Tony Conigliaro's First Home Run At Fenway

Tony Congliaro homers in his first Fenway at-bat.

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Nolan Ryan - Robin Ventura Fight

The brawl between the Rangers and White Sox on August 4, 1993

Joe Glasgow is a former senior staff writer at Fanstop.com, and is the author of the book Play Ball! Growing Up With Baseball https://amzn.to/2o4M62h

Chicago Cubs Shortstop Don Kessinger

Don Kessing was a slick fielding shortstop for the Chicago Cubs from 1964-1975. During that period he would be a six time National League All-Star. He would win the Gold Glove Award in 1969 and 1970.

Never known for his offense, he hit 14 home runs with 527 RBI with a hitting line of .252/.314/.312. His best offensive season would be 1969, when he hit 4 home runs with 53 RBI.

He would spend the end of his career with the St. Louis Cardinals and Chicago White Sox. He would serve as manager for the White Sox in 1979 with a record of 46-60.

Joe Glasgow is a former senior staff writer at Fanstop.com, and is the author of the book Play Ball! Growing Up With Baseball https://amzn.to/2o4M62h

Ken Griffey Jr.'s Career Highlights

Frank Thomas: The Big Hurt

Frank Thomas made his major league debut in 1990, where he hit 7 home runs with 31 RBI and a .330 batting in official 191 at bats.

Frank Thomas would break out in his first full season. He hit .310/.453/.553 with 32 home runs and 109 RBI. He would finish his career after 19 seasons with 521 home runs, 1,740 RBI, and a batting line of .301/.419/.555.

Thomas was a five time American League all-star, a 4 time Silver Slugger Award winner, and he won the American League Most Valuable Player Award in back-to-back seasons (1993, 1994). His #35 has been retired by the Chicago White Sox. He was elected on the first ballot to the Baseball Hall of Fame in 2014.

Bo Jackson Career Highlights

Bo Jackson played eights seasons in the American League for the Kansas City Royals, Chicago White Sox and California Angels.

He hit 141 home runs with 415 RBI. His slash line for his career is .250/.309/.474. His best season was 1989, when he hit .256/.310/.495 with 32 home runs and 105 RBI. The only season he had more than 100 RBI. He had four seasons of over 20 home runs. He was an American League all-star, and was the game’s MVP.

After 8 seasons, he retired at the age of 32.

Knuckleball Pitcher Wilbur Wood

Wilbur Wood struggled early in his career with the Boston Red Sox, and Pittsburgh Pirates. After being traded to the Chicago White Sox, he took Hoyt Wilhem’s advice to rely on his knuckleball. It would launch his career. In 1968, he set a then major league record of 88 appearances.

In 1971, Wood was moved to the starting rotation, and delivered with four consecutive 20 game win seasons. He would lead the American League in wins in 1972-73, and was an American League all-star in 1971-1972, and 1974.  His career was derailed in 1976, when a line drive from the bat of Ron LeFlore shattered his left kneecap. After returning from his injury in 1977, he wasn’t as effective with his knuckleball, and retired after the 1978 season. He finished his career with a 164-156 won-loss record, and an ERA of 3.24.

St. Louis Cardinal Ken Boyer

Ken Boyer was only the second third baseman to cross the 250 home runs mark (Pie Traynor was the other at the time). He was signed by the St. Louis Cardinals in 1949, and made his major league debut in 1955.  He would hit 18 home runs and knock in 62 runs in his rookie campaign, and would solidify the third base position for the Cardinals for 10 of the next 11 seasons (In 1957, he played centerfield).

From 1958-1964, he would hit over twenty home runs. Seven time he would drive in 90 or more runs in a season. Including a league leading 119 in 1964.  He would finish his career with 282 home runs and 1,141 RBI. He was the 1964 National League Most Valuable Player.  Boyer was a National League All-Star eleven times, was a member of the 1964 World Series champion St. Louis Cardinals. He was a five-times Gold Glove winner.

In October 1965, St. Louis traded him to the New York Mets, where played until be traded to the Chicago White Sox. Boyer signed with the Los Angeles Dodgers in May of 1968 after being released by the White Sox. Boyer would retire after the 1969 season. He managed the St. Louis Cardinals 1978-1980. Tragically, he would die from cancer at the age of 51, and the St. Louis Cardinals retired his #14. He is also a member of the St. Louis Cardinals Hall of Fame, but didn't get enough support for the Baseball Hall of Fame.

The Controversial Dick Allen

Dick Allen's rookie season gave Philadelphia fans their first glimpse of power that they hadn't seen since Jimmy Foxx or Chuck Klein. Phillies scout John Ogden stated in an article in the Philadelphia Bulletin on June 1, 1969, that Dick Allen was the only player saw hit the ball as hard as Babe Ruth. Allen would be the National League Rookie of the Year in 1964. He hit 29 home runs with 91 RBI with a slash line of .318/.382/.557. He led the league in with 13 triples, and striking out 138 times. It would be the first of the 9 straight seasons with 20 plus home runs.

In the racially charged 1960's Allen became a source of controversy. He was known as Dick most of his life, but the local media referred to him as Richie, a name Allen felt belonged to a boy, and not a man. He was involved in an incident with teammate Frank Thomas when Thomas hit Allen with a bat. The incident was covered up by the team with threats of fines iif the players spoke of the incident. Thomas was released the next day. He started wearing a battling helmet in field field as he was often showered with thrown objects and racial slurs in his home park in Philadelphia. Allen missed a double header in 1969 when he couldn't get to the ballpark being stuck in traffic. He had spent the day at a race track causing him to be suspended. 

Controversy seemed to follow Allen. Before the 1970 season, he was traded to the St. Louis Cardinals for outfielder Curt Flood. Flood refused to report, and sued baseball attempting to overthrow the reserve clause. The Cardinals would send first baseman Willie Montanez to the Phillies as compensation. Montanez would end up breaking Allen's rookie record for home runs by hitting 30 in 1971.  In St. Louis, he would hit 34 home runs with 101 RBI and slash .279/.377/. 560 Allen spent only one season in St. Louis before being traded to the Los Angeles. His numbers dropped for the Dodgers, by Allen's standards anyway. He hit 23 home runs with 90 RBI with a line of 295/.395/.468. He was traded after the 1971 season to the Chicago White Sox.

Chuck Tanner was the manager of the White Sox at the time, and decided to not move Allen around. Various teams had played him at third base, first base, and outfield. Some feel this contributed to his perceived poor defense, and rash of injuries he had suffered over the years. He rewarded Tanner by leading the American League in home runs (37), RBI (113), on base percentage (.420), slugging percentage (.603) and an outstanding 1.023 OPS.  He was named American League Most Valuable Player.  A fractured fibula cut short his 1973 season, where he had only 288 plate appearances.  1974 would be the last of the great seasons for Allen. He hit 32 home runs with 88 RBI, his slash line of .301/.375/.563, he slugging percentage led the American League. He feuded with Ron Santo (in his only season with the White Sox) and left the team two weeks before the end of the season.

Allen's contract was sold to the Atlanta Braves for $5,000, he refused to report and retired from the game. The Phillies talked him out of retirement, and we spend two seasons a shadow of his former self, and close out his career with the Oakland A's in 1977. 

Allen's career numbers of .292 batting average 351 home runs, and 1,119 RBI make him one of the most prolific hitters in the game that isn't in the Baseball Hall of Fame. He missed (along with Tony Olivia of the Minnesota Twins) being selected for the Hall of Fame by one vote in 2014  by the Golden Era Committee,  which votes every three years.

Bob Feller: The Heater From Van Meter

Bob Feller was only 17 years old when he broke into the major leagues with the Cleveland Indians in 1936. The hard throwing right-hander also known as Bullet Bob and Rapid Robert. Arguably the hardest throwing pitcher of his era. He was the youngest pitcher to win 24 games in a season, he accomplished the feat at age 20, going 24-9. He would win 20 plus games 1939-1941, he led the league in wins each season.  His won loss record was 76-33, and was only 22 years of age. 

When the United States entered World War II, Feller's career was interrupted by four years of service in the U.S. Navy.  He was the first professional athlete to enlist for military service during the war. He attained the rank of Chief Petty Officer serving aboard the USS Alabama. Where he was awarded six campaign ribbons and eight battle stars.

He is the only pitcher to throw a no-hitter on opening day, he accomplished the task against the Chicago White Sox in 1940. He would toss three no-hitters in his career, and 12 one-hitters. Feller was part of the last Cleveland Indians World Series champions in 1948. 

He finished his career with a won-loss record of 266-162 and 3.25 ERA with 2,581 strikeouts. An eight time American League All-Star. He led the American League six times in wins, and seven times in strikeouts. He was elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1962. His #19 has been retired by the Cleveland Indians.

Big Klu: Ted Kluszewski

​The restrictions on travel during World War II denied the Cincinnati Reds the opportunity to train in sunny Florida. They were relegated to training at Indiana University in Bloomington, Indiana.  The groundskeeper at the time for the Reds, a man named Marty Schwab watched as a big strong hammered baseballs up and over an embankment that players on the big league club weren't doing in training camp that spring.

The Reds had discovered Ted Kluszewski, standout tight end on the Indiana University football team. The Reds anxious to sign the lefthand hitting first baseman were initially rebuffed.  Big Klu didn't want to give up his college eligibility.  He waited to sign with the Reds in 1946, and after two dominating seasons in the minor leagues he got the call to the show.

He went to play 15 seasons in the major leagues, his best four stint was 1953-1956, where was named a National League in each season. In 1954, he hit 49 home runs with 141 RBI, he put together a slash line that season of .326/.407/.642.  Finishing second in the MVP voting to a guy from the New York Giants named Willie Mays. 

He would play 15 years in the major leagues and finish with a career slash line of .298/.353/.498 with 279 home runs and 1028 RBI. He walked 492 times with only 365 strikeouts in 6469 plate appearances. On heard of numbers by today's standards. Injuries took their toll on Big Klu after the 1956 season, and his numbers diminished as a result.  He was the hitting coach for the Big Red Machine teams of the 1970's under Sparky Anderson.

Known for cutting off the sleeves of his shirts to fit his huge biceps, the slugging first baseman was inducted into the Cincinnati Reds Hall of Fame in 1962. His #18 was retired by the Reds.

Joe Glasgow is a former senior staff writer at Fanstop.com, and is the author of the book Play Ball! Growing Up With Baseball https://amzn.to/2o4M62h

The White Sox Turn Another Triple Play

May 19, 2016. The Chicago White Sox turned their second triple play in less than a month. In the first of inning of the game with Detroit Tigers. Just three weeks ago they turned a triple play against the Texas Rangers.

Joe Glasgow is a former senior staff writer at Fanstop.com, and is the author of the book Play Ball! Growing Up With Baseball https://amzn.to/2o4M62h

Cubs-White Sox Brawl

May 20, 2006. At U.S. Cellular Field, A.J. Pierzynski makes a hard, but clean slide into Chicago Cubs catcher Michael Barrett. Barrett then punches Pierzynski, which ignites a brawl between the two teams. Who won the fight may be in dispute, but the White Sox won the game 7-0.

Joe Glasgow is a former senior staff writer at Fanstop.com, and is the author of the book Play Ball! Growing Up With Baseball https://amzn.to/2o4M62h

Kerry Wood Makes Final Appearance

May 18, 2012. Chicago Cubs pitcher Kerry Wood calls it a career making his last appearance against the Chicago White Sox. The final batter Wood faces is Dayan Viciedo, Wood fans Viciedo walks off the mound to the hug of his young son.

Joe Glasgow is a former senior staff writer at Fanstop.com, and is the author of the book Play Ball! Growing Up With Baseball https://amzn.to/2o4M62h

Joe DiMaggio Begins 56-Game Hitting Streak

May 15, 1941. The New York Yankees Joe DiMaggio begins his record breaking 56-game hitting streak. Chicago White Sox pitcher Edgar Smith serves up the hit that begins the streak. The streak will not be stopped until July 17 in Cleveland.

Joe Glasgow is a former senior staff writer at Fanstop.com, and is the author of the book Play Ball! Growing Up With Baseball https://amzn.to/2o4M62h

Francisco Liriano Fires First No-Hitter

May 3, 2011.  Minnesota Twins southpaw Francisco Liriano no-hits the Chicago White Sox at Cellular Field 1-0. It is also Liriano's first career complete game in six seasons. Liriano would enter the game with an ERA of 9.13, and a record of 2-4.

Mike Cameron Hits Four Home Runs

May 2, 2002, Mike Cameron of the Seattle Mariners hits four home runs against the Chicago White Sox in a 15-4 thrashing. Cameron just misses hitting a fifth home run in the game. He is the thirteenth player in major league history to hit four home runs in a game.

Minnie Minoso Debuts With White Sox

May 1, 1951, Minnie Minoso becomes the first black player for the Chicago White Sox. In his first at-bat in the Windy City, he hits a home run off the Yankees Vic Raschi. Minoso would hit .326, lead the league in triples and stolen bases. He finishes second in the Rookie of the Year voting. He also played the Negro League, Cuban League, and Mexican League.

Larry Doby Baseball Pioneer

Larry Doby was the first black player to play in the American League signing with the Cleveland Indians in 1947.  He would make a his major league debut with the Indians that year, but would have his official rookie season in 1948. The last season the Cleveland Indians won the World Series.  

Before signing with the Indians, Doby had been a star in the Negro league star playing there four seasons, which was interrupted by a two-year stint in the U.S. Navy during WW II.   In 1946, he was part of the Newark Eagles team that won the Negro league title. 

Doby would play for the Cleveland Indians, Chicago White So and Detriot Tigers. Doby enjoyed his best offensive season in 1954, when he hit 32 home runs and have 126 RBI. He would hit 20 or more home runs in 8 seasons, last being with the Chicago White Sox in 1956.

Doby was a seven time all-star all in a Cleveland Indians uniform. He would win the American home run title in 1952, and 1954. In 1998, he was elected by the veteran's committee to the Baseball Hall of Fame.  His #14 has been retired by the Cleveland Indians.

White Sox Execute Triple Play

April 22, 2016. The Rangers hit into a triple play with the bases loaded in Chicago. The play was scored 9-3-2-6-2-5, the first time it has happened in major league history. The play happened in the 7th inning of the game, and the White Sox went on to win 5-0. The triple play is the first in Major League Baseball during the 2016 season.