If there was a theme song to the White Sox’ season, it was the old Prince B side “17 Days,” a mournful yet percolating tune about unrequited love and the rain coming down. I don’t know if it was in Nancy Faust’s repertoire, but it should have been. During a 17-day stretch in August, the White Sox won 2 games and lost 15. The team, which pitched, fielded, and hit well through most of the season, saw all these talents disappear during the slump. It’s testimony to how good a year they had that, while they then fell out of the pennant race, they nevertheless managed to hold on to second place without much difficulty. This is a solid young team that performed better than everyone but they themselves expected.
Best of Chicago voting is live now. Vote for your favorites »
Alvarez arrived when the Sox were fighting the Minnesota Twins for first place. At the time, it was believed that the only thing the Sox needed to hold off the Twins was another quality starter, someone to step in behind Jack McDowell and give the team a good one-two punch. After throwing a no-hitter, Alvarez appeared to fit the bill, but he was inconsistent–as were his new teammates–afterward.
The night was the season in miniature. The Twins had the slightly better team–and, of course, Miles was present–so the Sox lost. Yet the Sox were only slightly less impressive in defeat than the Twins were in victory. The game was well played–if frayed around the edges, as befits late-September baseball–and entertaining.
All this aside, on this night the Twins reminded everyone that the reason they won this year–even though they finished in last place last year–is that they were the best team. The 1987 Twins were among my favorite baseball champions of the last decade, because they had a few very talented pitchers, a top-notch bull pen, power in the lineup, and the outstanding defense to make the formula work. This year’s Twins have about the same amount of pitching–three solid starters in Scott Erickson, Jack Morris, and Kevin Tapani, and a great bull pen stopper in Rick Aguilera–a little less power, but again that trademark Twins’ defense. The Sox had four straight hits in the fourth inning, but scored only once because the Twins were alert enough to catch the Sox attempt at a double steal with men on first and third. Their infield defense is sharp, and their outfielders hit the cutoff men and keep the opponents from taking the extra base. They are a very heady team, and although I’m rooting for the Toronto Blue Jays to win it all I’m looking forward to seeing the Twins in the playoffs.
