The White Sox Greatness

Ozzie Guillen and his Chicago White Sox have finished off the Astros and completed a virtual sweep through the month of October. They were division leaders on April 5th when they won their first 2 games of the season and they never looked back. Well that isn’t entirely true, they did look back in September when the Cleveland Indians were steamrolling toward them, but like and older brother putting his hand on his young brothers head while the younger swings wildly trying to punch his big brother, they held them off. And now they are without a doubt the best team in baseball and the World Series Champions.

But where does this White Sox team fit in the pantheon of great teams in baseball? Now obviously it would be hard to compare them to teams who have formed dynasties, like: New York of the late 90’s, Cincinnati & New York 70’s, or even as far back as the great St. Louis and LA Dodger teams of the 50’s and 60’s. But there have been teams who have had a singular year of greatness and can be considered and all time great team. The first one that comes to mind is the 86 Mets. They were great; they could pitch from the top of their rotation through the end of their pen with anyone, they had All-Stars and future hall of famers in the field and they performed in the clutch. Another team is the 1970 Baltimore Orioles, they may have had the best rotation in the history of baseball and again could field and hit with a bunch of All-Star caliber players. Could the White Sox be one of these teams?

Most people will think of them more along the lines of a team that got hot at the right time. Much like the 88 Dodgers who beat the Mets and A’s to win the title, even though they did not have half the talent of either one of those teams. Maybe it was a magical ride like “Pops” Stargell took the 79 Pirates on. These aforementioned teams before the season were not predicted to win, but through strange circumstances they bound together as a team and did what nobody thought was possible.

I think the White Sox can be put up against any team that had a single great season and won the title. Just look what they did throughout the year. They had the best record in the American League. They were dominant on the road all season long. In the face of adversity late in the season they answered in resounding fashion. Nobody gave them a chance when he playoffs began, not only were the playing the Red Sox in round one, but round two had the Yankees or everyone’s American League darling the Angels in waiting. Then if they were to luck out and get to the Series they would face those vaunted Tony LaRussa lead St. Louis Cardinals or the pitching dominant Houston Astros. Remember just before the end of the regular season when Ozzie Guillen said he would retire if the Sox win the series? He was laughed at publicly, because people said his team had little to no chance of winning the thing. Those who thought Ozzie was totally crazy or totally stupid. But to quote Dann Price quoting Homer Simpson, “Stupider like a fox.”

I believe they pounding the Red Sox into submission, so fast that most people didn’t even realize the Red Sox made it back to the playoffs. Then in round two they simply out-pitched and manufactured the crafty and well managed Angels. Then the World Series (like the month of March) came in like a lion, and the Astros went out like a lamb. They dominated the season from start till the very finis. But again, they have no fancy players on their team and nobody (including yours truly) thought they would do a damned thing this year, so they are thought of as a “surprise team” or “lucky” or they “got hot at the right time.” Nah, fuck that bullshit, this team can flat out play, and play with anyone.

I hope Ozzie does retire like he said, and live of this championship for the rest of his life in Chicago just like Mike Ditka. Ozzie deserves it; he has taken a lot of crap from people throughout the year because of the way he manages. Also, a great deal of credit should be given to GM Kenny Williams, who was on the hot seat because he did not make any moves at the trading deadline. Hey, he traded an All-Star outfielder (Carlos Lee) for a guy whose name nobody can pronounce (Scott Podsednik), then he signed a position player from Japan who nobody thought we be this good, and overhauled a pitching staff into the most dominant in baseball.

I am happy for the city of Chicago, mostly because it wasn’t the annoying fucking Cubs who won. There are some real baseball fans in the city of Chicago and most of them are on the south side, or at least grew up there. They grew up wanting to be Nellie Fox or Luis Aparicio and watching the old Go-Go Sox of the late 50’s, and they deserve a championship team led by one of their own former players, a guy who even though he is from another country epitomizes the tough hard nose style of things Chicago is known for.

To give you guys some more musical parody; here is “Bad Bad Chi Town Sox,” by Jim Croce:

Well the South side of Chicago
Is the baddest part of town
And if you go down there
You better just beware
Of a team named the Ole White Sox

Now the Chi Sox more than trouble
You see they stand on top of the world
All the downtown ladies call them 'big time hunks'
All the men just call them 'CHAMPS'


And there bad, bad Chi Town Sox
The baddest team in the whole damned land
Badder than those Beantown Sox
And meaner than New York Yanks

Now Ozzie he a gambler
And he like his stolen bases
And he like to wave his series ring
In front of everybody's nose
He got a Konerko
He got a Podesednik too
He got a Big Ole Guy in his bullpen for fun
He got a Jermaine Dye too

And there bad, bad Chi Town Sox
The baddest team in the whole damned land
Badder than those Cali Angels
And meaner than the Astros too