Greg Hibbard

seriously sorry, couldn't resist

can anyone give me an approx. timetable? What time do they leave comiskey? what time do they expect to be going down lasalle?

QUOTE(kapkomet @ Oct 27, 2005 -> 12:28 PM) Great Post! We've got some awesome posts coming out of this. Thanks! it helps to be really inspired by this incredible team

It is the bane of the Sox fan to naysay. To criticize. To doubt. To disbelieve. As much as it is the bane of the northsiders to be pie-in-the-sky optimistic, it is forever the disposition of the South Sider to be realistic. As much as every Cubs fan says "Wait till next year" every Sox fan seems to say "If only we had..." What were your feelings on September 15th, 2005 when the Sox lost 2 out of 3 to KC? What about September 20-21st when their lead shrunk to 1.5? Did you think that this team would win the division? Win a playoff series? Win a championship series? Win a world series? I'll be honest. I figured they would win the division and probably get swept or lose in maybe four games in the first round. I never thought that they would lose the division, not for a second. Do I deserve some sort of medal for this? Of course not. The outcome that I predicted might as well have been second place, because it was hollow. Empty. Another year without a playoff series win. Maybe another year without a home playoff game win. But I needed to be realistic, right? This team didn't have a .300 hitter. This team hadn't pitched well in August and early Septmeber. They hadn't hit well since July. Their relievers were starting to stack up innings. Injuries were beginning to become an issue. Their record against the better AL teams was mediocre. I didn't believe. I can't say that I regret it, because the organization, the franchise hadn't shown me that they had something for me to believe in during that stretch. 3 early months of hot baseball? Seen it before. And what's that you say, Kenny only got Geoff Blum at the deadline? We needed Griffey! This was supposed to be our year! Yet I stuck with every heartbreaking game, just like every Soxtalk member did. Just like every Sox fan did. I couldn't watch, but I couldn't not watch. That week in mid September was the most draining week of my lifetime as a White Sox fan. Do you remember? Every night I couldn't sleep. Every night my blood pressure rose. Every night my anguish compiled. Every night I would get taunted by non-Sox fans. But we got through it. And the team got through it. And we got through it TOGETHER, Soxtalk. I don't care if you didn't believe they would win the division. I don't care if you didn't believe they would win any more games. We got through it. Together. Because we had to. This was our trial by fire. This was our trial of faith. And you know what? Something magical happened. We got through it, and they got through it, and we were gonna keep getting through it. As long as it took. But we finally caught a break. A break on a sun-splashed field in kansas city in a game the White Sox never played in. Shoeless Joe turned the sun up while Kid Gleason and Pants Rowland distracted the Big Man upstairs and a ball dropped into play in front of an Indians outfielder. Suddenly, something flipped. A switch. They say it's the little things in baseball. This little thing was like waking up from the worst nightmare I had ever had. Slowly, this team picked it's beaten body, left for dead, off of the ground. It dusted off the black "Chicago" logo on the front of its grey uniform and picked up a bat and a glove. It stumbled a couple of times while pulling itself to its feet on a Detroit ballfield, but once it stood, it stood proud. Suddenly, the script logo began to glow. It glowed when it clinched a division title five days before the season ended on that same Detroit field where we got one of our own onto the Allstar team on a last minute ballot. The team began to do something else. It began to win. A lot of games. It fielded a C team in Cleveland and everyone cried "foul" until their C flight team took it to the Indians. The Indians would not win another game. The White Sox would not lose. And the logo glowed brighter as the calender turned to October. And it didn't stop winning until they had pummeled an excasperated Red Sox team that looked like it was sucker-punched in the gut hard. They never trailed in that first game laugher where they gave their fans another gift, the first home playoff win in nearly 50 years. And after stealing one on a misplay by a former teammate, it went back to Boston and fantastically swept the defending champions, highlighted by an old gun returning to a once-immortal form. And the logo glowed brigher still as the team celebrated on that Boston field. The team stumbled against Anaheim and quickly regrouped, aided by a heads-up play by a man who never quits. They did something no one ever believed possible. They swept a west coast trilogy. The four aces completed their games and showed the world that we had the best pitching staff this year, and maybe the most complete postseason rotation in recent memory. And as they celebrated on that Los Angeles infield, the logo glowed brighter still. The team won its final four games the hard way, which is to say they made the hard way look easy. We all know that story. We all lived it this week. And yes, the White Sox would never lose another game while wearing the glowing "Chicago" script on its uniform. And the logo glows brighter still. As we drown ourselves in celebration for the next while (I'm not going to set a time limit on this), let's harken back to the song that I mentioned in the title. Don't Stop Believin'. Sox fans, Don't Ever Stop Believin'. As a great man, Jim Valvano, said while cancer was destroying his body (but not his mind, and not his heart and not his soul, god bless him) "Don't give up, don't ever give up." Many of us did stop believin'. But now that we've seen one of the most improbable teams assembled to give us the best roller coaster ride of my life with the best ending possible, I have to say I'll never stop believin'. Never again.

QUOTE(ZoomSlowik @ Oct 27, 2005 -> 11:00 AM) It seems like these polls usually favor recent or current champs. I remember when they did this after the NCAA Tournament this year UNC finished as the #1 team (think they did 1985 on). There's no way they were a better team than 1996 Kentucky, and I picked the back to back Blue Devils, the 90 UNLV team, and the 2001 Duke team ahead of them, plus there could have been arguments for several other teams. People will often just go with whoever was the charismatic or recent champ, like Boston. Franky, I wasn't impressed with their team as a whole. They had two great sluggers and two great starters, but Damon, Varitek, and Foulke are the only other guys I'd really want. I think star power has something to do with it too. it's interesting because I think years from now, this team will be underrated by history because of its lack of starpower UNLESS they can either win it all next year or at least make it back to the series.

And it was Brooks who said it, so I'm inclined to believe him

guys, they just said on Silvy and Carmen that the parade is tomorrow.

interesting that the Red Sox are running #1 in the results The White Sox are fifth in the aggregate poll, behind last year's red sox, the 98 and 99 yankees teams and the 86 mets

they said 3pm at midway on the radio just now

Yeah I had 99 Yankees, 90 Reds and then the Sox. I probably have the 98 Yanks fourth. Worst is probably the 91 Twins

not so much interested in filling out on their website as getting your takes. http://sports.espn.go.com/chat/sportsnatio...stranker?id=364 I think the White Sox are number 2 or 3 on this list.

QUOTE(letsgoarow @ Oct 27, 2005 -> 09:46 AM) he hasnt performed in forever.... Journey actually has a new lead singer.. becuase steve went crazy Actually....

Charles Comiskey also died on an October 26th.

I can't believe it guys. This is just so amazing. best night of my life, as a sports fan.

this was just bizarre, but really cool all memorable teams have a slogan or a nickname the Don't Stop Believin' Sox has a great ring to it

not yet, but on the train today I was close about three different times.

1) out to dinner with the pops 2) watching the game at the bar 3) if they win, proceed directly to bridgeport and comiskey park for a couple of hours of yelling and screaming and carrying on 4) afterwards proceed to midway

I wonder if they'd come back tonight or just ship it the next day

QUOTE(AddisonStSox @ Oct 26, 2005 -> 12:52 PM) And f***. I was thinking We will rock you. Ugh. This cramming is not recommended. LOLOL i had literally just realized that too, but I didn't want to pile on

QUOTE(Milkman delivers @ Oct 26, 2005 -> 09:41 AM) My girlfriend isn't into sports at all, and she'd have to be classified as a Red Sox fan if anything, but she stayed up for all of the game last night just to hope that they'd win for me. She's a keeper. same with my wife (bosox fan) but she stayed up too.

QUOTE(AddisonStSox @ Oct 26, 2005 -> 12:41 PM) Interesting tidbit: there is not one piece of true percussion in that song. What you hear is just random stomping and clapping made by the members of the group--I believe in a warehouse or something like that. technically speaking, the piano is a percussion instrument.

QUOTE(Johnny @ Oct 26, 2005 -> 12:32 PM) if that happend i wouldnt be surprised since they were at all the the world series games so far. but that would be just awsome. especially as a surprise visit without even knowing. I would be extraordinarily suprised, because Steve Perry hasn't performed with Journey in well over ten years and by all indications, they do not want him back.

the beer tasted so f***ing good at the game on saturday. I never thought a 5.50 MGD would taste so good.

I can't believe he was at the game last night. That was so awesome

For the record, I'd say that the White Sox are probably in the top 20-30 teams all time