Time To Break My Silence On The White Sox
I have been silent on the Chicago White Sox playoff appearance this year on purpose. The three other playoff appearances in my lifetime (1983, 1993 and 2000), besides being too infrequent, have been total embarrassments. Those playoff years, the White Sox dominated all year and easily walk into the playoffs without any challenge, (Remember - 'Winning Ugly' in '83?) When the second season started though, the Sox always looked lost in the bright lights of post season play. No hitting, no pitching, win one game after towards the end to avoid a sweep, and then bow out with a whimper.
2005 carried the same M.O. as past playoffs. The White Sox spent the entire season in first place, had 15 game division lead at one point and despite a slow down towards the end of the season and a hard run by the Cleveland Indians, there was really no chance that they would miss the playoffs. When the playoff started, I quietly donned my Sox cap and kept my head down.
What a division series against the Red Sox it turned out to be. Starting at home, the first game blowout was the first to exorcise some playoff demons. It was the first time since 1959 (The Go-Go-White Sox era) that the White Sox had won a home playoff game. The comeback win of the second game built confidence and suddenly the five game series seemed winnable; really winnable! To be honest, at this point I started chirping to my Cub fan friends. In the third game in Boston, Orlando 'El Duque' Hernandez held off a Red Sox rally; defending a one run lead with the bases loaded and no outs, killing another playoff demon. The first playoff series victory since 1917.
No matter what happens in the next series, I am satisfied. Not embarrassing White Sox fans and winning a playoff series has gotten some very old monkeys off of all of our backs. However, there is no reason at this point that this White Sox team cannot make it to the World Series. They have the depth at pitching to win a seven game series whether they play the Yankees of the Angels. The World Series...why not. I can see it and it's not a wild fantasy anymore. We are now in a world of win-win fandom. We can be happy at what has already been achieved and savor the possibilities of what is to come.
