I was reading about some Sox oldtimers in another topic, so I thought I would start a new one on that subject.

 

Regarding Aparicio, no one in my lifetime was ever better, including Ozzie. Tremendous range either way, shotgun arm, double play, coming in on grounders, going back for popups, they will never touch him. When Looey played in his early years, there was not instant replay, so you had to see it live or you missed it. I saw many of his great plays live. I can't prove it it, but they will never touch him, or at least no one has yet, in my opinion.

 

The dumbest moves the Sox ever made were to trade him (twice). The ironic thing is that when he got old and his range decreased, and he decided to retire without fanfare, he had learned how to hit. Look it up. He was a .300 hitter his last two years. And another thing..........other players, mainly Maury Wills and Lou Brock, have been given the credit for reinventing the stolen base, but it was Aparicio.

 

Regarding Lollar, he was solid behind the plate. I think the pitchers loved him. I met Early Wynn before he died, and he spoke very well of Sherm.

 

Regardiing Landis, he was the best of his brief time as a centerfielder. He could not hit worth a lick when he came up, then around June of 1959 something clicked and he became a fine clutch hitter, and two years or so later he couldn't hit again. His star shined only for about two years or so, and it was very bright. In the Sox pennant year of 1959, he was tremendous. Nellie got the MVP, Landis should have been runner up.

I was reading about some Sox oldtimers in another topic, so I thought I would start a new one on that subject.

 

Regarding Aparicio, no one in my lifetime was ever better, including Ozzie.  Tremendous range either way, shotgun arm, double play, coming in on grounders, going back for popups, they will never touch him.  When Looey played in his early years, there was not instant replay, so you had to see it live or you missed it.  I saw many of his great plays live.  I can't prove it it, but they will never touch him, or at least no one has yet, in my opinion.

 

The dumbest moves the Sox ever made were to trade him (twice).  The ironic thing is that when he got old and his range decreased, and he decided to retire without fanfare, he had learned how to hit.  Look it up.  He was a .300 hitter his last two years.  And another thing..........other players, mainly Maury Wills and Lou Brock, have been given the credit for reinventing the stolen base, but it was Aparicio.

 

Regarding Lollar, he was solid behind the plate.  I think the pitchers loved him.  I met Early Wynn before he died, and he spoke very well of Sherm.

 

Regardiing Landis, he was the best of his brief time as a centerfielder.  He could not hit worth a lick when he came up, then around June of 1959 something clicked and he became a fine clutch hitter, and two years or so later he couldn't hit again.  His star shined only for about two years or so, and it was very bright.  In the Sox pennant year of 1959, he was tremendous.  Nellie got the MVP, Landis should have been runner up.

that must have been so cool watching those guys...i became a sox fan in '69...can you say daune josephson

Baggio, you got to watch John "The Hawaiian Pineapple" Matias, so what in the hell are you complaining about? The kids today can only dream of seeing players like that...

Jim,

 

I totally agree on your assessment of Aparicio, Lollar and Landis. Aparicio was and still is my favorite Sox player of all time. As a kid growing up in the 50's I always carried his card in my wallet. Like you said he had great range and in my mind he evented the stolen base. He also was a pretty good hitter for a shortstop at that time. Landis could flat catch anything he could just not hit. Lollar was a solid receiver and a pretty fair hitter. Lollar in his time makes Konerko of today look like an Olympic sprinter. Lollar was super slow on the basepaths. I can remember several times Lollar lining a pitch off the left field wall and barely making it to first base before the throw in to the infield. Several times he was almost thrown out at first. For players with average speed most of those hits would have been doubles.

I wish I could of seen him play.