Chicago White Sox: Three biggest unsung heroes in 2005

Scott Podsednik was a little bit more than a role player for this team at times but he certainly wasn’t one of the superstars. If the term “glue guy” ever was to be used, Scott Podsednik fits the bill. He was a pretty good player that did a lot of nice things for the White Sox. He was a good outfielder and a pretty solid contact hitter for the top of the lineup. He was a very good leadoff hitter there for a while.

One thing Podsednik was known for was his ability to steal bases. He was so fast and brilliant on the base pads. In fact, in 2004 he led the entire Major Leagues with 70 stolen bases. Then, in 2005 he came in and had another 59. He hit .290, hit 0 home runs, and had only 25 RBIs. The fact that he had so many stolen bases and a great batting average but low power numbers showed he was the perfect leadoff man. He also had the only All-Star selection of his career that year along with getting some MVP votes.

Due to the fact that he had zero home runs in the regular season, you wouldn’t really expect many in the playoffs either. Well, he doubled his regular-season home run total once the postseason came around. He hit a home run in the Division Series against the Boston Red Sox for his first of the season. It was a 3-run shot that came in the sixth inning to put the White Sox up 12-2.

What came later for Podsednik made him a legendary clutch player in Chicago sports history. He hit a walk-off home run in the bottom of the ninth inning to give the White Sox a 2-0 World Series lead. Giving the White Sox that 2-0 series lead going back to Houston really gave them the momentum they needed to carry it on the road. For a guy who hit no home runs in the regular season, he certainly came up big when it mattered most. He was truly one of the great unsung heroes of the 2005 postseason run.