Inexplicable

The White Sox won the World Series last night. Even though they've completely dominated the post-season, almost every game was incredibly tense. The emotional roller coaster is really difficult to explain to the non fan.

There's really no good analogy. You root for a baseball team for a reason. You commiserate with fellow fans. You suffer with them. You trade barbs with fans of the other teams. And if you're a White Sox fan, you suffer without a World Series victory for your entire life.

Then, in one incredible season, every move the much-aligned GM makes works. Each critical free agent comes to your team - for less money. Every player on the roster contributes. The managerial hire that looked crazy at first glance looks like pure genius.

Words can't really describe the pent up frustration, the years of crushed hope. So it makes it that much more difficult to explain to Dear Wife. She is so non-competitive, she cheats for the other team at Pictionary.

As I was jumping around the room for the last three weeks, pumping my fist with each critical RBI, each out that brought us closer, the best word to describe the look on her face is bemused.

It's only too bad that my boys are too young to truly have shared in this season. Still, Big Brother (after some coaching) spontaneously screams "GO WHITE SOX." We were watching the game, and he would cheer the White Sox on "Swing the bat ball." Whenever the other team made an out he'd say "That's what I wanted to happen!"

This post-season left me with moments. There are moments that I'll remember for the rest of my life. The 6th inning with El Duque. Pods two Home Runs. Geoff Blum, with his cartoon hair hitting a game winning home run in the 14th. Jenks 2 inning save. 18 scoreless innings by the Astros. Uribe's two incredible outs in the bottom of the ninth. The NOISE leaving games 1 and 2 of the Red Sox series.

One other thing that resonates with me is that the White Sox are the near perfect incarnation of Chicago. Chicago is blue collar. It the city of trains and the stock yards. It is the city with a huge chip on it's shoulder. Always looking for more respect.

The White Sox are the same way. Blue collar. A true team. And White Sox fans have had a huge chip on their shoulder over the other team in town. No longer.

You can't argue with a championship.