Early Wynn, the Go-Go White Sox and the 1959 World Series

by Freedman, Lew

• ISBN13: 9780786444427
• ISBN10: 0786444428
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 2009-10-31
• Publisher: McFarland Publishing

Summary

This is the story of how the hapless Chicago White Sox, decimated by the banning of players after the 1919 Black Sox Scandal, floundered until the 1950s when they were finally rebuilt and had their first success in 40 years. The culminating event was the capture of the 1959 American League pennant, made possible by aging pitcher Early Wynn. Wynn, nearly 40, was the best pitcher in the game that season, winning 22 games and the Cy Young Award. He was the last piece in the puzzle that put the Sox over the top and, in addition to the team's historic season, the book tracks his life before, during and after baseball.

Author Biography

Lew Freedman is a Chicago-based sportswriter who has worked on the staffs of the Chicago Tribune, Anchorage Daily News, and Philadelphia Inquirer. The winner of more than 250 journalism awards, he is the author of 40 books.

Table of Contents

Preface	p. 1
Introduction	p. 5
The Little Left-Hander	p. 11
The Deal Maker	p. 19
Early Early Wynn	p. 29
The Barrier Breaker	p. 37
Looking for Keepers	p. 46
The Chief and His Indians	p. 55
More Than Just Names	p. 65
The Guy They Called Little Nell	p. 75
Magician with a Glove	p. 84
Wynn Joins the White Sox	p. 92
Becoming a Contender	p. 100
Filling in the Holes	p. 110
The New Guy Is Different	p. 118
Going for It All	p. 129
Erasing 40 Years of Bad Luck	p. 139
Veeck-As in What the Heck	p. 147
Taking a Run at First Place	p. 156
The Promised Land at Last	p. 165
Welcome to the World Series	p. 175
Too Late for Early and the Sox	p. 187
Epilogue: Fifty Years Later	p. 195
Chapter Notes	p. 197
Bibliography	p. 205
Index	p. 211
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