I’ve always enjoyed attending the last home game of the season. Most fans like going to the opener, I like going to the closer. When I was a kid I went to the closer alot, about five years in a row. I was there when Bill Melton became the first White Sox slugger to win a home run crown. I still have the button with Home Run King Bill Melton on it. For the most part there’s alot less hoopla surrounding the closer than the opener.
This closer was a sellout, with everything on the line, the winner would go on, the loser would go home. Ozzie Guillen proclaimed, “Twins starter Nick Blackburn was lucky to get us once, but wouldn’t be as fortunate here”. While the Twins claimed, they were glad to be playing the playoff game in Chicago rather than in Minnesota, because they wanted to win in our house, celebrate on our field, and rub it in on our fans.
Well neither got what they wanted. Blackburn pitched masterfully, but John Danks pitched better. I should say Jim Thome put a BIG FLY on the Twinkies, 461 feet! Meanwhile Ken Griffey, Jr. took a flyball in medium centerfield, with a runner on 3rd, one out, and fired a strike to a waiting A.J. Pierzynski. A.J. tagged the runner out, hanging on to the baseball, and not breaking his arm. Another big play was made by defensive replacement Brian Anderson. Anderson made a diving catch with two outs in the 9th preserving a 1-0 save by Bobby Jenks, with Joe Mauer licking his chops in the ondeck circle.
Rob & I bought 15 tickets in the rain after Monday’s game. It was a full house on hand to see the Good Guys win the AL Central. Behind the plate, next to Nancy Faust, was overflowing. Tade & Tom (it’s been a looong time since former regular Tom was in the house), Dick & Bea, CLuke & his son Tom, Al & his sons Anthony & Dan, George & Debbie & her son, Steve, Phil, Songkwon, Matt, Caramel Corn Mike, & me were crowded together rooting for the White Sox. Rob & Vicky & family were in section 101, in centerfield. The game was electric from first pitch to last out.
Now on to the postseason, I was wrong when I stated, the Sox would play four different opponents on four successive days, they actually were rewarded with an off day before starting up their best of five game series with the Rays. I thought about going to St. Petersburg to see the Sox battle the Rays, but I’ll just work on getting tickets for home playoff games.
All I can say right now is, LET’S GO WHITE SOX!!!
I guess I was not at the game at all! I am hurt.
I’ll edit the post, but I can’t believe I forgot to mention Tade & Tom (he used to go all the time, before he landed his marlin). Also look closely at the photo, Nancy Faust joined us for a happy picture after the win.