Highlighted Year: Luis Aparicio, 1959

Shortstop, Chicago White Sox

Age:  25 (April 29)

4^th season with White Sox

Bats – Right, Throws – Right

Height: 5’9”    Weight: 160 

Prior to 1959:

A native of Maracaibo, Venezuela, Aparicio was the son of a shortstop who was a star nationally in the 1930s and ‘40s. Introduced to baseball at an early age, he turned professional in 1953 at age 19 and excelled at shortstop with his speed on the basepaths and quickness in the field. Aparicio signed with the White Sox for $10,000 in 1954. Chicago already had a star Venezuelan shortstop in Chico Carrasquel. Aparicio, who spoke little English at the time, played in 94 games with Waterloo of the Illinois-Indiana-Iowa (or “Three I”) League in ’54 and batted .282 with 20 stolen bases. He moved up to Memphis of the Class AA Southern Association in 1955, where he hit .273 and played well enough in the field that the White Sox traded Chico Carrasquel to Cleveland after the season to open a spot for Aparicio for 1956. Aparicio came through with an outstanding rookie season in which he was superb defensively, leading all AL shortstops in putouts (250) and assists (474). He exceeded expectations with his offensive production as he led the AL with 21 stolen bases while batting .266 with 19 doubles, 6 triples, 3 home runs, 56 RBIs, and a .311 OBP. He received AL Rookie of the Year recognition. Aparicio followed up his fine rookie season by again leading the AL in stolen bases with 28 in 1957 to go with his .257 batting average and .317 OBP. He combined with second baseman Nellie Fox to create an excellent double play combination. In 1958 Aparicio was named an All-Star for the first time and was awarded his first Gold Glove while topping the league in stolen bases for the third (of an eventual nine) consecutive seasons. 

1959 Season Summary

Appeared in 152 games

SS – 152, PR – 1

[Bracketed numbers indicate AL rank in Top 20]

Batting

Plate Appearances – 686 [2]

At Bats – 612 [2]

Runs – 98 [6, tied with Harmon Killebrew]

Hits – 157 [8]

Doubles – 18

Triples – 5 [13, tied with seven others]

Home Runs – 6

RBI – 51

Bases on Balls – 53 [19, tied with Roy Sievers]

Int. BB – 1

Strikeouts – 40

Stolen Bases – 56 [1]

Caught Stealing – 13 [1, tied with Vic Power]

Average - .257

OBP - .316

Slugging Pct. - .332

Total Bases – 203

GDP – 11

Hit by Pitches – 3

Sac Hits – 11 [5, tied with Dick Williams]

Sac Flies – 7 [5, tied with Lou Berberet]

League-leading stolen bases were +35 ahead of runner-up Mickey Mantle

Midseason snapshot: 2B – 10, 3B – 1, HR – 5, RBI – 33, SB – 25, AVG - .291, OBP – .353

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Most hits, game – 4 (in 5 AB) at Baltimore 5/20

Longest hitting streak – 14 games

Most HR, game – 1 on six occasions

HR at home – 2

HR on road – 4

Multi-HR games – 0

Most RBIs, game – 4 at KC A’s 4/22

Fielding

Chances – 765

Put Outs – 282

Assists – 460

Errors – 23

DP – 87

Pct. – .970

Postseason Batting: 6 G (World Series vs. LA Dodgers)

PA – 29, AB – 26, R – 1, H – 8, 2B – 1,3B – 0, HR – 0, RBI – 0, BB – 2, IBB – 0, SO – 3, SB – 1, CS – 1, AVG - .308, OBP - .357, SLG -.346, TB – 9, GDP – 0, HBP – 0, SH – 1, SF – 0

Awards & Honors:

Gold Glove

All-Star (Started for AL at SS, both games)

2^nd in AL MVP voting (255 points – 8 first place votes, 76% share)

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The White Sox went 94-60 to win the AL pennant by 5 games over the Cleveland Indians, their first pennant in 40 years while leading the league in triples (46), stolen bases (113), and fewest batting strikeouts (634). The "Go-Go Sox", benefiting from their emphasis on pitching, speed, and defense, of which Aparicio played a key role, moved into first place for good on July 28 but still had to fend off the Indians, solidifying their lead with a late-August four-game sweep of Cleveland. Lost World Series to the Los Angeles Dodgers, 4 games to 2.

Aftermath of 1959:

The player known as “Little Louie” spent three more years with the White Sox in his first stint with the club and was an All-Star each season as well as Gold Glove winner and league leader in stolen bases. In 1960, in addition to topping the league with 51 stolen bases, he batted .277 with a .323 OBP and led AL shortstops with 551 assists and a .979 fielding percentage. 1961 was more of the same with 53 stolen bases, a .272 average, and a .313 OBP, while providing continued outstanding defensive play. His batting average slipped to .241 in 1962, his OBP to .280, and his stolen base total to 31, although it was still high enough to pace the American League and he remained a defensive stalwart. With the White Sox seeking to revamp the roster after the 1962 season, Aparicio was dealt to the Baltimore Orioles as part of a seven-player trade. He continued to excel with the Orioles, who were developing into a contender, adding speed to the top of the batting order and defensive excellence. He was an All-Star in 1963 and ’64 in addition to being a Gold Glove performer at shortstop. His string of nine straight AL stolen base titles lasted through ’64, after which his totals dropped off significantly. He was a key player for the Orioles as they topped the AL and won the World Series in 1966. Following one more year in Baltimore, Aparicio was traded back to the White Sox, where he won his last two Gold Gloves in 1968 and ’70. No longer as fast on the basepaths, Aparicio remained a solid performer who hit a career-high .313 in 1970, after which he was traded to the Boston Red Sox where he spent the final three seasons of his career, which came to an end at age 39 in 1973 with his release by Boston. Overall, in his major league career, he batted .262, with 2677 hits, 1335 runs scored, 394 doubles, 92 triples, 83 home runs, 506 stolen bases, and 791 RBIs. Of that, 1576 hits, 223 doubles, 54 triples, 43 home runs, 318 stolen bases, and 464 RBIs were compiled during his two stints with the White Sox, with who he batted .269. Adept at all aspects of the shortstop position, Aparicio was a nine-time Gold Glove recipient. An All-Star selection 13 times, he was voted to the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1984, the first Venezuelan to be so honored. The White Sox also retired his #11. Aparicio returned to Venezuela following his retirement where he became a winter league manager and later, a commentator for baseball telecasts.

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Highlighted Years feature players who led a major league in one of the following categories: batting average, home runs (with a minimum of 10), runs batted in, or stolen bases (with a minimum of 20); or pitchers who led a major league in wins, strikeouts, earned run average, or saves (with a minimum of 10). Also included are participants in annual All-Star Games between the National and American Leagues since 1933. This category also includes Misc. players who received award votes, were contributors to teams that reached the postseason, or had notable seasons in non-award years.