White Sox History 1960

 

 

While Attendance soared to 1,644,460 (more than double the 797,451 of 1958) in the aftermath of the championship season, the team slumped to it's almost traditional third place with a 87-67 record, 10 games out of first. It was the first time that Al Lopez' managed a team the finished lower than second. Al Smith hit .315, the re-acuired Minnie Minoso .311, Roy Sievers .295 and Nelson Fox .289 as the team lead the league with a .270 average. Sievers had 28 homers and 93 RBI's while Minoso added 20 homers and 105 RBI's. Minoso also had 17 stolen bases, Jim Landis 23 and Luis Aparicio who lead the league for the fifth straight year had 51. Billy Pierce led the pitchers in wins (14-7) but Frank Bauman (13-6) one of the club's four 13 game winners led the league with his 2.68 ERA. Other 13 game winners were Early Wynn (13-12), Bob Shaw(13-13) and reliver Gerry Staley (13-8) in 64 games

The White Sox traded away all of their young talent after the WS to get for the most part a bunch of washed up veterans. I was glad to see Minnie Minoso again. Despite their records Sox pitching for the most part stunk that year. The hitting was great by White Sox standards but the Yankees had a super team. The Sox were still in the hunt in late August. They had a big game in Baltimore and Ted Kluszcewski hit a three run homer that the umpire disallowed because he claimed he had called time!! I never saw Al Lopez get so mad. Naturally it cost the Sox the game and after that they were completely demoralized. The 60 WS was the most exciting in my lifetime IMHO. Maz's homer is the greatest moment ever in MLB history. Notice the Sox record breaking attendance for 1960. Back then a million was good, 1.5 million was great and 2 million was really great.

1960: the first of 43 consecutive offseasons (and counting) in which die-hard White Sox fans insisted this was our year.