2005 American League Pennant

Lore & Background

The White Sox won the American League Championship Series 4–1 over the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim. This was the franchise's first ALCS victory; their only previous pennant was in 1959, before the ALCS existed.

In Their Own Story

October air, cool and sharp, cut across the outfield grass at U.S. Cellular Field. The stands were a sea of white and blue, thousands of fans packed shoulder to shoulder, their breath visible in the evening chill. Buehrle stood on the mound, his cap pulled low, and the silence that fell over the ballpark was the kind that only comes when a city holds its breath. He delivered. The ball left his hand with that familiar, almost lazy arc, and the Angels' best hitter swung through it. A pop to the shortstop. A throw to first. Out. The crowd exhaled, then erupted. In the dugout, Konerko clapped Dye on the back, and Dye grinned, still catching his breath from the long day. Somewhere in the stands, a father lifted his daughter onto his shoulders so she could see the scoreboard. She didn't understand yet what the pennant meant, but she would remember the sound — that roar, that specific, thunderous, South Side roar — for the rest of her life. The Sox were going to the World Series. And Chicago, for one October night, belonged to baseball again.

Reader's Guide

The White Sox won the American League pennant in 2005 by defeating the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim in the ALCS 4–1. They then swept the Houston Astros in the World Series.

Did You Know?

• The White Sox had not won an ALCS before 2005; their only previous pennant was in 1959, before the ALCS existed.
• Mark Buehrle's regular-season record in 2005 was 16-8, not 23-5.
• Tim Wakefield, Kenny Rogers, and Scott Williamson were not members of the 2005 White Sox.