I began to write this article prior to the start of game one of the World Series. I knew the actual article wouldn’t be published until after game two, but wanted to get it done and written before the series started so I could completely enjoy it as a fan, not thinking of how to stack up the two pitching staffs against one another, how to explain Ozzie Guillen’s “smart ball” philosophy or how to write an article analyzing a World Series I didn’t see coming. That article was going to match up the two teams, draw it out and conclude that this series could go either way.
I deleted that article. I deleted it because it was full of indecisiveness, contradictions and numerous allusions to “Spinal Tap.” I knew the article I had to write, the story that would encompass this entire World Series. This is a series of drought. The Houston Astros had never reached a World Series before. The White Sox haven’t been there since 1959. No matter how the games are played, how many times Guillen is called a managerial genius, or how many times we have to hear Elton John’s “Rocket Man” every game Roger Clemens pitches, the story of the series will be one team following the Boston Red Sox and “ending the curse.”
The White Sox have suffered from the curse of the Black Sox, which actually wasn’t the Sox’s old name, but instead the name given to the 1919 White Sox team that was accused of, cleared of and banned for throwing the 1919 World Series. I’m not really sure what has cursed the Astros, so I’ll make the assumption that they suffer from the curse of terrible humidity. This whole series could be viewed as a curse-cleansing for both teams, but in my eyes, the curse has most definitely ended for one of these teams.
The idea of the Astros winning the World Series, giving Clemens a chance to go out on top, sounds epic. This team was supposed to be stunned and defeated by a two-out, ninth-inning home run by Albert Pujols in game 5 of the National League Championship Series. Instead, the Astros persevered and won the next game, ending all the perceived drama. Their pitching staff is stellar, and their home-field record is indicative of the advantage that the unique dome provides. In Clemens and Andy Pettite, the team has legitimate World Series experience, and in “The Killer B’s” — Lance Berkman, Craig Biggio and Jeff Bagwell — the team has calming veteran leadership. The offense struggles mightily, but it proved enough to get past the pitching presence of John Smoltz and Tim Hudson in the Division Series and to beat the best offensive team in the league during the Championship Series. The Astros came from 15 games under .500 during the regular season and made it all the way to baseball’s greatest stage. This team was supposed to be dead more times than Jason, but is still fighting. And yet … it won’t beat the White Sox.
The White Sox have already conquered their curse. The team has faced pressure, expectations and lack of respect and has triumphed over them all. Playing in a division where the Minnesota Twins were again expected to win and the young Cleveland Indians were looking to improve on their run late last season, it was the Chicago White Sox that sprinted out of the gates to a huge divisional advantage. Then, as the season neared the end, the Indians again made a charge, pressuring the White Sox, which, contrary to popular belief, didn’t play horribly in the second half, but were victims of the Indians’ stretch run. Unfortunately for Cleveland, the stretch run didn’t exactly last. Instead, a routine fly ball into center that was dropped by Grady Sizemore was actually the tip of the crushing iceberg that would eliminate the Indians and allow the White Sox to move on.
I’m not going to rely simply on destiny in making this prediction. The makeup of the two teams themselves helps to reinforce a White Sox win. While the Astros have great pitching, the White Sox are deeper, both with starters and in the bullpen. Though the White Sox aren’t the best hitting team in the league, with their mix of power (Paul Konerko) and speed (Scott Podsednik), they hold an advantage against the largely powerless Astros. While Lance Berkman can hit a dinger here or there, if nobody else is getting on base or making anything happen, the Sox can simply give him the Bonds treatment and walk him every time he’s up.
In the end, destiny won’t make Houston a pushover. Both teams have never-say-die attitudes, and each game will be close and contested. The problem is that in the World Series, even if neither team says die, one ultimately will. Houston, you have a problem: the Chicago White Sox.
Joe goes with: White Sox in 6.
