Third baseman Joe Crede was standing near second base when he caught David Ortiz’s line drive and turned it into an inning-ending double play Friday.
Wednesday night at U.S. Cellular Field, second baseman Tadahito Iguchi was positioned in shallow right field when he fielded Ortiz’s grounder and threw to first to retire Boston’s marquee slugger.
And general manager Ken Williams gave manager Ozzie Guillen the option of having a knuckleball pitcher throw batting practice in preparation for Boston’s Tim Wakefield.
Guillen declined, and the White Sox went on to knock out Wakefield in the sixth inning of a 5-3 victory that advanced them to the American League Championship Series for the first time since 1993.
The Sox’s execution in their three-game sweep of the defending World Series champion was nearly flawless and they collectively gave credit to the staff members responsible for putting them in the right position.
“We have all the information,” pitching coach Don Cooper said. “Our information, I believe, is second to none. [Scouting analyst] Mike Gellinger is on top of his job. So I’m never questioning the information we have. We’ll follow it, watch it and monitor it.
“But the bottom line is . . . if we execute the plans we have, there’s a good chance we’re going to get the hitters out. And it comes down to the execution.”
The White Sox started concentrating on Boston on Sept. 12 and their work intensified once the Red Sox became a bona fide first-round opponent.
“[Scouts] Bryan Little, Dave Yoakum and Doug Laumann have done a tremendous job,” Cooper said. “Everything was clear and specific and what’s best for the team.”
Guillen, who sometimes goes against the percentages, also paid tribute to the scouts.
“With all the information, we have it right on the money,” Guillen said. “Even though we play with a gut feeling, we have some of the best information. It’s working very well.”
