Winter Haven Sun Sox

• Location: Winter Haven, FL
• League: Florida State League 1966
• Affiliation: Chicago White Sox 1966
• Ballpark:

Team History

The first professional baseball team from Winter Haven, FL was the Winter Haven Sun Sox, who played in the Florida State League in 1966. They had started the year as the Deerfield Beach Sun Sox before moving to Winter Haven on June 27, the start of the second half. They finished last in the 10-team FSL in the second half, going 21-48. The Deerfield Beach/Winter Haven club was a composite 55-83 and was outscored 490-381. Hitting .208/~.294/.271 as a club, they averaged only 2.76 runs per game. 14,448 fans came to see the Sun Sox, 9th in the league. Don Bacon began the year as manager and Bruce Andrew took over the reigns on August 5. Andrew not only managed the team, but also was the regular second baseman and won the league batting title after putting up a .329/~.415/.440 line; he also stole 21 bases in 25 tries and tied for the league lead in times hit by pitch (11) as a one-man offense. No one else topped .258. Al Shaw (10-9, 1.50) tied for third in the FSL in ERA as the pitching ace. In 1967, they became the Winter Haven Mets.

Source: 1967 Baseball Guide

Year-by-Year Record

Year	Record	Finish	Manager	Playoffs
1966	55-83 overall	8th	Don Bacon / Bruce Andrew		Deerfield Beach moved to Winter Haven June 27