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Congratulations to the 2005 American League Champion Chicago White Sox. It was a great series if you like low-score pitching battles. That’s great baseball!
But ya know, as I was watching Contreras pitch the fouth straight complete game by the Sox, I couldn’t help but wonder if their 46 year absence from the World Series (and 88 year drought without a title) was a little bit of karma. I’m not one to believe in such things as karma, though.
Anyone who knows a little about baseball (or likes baseball movies), should remember the betting conspiracy between a group of players and gamblers which led to the banning of eight players from the 1919 Chicago White Sox team. The conspiracy became known as the "Black Sox scandal."
And even if you can forgive the 1919 Sox for such a thing (just as many have forgiven Pete Rose for his baseball sins), there are other examples of "cheating" exhibited by the White Sox of past.
How about the Bossard Family? The Bossards have been groundskeepers for the White Sox’ stadiums since the 1920s. They’ve done all kinds of fun things to give the Sox an edge over competitors, such as: keeping the base lines really damp to keep traction down and base runners from stealing bases; keeping the grass longer and thicker in front of home plate to keep bunts from going too far from the catcher; leaving baseballs in a cool yet humid room for 10 to 14 days to make them a quarter to a half ounce heavier; move portable fence lines back 12 to 15 feet to make it harder for home run hitters to hit the ball out of the field.
I wish the Sox luck. Just like the Boston Red Sox broke the 1918 Curse of the Bambino, I hope the White Sox win this year’s World Series and end their long winless streak. On the other hand, if the Astros make it past the Cardinals, they’ve never won a World Series. Should be a good one…
