Books and articles about Jim Rivera

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This young Puerto Rican outfielder from the Bronx captured the imagination of White Sox fans with his daring basepath antics and belly-slides. In 1955 he swiped a league-high 25 bases. In Game Five of the 1959 WS, Rivera's catch with his back to the infield of Charley Neal's long drive preserved a 1-0 Sox victory in front of over 90,000 screaming Dodger fans. And Jungle Jim was a character. To former First Lady Bess Truman, in attendance at an A's game, Rivera said: "I'm sure sorry my homer beat your team, but it was a helluva wallop, eh, Bess?" To President Kennedy, on Opening Day 1961, when Rivera asked for an autograph: "What's this? This is just a scribble! I can hardly make it out! You'll have to do better than this, John." (RL)

FROM THE BASEBALL CHRONOLOGY » November 27, 1951: The Browns send C Sherm Lollar, P Al Widmar, and infielder Tommy Upton to the White Sox for C Gus Niarhos, P Dick Littlefield, 1B Gordy Goldsberry, Joe DeMaestri, and OF Jim Rivera. Rivera, a favorite of Browns manager Hornsby, will return to the Sox in eight months. » May 30, 1952: Over the protests of manager Paul Richards, White Sox GM Frank Lane swaps fleet CF Jim Busby, along with Mel Hoderlein, to Washington for Sam Mele. Busby's loss leaves a defensive hole in the outfield, which the Sox will fill when they acquire Jim Rivera in July. » November 12, 1952: The White Sox place OF Jim Rivera on a one-year probation after he is cleared of a rape charge. » May 27, 1955: At Detroit, Frank House's home run is the only score as Bill Hoeft beats the White Sox, 1–0. In the 9th, Bill Tuttle runs down a 415 ft. drive by Jim Rivera that Schoolboy Rowe calls "the greatest catch since White's robbery of Martin in the '34 Series." » May 20, 1958: In Chicago, New York coast to a 5–1 win over the last-place Sox behind the pitching of Johnny Kucks. Mickey Mantle's line drive between Al Smith and Jim Rivera goes for his 2nd inside-the-park homer of the year. The Yankees have now won seven in a row. Mantle will hit three inside-the-park this year, and a Yankee-record six during his career.