It was Sunday, June 16, 1957, when Jim Wilson beat the Washington Senators 4-2 at Comiskey Park.
Are the ’57 and 2005 White Sox comparable? In some ways, yes.
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On the bases
In ’57, a new Sox manager, Al Lopez, decided to emphasize speed by making corner infielders out of swift outfielders Bubba Phillips and Jim Rivera. Rivera’s move from right field to first base opened up a spot in the outfield for another burner, rookie Jim Landis. Luis Aparicio was elevated to lead off a lineup that also boasted Minnie Minoso, who was 34 but could still fly.
In 2005, a relatively new Sox manager, Ozzie Guillen, decided to emphasize speed as well. Hence the trade for Scott Podsednik, a threat to break Rudy Law’s club record of 77 steals.
In the standings
After Wilson’s triumph in Game 1 of that Sunday doubleheader, the ’57 Sox led the Yankees by three games. A victory in Game 2 (the Yankees played just one game that day in Kansas City) increased the lead to 3 1/2 games. Eight days earlier, they had led by six.
The 2005 Sox, idle Thursday while second-place Minnesota beat Cleveland, led their closest pursuers by 3 1/2 games. They, too, once were six games ahead.
What happened in ’57
After the Sunday sweep of the Senators, the Sox departed for Baltimore and the start of a 20-game road trip. In the trip’s third game, All-Star catcher Sherm Lollar was hit on the wrist by a fastball from Baltimore’s Billy Loes. Lollar, it was first thought, might miss a week–for sure that weekend’s critical series in New York. He didn’t return until Aug. 1.
“That hurt. That really hurt us,” Lollar’s batterymate, Billy Pierce, recalled. “You lose your regular catcher, one of the leaders. And he always hit fourth, fifth or sixth in the lineup. That was a big loss.”
After dropping two of three to the Orioles, the Sox went to Yankee Stadium June 21-23 and lost the first three games to fall out of first place by 1 1/2 games before Dick Donovan beat New York 4-3 in the second game of a doubleheader in front of 63,787, including Prime Minister Kishi of Japan.
At the end of what turned out to be a 9-11 trip, the Sox came home July 5 three games behind New York and finished eight games behind.
The killers: Bill Skowron’s ninth-inning, pinch-hit grand slam for the Yankees on July 14 that prevented a doubleheader sweep before 48,244 at Comiskey, and New York’s three-game sweep of a late-August series in Chicago after the Sox had cut the champs’ lead to 3 1/2 games.
What will happen in 2005?
A devastating injury? A grand slam by the Twins’ Torii Hunter in the ninth? Maybe a Sox division title? Stay tuned.