The World Series went quicker than Scott Podsednik stealing second base. Baseball fans were hoping for a six- or-seven game series, but we were still blessed with perhaps the most nail-biting four-game sweep in history.
Well, it was more like four-and-a-half games. That third game took long enough to aggravate East Coast newspapers with deadlines across the country.
But each game was so close (The ChiSox won by a combined six runs), many people on that winning team will tell you the 'Stros could have just as easily won each and every of those games.
The two teams were not expected to make much October noise in April. The White Sox was an OK team with good pitching and a relatively new manager, while the Astros were in the cellar as late as June 3 with a 20-34 record, a half-game worse than Cincinnati.
Cincinnati.
Cincinnati!!
But the Astros battled their way to the Wild Card, and the White Sox mounted a lead that, even with a surge from the Indians, vaulted them to the best record in the American League, and thus home field advantage throughout the playoffs.
We saw the Angels, Yankees, Red Sox, Braves, Cardinals and Padres attempt to reach the fabled land of World Series glory, but they all fell short.
We saw 22 other teams' fans chanting "Wait till next year" in early October.
And we saw an umpire explain more about his third strike arm mechanic than he ever thought he'd had to explain.
And all the while, Blogcritics found a place in their heart for the Fall Classic:Baseball comes home to ChicagoThe city of Chicago waited a long time for this - but what does this say about future championships?Posted to Culture by Mark Edward Manning on October 28, 2005 12:17 PMThe 2005 World Series RantCongrats to the White Sox. Or, how jealousy and self-loathing can be a really ugly combination.Posted to Culture by Craig Lyndall on October 27, 2005 08:55 AMBreaking News: White Sox Win! White Sox Win!For the first time in 88 years (since 1917) the White Sox has won the World Series. In dramatic fashion too.Posted to Culture by Kansasman on October 27, 2005 01:21 AMFuton Report: Mrs. O'Leary's Cow Kicks With Glee as ChiSox Win World SeriesA clean sweep of the Astros breaks an 88-year drought. Chicago has been Dye-ing to see this in their lifetime.Posted to Culture by Matthew T. Sussman on October 27, 2005 12:39 AMFuton Report: Blum's the Word as W-Sox Claim Game 3White Sox win in the longest game in World Series history, could complete Astros sweep tonightPosted to Culture by Matthew T. Sussman on October 26, 2005 12:50 PMFuton Report: A World Series Without a PowerhouseThe White Sox haven't been here since '59. The Astros have never been here. Someone's finally winning it all.Posted to Culture by Matthew T. Sussman on October 22, 2005 06:44 PMAstros Win The Pennant!The stage had been set. We could feel it in the pits of our stomachs. With one strike to go in game 5, Albert Pujols breaks our hearts and our spirits with a three run bomb to force the National...Posted to Culture by The Errant Fool on October 20, 2005 01:11 AMFuton Report: Phooey, St. Louie Steals Game 5 From AstrosPujols gives Houston a problem, one measly out from a World Series invitation. On with the NLCS!Posted to Culture by Matthew T. Sussman on October 18, 2005 12:22 AMBaseball Playoffs and the Peril of an Average CultureThe evolution of the baseball playoffs- where now even losing teams now have a shot at winning- tells us a lot of about our culture. From the upbringing of our children, through our skewed vision of success as adults, we're a culture that is increasingly permissive of "averageness." How will this fare in a world where competing cultures are forced to be much more crude in their determination of winners and losers? Posted to Culture by Christopher J Falvey on October 17, 2005 10:20 AMFuton Report: White Sox Whitewash Angels For AL PennantChicago's Ozzieball puts South Siders in World Series ... Houston edges Cards despite LaRussa's tantrumPosted to Culture by Matthew T. Sussman on October 17, 2005 12:21 AMFuton Report: White Sox 'Bullpen' Shutting Down HalosIn a 3-1 hole, the Angels must figure out Chicago's pitching tonight or else they'll view the World Series on FOX.Posted to Culture by Matthew T. Sussman on October 16, 2005 06:11 PMFuton Report: White Sox suffer from Byrd flu in Game 1Angels fly directly into 3-2 victory in ALCS opener ... Cards' Carpenter aims to sculpt win vs. AstrosPosted to Culture by Matthew T. Sussman on October 12, 2005 05:55 PMDamn Yankees Out of Post Season: Rest in PiecesDAMN YANKEES OUT OF POST SEASON: REST IN PIECES By Victor Lana Since I am a lifelong New York Mets fan, I couldn’t have been happier than when Hideki Matsui grounded out to end the miserable season of the team...Posted to Culture by Victor Lana on October 11, 2005 11:26 AMThe White Sox and the Sins of Their FathersIt is said that the sins of our fathers can be revisited upon us. The Chicago White Sox may be the proof of that adage. While much baseball lore has centered on those curses dealing with the Chicago Cubs...Posted to Culture by Tom Donelson on October 7, 2005 06:55 AMFuton Report: Div. Series Roundup, October 4Game 1: Cardinals 8, Padres 5 OK, MAYBE SAN Diego won't win it after all. The Padres' 8-5 defeat at the hands of the St. Louis Cardinals gave the Redbirds the early advantage, as Chris Carpenter (1-0) went six shutout innings, allowing...Posted to Culture by Matthew T. Sussman on October 5, 2005 04:48 AMFuton Report: Divisional Series OutlooksThe stage is set: Red Sox-White Sox. Yankees-Angels. Cardinals-Padres. Braves-Astros.Posted to Culture by Matthew T. Sussman on October 4, 2005 01:06 AMed/pub:NB
Article comments
1 - Eric Olsen
splendid Matt - thanks for all the great coverage! I really hate the Sox and that was an incredibly lame series, but what can you do? I look forward to you running the Sports section!
2 - Matthew T. Sussman
Thanks, I appreciate the help in constructing this â€" sorry I couldn't have been more helpful in getting the posts up, but I was confused on how to do it.
3 - Eric Olsen
I ended up just doing it by hand because your posts were already under the Futon Series
4 - Matthew T. Sussman
So it was Futon heavy ... I expected that, but I knew it would bring out the closet Sox fans in BC.
The sports section is gonna be fun. I know a few Cleveland-native sports writer and bloggers that I went to college with, perhaps I will recruit them for additional sports content.
5 - MCH
Good on the Chisox. I thought it was a good series and even though the Astros were swept, it was nice to see some new faces (not the Yankees and Braves), neither club having been there for over 40 years.
All four games were close, I enjoyed all the stellar defense and outstanding pitching, and that third game was great. Although I realize a lot of folks view good pitching and defense as boring.
I feel the White Sox and manager Ozzie Guillen are a class act. They proved their resiliency against the Angels and the Astros, showing a never-say-die attitude and always fighting back whenever they got behind.
I'm happy for the Chisox, even though I'm a diehard Bosox fan (since The Impossible Dream of '67). It's good for their fans to triumph after 88 years, and perhaps, just perhaps, this will help heal some of the wounds of that 1919 scandal.
P.S. How can someone "hate" a whole team and not personally know someone there?