Tuesday, November 01, 2005

World Series Recap

This is way past due, but its finally time to breakdown the Chicago White Sox first World Series victory in 88 years. Complain if you want that the Yanks and Sawx weren't in it; gripe some more because Chicago swept Houston - but let's face it these were four of the most exciting games of the year and as a whole made up a great Series. A 5-3 ChisSox win with Neal Cotts and Bobby Jenks striking out 3 men in the top of the 8th with a one run lead and men on the corners with no out. And then in the 9th Jenks strikes out two more batters on his way to the save in a nothing short of exciting game 1. And the hero this night, other than the two relievers, was a 3rd baseman who actually came through in the clutch - not one whose mom comes out to defend his choking in key playoff spots. Joe Crede hit what would end up being the game winning home run to make it 4-3 and didn't stop there - Joey "Balls" as they were calling him on the Southside made great play after great play at the hot corner to make sure the 'Stros didn't get back in it. The Southside fans were going nuts the whole time during the game and after this game 1 victory you woulda thought the White Sox had just won the series. Cars horns were beeping, the inside of the bar, "The Redwood" (aptly named for its red Christmas like lights and wooden walls) where I watched game one just blocks from US Cellular was euphoric. Meanwhile I was sitting there hoping game 2 - the game I actually had a ticket for would be even close to as good as the game I just witnessed on the big screen - If I only knew....Make no mistake both these games were played in Chicago wind and rain, but game two brought it to a whole nother level. But the second game of ChiTown's first series since '59 got underway after a short delay. The Astros broke a 2-2 stalemate in the 5th with a Lance Berkman 2 RBI double off Mark Buerhle and for just a little it looked like that might be enough to get this series even. -But that brings me to a unit that had been way overhyped coming into the series - the Houston bullpen. As a Phillies fan whose team was chasing the Astros for the Wild Card, every night I'd be hoping for Pettitte, Clemens and Oswalt, to go no longer than 6 innings so that their opponent could get two innings in against the Astros bullpen before Lidge. Clearly that didn't happen enough and the Phils fell one game short of the Astros. No offense to Chad Qualls and Dan Wheeler both of them have good #'s Qualls 6-4 w/ a 3.28 ERA and Wheeler 2-3 with a 2.21 ERA, but just watching these guys during the year, it wasn't an "oh no the game's over feeling" if they were in. When one looks at the Chicago pen El Duque is in a league of his own when it comes to playoffs and just added to his playoff legacy with the Houdini act in game 3 of the division series in Boston. The young fireballer Bobby Jenks - sure I'll give Houston the edge with Lidge but the Astros closer looked more hittable with each game he pitched in the playoffs - just ask Albert Pujols. The rest of the Sox pen with Neal Cotts 4-0 1.94 ERA and Cliff Politte 7-1 2.00 ERA as the main guys outta the pen - clear edge to Chicago. Even with the layoff between the ALDS and World Series for the Pale Hose pen, all of a sudden these guys were going to forget how to pitch? As Jenks and Cotts showed in Game 1, that was far from the case. - Now back to the game. So Andy Pettitte who had been dodging bullets a bit, left after 6 solid innings and in came the vaunted Astros bullpen. Enter Dan Wheeler in the 7th and sandwiches a Juan Uribe double between 2 outs seems poised to get outta this harmless situation. A Tadahito Iguchi walk and a Jermaine Dye "HBP" later and the bases are loaded. (On that HBP it was a full count and yea it hit his bat, whats to say he doesn't walk on the next pitch). Bases loaded and Chicago hero Paul Konerko at the plate, enter Chad Qualls and his first pitch a grand slam to the left field seats and pure pandemonium throughout the stadium. At that point, after watching Jenks and Cotts the night before I was convinced the game was as good as over and the White Sox had pulled off another magic act. But the Astros showed resilience the veteran Jose Vizcaino slapped a two run game tying single off the big man Jenks in the top of the 9th. In came Lidge for the bottom half of the 9th and while Lidge had looked hittable lately, I assumed if the White Sox were going to win this game they'd have to hold out for a few more innings. Not so much. The hard throwing righty got Juan Uribe to fly out to center and into the box stepped Scott Podsednik. Not exactly known for his power, with no homers in the regular season, Pods had shown some signs of muscling up with a home run against Boston in game 1 of the ALDS. But let's face it, that game was way out of reach, and he hit the ball down the line, and this is aruguably the best closer in the national league. But the Chicago left fielder turned on a fastball and sent it towards the gap. OK, triple they've got a chance to get him in. But the ball just kept carrying and withing seconds the Southside was pandemonium once again. Scott Podsednik, whom GM Kenny Williams acquired for bopper Carlos Lee, to be a lead off man had just capped off the best World Series game in recent memory and the best sporting event I've seen in person. Leaving Chicago after the tough loss that was game 2 for Houston, one might think they would roll over and die. Ok so the Sox ended up sweeping but it wasn't easy by any means. Game 3 pit Jon Garland against Roy Oswalt and game two couldn't be topped could it? After all Oswalt a 20 game winner with a 2.94 ERA during the year held a 4-0 lead heading into the top of the 5th. But a Joe Crede homer to lead off the inning and it all began to come apart for Oswalt. No more gopher balls but the Sox bats woke up and an AJ Pierzynski double gave Chicago a 5-4 lead. But again Houston bounced back and a Jason Lane double off Dustin Hermanson in the bottom of the 8th tied the score at 5 a piece. The Astros put men in scoring position in the 9th, 10th, 11th and 13th, but couldn't even get one run across. Chicago meanwhile turned to yet another hero. In the top of the 14th Geoff Blum who hadn't had a World Series at-bat and had only 1 at bat all postseason hit a 2 out bases empty home run to put the ChiSox up one. Chicago would end up tacking on one more but Blum's would prove to be the game winner. Still the White Sox were determined to make the bottom half exciting. With runners on first and third and 2 out, manager Ozzie Guillen brought in game 2 starter Mark Buerhle to close it out. Adam Everett popped up a 1-1 pitch to shortstop Juan Uribe and the longest game in World Series history (time : 5 hours and 41 minutes; tied for longest innings :14) was officially in the books. Chicago took a commanding 3-0 series lead and things were looking good for back to back Sox Series Sweeps. In game 4 Brandon Backe had other plans - the overlooked member of this Houston staff hurled 7 innings of shutout ball and did his best to extend the series at least one more game. Let's face it, when Houston's Big Three are mentioned, Backe is lost in the shadows of Pettitte, Clemens and Oswalt - Backe saw to it that will no longer be the case. But Chicago starter Freddy Garcia matched Backe zero for zero for seven innings and then one. Backe was done after 7 and Phil Garner went back to his closer Brad Lidge, despite his postseason struggles. The did what they had done all season and executed small ball/smart ball/ Ozzie ball to get one run across. Willie Harris pinch hit for Freddy Garcia and singled to left. Scott Podsednik got a sac bunt down moving Harris to second. And free swinging Carl Everett grounded out to second to get Harris to 3rd. 2 outs, up came Jermaine Dye who was 2-3 so far on the day. On a 1-1 pitch Dye sealed his World Series MVP honor with an RBI single up the middle. Cliff Politte, Neal Cotts, and Bobby Jenks closed down the Astros in the last two innings, although not without Houston blowing a few more chances with runners in scoring position in both innings. Juan Uribe made two great plays for the last two outs of the game - one diving into the stands to retrieve a pop up down the 3rd base line a la Derek Jeter; and then got Orlando Palmerio on a ground ball by a half step at first to end the game. 88 years of scandals, losing, and pessimism finally had ended for the Second City one year after Boston ended their 86 year drought. 1917 meet 2005.

One quick note to those who say this win isn't justified because of the Black Sox scandal - let's get serious. Comiskey was paying those guys chump change and was 10x more deserving of a ban than any of those players. Not to mention Shoeless Joe had the highest batting average in the series and hit the only home run and still isn't in the Hall of Fame!? And oh yea, it was 88 years ago - get over it.

7 Comments:

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