University of St. Thomas Athletics
Former St. Thomas star Johnny Rigney (second from right) pitched eight seasons for the Chicago White Sox
Throwback Thursday: Two Toms had unique runs with White Sox
10/8/2020 12:14:00 PM | Baseball
During a long stretch of the mid-20th century, the College of St. Thomas had an interesting two-man connection to major-league baseball's Chicago White Sox franchise.
A Tommie who became our most accomplished pitcher in major-league baseball was Johnny Rigney, for many years the ace of the Chicago White Sox mound staff. Rigney was among 15 charter members of the St. Thomas Athletics Hall of Fame, inducted in our initial class in 1974.
Rigney later served as the White Sox' co-general manager and a vice-president with another former St. Thomas student who happened to be his brother-in-law -- Chuck Comiskey. Their biggest highlight in management was helping build an underdog 1959 team that reached the World Series, breaking the franchise's 40-year American League championship drought.
The two were Tommies in different decades but had two other things in common -- both were Chicago natives, and both were elected vice-president of their St. Thomas freshman classes (Rigney in fall 1932, Comiskey in fall 1946).
PHOTO: Far left (6) John Rigney and his Tommie men's basketball teammates.
John Rigney
The guy that the Aquin newspaper called "Big John," and the "Rube" grew up in the Chicago suburbs, and starred here in baseball and basketball and as a thrower in track and field. His brother Tom Rigney was an all-conference end in football here and also was a baseball and basketball standout for St. Thomas.
In basketball as a sophomore in December 1933, Johnny Rigney scored 16 points to lead a stunning 25-24 upset road win of the Minnesota Gophers -- the Toms' only men's hoops defeat of Minnesota in seven all-time meetings. He played on two MIAC runner-up hoops teams.
Rigney had another unique experience that 1933-34 season after making all-conference. He joined Tommie teammate Ben Bilski on a college all-star team that played against the Harlem Globetrotters at the St. Paul Auditorium.
In a 1934 road baseball win at St. Olaf, Rigney homered at the plate and struck out 16 Oles. He led that St. Thomas team to the MIAC championship that spring. An Aquin story said he was unbeaten on the mound and homered in each conference game.
Later that summer, Rigney was signed to a pro contract by his hometown White Sox. A fall 1934 Aquin newspapers story explained:
"The newspaper scribes of the nation's Windy City announced that Louis Comiskey, owner of the Chicago White Sox, had signed none other than our own John (Rube) Rigney for future pitching services. The "Rube" will leave school at the close of the first semester to join Comiskey's hired help at the White Sox training camp, which will open sometime in February. Rigney caught on with the Sox primarily through his consistent performance in a fast suburban league just outside of Chicago. Hurling effectively, after working into shape during the Tommies' spring baseball campaign, John rang the baseball bell for ten victories and was charged with but a single defeat. The new Comiskey protege has the markings of success in the hurling business, as he has all the requisites—speed, control, and change of pace. He should prosper quickly under the guidance of those who have been through the mill and know the game from A to Z."
Another Aquin story said that Rigney left St. Thomas in March 1935 for Pasadena, Calif., to enter training with the Chicago White Sox. The story quoted a pro scout Jim Vaughn calling Rigney "the finest prospective young pitcher I have seen in a decade."
"Rigney, who came to the College heralded as an all-American basketball center, soon lived up to expectations and took over the regular pivot position early in his freshman year... Besides starring on the basketball court, "The Rube" also gained considerable fame last spring while hurling the Purple and Gray baseball nine to an undefeated season and the league championship. In addition to playing for the Tommy champions, Rigney also has hurled semi-professional baseball in Chicago."
After pitching two seasons with the St. Paul Saints in Class AA baseball, Rigney made his major-league debut with the White Sox in 1937. As a rookie, Rigney struck out Hall of Famers Joe DiMaggio and Lou Gehrig in succession in an appearance against New York's famed Murderer's Row.
Despite pitching for a perennial second-division Chicago team over eight seasons, he finished 63-64 with a respectable 3.59 earned-run average on his career, with 605 strikeouts in 1,187 innings. He made 132 major-league starts. His $5,000 to $10,000 annual professional salary in those years would translate to between $92,000 and $180,000 per season in today's dollars.
Rigney missed three seasons -- 1943-45 -- while serving in the U.S. Navy in World War II. In 1939, he went 15-8 and finished 20th in the American League MVP voting (eighth among pitchers). He had an 11-inning, 1-0 shutout win over the Yankees, and took the victory in the first night game played at Comiskey Park that August 14.
Rigney came back in 1940 and had a career-best 3.11 ERA and 19 complete games (39 starts) in finishing 14-18, a mark that included 12 one-run losses.
After his pitching career ended, Rigney married Dorothy Comiskey, granddaughter of White Sox team founder Charles Comiskey and heiress to the White Sox baseball club. Charles Comiskey was a player, manager and owner in the majors and built the first Comiskey Park that opened in 1910.
Dororthy was eight years older than her younger brother Chuck Comiskey. She stayed involved in team management into the late 1950s before selling her majority shares to Bill Veeck in 1959.
Dorothy died in 1971 at age 54. John Rigney died in 1984, one week shy of his 70th birthday.
PHOTO: Dorothy Comiskey married John Rigney in 1941.
Chuck Comiskey
A baseball player for the St. Thomas Academy team here as a teenager, Comiskey served in the U.S. Navy and later was a college student here from 1946-48. Already a major White Sox stockholder, he left St. Thomas at age 22 before graduating to go to work with the Chicago White Sox as a team vice-president.
Comiskey shared general manager duties with Rigney and was credited for building up the Sox' minor-league system. In 1959, the White Sox ended a 40-year drought and won the AL pennant with a 94-60 record. The "Go-Go" Sox topped a Yankee franchise that had won nine of the previous 10 league crowns. Chicago lost in six games to the Los Angeles Dodgers in the World Series. That was despite the Sox' 1-0 win over 23-year-old Sandy Koufax in game five before a World Series-record 92,000-plus fans at the Los Angeles Coliseum.
Comiskey sold his shares in the White Sox in 1961. He died in 2007 at age 82.
Did You Know?:
Besides Rigney, other former St. Thomas or St. Thomas Academy players to play in the major-league baseball included:
In the last 20 years, three recent Tommies were drafted and played Class A, AA or AAA for a pro organization: Buzz Hannahan (Philadelphia AAA), Chris Olean (Milwaukee A) and Jake Mauer (Minnesota AA).
Many others played pro with independent teams such as the St. Paul Saints.
In each of the last 25 seasons, at least one St. Thomas baseball alum has played or coached in pro baseball.
A Tommie who became our most accomplished pitcher in major-league baseball was Johnny Rigney, for many years the ace of the Chicago White Sox mound staff. Rigney was among 15 charter members of the St. Thomas Athletics Hall of Fame, inducted in our initial class in 1974.
Rigney later served as the White Sox' co-general manager and a vice-president with another former St. Thomas student who happened to be his brother-in-law -- Chuck Comiskey. Their biggest highlight in management was helping build an underdog 1959 team that reached the World Series, breaking the franchise's 40-year American League championship drought.
The two were Tommies in different decades but had two other things in common -- both were Chicago natives, and both were elected vice-president of their St. Thomas freshman classes (Rigney in fall 1932, Comiskey in fall 1946).
PHOTO: Far left (6) John Rigney and his Tommie men's basketball teammates.
John Rigney
The guy that the Aquin newspaper called "Big John," and the "Rube" grew up in the Chicago suburbs, and starred here in baseball and basketball and as a thrower in track and field. His brother Tom Rigney was an all-conference end in football here and also was a baseball and basketball standout for St. Thomas.
In basketball as a sophomore in December 1933, Johnny Rigney scored 16 points to lead a stunning 25-24 upset road win of the Minnesota Gophers -- the Toms' only men's hoops defeat of Minnesota in seven all-time meetings. He played on two MIAC runner-up hoops teams.
Rigney had another unique experience that 1933-34 season after making all-conference. He joined Tommie teammate Ben Bilski on a college all-star team that played against the Harlem Globetrotters at the St. Paul Auditorium.
In a 1934 road baseball win at St. Olaf, Rigney homered at the plate and struck out 16 Oles. He led that St. Thomas team to the MIAC championship that spring. An Aquin story said he was unbeaten on the mound and homered in each conference game.
Later that summer, Rigney was signed to a pro contract by his hometown White Sox. A fall 1934 Aquin newspapers story explained:
"The newspaper scribes of the nation's Windy City announced that Louis Comiskey, owner of the Chicago White Sox, had signed none other than our own John (Rube) Rigney for future pitching services. The "Rube" will leave school at the close of the first semester to join Comiskey's hired help at the White Sox training camp, which will open sometime in February. Rigney caught on with the Sox primarily through his consistent performance in a fast suburban league just outside of Chicago. Hurling effectively, after working into shape during the Tommies' spring baseball campaign, John rang the baseball bell for ten victories and was charged with but a single defeat. The new Comiskey protege has the markings of success in the hurling business, as he has all the requisites—speed, control, and change of pace. He should prosper quickly under the guidance of those who have been through the mill and know the game from A to Z."
Another Aquin story said that Rigney left St. Thomas in March 1935 for Pasadena, Calif., to enter training with the Chicago White Sox. The story quoted a pro scout Jim Vaughn calling Rigney "the finest prospective young pitcher I have seen in a decade."
"Rigney, who came to the College heralded as an all-American basketball center, soon lived up to expectations and took over the regular pivot position early in his freshman year... Besides starring on the basketball court, "The Rube" also gained considerable fame last spring while hurling the Purple and Gray baseball nine to an undefeated season and the league championship. In addition to playing for the Tommy champions, Rigney also has hurled semi-professional baseball in Chicago."
After pitching two seasons with the St. Paul Saints in Class AA baseball, Rigney made his major-league debut with the White Sox in 1937. As a rookie, Rigney struck out Hall of Famers Joe DiMaggio and Lou Gehrig in succession in an appearance against New York's famed Murderer's Row.
Despite pitching for a perennial second-division Chicago team over eight seasons, he finished 63-64 with a respectable 3.59 earned-run average on his career, with 605 strikeouts in 1,187 innings. He made 132 major-league starts. His $5,000 to $10,000 annual professional salary in those years would translate to between $92,000 and $180,000 per season in today's dollars.
Rigney missed three seasons -- 1943-45 -- while serving in the U.S. Navy in World War II. In 1939, he went 15-8 and finished 20th in the American League MVP voting (eighth among pitchers). He had an 11-inning, 1-0 shutout win over the Yankees, and took the victory in the first night game played at Comiskey Park that August 14.
Rigney came back in 1940 and had a career-best 3.11 ERA and 19 complete games (39 starts) in finishing 14-18, a mark that included 12 one-run losses.
After his pitching career ended, Rigney married Dorothy Comiskey, granddaughter of White Sox team founder Charles Comiskey and heiress to the White Sox baseball club. Charles Comiskey was a player, manager and owner in the majors and built the first Comiskey Park that opened in 1910.
Dororthy was eight years older than her younger brother Chuck Comiskey. She stayed involved in team management into the late 1950s before selling her majority shares to Bill Veeck in 1959.
Dorothy died in 1971 at age 54. John Rigney died in 1984, one week shy of his 70th birthday.
PHOTO: Dorothy Comiskey married John Rigney in 1941.
Chuck Comiskey
A baseball player for the St. Thomas Academy team here as a teenager, Comiskey served in the U.S. Navy and later was a college student here from 1946-48. Already a major White Sox stockholder, he left St. Thomas at age 22 before graduating to go to work with the Chicago White Sox as a team vice-president.
Comiskey shared general manager duties with Rigney and was credited for building up the Sox' minor-league system. In 1959, the White Sox ended a 40-year drought and won the AL pennant with a 94-60 record. The "Go-Go" Sox topped a Yankee franchise that had won nine of the previous 10 league crowns. Chicago lost in six games to the Los Angeles Dodgers in the World Series. That was despite the Sox' 1-0 win over 23-year-old Sandy Koufax in game five before a World Series-record 92,000-plus fans at the Los Angeles Coliseum.
Comiskey sold his shares in the White Sox in 1961. He died in 2007 at age 82.
Did You Know?:
Besides Rigney, other former St. Thomas or St. Thomas Academy players to play in the major-league baseball included:
- pitcher Fred 'Lefty' Miller (Brooklyn, 1910);
- infielder Richard 'Rip' Conway (Boston Braves, 1918)
- pitcher Elmer 'Doc' Hamann (Cleveland Indians, 1922)
- pitcher Paul Castner (Chicago White Sox, 1923)
- catcher Angelo Giuliani (St. Louis and Washington, 1936-43);
- pitcher Joseph 'Red' Hardy (New York Giants, 1951);
- catcher Chuck Hiller (San Francisco, NY Mets, Philadelphia and Pittsburgh, 1961-68).
In the last 20 years, three recent Tommies were drafted and played Class A, AA or AAA for a pro organization: Buzz Hannahan (Philadelphia AAA), Chris Olean (Milwaukee A) and Jake Mauer (Minnesota AA).
Many others played pro with independent teams such as the St. Paul Saints.
In each of the last 25 seasons, at least one St. Thomas baseball alum has played or coached in pro baseball.
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