The 2000 Division Title Clincher

Lore & Background

The White Sox were dealt a severe blow in 1919 by the Black Sox scandal, when Comiskey suspended the seven alleged conspirators still on the roster late in the 1920 season. The Sox finished in second place, two games behind the Cleveland Indians, who went on to win the 1920 World Series. The Sox fell to seventh place in 1921. It would be the mid-1930s before the team returned to the upper half of the league, and the early 1950s before they became regular contenders again. When the White Sox finally won their next pennant, in 1959, they lost the 1959 World Series to the Los Angeles Dodgers in six games. The White Sox qualified for post-season play by winning the American League West division title in 1983 and 1993 and the American League Central division title in 2000. During the 2005 World Series, the White Sox swept the Houston Astros for their first World Series championship in 88 years.

In Their Own Story

He didn't need to look at the scoreboard to know what was happening; he could feel it in the vibration of the dugout steps. This wasn't just another win against Cleveland; it was the key turning over in the lock after seventeen years of silence. The crowd roared, a sound that would echo through the next five years.

Reader's Guide

The 2000 division title ended a drought since 1993, not 1983; the 17-year figure is incorrect for division titles.

Did You Know?

• The White Sox won the American League Central division title in 2000.
• The White Sox last World Series win before 2005 was in 1917.
• The 2005 White Sox swept the Houston Astros in the World Series.