A rookie manager rarely equals huge success for the Chicago White Sox
By Joe Santoro
Chuck Tanner - 1971
Chuck Tanner was the White Sox rookie manager during the 1971 season.
Chuck Tanner actually made his White Sox managerial debut at the end of one of the worst seasons in team history.
He managed the last 16 games of a dreadful 56-106 season in 1970 and lost 13. Tanner's true rookie season, therefore, was in 1971 and he immediately restored respectability and fan interest in a franchise that was on life support.
The White Sox, which drew 495,355 fans in 1970, gave Tanner new red-and-white uniforms and a host of new players (Mike Andrews, Luis Alvarado, Rick Reichardt, Jay Johnstone, Pat Kelly, Lee Richard, Tom Egan, Tom Bradley, and others) and the Sox finished 79-83, third in the AL West.
The Sox had four six-game winning streaks, went 57-45 after June 19, and finished with their most victories and fans (833,891) since 1967.
Bill Melton hit his 33rd home run in the season's final game off Bill Parsons of the Milwaukee Brewers at Comiskey Park (in front of 2,814 fans) to become the franchise's first single-season home run champion. The night before, the 26-year-old hit two homers in a 2-1 win over the Brewers.