Dick Kenworthy Throws Me a Mexican Curveball

Dick Kenworthy was a Chicago White Sox infielder who tried to stick several times in the sixties, and may be best known for his 1968 Topps card. On that card he is listed as being on the Mets though he never played for them: he was a rule 5 pick that was returned to the ChiSox.

Kenworthy stayed on AAA Tuscon for the ChiSox until 1971, when he goes to the Reds' Indianapolis farm, with no reason given.

In trying to find out the machinations behind this move, I was thrown a curve in this Tuscon Daily Citizen article from Apr. 14, 1971...

" Hamilton Released As Toros Pick Up 'Missing Pitcher'- Jack "The Ham" Hamilton was given his unconditional release today by the Tucson Toros after pitching for the Pacific Coast League entry for the past two years. The colorful righthander, who was noted for his clubhouse-wrecking tantrums when he lost a game, will be replaced on the roster by the "missing pitcher" for the White Sox, Cecilio Acosta.. Acosta is a pitcher from the Mexican League who came to the White Sox in a trade for last year's third baseman for the Toros, Dick Kenworthy. . Acosta was to report to the White Sox spring training camp in Sarasota this spring but nobody heard from him. Last Friday he showed up in Tucson and the White Sox were notified. It was decided to leave him here and put him on the roster. Acosta was with the Jalisco club in Mexico last year where he fanned 99 batters in 8-5 innings."

Ok.

So it appears like a straight Kenworthy-for-Acosta trade, but with Jalisco in the Mexican League. I can't find any mention of Kenworthy playing in Mexico at all, let alone 1971. I'll try to look further into that, unless someone can help, hint hint...

Acosta's Baseball Reference major league page  lists the following as to how he got to the White Sox in 1971...

" Before 1971 Season: Purchased by the Chicago White Sox from Jalisco (Mexican)."

So I think we can safely say it was a trade instead, involving Kenworthy. Next questions....how did Kenworthy end up in Indianapolis.... and what happened to him and Jalisco??

Acosta from the wonderful Jongy's Beat website! 
Kenworthy pic lifted from flickr.

Bob Spence's Glasses for Lowell Palmer's Shades

Sometimes I just look up a random player and see where it leads me. This time it was Bob Spence, a first baseman for the White Sox in the early 1970s.

Spence goes from the White Sox minor league system to the Phillies by the start of 1972, and there are no transactions for that listed on his Baseball Reference major league page.

I found an article with an interview with Spence that talked about him coming to Eugene from the Sox to take the place of Greg Luzinski, who had been called up to the majors.

Looking further, I found this article from the Oct. 17, 1971 Schenectady Gazette which had this in an AP note:

"The Chicago White Sox traded first baseman Bob Spence and pitcher Don Bolte to the Philadephia Phillies Tuesday for relief pitcher Lowell Palmer."

That would put the date of the trade as Oct. 16, 1971.

Lowell Palmer is well known as "the guy with the sunglasses" on all his Topps cards. His Baseball Reference major league page has the following to explain his move from the Phillies to the White Sox:

"October 22, 1971: Purchased by the Chicago White Sox from the Philadelphia Phillies."

And now we know better.

Don Bolte  was a teenaged rookie ball pitcher who only played in 1971.

Palmer pic from Amazon and Topps; Spence pic stolen from Flickr.