The 2005 Chicago White Sox are one of the most memorable postseason teams in Major League Baseball history. They went 11-1 in the playoffs en route to their first World Series title in almost a century. No team since has had a postseason run as dominant as that White Sox run in that season.
It is actually crazy to think about what happened with that White Sox team back in 2005. First off, they swept the defending World Series champion Boston Red Sox in the ALDS. At that point, you knew something special might be brewing.
Then, they got to the ALCS where there was plenty of magic. However, that one postseason loss was the first game of this series against the Anaheim Angels. A few years removed from a World Series title themselves, they were a very impressive squad. The White Sox rallied to win four straight against them to win the pennant and go to the World Series.
When they got to the World Series, they swept the Houston Astros to bring it home. That 11-1 mark has stood the test of time so far for a variety of reasons. Baseball has changed over the years and that has made it harder to win every single game.
The Chicago White Sox did something truly special in the 2005 season.
The White Sox didn’t use their bullpen in that run nearly as much as teams would in today’s game. In fact, they had a stretch with four straight complete games from their starting pitchers in the ALCS. That is also a playoff record that is never to be broken. It was truly impressive to watch.
Since then, there have been some really good teams that had really good postseasons but nobody has made it through with just one loss. However, that is in danger of changing this year. The 2005 Chicago White Sox needs some help.
Right now, the Texas Rangers are undefeated in the playoffs and they currently hold a 2-0 series lead over the Houston Astros in the ALCS. On the flip side, the Philadelphia Phillies have only lost once (to the Atlanta Braves in the NLDS) and currently lead the Arizona Diamondbacks 1-0 in the NLCS.
The funny thing is, that NLCS loss is only the first of the playoffs for the Diamondbacks so even they need to lose another to guarantee not breaking the White Sox record. The Phillies need to lose one more as well while the Rangers need to take two losses.
Hopefully, the World Series is a nice long set of games so White Sox fans don’t have to worry about anyone topping that record. It might seem like a lot to be rooting for that but what else is there to enjoy from a White Sox point of view? They went 61-101 in a “contention-window season” so we have to cheer for something!