Changing Sox

Norm Cash with the White Sox

In the span of just two days in 1959, the Chicago White Sox trade not one, but two of their young, left-handed hitters who in time become All-Stars for other teams.

First, the White Sox trade 26-year-old, emerging first baseman Norm Cash to the Cleveland Indians in a seven-player trade that returns aging – hey, he’s always aging – outfielder Minnie Minoso to Chicago. Cleveland promptly flips Cash to Detroit at the start of the 1960 season.

Johnny Callison with Chicago

Then, 64 years ago today, the White Sox ship 20-year-old outfielder Johnny Callison to the Philadelphia Phillies for 26-year-old journeyman third baseman Gene Freese.

While Cash goes on to play 15 seasons in Detroit and becomes an American League batting champion and five-time All-Star there, Callison spends the next 10 seasons as one of the most popular players in Philadelphia.

With the Phillies, Callison becomes a three-time All-Star, as well as a triple-double player for four straight seasons from 1962-65 with double figures in doubles, triples and home runs.

As for Freese, he spends the 1960 with the White Sox before bouncing around from Cincinnati to Pittsburgh, back to the White Sox and then Houston before playing his final game in the majors in 1966.

As for Minoso, then 36, the future Hall of Famer enjoys a two-year reunion with the White Sox before they again trade him in 1961 to the St. Louis Cardinals for first baseman-outfielder Joe Cunningham.