THIS DATE IN WHITE SOX HISTORY: NOVEMBER 14TH/Pierce, Drabek, Paulie

THIS DATE IN WHITE SOX HISTORY: NOVEMBER 14TH

For more see, www.whitesoxalmanac.com

1956: White Sox ace Billy Pierce finished fifth in the American League’s Most Valuable Player Award voting in results released by the Baseball Writers Association of America on this date. The Yankees’ Mickey Mantle was the unanimous winner of the award, polling 336 points. Pierce, who was 20-9 with a 3.32 ERA, notched 75 points – the most of any pithcer. His finish was the best by a Sox pitcher since Thornton Lee finished fourth in the 1941 balloting. Other Sox players polling votes in 1956 were Nellie Fox, who finished 14th, Sherm Lollar, who was 16th, Luis Aparicio, who was 25th, and Minnie Minoso, who was 27th.

1990: The Pirates’ Doug Drabek won the National League Cy Young Award in voting by the Baseball Writers Association of America becoming the third pitcher (fourth time) drafted or originally signed by the White Sox to win the award. Drabek was picked by the Sox in the 11th round of the 1983 draft. He was dealt to the Yankees to complete a swap that netted the Sox Roy Smalley on Aug. 13, 1984. Other Cy Young winners drafted or originally signed by the White Sox are Denny McLain (1967, 1968) and Pete Vuckovich.

2005: The White Sox Paul Konerko took sixth in voting for the American League MVP in balloting released on this date by the Baseball Writers Association of America. Konerko, who hit .283 with 40 home runs, played a key role in the Sox run to their first World Series title since 1917. However, all awards balloting takes into account the regular season only. The Yankees’ Alex Rodriguez won the award with 331 points while Konerko had 128 points. Sox left fielder Scott Podsednik was 12th with 15 points while pitcher Jose Contreras tied for 27th with one point.