38. Nellie Fox

 

 

(5 of 27 lists - 60 points - highest ranking #4 BigEdWalsh)

 

bio by Texsox -

Nellie was the toughest out for me. In 12 years I struck him out once, and I think the umpire blew the call. - New York Yankees Hall of Fame pitcher Whitey Ford

 

When fans start discussing the best White Sox players of all time, Hall of Famer Nellie Fox has got to be in the conversation. I am too young to remember Fox’s last seasons with the Sox but I do remember conversations about him and both his slick fielding and great hitting. Whenever conversations turned to the 1959 World Series, people would say we needed one or two more people to have stepped up like Fox. He batted .306 and won a Gold Glove during the regular season but kicked it up a notch during the World Series to lead the team in batting with a .375 average and three doubles.

 

During the 50s and 60s the Sox were renowned for their defense and nowhere was it more solid then up the middle. Nellie played second alongside Venezuelans Chico Carrasquel (1950-55) and Hall-of-Famer Luis Aparicio (1956-62). That’s small ball, having two Hall of Famers, one at second and the other at shortstop. That makes it really tough to get balls up the middle on those guys.

 

Fox was also impossible to strike out, his average of striking out once every 42 times at the plate would mean he struck out about once every couple weeks. I could go on, but just look at this list . . .

 

* The first White Sox player elected MVP of the American League.

* Only 216 career strikeouts in over 9,200 at-bats: the 3rd best percentage in MLB history.

* Set the record for consecutive games played at second base, with 798.

* 12-time All-Star.

* 3-time Gold Glove Award winner.

* Held American League record for most double plays by a second baseman; second-most in the majors after Bill Mazeroski.

* Between 1959 and 1960 the Aparicio-Fox duo won twice Gold Gloves, starting a select list of eight shortstop-second baseman combinations have won the honor in the same season while playing together.

* A life-sized bronze statue of him was unveiled at U.S. Cellular Field in 2006. His No. 2 uniform also was retired by the White Sox.

 

Did I mention that at 5’9” most Scouts today would have passed him over?

 

Please feel free to comment with any more info and favorite stories about this player or any other in this list.

By no means am i complaining but with how good this guy was he should be much higher on this list. Its just too bad not many on this site actually saw him play. Also you forgot to mention he used to dip like a southern trucker.

By no means am i complaining but with how good this guy was he should be much higher on this list. Its just too bad not many on this site actually saw him play. Also you forgot to mention he used to dip like a southern trucker.

 

His last year on the White Sox was 1963. It's really not surprising that he would make very few people's lists. The few older players that I put on my list were guys that I'd heard lots of stories about and knew their stats off hand. If I remember my list, the only players on my list that I didn't see play were Ed Walsh, Luke Appling, and Joe Jackson. I believe everyone else on my list was from the 90's or later.

I didn't list anyone I didn't see play.

I didn't list anyone I didn't see play.

That really narrows it down.

Ya i didnt include Fox b/c I never saw him play. I only included people I saw play, since its hard to have a favorite player you never saw, IMO. This list will be skewed towards recent memory just b/c of the demographics of the site.

I didn't list anyone I didn't see play.

 

That was my first criteria. I also looked at longevity with the team, but looking over my list, it wasn't as much of a factor. There was also guys that were difficult to split up. Zisk and Gamble for example. The Southside Hit Men were my favs. Collectively they were better then by themselves.

That was my first criteria. I also looked at longevity with the team, but looking over my list, it wasn't as much of a factor. There was also guys that were difficult to split up. Zisk and Gamble for example. The Southside Hit Men were my favs. Collectively they were better then by themselves.

 

That was the first team I remember seeing at all, and those were the first players that I nominated. I know I have a lot of 1983 team guys as well.

If my dad was on this board, he'd say he was his favorite player. Hence the reason he was on the Nellie Fox Society. A group formed to get him into the Hall of Fame. It was a success.

Nellie Fox just above Albert Belle is heresy

Fox should have been higher on the list, but I'm not even sure I voted for him as I don't actually remember him before his time with the Colt 45's.

He's one of the top Sox that I've never seen play that I would have liked to have seen.

I do reember watching Nellie Fox play, but only on Saturday NBC Baseball games. I can remember him being called the best bad ball hitter ever and then watching a Sox game where the bases were loaded and he reached out for a high outside pitch and plunked it into left field driving in 2 runs. He was the 1959 MVP and that's when I first was interested in baseball and became a Son fan. Nellie Fox was my favorite player and my first baseball glove was the Nellie Fox model