[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 151 (2005), Part 18]
[Senate]
[Pages 24137-24138]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                  CONGRATULATING THE CHICAGO WHITE SOX

  Mr. McCONNELL. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Senate 
proceed to immediate consideration of S. Res. 291 submitted earlier 
today.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The clerk will report the resolution by title.
  The legislative clerk read as follows:

       A resolution (S. Res. 291) to congratulate the Chicago 
     White Sox on winning the 2005 World Series Championship.

  There being no objection, the Senate proceeded to consider the 
resolution.
  Mr. OBAMA. Mr. President, I rise today as a Senator, as an 
Illinoisan, and as a proud resident of the South Side of Chicago to 
congratulate the Chicago White Sox for winning the 2005 World Series. 
As my fellow South Siders know, it has been a long time coming.
  A little bit of history: Founded in 1900 as the Chicago White 
Stockings, this year's team reached the World Series for the first time 
since 1959, and this is a '59-style cap that I have here with me. Over 
a century of White Sox fans have cheered for superstars such as Luke 
Appling, Nellie Fox, Carlton Fisk, Luis Aparicio, Harold Baines, and, 
of course, Big Frank Thomas. But we haven't savored the sweet taste of 
a World Series championship since 1917--until now.
  Back in 1917, Woodrow Wilson was President, and the Great War was 
raging in Europe. The White Sox were a bright spot in tough times.
  The Sox won last night the way they have won all season--by playing 
aggressively, scrapping for every base and every run. When Juan Uribe 
threw to Paul Konerko for the final out, it was fitting that the ball 
beat the runner by only half a step. The four games against the Astros 
were decided by a total of six runs. Winning by the skin of your teeth 
has been our style. Win or die trying, that is our motto this year.
  I congratulate my colleague from Texas. The Houston Astros were an 
outstanding team. But it just so happened that this year they ran into 
the buzz saw of the Chicago White Sox.
  I congratulate Jermaine Dye, who is the World Series MVP. But I am 
sure he will be the first to say that everyone on this year's team 
deserves a part of that award. This is a team with so many great 
players but no undisputed leader on the field. I don't claim to be a 
baseball expert or particularly unbiased on this matter, but this is 
one of the most balanced and selfless teams any of us have seen. A team 
of unlikely heroes.
  Scott Podsednik, who hadn't hit a home run all season, stepped up and 
hit two in the playoffs, including the walk-off winner in game two on 
Sunday. Willie Harris, who barely played in the playoffs, got a pinch 
hit to get on base and bring home the only run last night. Geoff Blum, 
a former Astro, who got a pinch hit homer in the 14th inning to give us 
the margin of victory in game three. And the pitching--four complete 
games to close out the American League Championship Series. An 11 and 1 
record in the playoffs. 15 scoreless innings to finish the World 
Series.
  Before the season started, the Sox were a consensus .500 team. Even 
as we built and maintained the best record in the American League all 
season, there were many doubters. Towards the end of the season, we hit 
a rough patch, and the doubters grew louder. They said Cleveland had 
more playoff experience. They said even if we held on to make the 
playoffs, we would get embarrassed in the first round. But during the 
stretch run, manager Ozzie Guillen and his ``kids,'' as he calls them, 
were calm and relaxed. Even as Cleveland came on strong and our lead in 
the Central Division dwindled, Ozzie's kids continued to play pranks on 
each other in the clubhouse, and continued to run hard on the 
basepaths.
  Once the playoffs started, there was no looking back. That difficult 
September was gone in an instant. We silenced the doubters by sweeping 
the World Champion Boston Red Sox. We

[[Page 24138]]

silenced the Angels during the ALCS in five games. And we swept the 
Astros in four games.
  I had the privilege of attending game one of the World Series on 
Saturday, and the fans in and around the park were a cross-section of 
the city. There were plenty of folks old enough to remember the `59 
team. Almost everyone remembered the 2000 team that made the playoffs. 
A few were even alive in 1917.
  I don't want to belabor this issue. I know those of you who had to 
listen to Red Sox fans last year may have gotten a little weary of 
those of us who have all this pent-up energy when we finally win the 
championship.
  But I do want to say that the entire city of Chicago and the entire 
State of Illinois are extraordinarily proud.
  I congratulate the entire White Sox organization, in particular Jerry 
Reinsdorf, Kenny Williams, and Ozzie Guillen. We will be celebrating 
this victory for a long time on the South Side, around the city of 
Chicago, and around the entire State of Illinois.
  Let me make one last point. While we were watching the game the other 
night, in the drenching rain Sunday evening there was a sign held up by 
an elderly woman 92 years old. She said: I've been waiting for this for 
88 years.
  I think it gave you some sense of how much this means to the city of 
Chicago and to those blue-collar neighborhoods made up of Black, White, 
and Hispanic who were represented so ably by their team. It spoke to 
the diversity of this country and the fact that we work together in 
ways that make us all proud.
  Senator Durbin and myself will be introducing a resolution later 
today.
  I want to turn it over to my senior colleague from the great State of 
Illinois to maybe add a few other remarks regarding this outstanding 
team.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator from Illinois is recognized.
  Mr. DURBIN. Mr. President, I thank my colleague from the State of 
Illinois who is truly a White Sox fan from the South Side of Chicago. 
We have town meetings every Thursday morning, and from the beginning of 
this baseball season, he has been rooting for his White Sox. As his 
fellow Senator from Illinois, I want to congratulate him and the White 
Sox organization.
  Say it is so, Joe.
  Eighty-six years after the 1919 Black Sox scandal, and 88 years after 
they beat the New York Giants in the 1917 World Series, the Chicago 
White Sox are bringing the World Series crown home to Chicago. It is 
amazing. The ghost of Sholeless Joe Jackson can finally rest in peace.
  Last night, the White Sox completed their magical World Series quest 
with a 1-0 win to complete a four-game sweep over the Houston Astros. 
But as Senator Obama has said, they were close games. Some of them 
broke records for their length and the hard battle that they brought to 
the mound and to the field.
  White Sox fans from my home State of Illinois and all around the 
world are rejoicing as the White Sox nation will cherish this victory 
for decades to come.
  The South Side of Chicago is the gladdest part of town. If you go 
down there, you better be aware that the White Sox won the World Series 
crown.
  I congratulate the White Sox players, their manager, the valiant 
Venezuelan, Ozzie Guillen, pitching coach Don Cooper. What an amazing 
performance by the pitching staff, and so many White Sox stars turned 
coaches such as Tim Raines, Greg Walker, Harold Baines, and Joey Cora; 
general manager Kenny Williams for putting together this magical team, 
himself a former Sox player who made key moves not only in the off 
season but during the season, such as adding closer Bobby Jenks, just 
24 years old, pitching in double A's just a few months ago. And there 
he stood on the mound last night pitching those 99- and 100-mile-an-
hour fast balls. But during the season, general manager Kenny Williams 
also added game 3 hero Geoff Blum. To the owners and my friends, Eddie 
Einhorn and Jerry Reinsdorf, congratulations for 25 years of dedication 
to their great moment of victory. Everyone in the White Sox 
organization richly deserves this World Series victory.
  The Sox organization has made citizens of Chicago and the State of 
Illinois proud by bringing home this crown. And to those generations of 
White Sox fans who stayed faithful to their team even in the darkest 
days, I say rejoice. The Chicago White Sox are world champions.
  I yield the floor.
  Mr. McCONNELL. I ask unanimous consent that the resolution be agreed 
to, the preamble be agreed to, the motion to reconsider be laid upon 
the table, and that any statements relating thereto be printed in the 
Record without intervening action or debate.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.
  The resolution (S. Res. 291) was agreed to.
  The preamble was agreed to.
  The resolution, with its preamble, reads as follows:

                              S. Res. 291

       Whereas, on October 26, 2005, the Chicago White Sox 
     baseball club won the 2005 World Series;
       Whereas this is the first championship for the White Sox 
     since 1917, when Woodrow Wilson was president and the United 
     States was fighting in World War I;
       Whereas this is the first World Series appearance for the 
     White Sox since 1959;
       Whereas the White Sox posted a regular season record of 99-
     63 and dominated their opponents during the playoffs, 
     compiling 11 wins and only 1 loss, and finishing with an 8-
     game win streak that included a sweep in the Fall Classic;
       Whereas the White Sox joined the 1990 Cincinnati Reds and 
     the legendary 1927 New York Yankees as the only teams who 
     have swept a World Series after playing every game of the 
     regular season while in first place;
       Whereas the White Sox pitching staff tied a Major League 
     playoff record of 4 straight complete game wins and did not 
     allow a single run in the last 15 innings of the World 
     Series;
       Whereas Manager Ozzie Guillen, General Manager Kenny 
     Williams, and owners Jerry Reinsdorf and Eddie Einhorn have 
     put together and led a great organization;
       Whereas all 25 players on the playoff squad, whose sole 
     goal was winning the World Series rather than chasing 
     individual glory, contributed to the victory, including World 
     Series Most Valuable Player, Jermaine Dye, as well as Scott 
     Podsednik, Tadahito Iguchi, Joe Crede, Aaron Rowand, Paul 
     Konerko, Juan Uribe, A.J. Pierzynski, Carl Everett, Freddy 
     Garcia, Geoff Blum, Willie Harris, Timo Perez, Chris Widger, 
     Pablo Ozuna, Mark Buehrle , Jose Contreras, Neal Cotts , Jon 
     Garland, Dustin Hermanson, Orlando Hernandez, Bobby Jenks, 
     Damaso Marte, Cliff Politte, and Luis Vizcaino;
       Whereas other players, such as Frank Thomas and Brandon 
     McCarthy, made important contributions to get the White Sox 
     to the playoffs, but were unable to be placed on the playoff 
     roster;
       Whereas this current group of White Sox players follows in 
     the giant footsteps of the great players in White Sox history 
     who have had their numbers retired, players such as Nellie 
     Fox (#2), Harold Baines (#3), Luke Appling (#4), Minnie 
     Minoso (#9), Luis Aparicio (#11), Ted Lyons (#16), Billy 
     Pierce (#19), and Carlton Fisk (#72);
       Whereas the city of Chicago and White Sox fans have 
     faithfully stuck by their team during the decades it spent in 
     baseball's wilderness;
       Whereas a new generation of young fans in Chicago and 
     around Illinois are discovering the joy of world championship 
     baseball; and
       Whereas the Boston Red Sox, the Los Angeles Angels of 
     Anaheim, and the Houston Astros proved worthy and honorable 
     adversaries and also deserve recognition, and: Now, 
     therefore, be it
       Resolved, that the Senate--
       (1) congratulates the Chicago White Sox on winning the 2005 
     World Series Championship;
       (2) commends the fans, players, and management of the 
     Houston Astros for allowing the Chicago White Sox and their 
     many supporters to celebrate their first World Series title 
     in 88 years at Minute Maid Park, the home field of the 
     Houston Astros; and
       (3) respectfully directs the Enrolling Clerk of the Senate 
     to transmit an enrolled copy of this resolution to--
       (A) the 2005 Chicago White Sox baseball club;
       (B) White Sox owners, Jerry Reinsdorf and Eddie Einhorn.

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