Blast from the Past

[Winnin Ugly]

Slowly, the pieces fell into place, and with them came a White Sox divisional championship that wiped clean the "city of losers" stigma that had haunted the residents of Chicago since 1963-the year the Bears won the city’s last professional sports title.

 

The free-agent signing of Seattle pitcher Floyd Bannister on December 14, 1982, was followed by the ascendance of two Edmonton rookies, outfielder Ron Kittle and first baseman Greg Walker, replacing Steve Kemp and Mike Squires, respectively. Kittle broke the Sox rookie home run record with 35, and at year’s end he was the league’s choice for Rookie of the Year.

 

One month into the season the outlook was not nearly so promising. The White Sox were struggling at 12-13 on May 8, when Sun-Times columnist Ron Rapoport complained, "It seems axiomatic that if a month into the season, a team does not have a shortstop, does not have a third baseman, does not have a center fielder, then no matter what its assets may be it forfeits its right to call itself a contender."

 

The slow start compromised Tony LaRussa, who heard a never-ending cascade of boos from the fans every time he approached the mound to consult with his pitcher.

 

It was not until after the All-Star break that the Sox ran wild. Their second-half 59-26 stampede easily crushed the meager opposition afforded by the Kansas City Royals and Texas Rangers.

 

LaMarr Hoyt, Richard Dotson and Bannister were unbeatable down the stretch. Bannister posted a blistering 13-1 mark after a discouraging 3-9 start. Hoyt (15-2), and Dotson (14-2) were even more spectacular in the second-half surge. Hoyt’s quiet toughness and rugged appearance on the mound made him an instant fan favorite. His 1983 Cy Young Award pointed the way to a seemingly limitless future.

 

Not every opposing manager or out-of-town writer joined in the chorus of praise for the talented young Sox. On the eve of a four-game series in Texas that buried the Rangers’ 1983 title hopes, Richard Justice of the Dallas Times-Herald wrote, "If the White Sox are the best in the West, they may be no better than fifth place in the East." In that same article Justice quoted Rangers manager Doug Rader, who inadvertently supplied the pennant-hungry Sox with a battle cry ...and a motive. "Their bubble has got to burst. They’re not playing that well. They’re winning ugly. At least that’s what our reports say."

 

"Winning Ugly" became the spiritual theme of the 1983 White Sox, who wrapped up a letter-perfect season by clinching their first AL Western Division championship against Seattle in Comiskey Park on September 17. After Harold Baines’ sacrifice fly scored Julio Cruz with the winning run in the bottom of the ninth inning, 45,000 fans stormed the field in unrestrained joy. They danced and sang long into the night, dreaming of the exciting days yet to come.

 

In Game One of the ALCS at Baltimore, leadoff hitter Rudy Law’s three hits backed righty LaMarr Hoyt’s five-hitter as the Sox won, 2-1. But the White Sox would muster only one more run in the remaining three games. Orioles right-hander Mike Boddicker shut down the Sox in Game Two with a five-hit, 4-0 shutout. Left fielder Gary Roenicke (four home runs and 12 RBI against the White Sox in 1983) scored three runs and knocked in a pair with a home run to lead Baltimore to the victory. Back at Comiskey Park for Game Three, Orioles first baseman Eddie Murray hit a three-run home run off Sox starter Richard Dotson in the first inning as the visitors coasted to an 11-1 win. Baltimore managed only eight hits in the contest, but White Sox pitchers hurt themselves by issuing nine walks.

 

With their backs against the wall, the Sox matched the Orioles pitch-for-pitch in Game Four through nine innings. Chicago’s Britt Burns threw nine spectacular frames before tiring in the top of the tenth. On his 150th pitch of the day, Burns served up a solo homer to reserve outfielder Tito Landrum. Baltimore tacked on two more runs in the inning and eliminated the White Sox with a 3-0 victory.

 

Cold bats in crucial situations did in the Sox as the team stranded 35 runners in the series. With runners in scoring position, the Sox managed only four hits in 30 opportunities. It was a frustrating end to one of the most memorable seasons in White Sox history.