Books and articles about Zeke Bonura

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A fans' delight and manager's nigsource.htmare, Bonura led AL first basemen in fielding in 1936 by refusing to become involved. As easy grounders bounded by untouched, Zeke waved his "Mussolini salute" with his glove. Known affectionately as "Banana Nose," the colorful and outspoken Bonura was the White Sox' first bona fide home run hitter, with 27 in his rookie year. He continued slugging, but his nonchalant fielding, aggravating annual hold-outs, and rumored interest in owner J. Lou Comiskey's daughter got him traded to Washington in 1938 in exchange for Joe Kuhel, the AL's top fielding first baseman. (RL)

FROM THE BASEBALL CHRONOLOGY » August 26, 1935: Lumbering 1B Zeke Bonura of the White Sox steals home with two outs in the 15th inning to beat the Yankees 9-8. » July 26, 1936: Umpire Bill Summers is forced out the game after he hit in the groin by a pop bottle thrown from an unruly crowd of 50,000 at Comiskey Park. The crowd is upset with a out call at 1B on Ray Radcliff in the 8th of the nitecap. Judge Landis, on hand to watch the game, offers a $5,000 reward over the PA system for the culprit, but only draws more boos. The deluge of pop bottles finally abates when Jimmy Dykes pleads through the field amplifier. The Yanks sweep a pair from the Sox, winning 12–3 and 11–8 in 11 innings. Lou Gehrig hits his 29th with two aboard to start New York's scoring in the opener. DiMaggio and Lazzeri add round trippers to make it easy for Johnny Broaca. Sugar Cain is the losing pitcher. In the nitecap, Gehrig adds another homer, while Zeke Bonura homers and drives home four runs for the Sox. DiMaggio has one hit, a triple. The sweep increases New York's lead to nine 1/2 games. » June 11, 1937: It is Zeke Bonura Day at Comiskey Park. Zeke paces the White Sox to a 14-8 win over the Senators, as he knocks in five runs with a HR, two doubles, and a single, after receiving a car in pregame ceremonies. » March 18, 1938: Washington and Chicago trade first baseman, the White Sox adding slick-fielding Joe Kuhel and the Senators taking the easy-going hitter Zeke Bonura. » May 4, 1938: At Washington, the Indians and Senators match zeroes for 12 innings before the Zeke Bonura scores in the bottom of the 13th to win, 1–0. Dutch Leonard goes all the way for Washington and walks none while allowing six hits. Feller pitches the first 10 innings for the Tribe. » December 11, 1938: The Giants get slugger Zeke Bonura from Washington for $20,000 and two minor league players. » July 2, 1939: In a doubleheader with the Dodgers before 51,435 at the Polo Grounds, the fireworks start two days early. The Dodgers take a uneventful opener 3-2, but in the fourth inning of the nitecap, Dodger player-manager Leo Durocher ends the inning by grounding into a DP and spikes 1B Zeke Bonura as he crosses the bag. Bonura takes off after Durocher, chases him down the RF line, and throws his mitt at him. He finally wrestles him to the ground. Both players are ejected, and the Giants go on to win 6-4. To Bonura's charge of intentional spiking, the Lip retorts, "If that big clown hadn't got his foot in my way, I wouldn't have been close to him." » October 1, 1950: Gus Zernial of the White Sox hits one homer in a 4-3 first-game win over the visiting Browns. He adds three more in the nightcap, a 10-6 loss, to tie an AL record for a twinbill and set a club record with 29 homers, 10 of which came against St. Louis. Zeke Bonura held the Sox homer record with 27, set in 1934, and tied by Joe Kuhel in 1940.