White Sox relish first title in 88 years

Joe Crede of the Chicago White Sox jumps onto his teammates in celebration after winning Game Four of the 2005 Major League Baseball World Series 1-0 against the Houston Astros at Minute Maid Park in Houston, Texas. (AFP)

Wearing a wide, satisfied smile on a face flushed with pride, Ozzie Guillenstood offto the side by the thirdbase lineand simply watched his White Sox rejoice in the middle of the field.

Chicago's exuberant young manager might have enjoyed sprinting toward that cluster of jubilant players and leaping right into the fray.

He passed.

But don't think for a moment he didn't relish thislong-overduechampionship as much as everydie-hardfan on the South Side.

"People thought I was going to be jumping around my players. I have to respect the opposite team," the 41-year-old Guillen said. "It went through my mind to say, `I'm so glad to see my boys, my players jumping back and forth and celebrating this.' Because it was an amazing feeling seeing them like little kids."

Chicago completed a World Series sweep with a 1-0 victory over the Houston Astros on Wednesday night, becoming the second consecutive set of Sox to end a title drought that dated all the way back to World War I.

Maybe the crosstown Cubs are next. For now, the White Sox rule the Windy City.

Their first title in 88 years certainly didn't come easily, even in a four-game sweep. The gritty White Sox had to scratch and claw for every win all year, and October was no different.

That's what makes their dominant run through thepostseasonso remarkable. With stellar pitching, solid defense, timely hitting - and even some help from the umpires - Chicago joined the 1999 New York Yankees as the only teams to go 11-1 in the postseason since the extra round of playoffs was added in '95.

"We went to Boston and then we went to Anaheim," Guillen said. "I told my players the last 11 games we have to win are the toughest ones."

Going back to the regular season, the White Sox won 16 of their final 17 games. They nearly squandered a 15 1/2-game lead in the AL Central before holding off Cleveland down the stretch, but that sure seems like a long time ago.

"They were calling us chokers, now they can call us champions," catcher A.J. Pierzynski said.

It's the same charming story as last year, when the Red Sox swept St. Louis for their first championship since 1918.

(Agencies)

stand off: （疏遠(yuǎn)；避開）

base line: （壘線）

long-overdue: （遲來已久的）

die-hard: stubbornly resisting change or clinging to a seemingly hopeless or outdated cause（頑固的）

postseason: （季后賽）

regular season: （季節(jié)賽）