The Chicago White Sox won the pennant, their first since 1919, ending a string of four in a row by the Yankees. They couldn't totally break the curse of the Black Sox, however; in the World Series they were defeated by the Los Angeles Dodgers. The White Sox didn't have any great power hitters in their lineup, like Mickey Mantle or Hank Aaron. But they had some little infielders, Nellie Fox and Luis Aparicio, who both had great seasons. Fox won the MVP Award.

        Luis Aparicio played for 18 years in the majors; his bat was weak, but his glove work was spectacular enough that Luis was the American League's premier shortstop of the era. Aparicio won nine Gold Glove Awards, and was an All-Star ten times. His best years were with Chicago and Baltimore. He was the American League's Rookie Of The Year in 1956; this year he led the White Sox to the pennant, and in 1966 he had a great year for the World Champion Orioles.
        Aparicio was extraordinarily durable at short. His great glove kept him in the lineup every day, and he was almost never injured over the course of his career. As I've already mentioned, Luis was not much of a hitter, but he did what he could. Aparicio led the AL in stolen bases nine times; though only a career .262 hitter, Aparicio lasted long enough to record over 2600 hits, and score over 1300 runs in his career. He played more games at shortstop than any other player in baseball history, and holds numerous fielding records. He is a worthy member of the Hall Of Fame.
        Fox and Aparicio were the stars on the team, and finished 1-2 in the MVP voting. But Sherm Lollar gave the White Sox another outstanding defensive player in their infield. And Lollar could hit, too. He was a career .264 hitter who had good plate discipline, and enough pop in his bat to hit 155 home runs. Lollar played for 18 years, most of them good ones; he ranked a distant second behind Yogi Berra as the AL's top catcher of the decade, but played in seven All-Star games and won three Gold Gloves.
        The Sox and their fans loved Sherm Lollar, and for good reason. The White Sox were the lightest hitting team in the league, but at age 34 Lollar discovered some latent power, and led the team in home runs this year and the one before. He was 34 years old this season, and in his prime as a hitter. His bat was so important to the Sox, that he played 24 games at first base while given a rest behind the plate.
        On the bench, the Sox had two 24-year-old catchers, Earl Battey and Johnny Romano. Both Battey and Romano were traded after this season; when Lollar retired four years later, Battey and Romano were All-Stars on other teams. Romano and Battey were part of a flurry of deals Sox G.M. Bill Veeck made after the season. Veeck was hoping to add some more power to his lineup; he also traded 24-year-old Norm Cash, and 20-year-old Johnny Callison. In return, he received veteran sluggers Roy Sievers, Minnie Minoso and Gene Freese.
        Despite trading away four great young players, the Sox remained highly competitive, averaging 90 wins a season for the next eight years. But they never returned to the playoffs.
        Eddie Yost had his best season with the bat. Yost made his debut with the Senators in 1944, at age 17. He became a regular in 1947; he didn't hit for a good average and didn't have much power, and wasn't a good defensive player, and did not get much respect during his career. But the awful Senators had no one better, and Yost was a surprisingly valuable player. He learned to draw an enormous number of walks; "The Walking Man" they called him, and he led the league six times, including a high of 151 in 1956.
        Yost played in obscurity for most of his career, but his on-base percentages were consistently among the best in the league. This year he was traded to Detroit; he led the league in runs scored, and his power numbers improved in the friendly confines of Tiger Stadium. Yost had only one more good year before time caught up to him, but he retired with over 1800 career hits, and over 1600 career walks.
        Al Kaline led the league in OPS, in the first of two years in which he played centre field for the Tigers. He switched places with teammate Harvey Kuenn, who was trying his third position in three years; Harvey responded with his best season at the plate. Mickey Mantle, again, was among the best players in the league. Tito Francona, at age 25, was playing with his fourth team in three years, but found a home in Cleveland. He had an epic season, though he didn't have enough plate appearances to qualify for the batting title.