The most beautiful words I have heard in all my years of being a sports fan finally became a reality last night. As I'm writing this right now, less than 24 hours after the fact, I can still barely believe that my team has actually done it. It's too good to be true, it must be a dream. But it's not a dream, and it is true - the White Sox have won the World Series!
What a game, and what a season. I don't know what to write right now. Sox fans probably know exactly what I'm feeling without me having to say a single word. Others probably don't care one way or another. But for something as great as this, I have to write something down, for myself if nobody else.
Friends and family have asked me throughout the years, why do I care so much about sports? Why do I waste so much time, money, energy, and emotion on a bunch of people hitting a ball with a stick and running around the field?
It's because of moments like what I experienced last night. For all the trying times that can come with being a fan, it all becomes more than worthwhile when the team you love rewards you with the joys of becoming champions.
I'll never forget the moment. After the 14 innings of Game 3, I was too tired to go out to watch Game 4. It might have been nice to celebrate with fellow Sox fans last night, but I'm also kind of glad that I got to experience the moment in the peace and quiet of my own bedroom.
Because as I watched Juan Uribe fire yet another perfect throw to Paul Konerko to seal the championship, followed by the mob of teammates on the field, a million thoughts ran through my head. All the memories and emotions I had ever associated with the Sox filled my mind as they were topped off by this wonderful rush of celebration and joy:
I thought of all the times my Dad, someone who never liked to let me watch sports, brought me to Comiskey Park when I was a kid.
I thought about chanting with the crowd when Bobby Thigpen came in to save the game.
I thought of all the nights when I was supposed to be sleeping, but stayed up and secretly listened to the Sox radio broadcasts under the covers.
I thought of how much I idolized players like Frank Thomas, Lance Johnson, Bo Jackson, and Robin Ventura while growing up.
I thought about my old plastic SOX helmet, which I tried so hard to polish so it would look like those players' shiny helmets on TV (I thought Vaseline would work - it didn't)
I thought about 1993, how excited I was when Bo clinched the AL West for us, but how disappointing it was to run into a hotter Blue Jays team. Or 2000, when we again made it to the playoffs but got immediately rolled by Seattle.
I thought about when I moved to Taiwan, and I would still check the newspapers every day to see where the Sox were in the standings, and if Frank Thomas was leading the Triple Crown categories
I thought about how shattering it was when the players went on strike, how terrible it was in the years that followed as we never fully recovered from the damage.
I thought about all the free agent signings I have been excited about, from Albert Belle to David Wells, that never panned out like I hoped.
I thought about the years I kept drafting Joe Crede and Jon Garland on my fantasy team, hoping they would break out, and they kept disappointing.
I thought about all the stuff I wrote in my blog only 4 months ago about the difficult times of being a lifelong Sox fan.
And then I thought about this amazing season and the whirlwind that has been the 2005 White Sox.
I thought about how we came into spring training with such low expectations.
I thought about how we lost two huge hitters in Carlos Lee and Magglio.
I thought about the unknown that was Tadahito Iguchi, the supposed one-trick pony that was Scott Podsednik, and the injury-prone Jermaine Dye.
I thought about how we jumped out to a huge lead in April and May, and kept on winning when everyone insisted we were a fluke.
I thought about A.J. Pierzynski's walkoff home run one game and how it made me spontaneously jump up and pump my fist for a White Sox Winner for the first time in years, even though I was home alone.
I thought about how the local Sox fans mobilized to vote Scotty Pods into the All-Star game over Derek Jeter for the final spot on the AL team.
I thought about how we continued to build our lead to 15 games, making the playoffs all but inevitable, but critics continued to shoot us down and compare us to the Seattle team we lost to in 2000.
I thought about when Cleveland got hot and cut our lead down to 1 1/2 games in September. I thought about how everyone called us chokers when that happened, including fellow Sox fans, but I still told everyone not to worry, that we would definitely make the playoffs, and that from there we still had as good a chance as any to win.
I thought about jamming the "Refresh" button on my browser to buy ALDS tickets on Ticketmaster.com and being absolutely thrilled when I got 4 for Game 2.
I thought about the sweep of Cleveland on the last 3 days of the regular season to lock up the division and home field for the playoffs.
I thought about how pumped up I was to face the defending champion Red Sox, the same team and fan base that I trashed last year, the team that so many "experts" in the media were picking to win instead of us.
I thought about following the first few innings of Game 1 on CBS.Sportsline.com at work, trying to contain my shouts of excitement when we jumped ahead on Pierzynski's 3-run jack, then going home to watch us continue the rout.
I thought about tailgating in the parking lot and being at Game 2 with Olivia and the boys. How annoying the fans sitting behind us were when we fell behind 4-0, saying we should trade Buerhle. But how sweet it was when Iguchi put us ahead with that home run, and the excitement in the air as we walked down the runways of Comiskey and out to the parking lot.
I thought about how I left work early to catch Game 3 at home, the sinking feeling I had every time Ortiz and Manny came up to bat, but El Duque of all people coming in to save the day and eventually sweep the series.
I thought about how I went to go work out right after that win, and the adrenaline from the game made it the best workout I have ever had.
I thought about watching game 1 of the ALCS with Chras, and seeing us get completely outplayed and outmanaged by the Angels, in what would turn out to be our only loss of the playoffs (!)
I thought about the frustration of that game continuing through all of Game 2, up until the now-infamous "Strike 3" play with AJ running to first, followed up by Joe Crede ripping the double to win the game and tie the series.
I thought about how smoothly Jon Garland won us Game 3.
I thought about the festive times at my place for Game 4 as we grilled some food, drank lots of beer, and watched the only other blowout win of the playoffs (other than Game 1 against Boston).
I thought about Jose Contreras finishing off the Angels in Game 5 with our fourth consecutive complete game (!)
I thought about how happy I was that we were going to the World Series, watching the players celebrating after the game and imagining how much greater it would be if we actually won the whole thing.
I thought about the cheesy songs that had come to be associated with the team - "Let's Go Go-Go White Sox", "Livin on a Prayer", "Nananana Hey Hey Goodbye", "Don't Stop Believin"
I thought about how we watched Games 1 and 2 of the World Series at the Mirage sportsbook, high-fiving random people after the super clutch Cotts/Jenks strikeouts, the Konerko grand slam, and of course Scotty 2 Hotty's walkoff shot to put us up 2-0 over Houston.
I thought about Game 3, how mad I was when our relievers kept walking the Astros' scrubby hitters, how tired I was as the clock ticked past 1am but how determined I was to finish the game, and the most pleasant surprise of all pleasant surprises, Geoff Blum's go ahead home run in the top of the 14th with 2 outs and nobody on base.
I thought about the morning after the game and barely being able to wake up for work, struggling to make it through the day, and then 8+ innings of scoreless baseball.
I thought about the Sox scraping out yet another run and Bobby Jenks coming in for the biggest save of his career.
And finally....
Like every sports fan in the world, my #1 wish every year was to see my team win a championship. I can't describe how lucky and happy I feel that this year was my team's year. It's like going to a Roulette table, putting all your chips on one number, and then that number actually hits, except better.
Not only did we win, but this team was honestly the most fun to watch of any baseball team I have ever seen. We might not have had a single legitimate "superstar" in the lineup or pitching staff, and I wouldn't be surprised if we didn't have any player on the roster who will make the Hall of Fame (except Frank who only played a few weeks), yet as a team they just found a way to win throughout the whole season. I'm still trying to figure out how.
Watching this team, I never felt like we were out of any game. Unlike in previous years, we didn't depend on 1 or 2 big bats to hit home runs. Everyone in the lineup was capable of getting a big hit, which we saw so many examples of in these playoffs. Iguchi, Pierzynski, Crede, Konerko, Podsednik, even Geoff Blum all had their big moments.
I gotta say the turnaround this team made on defense was awesome too. For the first time in years, I would see us get a ground ball and feel 100% confident that the play would be made. The speed in the outfield turned so many singles or doubles into spectacular running and diving catches. It really was so much fun to watch as a fan, and made me feel like I was rooting for a true, pure baseball team.
But my favorite thing about this team was to watch all the characters involved, the unique personalities that combined to make this magical season happen. Admittedly, it's easy to love everyone when they're winning, but still I think I geniunely liked and appreciated everyone.
Starting with the guys who I watched develop into solid players over the years like Paul Konerko, Joe Crede, Mark Buerhle, Jon Garland, and Aaron Rowand. Josie Contreras unexpectedly becoming a shutdown pitcher in the final weeks, and the return of El Duque the clutch playoff performer. The consistent defense and fundamentals of Iguchi, not to mention the occasional knack for putting the big "hit" in Tada-"hit"-o. Not my-ribe but Uribe's cannon for an arm, Scotty's ability to work the counts and obviously his electrifying speed (gotta love his girl Lisa Dergan too). "Fun Bobby" Jenks and his big belly and dirty hat, World Series MVP Jermaine Win-or-"Dye"-trying, the great closer in the first half that was Dustin Spermanson, even the jerk that everybody who's not a Sox fan hates, Gay-J Pierzynski. Freddy Garcia and Geoff Blum are great not only because of their contributions on the field, but because they look like The Rock and the white guy in the Mad Real World on Chappelle Show respectively. And I think my favorite of them all is "Jurassic" Carl Everett.
And how awesome is it to see all the old Sox players back as part of this thing? Obviously Ozzie gets a lot of attention, but Harold Baines, Joey Cora, and Tim Raines as coaches were also all Sox players I grew up watching and rooting for. Kenny Williams (who looks like Phil Ivey by the way), for all his rocky years in the beginning, deserves GM of the year in my opinion. Jack McDowell on the Fox coverage is definitely nice to see too. All we're missing is Dan Pasqua and Ron Karkovice and it would be perfect!
So anyways, now that we've won it all, what next? I guess we'll have to see. The Sports Guy on ESPN Page 2 says there's a "5-year grace period" after your team wins, where you don't complain about your team no matter how bad things get. I think I agree with him, except maybe for me it will be a much longer period than that. I mean it's definitely been more than 5 years since the Bulls won their last championship, and I still don't get angry if the team loses.
Of course I'll hope they keep winning, that they re-sign everyone and maybe even start a dynasty. But honestly, I feel like I'm playing with house money from here on out. No matter what happens I'll always have 2005, right?
You know what's the weirdest thing, is that I almost think I'm going to root for the Cubs to win one too. Fellow Sox fans might think I'm crazy but the thought really has crossed my mind. I think maybe since most of my friends who are Cubs fans haven't been jackasses, I don't hate them like other Sox fans who have had bad experiences with Cubs fans.
I guess I just feel like this experience of winning the World Series was so great, that I would probably be happy for them if the Cubs fans got to experience it too. I mean I still won't root for the Cubs more the Sox, but after all, they are both Chicago teams, so if the Sox don't make it, it'd be cool to see the Cubs win so our city can dominate the championships in the coming years. Like Ozzie said, it doesn't say "south side" or "north side" on the jerseys, just "Chicago". Maybe it would even shut up all the incessant talk about the Yankees and Red Sox every year, but I won't hold my breath.
For now, I'll have to let this all sink in and continue enjoy the moment. I think it's gonna take a while... the longer the better!
