Champion Chicago White Sox

Congratulations Chicago White Sox, you're on top of the baseball world winning the MLB 2005 Championship. Although they swept the Houston Astros in four games, each game was a fun, tension filled battle to watch.

For myself, I had nothing invested in either team. I just wanted to see a competitive series and I did. If only the Astros could have batted in another runner or two the series would have been longer. I credit White Sox pitching and defense for winning the close games.

And move over Eric Gagne (aka "The Beast), the baseball world saw the emergence of rookie closer Bobby Jenks. He's big, he's bold and he throws a mean 99mph fastball. I haven't checked his stats from the series but I only remember him giving up hits in one game.

Just so happens that I watched the movie "Eight Men Out" this week. The movie depicts the 1919 Black Sox Scandal. They were called the Black Sox because of their conspiracy with mobsters to throw the 1919 World Series, which the Cincinnati Reds won 5 games to 3. I believe it was the only year the world series was the best out of 9.

Eight Sox players were charged with conspiring to throw the World Series, including their star Joe Jackson. All eight were acquitted of charges but the tough judge and future first commissioner of baseball, Judge Landis, banned all eight players from ever playing major league baseball again.

Based on the movie, "Shoeless Joe Jackson" didn't want to be a part of the conspiracy, but Joe wasn't the brightest apple in the basket and eventually he took the money. The kid in the movie that mouthed the line "Joe, Say it isn't so Joe" did okay, but the scene just seemed a bit too staged, almost anticlimatic. In other words he was no young Ricky Schroeder pleading with his boxer father John Voight in "The Champ." I vote "The Champ" the best sports tear jerker behind the original Brian's Song, (story of Brian Piccolo).

Well, hopefully Shoeless Joe has been given a reprieve up there in baseball heaven. For a man who couldn't spell his own name he was a hero to many fans of that day, young and old. I believe Joe took one for the team when he was banned. He just wanted to play baseball.

So hopefully the 2005 champion Chicago White Sox will raise one of their historical heroes up from the ashes of scandal and give him a proper place of rememberance here in today's baseball world. Make it So Sox, make Shoeless Joe Jackson's legacy one that shows he justed wanted to play baseball. He should be remembered as part of what makes America's Past time so special. Our love for the game.