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!!!