White Sox Versus Astros -WS 2005

You've captured it, exactly. In every World Series, I root for the National League team. Period. And for the reason you cite... among many others.

Though I was born and raised in Northwest Indiana, it was but 40 minutes from the Loop; I spent most of my working life in Chicago; I actually lived in the city for a while; and I consider myself a Chicago boy, in pretty much all ways and things.

And I am a Cub -- and not a White Sox -- fan. Through and through.

So, then, along comes the Chicago White Sox this year, smack dab in the middle of the World Series (which I'm watching... er... really, more accurately, listening to on the nearby TV as I type this... waiting for something interesting to happen so I can finally get up from this infernal computer and go give it my full attention for the rest of the evening).

I am forced, therefore, to root for the White Sox -- an American League team (ooh... coodies) -- all the while wishing it was the Cubs.

There's a weirdness to it that I can't articulate, but which is palpable.

Good thing there's chili.


AFTERTHOUGHT/ADDENDUM: The above having been said, I cried -- literally -- when they bulldozed Comisky. I can't even begin to know what I'd do if they tore down Wrigley. I still haven't agreed to the lights!

 

I'm sure you saw what happened in Boston after Game 4 of the 2004 World Series. Well, Chicago has gone longer without a title, and is about 8X the size of Beantown.

 

The Curse of the Black Sox has been broken. Chicago White Sox World Series Champions 2005.

 

Yeah White Soxs! Put those Texan losers in their place!

 

Un. Freakin'. Believable.

Sox in four. My prediction wasn't even close! I said, however, that I wanted to be wrong... so at least that came true.

Un. Freakin'. Believable.

 

The Sox were 11-1 in the post season. You really can't argue with that.

 

Congratulations to the Chicago White Sox. You beat us fair and square. Brandon Backe pitched a whale of a game. There are no LOSERS in this series. I am sorry you feel that TEXANS are losers, Mr Engineer. I don't think of myself as one. If you would like to come down to UH and help this LOSER with his dissertation, you would be more than welcome. I am sorry that you have to resort to name calling. I will not. I don't think that it is proper nor respectful. My opinion. Thank you Houston Astros-2005 National League Champions, for a great year.

 

I agree. The Astros played an extraordinary series. Most games were nerve breaking to the very end. But someone had to win and since the Reds were not even in the playoffs (Imagine how I should feel as a Cincinatti fan) I am glad the White Sox broke the curse.

Only one Texan is a loser in my book and he lives in DC.

 

Hitting

An Astro said of the Astro-Cardinal matchup that the winner would be the team that made the hits down the stretch of each game. That was true for both the NLCS and the WS.....

 

Aww - but everyone really knows he is merely a Yankee in Texan clothing...



The Giants will win the series next year. It will be Bond's final year and he will finally earn his World Series ring. He will hit 50 HR's and top Hank Aaron's record by a single homerun before retirement.

Folks: You heard it here first!

 

Gallant losers!

Well played, Astros! I would never kick a team when it is down (except, of course, the Yankees).

Well! Red Sox then White Sox...can the Cubbies be far behind?

 

I'm disappointed, but the Astros are tied to some of my really good childhood memories. *sigh*

This is a great place to end the season though

 

Re: Gallant losers!

Yes, VERY far behind.

 

It's a question that should have an easy answer, even if it might take be a little difficult right now for some Astros and some of their fans to comprehend.
Question: How do you look back on a season as the best in franchise history when you finish on a four-game losing streak?

The easy answer: Fondly.

When you're one of two teams left in all of baseball, playing on the game's grandest stage in the World Series, that's the only way to look back on a season, even if it ended with four losses in the final week of October.

And, despite the sweep at the hands of the White Sox, there's no question this will go down as the finest season in the 44-year history of the Astros organization. Sure, they have won more games in the regular season than the 89 they won this year, topping out at 102 in 1998, but this is a season without peer.

This team was the first in the franchise's history to make it this far. These players were the first in the franchise's history to make it this far.

Jimmy Wynn didn't do it. Nolan Ryan didn't do it. Mike Scott didn't do it.

But Craig Biggio and Jeff Bagwell did. Roger Clemens and Andy Pettitte did. So did Chris Burke and Wandy Rodriguez.

All these guys did, and they'll always be the first Astros team to have made it to the World Series.

"A lot of good times, a lot of good memories," Biggio said. "It'll probably take a while to put it in perspective."

Some in the Astros' clubhouse already had, however.

"Certainly nobody in this clubhouse or in the organization has any reason to hang their head," catcher Brad Ausmus said. "Yeah, we didn't win the World Series, but we were a team 15 games under .500 in May, and we brought to the city of Houston not only the World Series but an electricity here that I have never seen in all the playoff teams I've been on in this city."

The deafening buzz surrounding the Killer B's might have subsided a bit as the White Sox danced on the infield at Minute Maid Park, but as time goes on and perspective deepens, it will return.

The night before, manager Phil Garner couldn't possibly take on that perspective. He was "ticked off" about the Astros' inability to cash in on scoring opportunities -- their downfall in this series, more than anything else -- and he went to far as to say it was embarrassing.

Embarrassing? Clearly, Garner was speaking out of frustration, for that's really much more the emotion that should be felt.

Embarrassing is losing 100 games. Embarrassing is making your city look bad. Embarrassing is making baseball look bad.

The Astros did none of the above.

Granted, this wasn't a pretty performance, and you'd like to think they're capable of a lot more. They weren't nearly as sharp against the White Sox as they were against the Cardinals in the NLCS, and as much as you have to give credit to Chicago for its part in that, the Astros certainly have to absorb plenty of the responsibility for their fate of being swept.

And, after Game 4, Garner made it clear that he meant just that by his comments the night before -- make that the morning before.



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"Embarrassing, meaning I don't like losing," Garner said. "Let's go back and clarify me being ticked off. I don't like to lose. I thought I made it clear today that I wasn't pointing fingers at anybody. I don't like to lose. "

Nobody in the Astros' clubhouse liked losing this one, or in this way. Who would?

But with so many moments to savor in 2005, dwelling on the last four games' worth of losses just isn't worth it.

Closer Brad Lidge, who had as many rough moments to brush aside as anyone in the clubhouse this postseason, was doing his best Wednesday night to step back from it all and appreciate 2005 for what it was.

"This is an amazing experience, and there's definitely a lot to learn a lot from it," the 28-year-old closer said. "For this organization, we take a step further with each year. Obviously, the only thing left for us to do now is work hard this offseason and think about taking the next step when we get to Spring Training next year."

When they do get to Spring Training, they'll be doing it as the defending National League champions. That's something no Astros team has done before.

Surely by then the pain of losing four straight will have subsided for everyone, and everyone will remember this season the way it should be remembered.

Fondly.