No 'White' Flag Here

Not four weeks ago many people were saying that Chicago White Sox manager Ozzie Guillen should be fired for letting a 15 game lead in the American League Central division dwindle to the point where each game happened to matter again. Other analysts and over-zealous fans had already predicted that Chicago would not only choke the division away, but that they wouldn’t even make the playoffs. Even many of the voices that gave the White Sox enough credit to dismiss the two aforementioned predictions felt that they wouldn’t get by the defending champion Boston Red Sox in the first round of the American League Division Series.

Now, the Chicago White Sox front office can revel in the fact that they held onto their manager, held onto the division, and basically swept through the post-season (losing just 1 game at the start of the second round) to become the 2005 World Champions. Although 88 years is way too long for any team to wait between championships, this one had to be sweet for everyone involved. They had a likeable bunch of guys who knew how to win in every which way and all year they were considered by many to be the most over-rated team in baseball. Yet, here they are standing at the top of the heap.

Not only is it exciting that they did it, but it is exciting how they did it. Behind Guillen’s unorthodox style of managing (especially the lack of filter between what he thinks and what he says), the White Sox played baseball the way it was designed to be played. Whether it was the unbelievable starting pitching, the clutch and situational hitting, the bunting, the stealing, the hit and runs, or the defense, Chicago found ways to win baseball games. From Guillen’s willingness to make anyone wearing a White Sox jersey lay down a bunt to perfectly executed hit and runs to the way he was able to get innings out of the forgotten players collecting dust in the corner of the bullpen. They knew how to manufacture runs and how to protect a lead. And like any team that has an amazing, unexpected run, the team had a little destiny on their side as well.

One might sight the controversial play in Game 2 of the American League Championship Series with the Los Angeles Angels as a sign that it was just meant to be. But then you throw in the “hit-batsman” in Game 3 on the World Series that allowed Paul Konerko to not only come to the plate, but to hit a monumental, lead-changing Grand Slam. Oh yeah, then there’s the fact that role players like Scott Podsednik are hitting game-winning homeruns when they hadn’t hit a single one during the regular, 162-game season. So what if his team had just blown a two-run ninth inning lead? He had the heart. And when you combine that with a little destiny, you get a team which is hard not to root for.

They deserved it all the way. There’s no doubt about that. They were in first place from the 1^st day of the regular season through the last day. They swept the defending World Champions in the first round of the playoffs. They dropped Game 1 of the American League Championship Series, then swept the next four. Then facing a team that had 3 legitimate aces on their starting staff, Chicago swept them anyway. Sure it was close – each game was decided by 2 runs or less. But this is this was the post-season and this was a team that had every weapon they needed to win, including a manager who knows how to win big games using every corner of his 25-man roster.