Pale Hose

After a period of prolonged excellence in the 1950's and 1960's the Pale Hose fell on hard times in 1968.  In 1972 the franchise acquired the enigmatic Dick Allen and immediately returned to respectability with a 2nd place finish.  Allen won the league MVP and it looked like good times were back in the South side of Chicago.  Sadly 1972 was an oasis in decade (the 1970's), which was more like a desert for Chisox fans.  After 4 consecutive years of 2nd division finishes the Pale Hose rebounded in 1977 to have one of those magical season.  Not only did the great Bill Veeck return to run the team and drive interest to Comiskey, but the team won 90 games and was in contention all summer.  During the decade the Chisox struggled with pitching.  Simply put, they didn't have enough of it.  1977 was no different.  Veeck recognized that and built his team around the long ball.  The "South Side Hitmen" looked more like a Sunday beer league team of big boppers and lob ball pitchers, but they got the job done.  Guys like Richie Zisk, Eric Soderholm, Oscar Gamble and Jim Spencer sure couldn't move fast, but they had enough brute strength to muscle the ball out of the cavernous Old Comiskey Park.  Platoon catcher Jim Essian hit 10 round trippers.  Rookie Center Fielder Chet Lemon hit 19 and utility man Lamar Johnson crushed 18.  Finally the south side had themselves a fun team to watch.  Due to free agency this team was a one year experiment.  Veeck collected talent that he knew that he couldn't resign in hopes of catching lightning in a bottle, which he did for that one magical season.  The end of the decade saw Chicago revert back to their second division ways.  Fans didn't know it, but the franchise was in the process of building a winner behind a young and unproven manager named Tony LaRussa.

Throughout the decade one thing you could always count on with the Chisox was their uniform style.  No team changes uni's more during the decade.  Early in the decade the team moved away from their traditional black and white pinstripe look and moved toward a more royal blue look.  About the time Dick Allen arrived the Chisox went red.  When Veeck arrived back on the scene the team really went retro.  Veeck had the team clad in collared shirts and dark pants, which suited the softball mentality of his "hitmen".  Then, like every great entrepreneurial mind, Veeck took it one step too far by putting his team in short pants.  Innovative, yes...embarrassing, even more so.  After a few games his players were about to mutiny, so Veeck relented and went back to the softball uniforms.