Wednesday, Nov. 2, 2005 | 8:25 a.m.
For many Chisox lifers, it all begins in the family. In the halcyon Watergate daze, Mom made a habit of "misrepresenting" my wellness to the nuns at St. Cajetan's every Opening Day. We rarely won those home openers, but being there was all that mattered. The White Sox, who then wore red pinstripes, were always very giving to South Side schools, giving away thousands of free tickets to students with high grades, perfect attendance, etc.
When the South Side Hit Men wore shorts, we wise fools at St. Ignatius spent our sophomore year debating the Richie Zisk for Claudell Washington trade. When President Jimmy Carter left office and we left school, the Sox were bought out '80s-style by out-of-towners, who promised a winner to fans who didn't do promises.
I got back into Soxdom after coming back from grad school with the '90s on the horizon. The old ballpark was soon to be no more, the team was in transition (again), and good tickets were cheap and plentiful. I got to meet many of the up-and-coming players, such as ace Jack McDowell and future World Series champion manager Ozzie Guillen.
But the promise was kept, albeit 25 years later. The last time the Chicago White Sox won the World Series, Charlie Chaplin was the biggest movie star in the world and there was both a kaiser and a czar. 2005 World Series champion Chicago White Sox -- wow! I know I speak for untold thousands when I say I've waited my entire life to see it happen.
World champions, that is, with a payroll half that of the Cubs -- the lovable losers of Waveland -- and less than one third of the Bronx Steinbrenners, both of which got to watch us sweep the Series on TV.
It's a great day to be from the South Side of Chicago, friends.
Adam Henry Carriere Las Vegas
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