Anaheim, Calif. – The Chicago White Sox won the American League pennant Sunday night and are headed to the World Series for the first time since 1959. Crack open a history book to gain some perspective on that mind-boggling factoid.
The last time the White Sox won the pennant, Dwight Eisenhower was in the White House, Coors had just introduced the first aluminum beer can, Hawaii had recently become the 50th state and NASA just picked seven astronauts with the right stuff to launch the Mercury space program.
The White Sox made that history by closing out the Los Angeles Angels in Game 5 of the American League Championship Series with a 6-3 victory at Angel Stadium. Chicago did it with a historic performance from its starting pitching staff and timely hitting.
And while the champagne corks were popping and teary eyes were being wiped, manager Ozzie Guillen, who became the first foreign-born manager to lead a team to the World Series, had some words of wisdom and thanks for long-suffering Chicago fans.
“Enjoy it, but don’t get too crazy on the streets,” said Guillen, who was born in Ocumare del Tuy, Venezuela. “Feel proud about this team. Feel proud about what we did.”
Jose Contreras, the loser of Game 1, took the hill again Sunday night. He was still on the mound at the end when the Angels’ Casey Kotchman grounded to first baseman Paul Konerko for the final out.
“I dedicate this to Chicago and to the fans who have waited so long,” Contreras said. “They stood by me when I was pitching bad and also now that I’m pitching great.”
After a Sunday night and early Monday morning of champagne swigging and partying, the White Sox will turn their attention to the World Series, where they will face the Houston Astros or St. Louis Cardinals. The Astros lead the NLCS 3-1.
The White Sox have not won a World Series since 1917, when they beat the New York Giants in six games, winning the clincher at the Polo Grounds. That was 88 years ago, when Woodrow Wilson was in the White House, Shoeless Joe Jackson was roaming the outfield and World War I was raging in Europe.
But with the pitching staff the White Sox have, a world championship might be within their grasp. Contreras’ complete-game victory was the fourth consecutive complete-game victory thrown by the White Sox, something that never has happened in a league championship series. The last team to throw four consecutive complete games in the same postseason was the 1956 New York Yankees against the Brooklyn Dodgers.
“I’ve never seen four horses like that that have come out of the gate and have pitched so well,” Angels manager Mike Scioscia said. “You might have to go back to Sandy Koufax, Don Drysdale and that group.”
Chicago’s starters – Jon Garland, Freddy Garcia, Mark Buehrle and Contreras – had a collective 2.20 ERA. The Angels’ collective batting average against the White Sox starters was .179.
The Windy City has plenty of other heroes to fete. Start with Konerko, the ALCS MVP, whose timely hitting included a run-scoring double in the ninth that gave the White Sox a comfortable lead. He hit .286, hit two home runs and drove in seven runs in the ALCS.
Third baseman Joe Crede also played big on the big stage. He drove in the game-tying run Sunday with a solo homer in the seventh inning. He drove in the winning run with an infield single up the middle to score Aaron Rowand in the eighth.
But Guillen was clearly the star of the show in the eyes of the White Sox players.
“When it comes to this team and the way we have played all year, it has Ozzie Guillen’s stamp all over it,” Konerko said.
Staff writer Patrick Saunders can be reached at 303-820-5459 or psaunders@denverpost.com.
