He was absolutely one of a kind:

 

April 10, 1961 –Sox outfielder “Jungle” Jim Rivera was always good for the unexpected. Right before the Sox played in Washington to open the season, President John Kennedy threw out the first ball. Rivera came up with it and was escorted to the President’s box where both he and vice president Lyndon Johnson signed the ball.

 

After Rivera looked at it he said to the President, “You’ll have to do better than that John. This is a scribble I can hardly read!” So Kennedy in block letters spelled out his name on the baseball. Oh… the Sox went on to win the game 4-3 getting single runs in the seventh and eighth innings. It was the first game the ‘new’ Washington Senators ever played.

 

April 22, 1955 – It was the first time the White Sox ever played in Kansas City and outfielder “Jungle” Jim Rivera would make it a memorable night. Rivera’s home run helped the Sox beat the A’s 5-3 but it was his comment afterwards to former first lady Bess Truman that made the most news. She attended the game and then when introduced, Rivera said, “I’m sure sorry my home run beat your club but it was a helluva wallop eh, Bess?”

 

and that catch he made in Game #5 of the 1959 World Series saving the Sox 1-0 win over Sandy Koufax is one of the greatest catches in World Series history. Over the shoulder after a long run against a murderous background of all white shirts and dresses.

 

R.I.P. to a guy who played the game hard...VERY hard.

 

He was absolutely one of a kind:

 

April 10, 1961 –Sox outfielder “Jungle” Jim Rivera was always good for the unexpected. Right before the Sox played in Washington to open the season, President John Kennedy threw out the first ball. Rivera came up with it and was escorted to the President’s box where both he and vice president Lyndon Johnson signed the ball.

 

After Rivera looked at it he said to the President, “You’ll have to do better than that John. This is a scribble I can hardly read!” So Kennedy in block letters spelled out his name on the baseball. Oh… the Sox went on to win the game 4-3 getting single runs in the seventh and eighth innings. It was the first game the ‘new’ Washington Senators ever played.

 

April 22, 1955 – It was the first time the White Sox ever played in Kansas City and outfielder “Jungle” Jim Rivera would make it a memorable night. Rivera’s home run helped the Sox beat the A’s 5-3 but it was his comment afterwards to former first lady Bess Truman that made the most news. She attended the game and then when introduced, Rivera said, “I’m sure sorry my home run beat your club but it was a helluva wallop eh, Bess?”

 

and that catch he made in Game #5 of the 1959 World Series saving the Sox 1-0 win over Sandy Koufax is one of the greatest catches in World Series history. Over the shoulder after a long run against a murderous background of all white shirts and dresses.

 

R.I.P. to a guy who played the game hard...VERY hard.

Before 2005 the 1959 White Sox were the only Sox team in my lifetime to make it to the World Series. I remember researching them in HS before the internet made research easy . I knew my HS English teacher was a Sox fan too so I wrote a paper comparing the 59 team to maybe the 75 or 76 team. RIP Jungle Jim.

Rivera was noted for his head first slide. Very few, if any were doing it then. Pete Rose got a lot of credit for making it fashionable as a sign of "hustle", but Jungle did it first.