Saturday, Oct. 22, 1:55 p.m.
<!—-
—->Adam responds to the Houston Chronicle’s John P. Lopez
So, John, you think the Astros will win, eh? That’s certainly a possibility with those three pitchers, Roger Clemens, Roy Oswalt and Andy Pettite. The Sox aren’t exactly the world’s greatest hitting team, either. But I don’t know what to make of the immortal Brandon Backe. It seems all he added in the St. Louis series was to Fox’s miked-up segments when kept calling David Eckstein a “pest.” I guess he did pitch OK in Game 4. But he’s certainly a question mark.
And what about Brad Lidge? Is he OK after Albert Pujols sent that hanging slider into orbit? Did NASA look into that? Why wouldn’t Phil Garner send him back out in Game 6 just to feel some good vibes heading into the World Series? Yes, I ask a lot of questions.
The Sox teed off on the Red Sox and Angels, two teams without the Astros’ caliber of pitching. It will be interesting to see how the hitters respond. They’ve thrived in close games all year and this series figures to feature plenty of those.
It’s a given the Sox starters won’t continue throwing complete games like they did in the ALCS, but I still give the Sox’s rotation a 4-3 edge in quality starters. Who knows about the bullpen, though? I mean, they haven’t been heard from in weeks.
With that said, I’ve stopped making predictions since I went on a local Comcast TV show after Game 1 of the ALCS and made a fool of myself, proclaiming it would be the Angels and Cardinals in the World Series. Though I’m sticking to my prediction of a Bears-Texans Super Bowl. It can happen!
Oh, yeah, and having never been to Houston, I’m about as qualified ripping that city as I am picking winners, so I’m with you and will gladly side step any trading of rip-jobs. Plus, what’s there to hate about Chicago? Besides, of course, the intolerable winters, horrible traffic, caked-on road salt, biting wind, monotonous flatness and Bill Swerski Super Fan accents?
OK, I give: I draw upon the almighty power of Ditka and say, Mini Sox 46, Astros 10, my friend. Pass the knockwurst.
Saturday, Oct. 22, 1 p.m.
John P. Lopez responds
Dear Adam,
This entry is in response to ChicagoSports.com blogger Adam Caldarelli’s “Letter to John”
You’re not the Adam of Adam’s Rib fame, are you? If that’s the case, we need to meet.
First, a little about my town, not necessarily in this order: Hot. Humid. Barbecue. High School football. College football. Texans football. Spring football. Football recruiting. Youth football. Mexican food. Central air. And Astros.
That about covers it. And, oh, yeah — cheerleader moms, gold-digging former strippers and former cheerleaders making $1,000 a night at Treasures.
Right now, though, it’s all Astros all the time. I’ve never seen Houston like this (actually, I’ve mostly HEARD about it, since I’ve been traveling).
Everything is decorated in Astros gear, everywhere. Schools and churches are scheduling events around Astros games. Signs and billboards are everywhere. The line at Academy Sports stores all over town after the Astros won the pennant wrapped around the buildings.
You would have thought they were selling homecoming mums at half-price.
This weekend is no-socks day, officially. Really. Our entire community takes its cue from politicians, and no one can hop onto a bandwagon quite like politicians.
I’m going to have to wear socks, however, as I cover Games 1 & 2. Your central air comes off Lake Michigan and, well, I think your thermostat is broke. It’s COLD.
It’s funny you mentioned the 1919 Series, though. I was talking to Roger Clemens about that … he said he almost got called up that year. Imagine how his legacy would have been different.
I suppose I’m supposed to say something bad about Chicago. It seems forums like this always turn into a, “My city is better than your city” thing.
But I’m not going to play that game. I love Chicago. I’ve got some good friends here and lots of good times over the last nearly 20 years covering events here.
So I’ll just say this: Love your town. Love your team. But I think the Astros are going to win.
Save me a rack-and-a-half of ribs,
John.
Saturday, Oct. 22, 12:45 p.m.
<!—-—->Adam introduces himself to John
Dear John,
This isn’t any old Dear John letter because a.) I’m not leaving you and b.) I’ve never met you. It’s a pleasure to meet you. Despite our differences in geography and diction we share something in common only two cities in the United States can claim: Our teams are in the World Series. And it runs much deeper than that because the Astros have never been there and the last time the White Sox appeared in the Fall Classic the Dali Lama was still in Tibet (I had to look that up), Flavor Flav was just an infant (sadly, I knew that one) and pitchers finished what they started.
The last time the Sox won it was 1917 and that may as well have been the Middle Ages. We’re talking World War I and the Russian Revolution. Of course they threw one in 1919, a dubious distinction only the Pale Hose can claim.
But this is 2005, when Ozzie Guillen lets his pitchers pitch like it was 1917 and everybody’s got some kind of blog.
So I thought I’d drop you a line just to let you know the mood in the Windy City and inquire how things are going down in Texas. We can keep this dialogue going throughout the Series.
Right now Chicago is ensconced in black and white. The lions in front or the Art Institute are wearing giant Sox batting helmets, which apparently once held a couple of serious sundaes from the world’s largest Dairy Queen. The Picasso in Daley Center has a Sox lid, too. Rumor has it, the famed marquee at Wrigley Field reads “Congratulations Chicago White Sox.” Yes, you read that right. Heck, even Cubs fans are wearing Sox hats. Though, they’d tell you they grew up in Bridgeport and have been Sox fans their whole lives. Yeah, right.
People here really don’t know how to act. There are a lot of stunned looks walking around downtown. This time of year usually is spent raking leaves, picking pumpkins and keeping track of the Bears’ quarterbacks. The World Series to Chicago is what soccer is to most Americans: foreign.
What’s the vibe in Houston? Based on the weather forecast, it’s got to be good–84 and sunny. Wow. It was once like that here–I think. But that might be a little chilly for you guys, right? I’m sure they’ll have the roof closed for Game 3 at Minute Maid.
Drop me a line.
Until then,
Adam
John responds in his frequently-updated World Series blog on the Houston Chronicle’s site, Lopez at Large.
