It's Over, Over There!

One of the most glaring differences between the '05 Sox and the Sox teams of the last few seasons was the ability of this years club to win on the road. The '05 Sox won an MLB best 52 regular season games on the road, 15 games better than the 37 wins they won on the road last season. (At home in '05 the Sox won 47 games, just one more than the 46 wins they had at home in '04)
The '05 Sox clinched the division on the road, in Detroit. They followed that up and finished off the regular season with a 3-game sweep of the wild-card contending Indians, again on the road in Cleveland. Then they clinched the ALDS in Boston against a Red Sox team that had best home record in baseball. After that they went on to Anaheim to sweep all 3 games played there to clinch the ALCS and their first World Series appearance since 1959. To top all that off, they went on to win the World Series by taking both games in Houston to finish off their 4 game sweep of the Astro's.
Not to discredit any of the other improvements the Sox have made this season (better defense/pitching, adopting an unselfish "team" attitude, bringing in a catcher who knows how to call a game and can actually hit, upgrading at 2B, etc.), but if this team were not such Road Warriors I doubt that we would be able to call them 2005 World Champions.

A Sight To See

Winning Ugly

Last night in Game 3 of World Series the Sox issued 12 walks, committed 3 errors and stranded 15 men on base. Despite all that they persevered to a 7-5 victory in 14 innings and now own a 3-0 game lead over Houston.
The game was without a doubt an instant classic. It was not pretty with multiple mistakes and poor situational hitting by both teams, but it was one of the most entertaining games I've ever seen. At 5 hours and 41 minutes in length, it was the longest World Series game in MLB history. It also tied the longest World Series game in terms of innings at 14.
There were so many unforgettable moments in the game that it would be impossible to go over every one of them. The bad call home run for the Astro's in the 4th, the Sox 5 run 5th off Oswalt, Duque getting out of a bases loaded jam in the bottom of the 9th to force extra innings, the list goes on and on. And on and on.
The biggest hit of the game came from Geoff Blum, Kenny Williams lone trade deadline acquisition, who broke a 5-5 tie with his solo home run with 2 out in the 14th inning. This comes in the very next game after Scott Posednik hit a walk-off homer to win in the 9th on Sunday. Talk about losing in one of the worst ways possible. It's one thing to be beaten by a teams best player, but it has to be gut wrenching to give up game deciding homers to guys who had hit a combined 2 home runs all season, including the playoffs.
The Sox used 9 pitchers in all, and if that sounds like one more pitcher than the Sox had in their pen, you're right. After an error by Uribe at short put runners at 1st and 3rd with 2 out in the 14th, Ozzie had to turn to Mark Buehrle to get the final out of the game and record the save. I'll write that one more time so its clear that is not a typo. Mark Buehrle recorded the save. As if that is not strange enough, when you look in the record books to find the winners of the two longest games in World Series history, you'll find Damaso Marte's name next to Babe Ruth's. Yes, that Babe Ruth. He was the winning pitcher for the Red Sox in the only other World Series game that went as long as 14 innings. (He pitched all 14 innings)
It seems like after every game since the playoffs started I feel like I just saw one of the best games of the year. Then it seems like the next game is even better than the one before. Hopefully that trend holds true tonight and our Sox pull off the sweep to earn their first World Championship in 88 years.

More Good Reads

Dayn Perry at Fox Sports lists 5 reasons why the Sox will win.

ESPN employs a Sox fan? Who would have thought? Dave Revsine wrote this piece about growing up a Sox fan in Cubs territory.
Here's a small sample. His stance on the Scrubs:
"The truth is, no Sox story is complete without exploring our relationship with that far more popular team from the North Side. The short version -- can't stand them. Most of my life has been spent in perpetual fear that they might make the World Series before the White Sox, which, in hindsight, is akin to fearing that the five-year old with the cap gun next door might develop nuclear capabilities."

On attempting to go with the crowd when at Scrub games:
"The point is, my heart wasn't in it. These just weren't my people: perennially sunny dispositions; ceaseless, unyielding optimism; a sincere belief that things will actually be better next year despite overwhelming evidence to the contrary. It's really quite nauseating.

So, a Sox fan I've stayed -- fated to root for a team that can literally lay claim to being an afterthought in its own city. Until now, that is."

World Series Tickets

Need a kidney? Perhaps a portion of a liver? Maybe you are in search of someone's first born child? Well, if you've got a spare ticket to the World Series, I'm you're man. (As if there is such a thing as a spare ticket to the World Series, unless you're a $broker$ of course).
For $1000 per ticket to sit in the top row of the UD down the line, that ticket better come with free drinks and food, a waitress to bring them to you, a private bathroom with no line, a game-worn jersey from one of the Sox players that is autographed by the entire team, and a limo to and from the game. I can understand tickets being scalped for 3 or 4 times face value (around $400 or $500 per ticket), but 8 times face? Ridiculous. Even more insane is that the Scout Seats are going for $10,000 a seat.

(Oh, if you're looking for a first born child in exchange for a ticket, you'll have to take an IOU.)

A Few Good Pieces on The Sox

Here is a great story on the Big Man, "Mr. White Sox", Frank Thomas.

Hey Gov. Blago...STAY THE HELL AWAY FROM COMISKEY!!! To me, the defining moment of this dirt bags term as Governor came after Game 6 of the NLCS two years ago. (As far as baseball allegiances are concerned). When asked after the game about the Bartman foul ball, he replied "That guy is never going to get a pardon from this Governor".


Here is another decent piece making a case for why the Sox should be "America's Team" this year. It's a bit stale, but an OK read none the less.
The best quote from the article:
"But true, die-hard White Sox fans might be the most resilient in sports. They have sat through a lot of bad baseball, ignoring the hipper crowd, cooler building and more popular team on the other side of town."
I guess I'll take that as a compliment. Personally, I would call it a lot of mediocre baseball, not bad baseball. It was the team on the other side of town that, until last season, hadn't posted a winning record in consecutive seasons in decades. The Sox are usually competitive year in and year out.

Shock and Awe

The Sox are going to the World Series. The Chicago White Sox. No words can do justice to what this means for this City, this team and all their fans. No sporting event that I've ever seen has made me feel the way that I did last night. (I was 2 months shy of my 1st birthday when the Bears won the SuperBowl, as if that could come close to the Sox going to the World Series) For me, a Die-Hard Sox Fan, I've never felt more alive than I did while watching that game. During the later innings my heart was beating out of my chest. My palms were sweating. I was all fidgety and smoking like a chimney.
When we finally got that last out on that grounder to Konerko at first I jumped out of my seat, let out a huge sigh of relief, then turned and hugged my girlfriend. Thank God that I've been able to get her to love and enjoy the Sox nearly as much as I do. (When we first started dating a few years ago, she loved to watch the Bears with me but she could not stand watching baseball. Now she hates watching football and is always reminding me to go back to the Sox game when I change the channel during a commercial.)
During the game I listened to the radio broadcast by Rooney and Farmer instead of the Fox crew of Joe Buck and Tim McCarver. I'm so glad I did because Rooney's call of the final out in the 9th is unforgettable. If you haven't heard it, here is the link. Click on "White Sox win the ALCS" next to the picture of Konerko in the middle of the page. If you are a Sox fan and that does not send chills down your spine, nothing will.

On The Brink

Tonight our White Sox find themselves just a single victory away from a trip to the Fall Classic after Freddy Garcia put up the 3rd consecutive complete game for the Pale Hose in their 8-2 victory over LAAOA. It is the first time that a team has thrown 3 straight CG's in an LCS series since 1973 (Tom Seaver, Jon Matlack and Jerry Koosman).
The Sox caught a couple of breaks in tonight's game, having seemingly every call go their way. AJ got away with catcher interference, a replay showed that Pods was picked off at 1st but he was called safe, then on the next pitch he stole second where again a replay showed he was tagged out but again he was called safe. With the Sox having scored 8 runs, all these calls that went against the Halo's weren't as detrimental to their chances of winning as some in the L.A. and national media would lead you to believe. You can talk all you want about momentum, but 7 runs were not scored or prevented because of those lucky breaks. (For the Angels to have won, they would have had to score 7 more or allow 7 less.)
The Sox rotation of Jose, Buehrle, Garland and Freddy have pitched all but 2/3 of an inning thus far in the ALCS and have allowed a combined total of just 8 runs. Sox fans, we are witnessing what is in my mind without a doubt the best pitching staff ever assembled on the South Side of Chicago. Not only the starting rotation, but also the bullpen that has not seen any action since Neal Cotts recorded the final 2 outs of the 9th in Game 1. Our guys might not be the big name, well-known, flashy and sexy type's that the boy's in Bristol would love them to be, but collectively they are one hell of a pitching staff. As they say, what counts is not the size of the dog in the fight. It's the size of the fight in the dog.

Tomorrow nights starters will be a rematch of Game 1 with Contreras going up against the Halo's Paul Byrd. Lets show the Scrubs what you're supposed to do with a 3-1 game lead in an LCS. Catch my drift?

PK Sighting At The Hawks Game Tonight

Tonight at the Blackhawks game my girlfriend and I ran into Paul Konerko (above) and Chris Widger, who had glass seats behind one of the nets. The picture sucks, but what do you expect from a camera on a cell phone. Maybe you would have been able to see them on TV but Hawks ownership still refuses to air home games in Chicago. Speaking of Big Bill Wirtz, on our way out of the stadium just a few minutes before the end of the game we were walking right along side the man himself in the main concourse. He was walking with a security guard (smart man) and someone who looked to be his brother. I don't know if anyone calls him Big Bill, but the nickname would be fitting as he looked to be about 300 lbs. Maybe he just keeps his wallet in his front belt line. Thank God he doesn't own the Sox.

The New Sox Seats

Seats from the new Comiskey Park, opened in 1991.
Well, they're not really new. I bought them back in April but I just mounted them this week. They're in the garage, but on the opposite wall I've got an old projection TV to watch games on.

Chris Berman Sucks

I know that I am not in the minority when I say that hearing Chris Berman call the Sox vs. Sawx series was one of the most annoying and tilted nationally broadcast play-by-play jobs of all time. I got so fed up by him during every game that I listened to each one on the radio while watching the muted TV. It was worth dealing with the 2 or 3 second delay of the TV behind the radio to avoid hearing some of his calls and comments. Well that, and I enjoy Rooney and Farmer's call of a game.
Now I can relate to all the baseball fans nationally who cannot stand the play-by-play calls of the Hawk. Still though, its one thing to be a clubs broadcasting guy and blatantly favor the team that you work for. Most of the games you do are only aired in your own teams market. You're not catering to fans of both of the teams that are playing, so you can afford to be a homer like the Hawk. Its another thing when you are the only television crew broadcasting a series and you're making the game and series more about a Boston loss than a White Sox win. These guys are supposed to come across as fair and impartial. Berman and ESPN were anything but.

White Sox Sweep!

The White Sox accomplished something this evening that very few people alive have seen happen in their lifetime. For the first time since 1917 the Chicago White Sox won a postseason series. Not only did they win, they did so in convincing fashion by sweeping the defending World Champion Red Sox, outplaying them in every facet of the game. They didn't just beat the Carmine's, they won by KO.
The most important inning of today's game, and of the year for that matter, was the 6th inning. The inning lasted 58 minutes and the top of the 6th made up at least half of that time. Paul Konerko broke a 2-2 tie with his 2-run bomb over the green-monster, and that was followed by multiple Red Sox pitching changes.
After the top of the inning finally ended, Ozzie decided to let Freddy Garcia go back out and face Manny Ramirez leading off the bottom of the 6th. Manny promptly hit a line drive rocket over the Monster in left-center that still hasn't landed, his second HR of the game, and it cut the Sox lead to 4-3.
At this point Ozzie went to the pen and called upon Damaso Marte to face Trot Nixon. Nixon singled, and then Marte walked the next two hitters, Bill Mueller and John Olerud, to load the bases with no outs.
What happened next was one of the most clutch pitching performances in MLB postseason history. Ozzie again called to the pen, this time for Orlando "El Duque" Hernandez. Never in his life had El Duque come on in relief with an inherited runner aboard, let alone 3 with nobody out in a one run ball game and in the playoffs no less. With the dangerous Jason Varitek pinch hitting for Doug Mirabelli, disaster seemed to be looming. The next thing you know, El Duque gets Varitek to pop up a 2-1 pitch in foul ground and Konerko caught it in the batters circle just down the 1st base line.
So one out, bases loaded, the score still 4-3. Tony Graffanino followed Varitek and battled through a 10 pitch at-bat that seemed to last an hour before El Duque induced another infield pop up on a 3-2 pitch, this time to Uribe at short and the infield fly rule was called. So now 2 outs, bases loaded, the score still at 4-3. The next batter, Red Sox lead-off man Johnny "Jesus" Damon, then worked another full count before striking out on a check swing that he couldn't hold up.
Some how, some way, El Duque retired 3 consecutive Red Sox batters with the bases loaded, all the while not allowing the ball to be hit past the infield dirt. He pitched 2 more scoreless innings after that, finishing with a line of 3IP allowing 1H, 0R and 4 K's. The man has ice-water running through his veins. His performance was a microcosm of our entire season. Livin' on the edge and coming through in the clutch. I think Elwood Blues said it best... "We're on a mission from God."

Provided that there are no rain-outs in the NY-Angels series, on Tuesday the White Sox will be kicking off their first ALCS since 1993. Somehow, despite the numerous complaints I've heard from people about being left out in the cold by Ticketmaster, I got my hands on tickets to Game 1. Although they're nosebleed seats down the right-field line, I'm satisfied with just getting in. I was at the final game of the Sox last appearance in the ALCS (Game 6 in '93 vs. Toronto-Alex Fernandez started for the Sox and took the loss). I was just 9 years old at the time, but I still can remember nearly the entire team off the top of my head. Tim Rains, Lance Johnson, Big Frank, Harold Bains, Joey Cora, Ventura, Ozzie, Bo Jackson, Karkovice, Jason Bere, Black Jack, Alex Fernandez, Roberto Hernandez, Bobby Thigpen, the list goes on. That was a very solid team from top to bottom. Yet I wouldn't even think twice about taking this years club over the '93 team, to a man, save Big Frank at DH over Everett. With the run we've been on the last 2 weeks I'm confident, regardless of who the Sox end up playing next week, that the result will be much different this time around. GO SOX!!!

Round 1: Pale Hose

The White Sox started the postseason off with a bang by bombarding Red Sox pitching for 14 runs in Game One of the ALDS on the South Side this afternoon. The Sox offense shelled starter Matt Clement for 8 runs in 3 1/3 innings, scoring 5 in the 1st inning alone. Altogether the Sox offense hit 5 home runs on the day, tying a ALDS record set last year by St. Louis. Even Scotty Podsednik got in on the action, belting his first dinger of the season. 4 of the 5 White Sox homers were hit off of pitchers who used to pitch for the Cubs.
What stands out to me more so than the offensive explosion is the continued success of Jose Contreras who held the highest scoring offense in baseball to just 2 runs in 7 2/3 innings. Coming into the game Jose posted a career 11.67 ERA and a record of 2-4 against the Red Sox. If that gave the Red Sox confidence, it was misplaced. This is not the same Jose Contreras they used to beat around all over the field when he was with the Yankee's. Jose showed exactly why he is undefeated in his last 8 starts.

Here is a great piece on the new Sox ace.

Sox fans, this game was HUGE. By winning Game One we put Boston in almost a must-win situation tomorrow. If they were to head home down 0-2, they would have to defeat Garcia, Garland and Jose in order to stay alive. You can go on and on about how they came back from being down 0-3 in the ALCS last year and they're defending World Champions, but this is not the same team as last season. Their rotation this year of Clement, Wells, Schilling and Wakefield, while formidable, is not nearly as potent as the rotation of Pedro, Schilling, Lowe and Wakefield was last year. Schilling, who has been battling back from injuries all season, is not the same pitcher he was a year ago. Clement, as we saw today, has been shaky for the last couple of months. On top of all that, Boston's bullpen is average at best and their closer, former White Sox Keith Foulke, is done for the season. Although it's still very early to get overly excited, with a 1-0 edge I like the Good Guy's chances to at least split the next 4 games. In Game Two tomorrow Buehrle will be going up against former White Sox David Wells.

Sox Post-Season Roster Set; Umpire Crew Announced

The Sox 1st round Postseason roster was announced this afternoon and Ozzie Guillen decided to keep the likes of Timo Perez, Geoff Blum, Luis Vizciano and Orlando Hernandez instead of Brandon McCarthy and Ross Gload. Personally, I am very disappointed. Not about El Duque being on the roster, but Vizciano. I'll take McCarthy over Vizciano every day of the week and twice on Sunday's, especially in a close ballgame. As far as Gload goes, I'd rather have his left-handed bat over both Timo Perez, also a lefty, and the switch-hitting Blum. Gload hasn't played in the majors much this year, but during his rehab time in the minors he was tearing the cover off the ball, hitting over .400 I believe. Blum and Perez have been hitting around .200 all year. Regardless of Gload having his success this year during his limited time in the minors (against minor-league pitching), he showed more potential there than both of these guys have showed all season with the Sox. You know how the Sox love Timo's "veteran presence" though. In my opinion the larger mistake of the two is keeping Vizciano and leaving McCarthy off.

The umpiring crew for the Sox opening round in the playoffs has been announced. Thankfully, Hunter Wendelstat is not on it.. Crew chief John Hirschbeck will be behind the plate in game one and will be joined by Larry Vanover, Mark Wegner, Bill Miller, Mike Everitt and Dan Iassogna.