They’re ahead, there’s no doubt. The Chicago White Sox have lost only one of the last thirteen games. They’ve made the World Series. And they play in Houston, Texas, tonight with two games up on the Houston Astros.
I can see that the White Sox are not willing to come this far and be called the team that didn’t do it, the team that didn’t stop the march of time. The team that hasn’t won a World Series in eighty-eight years.
But it’s still tricky territory.
In Houston, Chicago’s pitchers have to play an additional role. They have to bat because the National League doesn’t have a designated batter rule. Which means there is no substitute batter for the pitcher. Instead, they have to hit and try to score, so I hope Ozzie is paying attention. Houston isn’t interested in taking hostages. This is one reason why it’s tricky territory.
Another is the fan base. Houston’s fans will scream and cheer and roar, just like Chicago fans did. They will be a secret member of the team. Loud and long.
It’s true that Chicago has an amazing pitching staff. And it’s also true that even if Houston wins three in a row the series is headed back to Chicago for the final outcome. What is also true is that Chicago luck doesn’t always hold up, that the rough and tumble days often end in misery.
Let’s hope that Houston falters on its own and that the White Sox overcome tricky territory to emerge as the World Series Champions. Or, as I suggested in a previous essay, the North American Champions. It’s the same honor, regardless of the name.
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