Didn't see anything on the web site but apparently Sammy Esposito, one of the last surviving members of the 1959 team passed away yesterday according to the Sun-Times. He was 81. Pretty good utility infielder with the Sox. Then for many years was the A.D. at North Carolina State.

Probably his biggest "historical" note in his Sox career was this one:

September 7, 1960 - In a game at Comiskey Park infielder Sammy Esposito booted a cinch double play ball hit by future Sox infielder Bill “Moose” Skowron, with the Sox leading in the eighth inning, 4-2. That lead quickly evaporated as the Yankees rallied for four runs and a 6-4 win.

Willie Harris and his friend, Jesse James (I swear I'm not making the names up) had a wager on the game. When Esposito blew the ground ball Harris took matters into his own hands. He jumped over the box seat railing, ran on to the field and before a startled team attacked Esposito. It took several uniformed police officers to pull Harris off of Esposito. Harris left the field shouting that he was “a real Sox fan.”

Only in America 

So the Sox fans beat up players and umpires thing  started way before the Ligue family?  

SOX PRIDE!

Luis Aparicio and John Romano are now the only two living players that participated in the 59 Series. 

 

At first I was thinking Espo from the ticket window

The legend of Willie Harris goes back a ways.

38 minutes ago, LittleHurt05 said:

So the Sox fans beat up players and umpires thing  started way before the Ligue family?  

SOX PRIDE!

The other notable fan incident was this one:

May 31, 1971- In the second game of a double header with the Orioles at Comiskey Park, former Sox infielder Don Buford charged pitcher Bart Johnson with his bat after Johnson drilled him with a pitch in his behind in the eighth inning. Cooler heads prevailed but in the ninth inning while standing in the on-deck circle lecturing a fan, Buford was attacked by a second fan from behind who ran across the field. Buford knocked him out with one punch then his Oriole teammates charged out of the dugout and did a bloody number on that fan who was led away by security. The teams split the double header that afternoon.

When I interviewed Sox second baseman Mike Andrews he told me this about that incident:

ML: With former Dodger catcher Johnny Roseboro passing away in August, I was reminded of the infamous fight he had with Giants pitcher Juan Marichal.. You personally saw almost another incident like that when Don Buford of the Orioles approached the mound with his bat against Sox pitcher Bart Johnson in 1971. What do you remember about that?

MA: "I remember that vividly because I saw the whole thing from second base. It was a Memorial Day doubleheader and Bart threw a close one at Buford. Buford started out towards the mound with his bat. I don’t think Don intended using that bat though. It just happened that he started towards the mound and I don’t think he realized he still had the bat in his other hand. Don played football at USC. If he was going to do something, he didn’t even need a bat. Anyway nothing happened and Don went out to left field. The Sox fans in that lower deck just gave him hell. A few innings later he’s in the on deck circle watching the game when I see a fan jump over the wall and start towards him. This drunk was headed his way when a bunch of guys started yelling to Don to look out. Buford turned, saw the guy, and cold cocked him. Just dropped him with one punch. That’s when some of Don’s teammates from the Orioles headed out of the dugout and beat the guy. He was bloody from head to toe. I heard afterwards that when they took the guy into the medical room at the park to get worked on, the medics turned their back for a moment and the guy disappeared!"

43 minutes ago, Lip Man 1 said:

The other notable fan incident was this one:

May 31, 1971- In the second game of a double header with the Orioles at Comiskey Park, former Sox infielder Don Buford charged pitcher Bart Johnson with his bat after Johnson drilled him with a pitch in his behind in the eighth inning. Cooler heads prevailed but in the ninth inning while standing in the on-deck circle lecturing a fan, Buford was attacked by a second fan from behind who ran across the field. Buford knocked him out with one punch then his Oriole teammates charged out of the dugout and did a bloody number on that fan who was led away by security. The teams split the double header that afternoon.

When I interviewed Sox second baseman Mike Andrews he told me this about that incident:

ML: With former Dodger catcher Johnny Roseboro passing away in August, I was reminded of the infamous fight he had with Giants pitcher Juan Marichal.. You personally saw almost another incident like that when Don Buford of the Orioles approached the mound with his bat against Sox pitcher Bart Johnson in 1971. What do you remember about that?

MA: "I remember that vividly because I saw the whole thing from second base. It was a Memorial Day doubleheader and Bart threw a close one at Buford. Buford started out towards the mound with his bat. I don’t think Don intended using that bat though. It just happened that he started towards the mound and I don’t think he realized he still had the bat in his other hand. Don played football at USC. If he was going to do something, he didn’t even need a bat. Anyway nothing happened and Don went out to left field. The Sox fans in that lower deck just gave him hell. A few innings later he’s in the on deck circle watching the game when I see a fan jump over the wall and start towards him. This drunk was headed his way when a bunch of guys started yelling to Don to look out. Buford turned, saw the guy, and cold cocked him. Just dropped him with one punch. That’s when some of Don’s teammates from the Orioles headed out of the dugout and beat the guy. He was bloody from head to toe. I heard afterwards that when they took the guy into the medical room at the park to get worked on, the medics turned their back for a moment and the guy disappeared!"

I could swear that they showed the Orioles pummel that guy on live television

Just heard the audio clip of the incident called by Yankee broadcaster Mel Allen. Pretty wild. 

According to Allen the fan (Jesse James) stood there saying something to Esposito, then Espo swung at him and connected. The fan started swinging back, both guys went at it before the Andy Frain ushers got there to break it up and haul the guy off. Allen said it was the first time in years he had seen a player take a swing at a fan (but certainly justified in this case.)