give the Dodgers a 5–4 lead, then Larry Sherry pitched a scoreless ninth to put the Dodgers a win away from the World Series championship. In Game 5, a record-breaking crowd of 92,706 turned out. For the first time in World Series history, three pitchers combined for a shutout, as Bob Shaw, Billy Pierce and Dick Donovan quieted the Dodgers and their fans 1–0 in Game 5, sending the series back to Chicago. The game's only run scored in the fourth off starter Sandy Koufax, coming when Nellie Fox scored as Lollar grounded into a double play. To date, this remains the largest crowd in World Series history. In Game 6, the victory in Game 5 gave the Sox hope, heading back home to a 'real ballpark,' as opposed to L.A.'s converted football stadium.

Did You Know?

• Game 5's attendance of 92,706 continues to be a World Series record, and one that cannot feasibly be broken in any current baseball-specific park.
• This was the first World Series played on the West Coast.
• The White Sox were only the second team besides the Yankees to win the A.L. pennant between 1949 and 1964 inclusive; the other was the 1954 Indians, also managed by Al López.
• For the first time in World Series history, three pitchers combined for a shutout in Game 5.
• This was the only World Series to be played in the City of Chicago between the Cubs' loss in 1945 and the White Sox win in 2005.