Boston Red Sox Memories: My all decade 1950’s Red Sox team
By Rick McNair
Catcher
What I recall best about right-handed-hitting Sammy White was his arm – a cannon. Twice White led the American League in CS% and posted a career 47CS%. Defensively White was excellent in managing the fragile psyche of pitchers. But White was no pushover with the bat hitting a career .262 in eleven seasons and .264 in his nine Boston seasons and four seasons of 10+ home runs.
White made one All-Star team (1953) and could surprise with occasional power. In one instance it was a grand slam off the legendary Satchel Paige. Of note is White who stood 6’3” was an All-American basketball player in college and was to play for the Lakers until the Red Sox intervened and prevented his two-sport venture.
One of the classic artworks by Norman Rockwell in his painting “The Rookie” and White is in that picture. White’s time with Boston ended with a trade to the Indians for another catcher Russ Nixon. White promptly retired to manage his bowling alley in Brighton. A year later White was out of retirement and playing for the Braves and a year later for the Phillies before a final retirement to Hawaii where he became a golf pro and a director of golf at a Hawaiian resort.
Honorable Mention: Pete Daley. Daley played five seasons in Boston (1955-59) and hit .245 backing up, White. Daley – a right-hand hitter – was a competent backup for White both defensively and the ability to get some key hits. Daley – like White – was traded after the 1959 season and replaced by Haywood Sullivan as the backup catcher.