White Sox History: Jim Derrington Youngest to Start AL Game
What were you doing at 16 years old? Well, if you are Jim Derrington, on this day in 1956, the answer is that you were becoming the youngest pitcher to start a game in the 20th century by taking the mound for the White Sox.
These days, if a 16 year old is being signed to a contract, it is one of the top international prospects in the game. They begin their journey in professional baseball at the lower levels of the minors, working their way through the system. In time, and if everything goes properly, they could contribute at the major league level.
However, throughout baseball history, there have been those occasional teenagers to make an appearance in the majors. One of those teenagers, Jim Derrington, made his debut for the Chicago White Sox on this day in 1956. At 16 years and 10 months old, Derrington became the youngest pitcher to start a major league game in the 20th century.
Interestingly enough, Derrington was so highly regarded by major league teams that he could have made his debut even sooner. He was playing semi-pro ball at 13 years old, and more than holding his own against the far older competition. However, a rule stated that he needed to play American Legion ball before playing in the majors, leading to that delay.
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Predictably, he started out rough, allowing three runs in his first two innings. However, Derrington settled in after that, pitching three shutout innings before tiring in the sixth. Overall, he allowed six runs, five earned, on nine hits and six walks in those six innings. Derrington did manage to strike out three batters, showing that potential that had teams drooling over him. And, Derrington did collect a hit in the game, making him the youngest player in AL history to get a base knock.
The next year, he was back with the White Sox. And again, Derrington had his struggles. He posted a 4.86 ERA and a 1.568 WHiP in his 37 innings spanning 20 games. Those command issues continued, as he issued 29 walks, but he did strike out 14 batters. Given his improvements over the course of the year, it seemed possible that Derrington could become a viable part of the White Sox future.
That would not happen. He was sent to the minors to develop the following year, and had his moments, but injured his arm in 1960. He became a position player that year, spending time at first and in the outfield, but did not hit enough to show that he had a future in the field. In 1961, Derrington returned to the mound as an offspeed specialist, but did not have the same success. After that season, he retired, out of baseball at just 21 years old.
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The Chicago White Sox expected greatness from Jim Derrington. While he made the record books on this day in 1956, injuries prevented him from becoming the player he was expected to be.