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White Sox History: Past Rookie of the Year winners

By Kristen Bentley

4 Jul 1995: Shortstop Ozzie Guillen of the Chicago White Sox swings at the ball during a game against the New York Yankees at Comiskey Park in Chicago, Illinois. The Yankees won the game 4-1.
4 Jul 1995: Shortstop Ozzie Guillen of the Chicago White Sox swings at the ball during a game against the New York Yankees at Comiskey Park in Chicago, Illinois. The Yankees won the game 4-1. /
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23 Jul 1995: A wide general view of the baseball diamond at Comiskey Park taken during a game between the Chicago White Sox and the Milwaukee Brewers in Chicago, Illinois. Mandatory Credit: Jonathan Daniel /Allsport /

It only took three years until the White Sox had their next Rookie of the Year Award winner.

This time, it was outfielder Tommie Agee who came to the Sox via three-team trade that involved the White Sox, Cleveland Indians, and Kansas City Athletics. Interestingly, Rocky Colavito – who lost out to Aparacio in the ROY vote in 1956 – was involved in the complicated trade.

Agee made his debut with the Indians in 1962, but he only played in five games that season. In the following two seasons with the Indians, he played in 26 games. After the trade to Chicago, the Sox put him in 13 games. But, in 1966, he played in 160 games and hit .273/.326/.447 with 22 home runs, eight triples, and 27 doubles. He also stole 44 bases and walked 41 times. He did strikeout 127 times.

In the 1966 season, he was an All-Star, voted into 8th in the MVP race, and won a Gold Glove for his work in center field. He followed up that season with another All-Star performance despite his stats dropping off to .234/.302/.371 with 14 home runs.

Agee didn’t stay with many teams for very long. He played two full seasons with the Sox and was then traded to the Mets, where he played from 1968 to 1972. In 1973, his final season in the MLB he played for the Houston Astros and the St. Louis Cardinals.

The other players who were in the running for the ROY award were Jim Nash of the Kansas City Athletics, Davey Johnson of the Orioles, and George Scott of Boston. Agee received 16 of the first place votes.

Agee died in 2001 at the age of 58.

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