Between the way the White Sox dispatched of the Red Sox and last night's gift of a win I'm wondering if I've been backing the wrong horse for thirty-six years.
First, let me qualify this by saying that since October baseball games in Chicago happen so rarely you should be enjoying this, regardless of what team you pledged your allegiance toward.
Fact is, this White Sox team plays baseball the way we were taught from t-ball all the way to American Legion leagues: sound fundamentals, never giving up until the final out has been tallied, and hustle. They're also fun to watch. Mark Buerhle threw a 99 pitch gem of a game last night and regardless of the umpire's call deserved to win that game. Couple that with the effort Jose Contreras had Tuesday night and the White Sox are as good as advertised. Now if they can just dial down the nervous baserunning and pick up the situational hitting things'll be alright.
Bottom line is that this team has a legitimate shot at not only making the World Series, but winning it. They won't choke like so many Cubs teams I've poured my heart into ('84, '89, '03) and have that great rotation, solid middle relief, and a loose clubhouse atmosphere. Offensively they aren't the "smallball" that's been bandied about, but they do adapt to their opponent. They can run with the Angels, throttle the Indians with timely hits, and outslug the Red Sox (an aside: Red Sox fans are the only ones more obnoxious than my fellow Cubs fans. They also have in common with White Sox fans the inferiority complex of feeling like the secondary team in a major market).
And that's why I'm enjoying going to game ones at Puffer's, the feeling there is electric, like the Sox are moving with a sense of purpose. It's great to see. And if you're a fan of baseball, you should be supporting it.
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