Freedom's Fidelity

Thursday, October 27, 2005

88 Years Later

I truly never thought I would live to see a World Series Championship in Chicago and I'm not yet 30. 97 (Cubs) and 88 years (White Sox) of history are difficult things to reason with. At least they used to be.





John Kass captures the mood nicely:

HOUSTON -- Now that it's over, after the celebration scene on the grass and the champagne scene in the clubhouse, I can't stop thinking about home.

About that chip that was on our shoulders for so long, and about the camaraderie of strangers greeting each other on the streets of Chicago and in the suburbs, in elevators, at stores, waiting for the train, passing each other at a coffee shop.

Today, we know other's hearts by the color we wear. Today we wear black, for joy.
....
"It's already started, this cultural thing happening, strangers talking about it, sharing it," said a friend back in Chicago even before Wednesday night's game, the game that completed the Series sweep of the Houston Astros.

"People were so exhausted, waiting up for the end of Tuesday's game, and today everybody is looking at each other, nodding, not even having to say a word," she said.

It was 1917 when the Sox won their last Series. Perhaps the chip on our South Side shoulders has finally been knocked off after 88 years.

The arithmetic is easy to figure. But you can't be a fan by weighing and measuring your heart. You couldn't fully enjoy what happened if you did.

So when did Sox fans finally expose their baseball hearts without reservation to this ballclub? Was it when Sox Chairman Jerry Reinsdorf and general manager Kenny Williams decided to take a risk and hire former Sox shortstop Ozzie Guillen as manager? When the three of them dumped the big sticks for pitching and speed and defense?

When Joe Crede hit that home run against Cleveland in September, and broke the pressure, putting a cork in the critics who were so sure this Sox team would choke and had no chance of getting to the World Series? When Orlando "El Duque" Hernandez shut down Boston in the playoffs? When Paul Konerko pulled that grand slam in Chicago, and spread his arms, airplaning around first?

I don't know, but it was damn sure a fun season.

posted by Paul  permalink | |