Visalia White Sox

California League (1962)

Tombstone

Born: 1962 – Affiliation change from Visalia A’s
Folded: December 12, 1962¹

First Game: April 24, 1962 (L 12-9 vs. Fresno Giants)
Last Game: September 9, 1962 (L 6-5 Bakersfield Bears [home or away?])

California League Championships: None

Stadium

Recreation Park

Ownership & Affiliation

Owners: Visalia Baseball Association (Mel Williams, Les Potts, Buster Mangine, et al.)

Major League Affiliation: Chicago White Sox

Background

The San Joaquin Valley city of Visalia hosted a ball club in the Class C California League every summer from 1946 until 1962. During the last summer in this stretch, Visalia operated as a farm club of the Chicago White Sox for the 1962 season.

The Visalia White Sox finished last place in the eight-team California League with a 60-80 record.

Three players from the 1962 Visalia club eventually made it up to the Major Leagues: outfielder Ken Berry, pitcher Cisco Carlos and second baseman Dick Kenworthy. Berry had the most distinguished career. He played parts of 14 seasons in the Majors from 1962 to 1975, mostly with the White Sox.

Demise

The Chicago White Sox pulled out of Visalia after the 1962 season. California League officials admitted a new franchise from Salinas bringing the loop’s membership to nine clubs, an unwieldy number for scheduling purposes. When the Visalia Baseball Association failed to confirm a new Major League tie-up by mid-December 1962, California League officials voted the Visalia franchise out of the league.

The city went without pro baseball from 1963 through 1967, it’s longest fallow period for pro ball since World War II. Baseball returned in 1968 with the arrival of a New York Mets farm club. Visalia has been a fixture on the California League summer schedule ever since.