Entering this season, so many people looked at the White Sox’ assembled talent and thought their road to the playoffs would be an easy one. Sadly, the Sox’ organization was part of that group.
Sure, Carlos Correa was joining the Twins, but that wouldn’t be enough from them to jump over the reigning American League Central champions. The Tigers spent a lot of money but didn’t have nearly enough pitching. The Royals were beginning a complete overhaul. That left the Guardians, a spunky young team loaded with pitching. This team had its own ‘‘Hall of Famer baseball person’’ at the helm in Terry Francona.
But this was a team that wasn’t ready to peak quite yet.
Or so we thought.
Let’s go back to May 9. That Monday changed things for the Guardians. It was a night that should have served as a warning for the Sox, a night that was a harbinger of what was to come.
The Sox were cruising along with an 8-2 lead entering the ninth inning. Their win probability was more than 99%. That’s when things fell apart. The Sox committed four errors in the game, including two in the ninth. That allowed a couple of runs to score and loaded the bases for Josh Naylor. Manager Tony La Russa made the smart move, asking Liam Hendriks to shut the door, but things just got worse. Naylor sat on a fastball from Hendriks and hit a grand slam to tie the score. Naylor would add a three-run home run in the 11th to seal a 12-9 victory.
Naylor became the first player in recorded baseball history to produce eight RBI in the eighth inning or later. This is the night he became a legend. And it seems to be the night the Guardians became believers.
It wasn’t that long ago that the Sox were that team. They used to be a hungry, talented bunch with a ton of swag. People miss those times like they miss the old Kanye. Organizationally, they wanted to change the game, but they’re the ones who changed. They got paid. They got sloppy. They got lazy.
Throughout the season, the Guardians created a blueprint for beating the Sox. Other teams took note and copied the formula. Man-for-man, the Guardians maybe weren’t as talented. But if they played hard enough, that could make up the difference. In every game between the teams, you could see the Guardians taking an extra base and putting stress on the Sox’ putrid defense. The Guardians didn’t wilt. Nor did they genuflect in the presence of the Sox.
Once the All-Star break arrived, they were ahead of the Sox in the standings and believed they could win the division.
Jump back into the time machine and make a quick stop to Sept. 20. By then, all the perceived fear of the Sox was gone. The Guardians walked into ‘‘The Rate’’ and stomped the Sox in a three-game series.
It was supposed to be the last stand for the ‘‘South Side Nine,’’ but they reverted back to the team we’ve seen most of the season. The Guardians announced themselves as a deserving champion, and the Sox looked like a bunch of quitters.
On Sunday, the Guardians completed a remarkable run, cutting their magic number from 12 to zero in six days. That was in large part because of the Sox getting what they deserved: an 0-6 homestand featuring new Sox villain Javy Baez of the Tigers putting the final nail in the coffin for the 2022 season.
The Guardians’ celebration for winning the Central was filled with champagne and cigars. It also included them openly mocking the White Sox.
In one video, someone can be heard screaming, ‘‘Fire Tony,’’ and everyone laughs. In another video, someone screams, ‘‘[Bleep] the White Sox!’’ Everyone cheers. Strangely enough, Sox fans probably can relate to both sentiments.
The right team won the division. The petty mocking felt like justice. It’s exactly what the ’22 White Sox deserved.
