Gerry Staley, one of the 1959 White Sox's chief firemen,
died today at 87.
Staley had been an All-Star with the St. Louis Cardinals until he began to falter in the starting role. He bounced around until the Sox claimed Staley off waivers from the New York Yankees in 1956, where then-Sox manager Marty Marion -- who managed Staley with the Cardinals -- put him in the bullpen. At age 35, he adjusted marvelously to the role and rejuvenated his career, as Al Lopez used him as a closer the rest of the way.
The sidearming righty from Brush Prairie, Wash., was part of a terrific 1-2 tandem with
Turk Lown at the back end of the Go-Go Sox pen, as they combined to throw 209 2/3 innings and posted a 17-5 record, 2.53 ERA and 29 saves between them. Staley himself threw 116 1/3 innings with a 2.24 ERA, and was rewarded with an MVP vote for his effort. He won the
Sporting News Fireman of the Year award the following year.
He also pitched well in the World Series that year, appearing in four games and allowing only one run over 8 1/3 innings. Unfortunately, that one run was Gil Hodges' go-ahead homer in Game 4, which the Dodgers ended up winning to take a 3-1 lead. On the other hand, he was on the mound when the Sox clinched the American League pennant, as he got Cleveland's Vic Power to hit into a double play
to close out a 4-2 victory.
Some assorted Staley facts:
*Over 322 appearances (10 starts) with the White Sox, Staley boasted a 2.75 ERA over 603 innings, including 39 saves.
*Staley set a Sox record by appearing in 67 games during the 1959 season, a record that has since been eclipsed.
*His go-to pitch was a sinker (he limited opponents to five homers in all of 1959), but he threw the kitchen sink -- he threw a curve, knuckleball and screwball, and occasionally a fastball.
The Neyer-James Guide to Pitchers gives the rundown, with info from a 1960 issue of Sport magazine:
Description: "To throw those low strikes, Staley's best pitch is his sinker, which he developed after joining the White Sox. This is a fastball released off the middle finger with a little extra spin. His sidearm delivery helps the sinker to break low and forces the hitter to beat it into the ground."
Staley: "So many guys hit my first pitch I always wondered if they knew I had anything else but a sinker. I also throw a slider, a curve and the knuckler."
Al Lopez: "There's no doubt about it -- the sinker is his best pitch. He should throw it frequently and quickly."
Staley was traded to the Kansas City A's midway through the 1961 season in an eight-player deal, and he retired at the end of the season.
Unfortunately, he was a little before my time, but if anybody has any memories, I'd like to hear 'em.
UPDATE: The Chicago Tribune's Bob Vanderberg wrote a nice piece on Staley, touching more upon the personal aspects with some quotes from Lown. It appears that they didn't web the story, but my dad was kind enough to scan it in.
Here's the PDF.