White Sox sweep the Astros

[crash46]

(Have to give my World Series analysis somewhere before it gets to be too late...)

Yep, 4 wins for the Sox, by a total of 6 runs. Just the way it's been for them all year. They finish with an 11-1 record in the postseason.

Most people weren't giving the Sox much of a chance in the playoffs, especially near the end of the regular season when they were on the verge of falling out of the playoff race entirely. They had lost the first 2 games of a 4-game series with the Tigers, a team that won all of 8 games in September and October. But then in game 3, it was just a different White Sox team...they just snapped right out of their hitting slump, and it seemed like they knew they knew they were the team with the best record in the AL. They went on to sweep Cleveland (who had everything to play for at the time), and I just knew this had to be the team to beat in the AL, despite what everyone else seemed to be saying. I think everyone just got caught up in watching the Red Sox/Yankees series that Chicago's renewal was just totally under the radar. And they ended up winning 16 of their last 17 overall games.

I like Ozzie Guillen as a manager. He can be a d*** sometimes, literally. But he knows what he's doing, and it seems like he doesn't anything the traditional way. He's aggressive, and it never seems to backfire because he knows how to pick his spots. And I don't know what it is about that team in close games...but the past 2 years, they've been almost unbeatable.

I was hoping for Houston to at least win one game, being the Astros' first time in the Series, and being Phil Garner's first time in the series. They just couldn't catch a break. I've been a fan of Garner's ever since he became the scapegoat in Detroit 5 years ago. It wasn't entirely not his fault, but he was just the wrong guy for that kind of job, and I'm happy he's found a team that suits him better. Houston should be a strong contender again next year.

Now, only 4 more months until training camp. .

[friday]

I was actually writing my analysis after the game, but a shower, and then my dad wanting me to help him with his take-home assembly work (from a job I was fired from eight months ago, thus bearing a little resentment) sidetracked me. When I was finally done, it was like 12:15 AM, and I was too tired to care about finishing it.

I think the Astros should have won either Game 3 or 4. The only reason they didn't was because they had the deadest crowds in World Series history. I mean, the team had spent 43 prior seasons watching at home, so you'd think they'd be absolutely frenetic at times when the team could've taken control of the game. But I just didn't get that watching on TV. And it shouldn't have made a difference whether or not the roof was open or closed because fan energy is purely natural. (By the way, the whole flap about whether or not the roof should be open underscored my opinion that indoor baseball is essentially sacrilege.) I mean, you could tell the White Sox crowd was totally energetic and they sure as hell didn't need a roof to assist them.

My only guess though, is that the Houston crowd was so shellshocked by Albert Pujols' homer in the NLCS that, even though it was eventually moot, they didn't want to get so excited that, if something bad happened, they'd be really out of it. Then again, you had plays like the foul ball Juan Uribe caught in Game 4, that shouldn't have been at least contended with by the fans. Instead, they all got out of the way so they wouldn't get knocked over if he went into the seats. Thus, one out from elimination.

Still, it was probably the best four-game sweep I've ever seen, from a competitive standpoint. I was pulling for the Astros, mainly so I could see Andy Pettitte get another ring. Another reason was because there's this guy at work who seems to be from Chicago and was vehemently pulling for the White Sox. Even though he's a nice guy, this is the type of guy who will say whatever's on his mind, and say it quite loudly, making him somewhat obnoxious at times. So I just wanted to get the chance to chide him at times. Of course, that chance never came. I'm glad I had the day off, though, otherwise I'm sure everyone would've never heard the end of it today. Not that tomorrow would be much different, but still.

[crash46]

friday said:

Then again, you had plays like the foul ball Juan Uribe caught in Game 4, that shouldn't have been at least contended with by the fans. Instead, they all got out of the way so they wouldn't get knocked over if he went into the seats. Thus, one out from elimination.

I know. I was listening on the radio, and Joe Morgan said "Now where's Steve Bartman when you need him". I finally saw the play today, and I realize these are just a handful of fans in the vicinity of that catch, but still, you're absolutely right; if my team's in the World Series for the very first time and they're fighting for their lives, to just win one game at the very least, that ball is mine. You gotta do whatever you can, not merely to help the team, but for the rest of your own life, you can carry that ball around, telling everyone "that's the foul ball I caught when I was at the World Series".

[a Nick O!]

I didn't ultimately care who won the World Series. Though I should have been pulling for the White Sox just because the Astros knocked out my Cardinals, I, from watching those games of course, was much more familiar with Houston's team than I was the White Sox; they kind of evened each other out.

And unlike last year's embarrassing Cardinals sweep by the Red Sox, the Astros, while still getting swept, at least made them very close games, as friday stated.

Two years back to back with the best record in baseball (right?) and Tony's Cardinals just get made to look like fools for the most part. I don't get it.