Maybe it was no mistake that the White Sox and Angels played in the AL Championship Series. Maybe they were better suited for the long grind with their ability to endure slumps and manufacture runs than the big boomers who were eliminated.
They call it “small ball” now, a blend of strong pitching, speed, power and aggressiveness that defined teams of eras past.
It was the Angels who seemed to restart the trend–at least for DH-laden American League teams–by wining the 2002 World Series.
Sox general manager Ken Williams was smart enough to follow along, with an extra push from the Twins, who had won three straight Central Division titles. It certainly figures to become much more popular, what with the success of the Sox and the Angels.
“I don’t think those values have ever left the game,” Angels manager Mike Scioscia said. “They might have been less prevalent in the time when home runs went crazy in the ’90s. As we started to get into the playoffs in 2002, I think there was a lot of attention put on small ball, the little techniques of hitting, situational hitting.
“We didn’t reinvent the wheel. We might have kind of gotten in touch with things that our team needed to do that are traditional baseball fundamentals because that’s the way we had to play to win.”
Ditto for the Sox, who downsized last winter by eliminating the power of Magglio Ordonez and Carlos Lee and adding speedy Scott Podsednik and lots of pitching.
“I think the White Sox, along with our club this year, we’ve had to use traditional baseball fundamentals to get to this level,” Scioscia said. “I think it’s just really a function of what our team needs to do, what their team needs to do and having the ability to do it.
“We have some guys that can steal bases; they have some guys that can steal bases. We have some guys that understand situational hitting, as they do. We have guys that will get the bunts down when we need to. That’s the way we have to play. Both teams go first to third aggressively.
“I think it’s great. I think it’s baseball. I love it.”
Obviously, so do Williams and Sox manager Ozzie Guillen. It was what Guillen wanted his team to look like from his days as a coach in the National League–especially with the 2003 Marlins, who eliminated the Cubs in the NLCS. Those Marlins had speed, plus it had a deep and talented pitching staff.
If there was a difference between the Sox and Angels in the ALCS, it was the strength of the Sox’s pitching staff. Scioscia constantly praises the Sox’s talent, especially that of the starting pitchers.
“I think it’s going to get back to a nine-inning mentality by starting pitchers when they come up to the big leagues and have the ability to do that,” Scioscia said.
“The White Sox have a unique staff. They acquired guys who have the capability to pitch deep into games, and they’ve developed guys–like [Mark] Buehrle and [Jon] Garland–who have shown that ability to pitch deep into games.
“Our starting rotation pitched deep into games. I don’t know if it’s ever going to get back to just letting a starter who gets tired win or lose a game in the ninth because of the caliber of closers. But a staff that has that ability is certainly a strength, and [the Sox] have done it all year.”
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dvandyck@tribune.com
