Six short years ago...

[southsider2k5]

It was six years ago today...

[Steve9347]

It was six years ago today...

 

Sox 1, Astros 0

 

Sox on top of the world

 

By Mark Gonzales

Tribune staff reporter

 

12:47 AM CDT, October 27, 2005

 

HOUSTON

 

The White Sox completed their incredible conquest Wednesday night, eliminating the final demons that haunted the franchise since their last World Series title in 1917.

 

They completed their stunning run in a manner that mirrored their amazingly successful season, riding the pitching of Freddy Garcia and the bullpen to a 1-0 victory over Houston and completing a four-game sweep of the 2005 World Series.

 

"In sports, I haven't had a greater feeling," said general manager Ken Williams, whose transformation of a franchise to an emphasis on pitching and defense was rewarded greatly in the final game.

 

The players celebrated on the field and in the clubhouse, where Williams was doused with champagne after hoisting the World Series trophy.

 

"Enjoy it and be safe," slugger Paul Konerko advised several thousand fans who gathered behind the dugout to celebrate.

 

The Sox snapped the second-longest World Series drought in history. The longest dry spell, 97 years, belongs to the Cubs, followed by Cleveland at 57.

 

The Sox finished the season with an eight-game winning streak and with 16 wins in their final 17 games dating back to the regular season. They also won their final 11 road games.

 

Their 11-1 mark is the second-best postseason mark. Only the 1976 Cincinnati Reds team that manager Ozzie Guillen idolized as a kid in his native Venezuela won all seven postseason games.

 

This also marked the 19th time a team swept a Series opponent.

 

"We stuck together," designated hitter Carl Everett said. "Everyone was against us, but we didn't care."

 

Under the direction of Williams and Guillen, the Sox won their first American League Central title since 2000 with a league-best 99-63 record. They swept defending Series champion Boston in the AL Division Series and eliminated the Los Angeles Angels 4-1 in the AL Championship Series.

 

But Wednesday, the Sox didn't push across the winning run until the eighth, and they did it in their resourceful style.

 

In his first Series at-bat, Willie Harris, pinch-hitting for Garcia, poked a leadoff single off Brad Lidge and moved to second on Scott Podsednik's sacrifice.

 

With two outs, Jermaine Dye singled up the middle to score Harris and earn the Series' Most Valuable Player Award and a Chevrolet truck.

 

"It paid off," Bill Dye told his son before hugging him on the field. Dye batted .438 in the Series.

 

The Sox's bullpen carried the torch for Garcia, who yielded only four hits in seven innings and didn't run into serious trouble until the sixth, when he struck out Jason Lane with the bases loaded.

 

"I felt great in the bullpen," said Garcia, who yielded only two runs in his final 16 postseason innings. "I just wanted to make sure I got one run."

 

In the ninth, Lane led off with a single off rookie closer Bobby Jenks, making his fourth appearance in the Series. Lane moved into scoring position on Brad Ausmus' sacrifice, but shortstop Juan Uribe saved the victory for the Sox.

 

Uribe fearlessly ran over the short wall in foul territory to make a catch of pinch-hitter Chris Burke's popup.

 

But that paled in comparison to the magnitude of the next play, when Uribe charged a slow roller and fired to first to barely nail pinch-hitter Orlando Palmeiro and set off a wild celebration at the pitcher's mound.

 

"Uribe is one of the best shortstops in the league," Everett declared.

 

The Sox's advance scouts, led by Bryan Little, prepared the game plan that helped limit the Astros to a .203 batting average. Cleanup hitter Morgan Ensberg batted .111, leadoff batter Craig Biggio and Lane each hit .222, and shortstop Adam Everett was 1-for-15.

 

"To beat Boston, get four consecutive complete games against the Angels and then beat Houston in four, that's a cherry on top," pitching coach Don Cooper said.

 

"I'm going to celebrate and enjoy this until next spring training."

 

This was the first 1-0 game in a Series since Atlanta beat Cleveland in 1995.

 

"That type of game is like the ones I watched for 162 games during the regular season," champagne-soaked Guillen said.

 

Guillen steered the Sox on course after they lost nearly all of a 15-game lead on Aug. 1 and saw a 9 1/2-game lead shrink to 1 1/2 games during a 16-day span in September.

 

But they regained their momentum in the final five games of the regular season and never let up.

 

"We never had any egos on this team," said Dye, who came over as a free agent from Oakland.

 

"I think that was what was really special about this club."

[Milkman delivers]

I'll be watching the Sox Pride DVD later.

[sunofgold]

 

On this day....in White Sox history...it was October 26, 2005....the White Sox won two World Series games that day..including the deciding Game 4.....waiting for the sequel to come out.

 

Anyways, Happy World Series Winner 6-Year Anniversary! Let us hope that we don't have to wait long for another one. That was a fun time...seems like yesterday.

[Milkman delivers]

I probably took about 5 years off of my life during that postseason. I was on edge for every single pitch. It would be nice to go back in time with some confidence and enjoy each game

[greg775]

Pretty amazing to win the deciding game 1-0 on the road.

Truly a great team.

It's hard to believe how rotten the franchise has become in six short years.

[sunofgold]

To me, October 26th is a White Sox holiday. Also, near Halloween so that is sweet.

 

I think that game 3 ended around 1AM CST and I doubt I got much sleep after that exciting, tense Game 3 and then knowing that we could win the World Series later that same day. Adrenaline got me through that day.

 

Yeah, that series was intense since all four games were close games. But ironically it was a sweep and we were never close to losing the Series.

 

[RockRaines]

I have that Trib framed on my wall.

[Soxfest]

Coach Ditka says "losers and cowards live in the past my friend!"

[sunofgold]

Coach Ditka says "losers and cowards live in the past my friend!"

OUch. There is some buzzkill. But we have been losing lately anyways. lol

 

Oct 26 in 2005 was also on Wednesday. I remember the White Sox flying in and arriving somewhere (don't think it was O'Hare) on Thursday early morning. Oprah Show appearance I think on Friday Oct 28...parade/celebration downtown also on Friday...Pods on SNL on Sat Oct 29.

 

Heck, that was Halloween weekend. That had to be the best Halloween weekend ever though I don't remember any of the non-White Sox stuff going on that weekend.

 

And then the World Series trophy went on tour. I remember seeing it a few times at US Cellular stores. Probably I only time that I have ever gone into those stores.

 

Crede & Rowand went somewhere downtown Chicago for a showing of the White Sox DVD? I think that they got it ready very quickly. Actually I think it was mid-November for that. That Rowand was traded shortly after that and that kinda was a buzzkill for me. lol

Edited October 26, 2011 by sunofgold

[chetkincaid]

I'll be watching the Sox Pride DVD later.

 

Got the entire series on DVD. Best gift that I ever got from a girl. Does everyone remember where they were when Uribe made the throw to end it? Man, I was on Division outside a bar. I remember everyone looking around in stunned disbelief. It seemed like everyone was thinking "Did the Chicago White Sox really just win the World Series"? It was almost surreal... like a dream. It took awhile, but everyone finally warmed up to the fact that the Sox won it all and it got pretty crazy on Division. Chicks were flashing everyone.

[klaus kinski]

A real TEAM gutted in the off season. Sharing that with my 80 plus year old mom, who grew up just down the street from Comiskey, was a highlight of my life.

[hogan873]

I remember watching the last out and being shocked. Not because of the close play, but because the Sox had just won the World Series. It took a bit for it to sink in.

 

I recently showed my kids the DVD...they were 4, 3, and 9 months back then. Watching it, I felt that same excitement. Podsednik's walk-off HR, Blum's improbable 14th inning HR, Uribe's catch in the stands, and that last play...WOW.

[Kyyle23]

Coach Ditka says "losers and cowards live in the past my friend!"

 

always an ironic quote coming from a guy still living well off the 85 team

[sunofgold]

Did anybody else have any rituals they used before the playoff games. I remember always going to the same place for lunch. And then in the ALCS I starting changing into the same t-shirt, jeans, and baseball cap before the game. And after each win I would reward myself with some candy (candy gets even better when you get closer to Halloween...the candy companies bring out their best stuff). ...Guess it worked. Oh yeah I prayed also during the games (''please please strike him out") and I never did this before or after..lol.

 

[Balta1701]

Did anybody else have any rituals they used before the playoff games. I remember always going to the same place for lunch. And then in the ALCS I starting changing into the same t-shirt, jeans, and baseball cap before the game. And after each win I would reward myself with some candy (candy gets even better when you get closer to Halloween...the candy companies bring out their best stuff). ...Guess it worked. Oh yeah I prayed also during the games (''please please strike him out") and I never did this before or after..lol.

Same hat every day. Hat was probably 15 years old at the time, my oldest Sox hat, probably got it the year they put the new uniforms on. Have not worn that hat since.

[flavum]

With the World Series postponed, good night to throw in the DVDs.

[Milkman delivers]

Coach Ditka says "losers and cowards live in the past my friend!"

 

Mike Ditka saying that is that absolute epitome of irony. His entire life is based on living in the past. It's so ridiculous that it's comical.

[caulfield12]

Got the entire series on DVD. Best gift that I ever got from a girl. Does everyone remember where they were when Uribe made the throw to end it? Man, I was on Division outside a bar. I remember everyone looking around in stunned disbelief. It seemed like everyone was thinking "Did the Chicago White Sox really just win the World Series"? It was almost surreal... like a dream. It took awhile, but everyone finally warmed up to the fact that the Sox won it all and it got pretty crazy on Division. Chicks were flashing everyone.

 

 

In Cali, Colombia, in a hotel room by myself while I was chaperoning my students for a Model United Nations conference for the country's international school students.

 

Thanks to ESPN Deportes and DirectTV, I was able to watch every single game live.

 

But I still remember most vividly waking up one morning after we'd blown a huge lead to the KC Royals...and the Crede homer off Riske...my g/f at the time and her brother were watching their favorite program and I kept making them flip back during the commercials and you just knew when they won that game the tide had turned. But I do remember playing some really crappy games against the Tigers early in that final week...thankfully that rocket hit off Jenks the final out in the clinching game didn't fly into the RF corner and over Konerko's head or we STILL could have ended up blowing the whole thing. And the Grady Sizemore blown catch in the sun in KC, that was the other big turning point in the final 2 weeks. Then we just steamrolled through the Indians (I think they still had wild-card aspirations at the time) at Jacobs Field and flew into the post-season.

 

 

[Milkman delivers]

Got the entire series on DVD. Best gift that I ever got from a girl. Does everyone remember where they were when Uribe made the throw to end it? Man, I was on Division outside a bar. I remember everyone looking around in stunned disbelief. It seemed like everyone was thinking "Did the Chicago White Sox really just win the World Series"? It was almost surreal... like a dream. It took awhile, but everyone finally warmed up to the fact that the Sox won it all and it got pretty crazy on Division. Chicks were flashing everyone.

 

I have them, too, although I bought them myself. All I got for Christmas that year from anyone was White Sox stuff. And yes, I remember exactly where I was, exactly what I was doing, and exactly how I reacted.

 

always an ironic quote coming from a guy still living well off the 85 team

 

Damn, beat me to it.

 

Did anybody else have any rituals they used before the playoff games. I remember always going to the same place for lunch. And then in the ALCS I starting changing into the same t-shirt, jeans, and baseball cap before the game. And after each win I would reward myself with some candy (candy gets even better when you get closer to Halloween...the candy companies bring out their best stuff). ...Guess it worked. Oh yeah I prayed also during the games (''please please strike him out") and I never did this before or after..lol.

 

I sat in the same exact spot in the same exact position after they won the first game of the ALDS. I wouldn't get up to pee or anything (thankfully I never peed myself), and of course I prayed like everyone else. Hell, I wouldn't even blink when a pitch was about to be thrown.

[Milkman delivers]

In Cali, Colombia, in a hotel room by myself while I was chaperoning my students for a Model United Nations conference for the country's international school students.

 

Thanks to ESPN Deportes and DirectTV, I was able to watch every single game live.

 

But I still remember most vividly waking up one morning after we'd blown a huge lead to the KC Royals...and the Crede homer off Riske...my g/f at the time and her brother were watching their favorite program and I kept making them flip back during the commercials and you just knew when they won that game the tide had turned. But I do remember playing some really crappy games against the Tigers early in that final week...thankfully that rocket hit off Jenks the final out in the clinching game didn't fly into the RF corner and over Konerko's head or we STILL could have ended up blowing the whole thing. And the Grady Sizemore blown catch in the sun in KC, that was the other big turning point in the final 2 weeks. Then we just steamrolled through the Indians (I think they still had wild-card aspirations at the time) at Jacobs Field and flew into the post-season.

 

I was still in college at the time, and in Massachusetts. When the Sox played their scrubs to start that final series, Red Sox fans were livid that we were "intentionally" playing our B-team in order to prevent Boston from making the playoffs. It was as thought they felt we owed it to them to play our hardest instead of setting ourselves up for the postseason, you know, like they would obviously do for us if the situation were reversed. Looks like we came out pretty well there.

[RockRaines]

I got that framed photo of the tribune for xmas and got really choked up about it.

[sunofgold]

In Cali, Colombia, in a hotel room by myself while I was chaperoning my students for a Model United Nations conference for the country's international school students.

 

Thanks to ESPN Deportes and DirectTV, I was able to watch every single game live.

 

But I still remember most vividly waking up one morning after we'd blown a huge lead to the KC Royals...and the Crede homer off Riske...my g/f at the time and her brother were watching their favorite program and I kept making them flip back during the commercials and you just knew when they won that game the tide had turned. But I do remember playing some really crappy games against the Tigers early in that final week...thankfully that rocket hit off Jenks the final out in the clinching game didn't fly into the RF corner and over Konerko's head or we STILL could have ended up blowing the whole thing. And the Grady Sizemore blown catch in the sun in KC, that was the other big turning point in the final 2 weeks. Then we just steamrolled through the Indians (I think they still had wild-card aspirations at the time) at Jacobs Field and flew into the post-season.

 

Yes, I remember beating the Indians and eliminating them from the playoffs. Even one game where I think we played a lot of bench players. That turned out to be huge b/c otherwise we might have played the Yankees in the first round..and then winners of Cle/Angels if we beat the Yankees.

 

And facing the Indians again might not have played in our favor since they were the hottest team in baseball in Aug/Sept. Look what happens sometimes when you give a team new life in the playoffs when they could have been eliminated in the regular season (Green Packers last year...St. Louis Cardinals this year)

 

[NorthSideSox72]

Same hat every day. Hat was probably 15 years old at the time, my oldest Sox hat, probably got it the year they put the new uniforms on. Have not worn that hat since.

 

Ah HA! Its YOUR FAULT they haven't gone back! You'd better put that hat on starting on opening day in 2012, mister.

 

[Rowand44]

I miss 05, badly. And it seems like a lot longer than 6 years ago at this point...