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This is Retro Sports Radio. Visit RetroSeasons.com for more sports history.

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For Yankee fans, a fall is not complete unless their club is in the World Series.

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For other American League hopefuls, the year is dragged on and on without a representative in the fall classic.

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The year 1959 is one year that fans in the windy city of Chicago will never forget.

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And one season the Yankee fans would like to forget.

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The White Sox and the Cleveland Indians were in a struggle for first place.

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The Yankees had already been eliminated.

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Bill Vac, one of Baseball's most colorful officials, was president of the White Sox.

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Fans couldn't keep up with their stunts and attractions offered by Vac during the 1959 campaign.

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But the best of all, the team was winning.

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When the White Sox pulled into Cleveland one evening in September, they scored a 3.5-game lead over the Indians.

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And this was it. A victory over the Indians and the so-called magic number would be zero.

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The Indians still had a chance to overtake the White Sox, but they couldn't afford to lose another game.

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More than 54,000 fans jammed Municipal Stadium in Cleveland.

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Thousands of others back in Chicago watched and listened to the game on television and radio.

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Manager Al Lopez decided to go with his ace early win for the big one.

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Cleveland manager Joe Gordon named the young right-hander Jim Perry.

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Win had some anxious moments in the second inning.

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Mini Minosa was on third base and Rocky Colovito was a batter.

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Colovito swung and sent a fly ball to left field.

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Al Smith camped under it, but he knew that Speedy Minosa represented lead run for the Indians.

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Smith caught the ball and on the run fired to catcher Johnny Romano.

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The young backstop flicked the throw and tagged Minosa out of the plate.

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The Sox tagged Perry for a couple runs in the third inning.

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Louis Aferrishio sent one run across with a double and scored on a double by Billy Goodman.

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The Sox had confidence now. They took the field for the fourth inning.

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Win was in trouble in the fifth, but escaped with only one Indian tally.

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Jim Grant was on the mound for the Indians in the sixth, and Al Smith and Jim Rivera greeted him with homers.

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At the ninth inning approach, the Sox had a 4-2 lead.

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Bob Shaw had replaced Win on the mound.

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In 60 seconds, Louis backed for the exciting ninth inning.

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Shaw retired lead off batter Woody Hale on a pop-up, but Jim backs his single off the pitcher's glove.

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And relief herder Jack Harshman followed with a single to right.

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Jimmy Pearsall was next, and he sent a line-er to Nellie Fox knocked down a second base.

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The runner held third. The bases were loaded.

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Managing Lopez took the slow walk to the mound.

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He singled for Jerry Staley, the 39-year-old relief base.

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It was Staley's 65th appearance of the season, but no appearance could be as important as this one.

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Big Power was the first batter to face Staley.

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He knew that one pitch could make the difference between picturing your feet.

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Power swung at the first pitch and grounded to a perennial short.

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Middle Louis skipped it up, touched second base for the fourth, and fired to Kuzuski at first to complete a double play.

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The game was over. The White Sox had won 4-2.

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And back in Chicago, Air Raid Sirens signaled the first White Sox pennant in 40 years.