Holdrege White Sox
Holdrege White Sox | |
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Minor league affiliations | |
Previous classes | Class D (1956–1959) |
League | Nebraska State League (1956-1959) |
Major league affiliations | |
Previous teams |
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Minor league titles | |
League titles | None |
Team data | |
Previous names |
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Previous parks | Holdrege Fairgrounds Park |
The Holdrege White Sox were a minor league baseball team that played in the short-season Class D Nebraska State League from 1956 to 1959. Based in Holdrege, Nebraska, they were an affiliate of the Chicago White Sox. Holdrege played their home games at Holdrege Fairgrounds Park.
Notable alumni
- Alan Brice (1956)
- Cam Carreon (1956)
- Jim Hicks (1959)
- Jerry McNertney (1958)
- JC Martin (1956)
- Gary Peters (1956) 2 x MLB All-Star; 1963 AL Rookie of the Year
- Fred Talbot (1959)
- Al Weis (1959)
The ballpark
The White Sox played at Holdrege Fairgrounds Park, without a grass infield. The field is still in use today at the Phelps County Fairgrounds. On July 24, 1956 the wooden grandstands burned down. The bleachers were quickly replaced and some damaged light poles were also replaced at the ballpark. The park was a favorite of hitters, averaging about three home runs per game.[1][2]
Holdrege had a tradition of Saturday night being "shopping night" in the business district. As a result, Holdrege played Saturday games during the afternoon, as the city's electrical system could not support lights in both the business district and the ballpark being on at the same time.[3]
On opening day in 1956, fans came to the Hotel Dale in Holdrege to see Carl Hubbell who was a participant in opening day festivities at Fairgrounds Park.[4]
Year-by-year record
(from [1])
Year | Record | Finish | Manager | Playoffs |
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1956 | 33-30 | 6th | Frank Scalzi | none |
1957 | 33-23 | 3rd | Frank Parenti | none |
1958 | 29-34 | 6th | George Noga | none |
1959 | 39-23 | 2nd | Frank Parenti | League Champions |