Highlighted Year: Turk Lown, 1959

Pitcher, Chicago White Sox

 Age: 35 (May 30)

2^nd season with White Sox (first complete)

Bats – Right, Throws – Right

Height: 6’0”    Weight: 180 

Prior to 1959:

A native of the New York City borough of Brooklyn, Omar Joseph Lown (rhymes with town) acquired his life-long nickname of “Turk” due to his liking for turkey as a youngster. A standout baseball and basketball player at Franklin K. Lane High School, he played in the amateur Queens Alliance League from 1940 as a catcher and outfielder. With his strong throwing arm, two years later he had a trial as a pitcher and struck out 17 batters in his first outing. He then signed with the Brooklyn Dodgers following a tryout and was assigned to the Valdosta Trojans of the Class D Georgia-Florida League in 1942 where he led the league with 204 strikeouts while posting an 18-8 record. Joining the Army during World War II he saw action and was wounded in the Battle of the Bulge during his three-year stint. Returning to baseball in 1946, Lown pitched for Newport News of the Class B Piedmont League where he was 2-5 in nine appearances before his season ended due to arm problems that required surgery. In 1947 he returned to action with Pueblo of the Class B Western League where he produced a 13-7 tally and 4.50 ERA with 14 complete games and 129 strikeouts over 190 innings. Tending to struggle with his control, he also walked 133 batters. Back with Pueblo in 1948, his record was 17-6 with a 4.08 ERA, 17 complete games, and 161 strikeouts with 112 walks over 192 innings. Starting off poorly with the Montreal Royals of the Class AAA International League in 1949 (1-7, 3.97 ERA, 48 strikeouts and 54 walks over 68 innings), he was demoted to Fort Worth of the Class AA Texas League where he produced an 8-1 tally that included his only career no-hitter, a 2.96 ERA, and 55 strikeouts over 76 innings. He also walked 54 batters, including 9 in his no-hit performance. Returning to Montreal in 1950 he compiled a 13-9 record and 3.49 ERA with 104 strikeouts and 122 walks over 209 innings. With a repertoire of pitches that included a good fastball, knuckleball, changeup, and slow eephus pitch, he was viewed as a solid prospect and was drafted away from the Dodgers by the Chicago Cubs. Joining the Cubs in 1951, Lown appeared in 31 games (18 of them starts) and struggled to a 4-9 tally and 5.46 ERA with 39 strikeouts and 90 walks over 127 innings. The Cubs were a fifth-place club in 1952 and while Lown’s record was only 4-11, he showed some improvement with a 4.37 ERA and 73 strikeouts over 156.2 innings, albeit while issuing 93 walks. Utilized primarily out of the bullpen in 1953, he appeared in 49 games (with 12 starts) and went 8-7 with a 5.16 ERA and 76 strikeouts with 84 walks over 148.1 innings. Off to a dreadful start in 1954, Lown was sent down to Los Angeles of the Pacific Coast League where he relieved in 30 games and produced a 5-3 record and 2.47 ERA with 52 strikeouts and 46 walks over 73 innings. Having turned his career around as a relief pitcher, he returned to Los Angeles in 1955 and led the PCL in games pitched (61) and saves (19) while compiling a 12-5 record, 2.13 ERA, and 96 strikeouts over 114 innings. With improved control his walks totaled 49. He added a slider to his repertoire which proved to be effective and aided in giving him better control. A highly determined and unselfish team player, Lown returned to the Cubs in 1956 and appeared in 61 games in which his record was 9-8 with 13 saves, a 3.58 ERA, and 74 strikeouts over 110.2 innings. In 1957 he led the NL in pitching appearances (67) and games finished (47) while registering 12 saves, a 5-7 tally, a 3.77 ERA, and 51 strikeouts over 93 innings. A month into the 1958 season Lown was on the move as he was traded to the Cincinnati Reds for another reliever, RHP Hersh Freeman. Following 11 appearances with Cincinnati that yielded disappointing results he was purchased by the White Sox in June and went 3-3 with 8 saves and a 3.98 ERA in 27 games pitched. Overall, with three teams he appeared in 42 games and posted a 3-5 record with 8 saves and a 4.31 ERA. Lown entered 1959 as a key short-relieving component in the bullpen for the White Sox.

1959 Season Summary

Appeared in 60 games

[Bracketed numbers indicate AL rank in Top 20]

Pitching

Games – 60 [2]

Games Started – 0

Games Finished – 37 (1, tied with Gerry Staley)

Complete Games – 0

Wins – 9

Losses – 2

PCT - .818 [Non-qualifying]

Saves – 15 [1, tied with Gerry Staley]

Shutouts – 0

Innings Pitched – 93.1

Hits – 73

Runs – 32

Earned Runs – 30

Home Runs – 12

Bases on Balls – 42

Strikeouts – 63

ERA – 2.89 [Non-qualifying]

Hit Batters – 2

Balks – 1 [4, tied with twenty-eight others]

Wild Pitches – 1

Midseason Snapshot: G – 32, 5-2, SV – 7, ERA - 3.24, SO – 27 in 41.2 IP

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Most strikeouts, game – 5 (in 2 IP) at Washington 9/10

10+ strikeout games – 0

Batting

PA – 13, AB – 12, R – 1, H – 3, 2B – 0, 3B – 0, HR – 0, RBI – 0, BB – 1, SO – 3, SB – 0, CS – 0, AVG - .250, GDP – 0, HBP – 0, SH – 0, SF – 0

Fielding

Chances – 24

Put Outs – 2

Assists – 21

Errors – 1

DP – 0

Pct. - .958

Postseason Pitching: G – 3 (World Series vs. LA Dodgers)

GS – 0, CG – 0, Record – 0-0, PCT – .000, ERA – 0.00, SV – 0, ShO – 0, IP – 3.1, H – 2, R – 0, ER – 0, HR – 0, BB – 1, SO – 3, HB – 0, BLK – 0, WP – 0 

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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.The pitching staff led the league in ERA (3.29), saves (37), and fewest runs allowed (588). The White Sox 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. The short-relieving tandem of Lown and Gerry Staley was a key component in the club’s success. Lost World Series to the Los Angeles Dodgers, 4 games to 2.

Aftermath of 1959:

The White Sox contended again in 1960 but came up short in third place. Lown’s workload out of the bullpen dropped to 45 games and he posted a 2-3 record and 5 saves with a 3.88 ERA and 39 strikeouts over 67.1 innings. In 1961 he pitched in 59 games and produced a 7-5 tally and 11 saves with a 2.76 ERA and 50 strikeouts over 101 innings. In a 1962 season in which he turned 38, Lown was still an effective reliever, appearing in 42 games and producing a 4-2 record and 3.04 ERA with 40 strikeouts over 56.1 innings. Released by the White Sox after the season he was with the Reds for spring training in 1963 before deciding to retire. For a major league career where he went from being a mediocre starting pitcher to an effective reliever, Lown appeared in 504 games, 49 of them starts, and compiled a 55-61 record with 73 saves, a 4.12 ERA, and 574 strikeouts over 1032 innings. With the White Sox, where he was exclusively a relief pitcher, he appeared in 233 games and had a 25-15 record, 45 saves, a 3.19 ERA, and 232 strikeouts over 358.2 innings. The 1959 World Series marked his only postseason action. Following his playing career he became a postal carrier. He died in 2016 at age 92.   

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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.