10 Trade for Griffey
He wasn’t used the right way and his impact was minimal, but still: it isn’t often a team trades for one of the best players the game has ever seen. For Sox fans around my age, Junior will always be considered the coolest baseball player ever. Seeing him a Sox uniform was a little surreal.
9 Quentin breaks out in Anaheim
There was a time when Carlos Quentin needed a spring training injury to Jerry Owens just to make the roster. In a May 25 game in Anaheim, Quentin proved he was here to stay. He hit two home runs, including a ninth inning walk-off against John Lackey. It was the highlight of a dominant 2008 for Quentin.
8 Gavin Floyd’s near no-hitters
Floyd was considered the biggest question mark in the Sox rotation in spring training, but he quickly erased any doubters by throwing a pair of near no-hitters early in the season. Floyd finished five outs away against the Tigers on April 12, and two outs away against the Twins on May 6.
7 Quentin goes down
If only Carlos Quentin didn’t break his own wrist, he would have been the AL MVP. Even as he missed all of September, Quentin finished just one home run behind leader Miguel Cabrera for most in the AL. Without him late in the season, the Sox offense just wasn’t the same.
6 The Cubs-Sox series
Both the Cubs and White Sox are known for having a big advantage when playing at home. They proved it again this summer. The Cubs took round one, sweeping the Sox out of Wrigley. Not to be outdone, the Sox answered back with a sweep of their own a week later at The Cell.
5 Wise and Danks give Chicago a playoff win
This was supposed to be a great October in Chicago, but both playoff teams fell flat. John Danks and Dewayne Wise saved the city from finishing 0-6 when they helped defeat the Rays in game three of the ALDS.
4 The Blowup doll
So much for a slump buster. When reporters found a blowup doll in the Sox' clubhouse in Toronto, it set off a firestorm of controversy. Ozzie Guillen defended his team, saying they did nothing wrong in their own clubhouse.
3 Alexei’s grand slam against the Tigers
Alexei Ramirez’s record breaking fourth grand slam was his most important: it propelled the Sox to a one-game playoff against the Twins. His celebration was nearly as memorable, as he jumped into Paul Konerko’s unsuspecting arms at home plate.
2 Sweep in the Metrodome
The Sox entered a three-game series in Minnesota with a 2.5 game division lead. When they left, the Sox found themselves looking up at the Twins. Game three was the true heartbreaker, as Minnesota rallied in the 10th inning against Bobby Jenks to secure the sweep.
1 Game 163
Ken Griffey Jr.’s put out at home plate. Jim Thome’s home run. The pitching of John Danks. A game-ending diving catch by Brian Anderson. All combined to form the best White Sox moment in 2008, when they defeated the Twins at The Cell in game 163 to claim the Central division title.
3 comments:
Nice list. Overall the Sox really did have a great year. They finished 15-20 games better than I or most expected. I apologize to those who I offended with my pessimism, including Ricky, who claimed he would not celebrate with me. As long as Ozzie is back and OC is gone, the Sox can be contenders. This should all be said with a grain of salt though. Detroit has to/will be better and Cleveland showed in the second half that they are not a team to be messed with. Should be another dog fight.
Fucks a white sox?
"For Sox fans around my age, Junior will always be considered the coolest baseball player ever."
I'd rather Frank Thomas personally.
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