Chicago ends 86-year drought

White Sox Sweep Astros

by Dustin Looney
Courier Staff

At 1:04 a.m. on Wed. Oct. 26, 2005, the Chicago White Sox utility infielder, Geoff Blum, hit a go-ahead homerun in the 14th inning of an epic baseball game.  Before the homerun, Blum’s last at bat was three weeks ago when the Sox played Boston in the ALDS.  

Many people were surprised by Blum’s heroics, but I was more surprised that my dorm room was not the only one that exploded with cheers after the walk off homerun. 

It’s no surprise that Monmouth College is full of Cubs and Cardinals fans, but I don’t understand why.        I can feel the tension among the true Sox fans at the school.

Many people are supporting their team by wearing Sox clothes and putting up posters in their room.

So wear your Sox gear with pride – “Sox Pride” – because this team deserves all the support they get, as they have played extremely exciting baseball throughout the playoffs. 

After Paul Konerko and Scot Podsednik were the heroes of Game two of the World Series, many people did not think a game could get any more exciting. Game three proved that anything is possible.

The starting pitcher for the Sox was 18 game winner Jon Garland. Houston sent their ace, Roy Oswalt, to the mound.

After Houston jumped out to a 4-0 lead on Garland, the Sox bats came alive in the top of the 5th inning. Joe Crede led the inning off with a home run. After that Chicago’s bats really got hot as they finished with six hits and five runs in the inning.

The Sox held on to a 5-4 lead until the bottom of the eighth, when Jason Lane hit a RBI double to tie the game at 5-5. Both teams held each other down for the next five innings, highlighted by Orlando “ElDouque” Hernandez pitching out of a ninth inning jam and the solid innings from Bobby Jenks, Luis Vizcaino, and Damaso Marte.    

When the 14th inning rolled around, both teams were out of relief pitchers.  Pitching for Houston was Ezequiel Astacio.  Jermaine Dye started the Sox off with a lead off base hit single, but Paul Konerko followed with a hard hit ball to the third baseman who turned a double play.

Geoff Blum was the next scheduled hitter and he sent a 2-0 pitch out of the stadium down the right field line.

"As soon as I hit it, I knew it was high enough to get out. I don't think I blinked or looked at anybody until I made it to home plate and knew it was for real." Blum said. 

After Damaso Marte allowed two base runners in the bottom half of the 14th, the Sox put in their ace , Mark Buehrle to close out the game. 

Adam Everett then popped out to Juan Uribe, the game finally ended at 1:20 am on Wed. morning. The game lasted 5 hours and 41 minutes, the longest game in World Series history

“All three of these games -- up and down," Chicago catcher A.J. Pierzynski said. "You think you're going to lose, you think you're going to win. It's been incredible. It's been a crazy Series."

The Series got crazier for the White Sox the next night, when they defeated the Astros 1-0 to become World Champions.

The game was tied until the 8th inning, when Willie Harris led off with a single to left field.  Jermaine Dye, who was later named Series MVP, singled him home and the Chicago White Sox made history.

It is likely that by the time this article gets published in The Courier, many people will have already bought themselves a Sox hat and claim they are fans. 

Just remember, though, when many people were sleeping at 1:04 am on Wednesday, October 26, 2005, the die hard Sox fans were cheering.