The formula included more than just strong pitching, improved defense, speed and timely contributions from the farm system.
The White Sox rode the emotional wave of success with three eight-game winning streaks during the regular season and maddening invincibility throughout the postseason.
But the roots for a championship started to grow as early as spring training, when a retooled roster took shape in Tucson, Ariz., with a fearless whatever-it-takes attitude.
Here are some turning points in the White Sox’s first world championship season in 88 years:
March 21
Less than 24 hours after ace Mark Buehrle was supposed to miss up to six weeks because of a hairline fracture in his left foot, the outlook brightened.
Buehrle, who was hurt while shagging fly balls in batting practice at the team’s Kino Sports Complex facility, reported that the pain had subsided.
Further examinations revealed that Buehrle had suffered only a stress reaction in his fourth metatarsal bone. He missed only one start and was ready for Opening Day.
The recovery was a blessing for the Sox, who played 21 of their first 24 games against American League Central opponents. Buehrle went 3-1 during that span.
April 27
The Sox were ripe for a blowout loss at Oakland’s McAfee Coliseum, their house of horrors, because of injuries. But the Sox’s bond became firmer after a tough 2-1 loss to the A’s with a makeshift lineup.
Third baseman Joe Crede started at shortstop for the first time since the 2000 Arizona Fall League. Backup catcher Chris Widger was at third base.
And after home-plate umpire Hunter Wendelstedt ejected Crede and manager Ozzie Guillen, right fielder Jermaine Dye volunteered to play the last inning at shortstop.
There was a dent in a wall in the visitor’s office, but Guillen wasn’t angry at his players.
“They did everything they could to win the game,” Guillen said. “With guys all over the place and out of position, I can’t be more pleased with the way my team reacted.”
July 14
With Buehrle and Jon Garland unavailable to start the first game of the second half because of their All-Star Game appearances, the Sox had to retool their rotation by starting embattled Jose Contreras.
Contreras vowed he would prosper in the second half after finishing the first half with a 4-5 record and a 4.26 ERA. He responded by hurling seven innings of three-hit ball in a 1-0 victory at Cleveland.
That set the tone for a four-game sweep. It also began the emergence of Contreras, who was 11-2 in the second half.
Aug. 1
Buehrle’s streak of pitching at least six innings in 49 consecutive starts ended, but the Sox’s tough mind-set became even firmer as they took a four-game road sweep at Baltimore that expanded their lead in the AL Central to a season-high 15 games.
Buehrle was tossed for hitting B.J. Surhoff after the Sox’s Tadahito Iguchi was drilled the previous game and A.J. Pierzynski was nailed in the right elbow earlier in this game.
After Buehrle’s ejection, the Sox won 6-3, thanks to Pierzynski’s home run.
The victory came amid questions over whether the Sox had the personnel for the postseason after failing to land Cincinnati’s Ken Griffey Jr. and settling for a utilityman Geoff Blum from San Diego.
Aug. 30
After losing three straight amid allegations that Texas might have stolen signs from center field the previous night, the Sox looked to young pitching sensation Brandon McCarthy to right their struggling ship.
McCarthy showed the poise of a veteran in his second recall from Triple-A Charlotte, throwing 7 2/3 innings of two-hit ball at Ameriquest Field.
Guillen took exception to Jermaine Dye getting hit by a pitch by Texas’ Erasmo Ramirez in the ninth inning of an 8-0 win.
. Guillen said: “It might not be on purpose. But it looked pretty ugly and obvious when they did it.”
Sept. 20
With their lead cut to 2 1/2 games over Cleveland, the Sox were content just to hold onto any part of a lead that had been 9 games as recently as Sept. 7.
This had the makings of another frustrating loss after the Indians tied it in the ninth off rookie closer Bobby Jenks.
But Crede, who hit a game-tying, two-run home run in the third, came through in the 10th with a walk-off blast off David Riske for a 7-6 victory.
Sept. 30
Don’t call the Sox “scrubs.”
WMVP-AM 1000 reporter Bruce Levine found that out after reserve Ross Gload overheard him describing the Sox’s makeshift lineup a day after they clinched the AL Central.
Reserve second baseman Willie Harris’ single drove in a run that stood until the game was tied in the ninth. Gload’s two-run double won it in the 13th.
“It’s one thing for us to call each other scrubs on the field,” Blum said. “But for some outsider who has never put on a uniform to call us scrubs, that’s complete bull.”
The victory clinched home-field advantage for the Sox throughout the playoffs.
Oct. 12
This was known as the A.J. Pierzynski game as the Sox earned a 2-1 victory over the Los Angeles Angels that evened the AL Championship Series at 1-1.
Buehrle pitched the first of four consecutive Sox complete-game victories.
Controversy unfolded in the bottom of the ninth when Pierzynski struck out on a low pitch. He alertly ran to first as Angels’ catcher Josh Paul, thinking he caught the third strike before the pitch hit the dirt, rolled the ball back to the mound.
Home-plate umpire Doug Eddings became a villain among Angels fans for ruling that Paul hadn’t caught the ball before it hit the ground. Pierzynski was safe at first. The Sox capitalized when pinch-runner Pablo Ozuna stole second and scored on Crede’s game-winning double.
Oct. 25
The Sox used 22 players in a record-setting World Series Game 3 at Minute Maid Park, and Game 2 starter Buehrle secured the final out in a 7-5 victory over Houston.
The Sox and Astros set a Series record by playing for five hours and 41 minutes. The number of innings–14–equaled the longest in Series history.
The unlikely heroes included Blum, who hit the game-winning homer, and Damaso Marte, who nearly was left off the ALCS roster but pitched 1 2/3 scoreless innings to earn the win.
“I’m glad because I was running out of pitchers,” Guillen said.
———-
mgonzales@tribune.com
