By Woodrow Carroll
In normal times, the Chicago White Sox would be opening the 2020 Major League Baseball season against the Kansas City Royals Thursday, March 26 at Guaranteed Rate Field in Chicago. Well, these are extraordinary times with the COVID-19 (coronavirus) virus knocking at the door. It remains to be seen when Major League Baseball, and life in general, will get back to normal.
Chicago is the only metropolitan area with two Major League Baseball teams the past 100 continuous years. The Yankees had New York all to themselves, 1958-1961, after the Brooklyn Dodgers and New York Giants went to California.
Both the White Sox and Chicago Cubs have given us memories both fond and sad, or a mix. Let’s take a glance at the White Sox in the 1950s, especially 1954.
After the Black Sox Scandal involving the 1919 White Sox, the franchise faltered with few pleasant memories in the 1920s, 1930s, and 1940s.
In 1951 the White Sox hired Paul Richards as manager and the Age of the Go-Go White Sox kicked in. From 1951 through 1967 the White Sox produced a winning record each year. The Yankees’ winning record was each year, 1926-1964. In 1959 the Sox were in the World Series, albeit losing to the Los Angeles Dodgers, four games to two.
The 1959 Sox finished 94-60, .610, in winning the American League pennant. In 1954 the Sox were 94-60 but not in contention in an unbalanced pennant race.
The 1954 White Sox, despite their 94-60 record, finished 17 games in back of the pennant-winning Cleveland Indians, 111-43.
To win the American League championship in 1954, the Indians had to bring down the New York Yankees franchise that had won the World Series five seasons running, 1949-1953. As good as the Yankees were in the 1950s, the best record that decade was 103-51, .669, by the 1954 Club The Yankees were World Series champions in 1956 and 1958.
The Boston Red Sox were 69-85, .448, and finished fourth place in the eight-team American League in 1954.
The Baltimore Orioles were new to the American League in 1954 having operated as the St. Louis Browns a year earlier. The Philadelphia Athletics were a year away from moving to Kansas City.
August 28, 1954 the White Sox beat the host Philadelphia Athletics, 5-2, before a crowd of 1,867 The next day before 41,782 in Yankee Stadium the Sox lost, 4-1, to New York.
Down the stretch in 1954 it seemed as though the Indians and Yankees could not lose. A doubleheader in Cleveland Sept. 12 settled the issue!
In front of 86,563 at Cleveland’s Municipal Stadium, the Indians swept the Yankees to go ahead by 8.5 games in the AL race. The Indians effectively had wrapped up the pennant.
The Indians World Series’ foe in 1954 was the New York Giants. Many expected a four-game sweep. They were correct. Only, it was the Giants who shocked the Indians in four straight!
What does it tell you when Indians’ first baseman Vic Wertz goes four-for-five in the Series opener, yet, is best remembered for his only out.
Willie Mays tracked down a long fly ball in center field in a game won 5-2 by Dusty Rhodes’ pinch hit home run in the 10th inning.
The Indians’ 111-43 winning percentage,.721, in 1954 ranks as an American League best. However, it’s those four losses to end the season that will be remembered.