[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 151 (2005), Part 18]
[House]
[Pages 24488-24491]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




 CONGRATULATING THE CHICAGO WHITE SOX ON WINNING THE 2005 WORLD SERIES

  Mr. DENT. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and agree to the 
concurrent resolution (H. Con. Res. 281) congratulating the Chicago 
White Sox on winning the 2005 World Series.
  The Clerk read as follows:

                            H. Con. Res. 281

       Whereas the Chicago White Sox won 99 games during the 
     regular season and compiled the best record in the American 
     League;
       Whereas the White Sox, through great pitching, hitting, and 
     superb defense dominated the playoffs with an impressive 11-1 
     record, beating the former world champion Boston Red Sox, the 
     Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim, and the Houston Astros;
       Whereas the White Sox have the distinction of participating 
     in the longest game during World Series history of 5 hours 
     and 41 minutes;
       Whereas the White Sox, formed in 1901, earn the distinction 
     of being world champions for the first time since 1917, 
     ending an 88 year drought;
       Whereas the White Sox swept the Houston Astros by winning 4 
     straight games in the World Series;
       Whereas Jerry Reinsdorf, Chairman of the Chicago White Sox, 
     has become only the third owner to win championships in two 
     major sports; and
       Whereas the White Sox organization, from Jerry Reinsdorf, 
     General Manager Ken Williams, manager Ozzie Guillen, and all 
     the players have reinvigorated America's pastime and made 
     Chicagoans proud: Now, therefore, be it
       Resolved by the House of Representatives (the Senate 
     concurring), That Congress joins with all Americans in 
     congratulating the 2005 World Series Champion Chicago White 
     Sox.

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from 
Pennsylvania (Mr. Dent) and the gentleman from Illinois (Mr. Davis) 
each will control 20 minutes.
  The Chair recognizes the gentleman from Pennsylvania (Mr. Dent).


                             General Leave

  Mr. DENT. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may

[[Page 24489]]

have 5 legislative days within which to revise and extend their remarks 
and include extraneous material on H. Con. Res. 281.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the 
gentleman from Pennsylvania?
  There was no objection.
  Mr. DENT. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
  Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of House Concurrent Resolution 281, 
offered by the distinguished gentleman from Illinois (Mr. Davis). This 
bill would honor the dedication of the Chicago White Sox in winning the 
2005 World Series.
  For the first time since 1917, the Chicago White Sox have had the 
opportunity to bask in the national spotlight that accompanies winning 
the Major League Baseball world title. Not only did the title belong to 
them, but the entire post season did as well.
  They swept the Boston Red Sox in three games, defeated the Anaheim 
Angels four games to one to become the American League Champions, and 
finally swept the Houston Astros in four games to clinch the World 
Series.

                              {time}  2030

  The Sox completed an 11-1 postsea-
son run, showing the world their perseverance and teamwork.
  The White Sox motto of ``Win or Die Trying'' was certainly observed 
throughout the entire season, not just in the postseason. The Sox 
showed that they were a force to be reckoned with by winning 99 games 
during the course of the regular season. They were 66-35 in games 
decided by two runs or less as well as 38-20 in one-run contests.
  The celebration continues for the proud fans of the Chicago White 
Sox. The team kicked off their victory celebration by riding 
triumphantly into the heart of Chicago. Hundreds of thousands of fans 
lined the streets of the downtown area to catch a glimpse of the 
champion White Sox. Even Oprah Winfrey cleared a segment of her show to 
honor the team. According to first baseman Paul Konerko, ``Chicago is 
second city no more.''
  I urge all Members to join me in commemorating this momentous event 
for the city of Chicago by adopting H. Con. Res. 281.
  Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. DAVIS of Illinois. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I 
might consume.
  Mr. Speaker, I represent one of the most interestingly diverse 
congressional districts in America. It is home to the Chicago White 
Sox, home to the Chicago Bulls, home to the Bears. It is home to Oprah 
Winfrey. It is home to the Magnificent Mile and all of the great 
downtown Chicago, and so I rise today as a proud Member representing 
the area from which the 2005 world champion Chicago White Sox hail.
  First of all, I want to thank Representative John Shimkus and the 
entire Illinois delegation for supporting this resolution. I also want 
to thank Speaker Hastert. He has to be a White Sox fan for getting this 
resolution to the floor in such a timely manner.
  The White Sox organization, led by Chairman Jerry Reinsdorf, a 
constituent of mine, Vice Chairman Eddie Einhorn, and General Manager 
Ken Williams, has managed to do what has not been done since 1917. They 
assembled a team led by former player and now coach Ozzie Guillen that 
won 99 games during the regular season and had the best record in the 
American League.
  There are a number of amazing things about the 2005 White Sox that 
stand out. First of all, they led their division throughout the season. 
They have an outstanding group of young pitchers who dominated the 
regular season and the playoffs. They have great hitters who come 
through in the clutch. Perhaps the most impressive thing about them is 
the fact that they believed in themselves throughout the year and 
played as a team.
  When you look at the line-up, there are no big-name superstars. As a 
matter of fact, they remind me of Chicago: blue collar workers getting 
the job done.
  We will never forget the great starting rotation of Contreras, 
Buehrle, Garland, and Garcia who pitched four straight complete games 
during the championship run. Nor will we forget the great bullpen led 
by Politte, Jenks, Cotts, Marte, Hermanson, Hernandez and Vizcaino, 
which helped secure 11 victories throughout the playoffs. The bats of 
Konerko, the American League Championship Series Most Valuable Player; 
Jermaine Dye, the World Series Most Valuable Player; Crede, Iguchi, 
Uribe, Podsednik, Rowand, Everett, Pierzynski, and others keyed an 
offense that delivered in the clutch.
  That offense and defense swept the defending world champion Boston 
Red Sox in three games. They ousted the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim 
in five games; and in the World Series, they swept the Houston Astros, 
winning four straight games.
  I would think that people like Luis Aparicio, Nellie Fox, Al Smith, 
Minnie Minoso, Bill Skowron and others have to look back in retrospect 
and say how proud they are of this new bunch.
  I also want to commend Houston for being great competitors and for 
their fine season. The Chicago White Sox have brought a championship to 
Chicago, and for that we are all proud.
  The championship, though, really pays tribute to all of those who 
struggled to get to this point. The great teams of the past and their 
players all cheered.
  I also want to commend Frank Thomas who got hurt midway through the 
season, but he never gave up on his teammates; and he was right there 
all along cheering them on.
  We also are, even as we celebrate this year, looking forward to next 
year because we expect them to be back. So, again, to Mr. Reinsdorf, 
Mr. Einhorn, the front office, all of the coaches and players, we 
salute you for an outstanding season. We also salute you for being a 
good neighbor and a good corporate citizen.
  One of the things that many people do not know about the White Sox is 
their ownership and how civically and community involved they are, how 
relevant they are to the whole city of Chicago and to the State of 
Illinois. So, as we savor this sweet victory, we will be back next 
year.
  To my friends from Houston, let me just say that I am looking forward 
to eating high on the hog. We had a couple of bets out there, one with 
Representative Poe. I am looking forward to the barbecue. And also I 
want Representative Al Green to know that I eat a hearty lunch. So I 
thank you all.
  Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. DENT. Mr. Speaker, I yield as much time as he may consume to the 
gentleman from Illinois (Mr. Kirk), my distinguished colleague, who I 
am told is a Chicago Cubs fan.
  Mr. KIRK. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman from Pennsylvania for 
the time.
  I want to recognize my two colleagues and the gentleman from Illinois 
(Mr. Davis) from the relevant district and to say as a die-hard Cubs 
fan, Congratulations.
  We all know that had we seen the Chicago Cubs in the World Series, 
and I can speak from the heart as a Northsider, it would have been a 
quasi-religious experience; but, nonetheless, to see a Chicago team, 
especially the White Sox, who had gone without a World Series victory 
since 1917, this was quite an event.
  We all know where the sympathies of our mayor lie. No question that 
he is a White Sox fan primarily, and they definitely prevailed.
  I will take a point of personal privilege to congratulate two of my 
constituents, Jerry Reinsdorf, manager of the White Sox organization; 
and Bob Mazer, the principal shareholder who after many years of 
patient management and attending to this team pulled off a great 
victory.
  If you lived in the Chicagoland area for the last couple of weeks, 
you would have not been able to find any oxygen in the system. We were 
all White Sox all the time, as well as it could be, and we only look 
forward, as a die-hard Cubs fan, to say maybe next year we will have a 
series on the El, between the South side and the North side, with an 
eventual, someday Cubs victory.
  Anyway to my colleagues, congratulations. The South side has 
prevailed, and we congratulate you.

[[Page 24490]]


  Mr. DAVIS of Illinois. Mr. Speaker, of course Dusty Baker likes to 
come to my district to eat catfish at Wallace's Catfish Corner, so we 
look forward to that and hope that it would happen. I want to thank the 
gentleman for his remarks.
  It is my pleasure to yield as much time as he would consume to the 
gentleman from Illinois (Mr. Rush), who shares the White Sox stadium. 
As a matter of fact, our districts come together right at the White Sox 
stadium. So I do not know if they are more Rush than Davis.
  Mr. RUSH. Mr. Speaker, I want to thank sponsor of this resolution, my 
friend from the Chicago City Council, my friend in the civil rights 
movement, my colleague here in the Congress, the Congressman from the 
Seventh Congressional District, Congressman Danny K. Davis, for the 
lead that he took in terms of this particular resolution, the 
sponsoring of this resolution; and I want to thank him for all the work 
that he does on behalf of not only his constituents but the 
constituents of Chicago and the constituents of the Nation.
  Mr. Speaker, it is proper that I would follow a Cubs fan because for 
a long time the Cubs have been known throughout the Nation as being 
Chicago's team, and that moniker was earned because the entire Nation 
sympathized with the Cubs. They have lost so much and they have lost 
for such a long time that they have really kind of endeared themselves 
in their losing manner to the Nation; and so, therefore, the Nation has 
responded to them accordingly.
  But I stand here now to say to the Cubs fans and to all of the Nation 
really that there is a team in Chicago now that has earned the respect 
and the love and the endearment of all the citizens of the City of 
Chicago. We are not Chicago's team because of sympathy. We are 
Chicago's team because the Chicago White Sox have instilled a sense of 
pride in Chicago. Indeed, the Chicago White Sox are now the pride of 
Chicago.
  Mr. Speaker, I rise to congratulate the White Sox for their dominant, 
excellent performance in the World Series and the playoffs, how they 
conducted themselves, both as professionals and how they conducted 
themselves as superior and supreme athletes. They made us all proud, 
particularly those of my constituents who share, as Congressman Davis 
said, share the ethos and share the pride and share the workman 
mentality of the City of Chicago with the Chicago White Sox.
  The Chicago White Sox team epitomizes the lunch-pail approach, the 
lunch-pail mentality that I would like to think all of my constituents 
represent. This is the team of the little guy. This is the team of the 
unheralded heroes. This is the team that fights based on heart. They 
have got big hearts, not big names, but they have got big hearts, and 
their big hearts won the World Series.
  Mr. Speaker, this win that we were able to experience over the last 
few days really united the City of Chicago unlike it has been united in 
recent memory.
  I remember back in 1959 I was a 13-year-old lad, living in Cubs 
territory; and although all of my friends and my teachers and 
everybody, all those who I was associated with, they all were die-hard 
Cubs fans, but Chicago, the White Sox, kind of captured my imagination. 
I became a Chicago White Sox fan at 13 years old when they were in the 
American League pennant race, and since that time I have been following 
the team closely.
  I have become friends with Jerry Reinsdorf and Eddie Einhorn and 
Kenny Williams; and it just gives me a sense of pride, gives my 
constituents a sense of pride just to know that within the neighborhood 
that we all reside in that we have a world championship team there. We 
have a World Series team there.
  Mr. Speaker, the black and the white is all over the City of Chicago.

                              {time}  2045

  When I got off the plane last week from Washington here, the whole 
entire airport was an avalanche of black and white all over the 
airport, and people from far and near were coming trying to buy some of 
the White Sox logos and some of the White Sox t-shirts and some of 
their paraphernalia.
  I am just so proud of this particular team. It is really a shot in 
the arm for those of us who work hard every day, those of us who do the 
right thing, those of us who really just put our hearts and our minds 
and our spirit out on the field. Sometimes we come back victorious and 
sometimes we do not come back victorious, but we still go out and 
approach our day-to-day activities with the kind of zeal and with the 
kind of understanding that this is fair. This is fair. We go and put 
everything, our guts on the ground, and if we do that, then sometimes 
we are able to be victorious.
  The Chicago White Sox have really cemented the fact that if you just 
work hard you do not have to be the big names, you do not have to have 
the dazzling system. All you have to have is an organization of people 
from the elevator operator to the janitor all the way up to the 
president of the company, the owners of the company. If you have that 
kind of organization and you really, really have a single focus, you 
have the power of a made-up mind, you can accomplish and you can be 
victorious. The Chicago White Sox have shown that with the power of the 
made-up mind that they could be victorious.
  Mr. Speaker, they started out this year saying they had one thing on 
their mind, that they were going to go to the World Series, and they 
did it. We are proud of them. They have shown the way, and I am just so 
grateful to have the opportunity to come and to speak on behalf of this 
resolution. So I want to congratulate the Chicago White Sox and their 
entire organization.
  Lastly, Mr. Speaker, before I take my seat, I just want to say to my 
colleague from the Seventh Congressional District and to others, we 
will try to do all that we can to ensure that this franchise, that this 
organization, that this World Series champion has what it takes in 
order for them to continue on with their success.
  I want to let the world know that we will be erecting a new public 
transportation system, a metro system, that will have a stop there at 
the White Sox field there, U.S. Cellular Field. The Cell will have a 
metro stop there so that people from far and near can come. And if my 
colleagues from the Cubs part of the city, from the north side and from 
the other places, if they want to get on the metro and come to Comiskey 
Park to see some winning going on in the City of Chicago, then they are 
invited to come over. It does not take a lot of money. We invite them 
to come from the north side to the south side in order to see some 
victories in the City of Chicago.
  Mr. DENT. Mr. Speaker, I have no further requests for time, and I 
reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. DAVIS of Illinois. Mr. Speaker, I yield such time as he may 
consume to the gentleman from Illinois (Mr. Emanuel), who hails right 
from Cub territory, no doubt about it, Wrigleyville.
  Mr. EMANUEL. Mr. Speaker, I thank my colleague from Chicago for 
yielding me this time. I may have to go into a witness protection plan 
after this speech, given Wrigleyville is in my district.
  As a fan of the Chicago Cubs, as those have noted and anybody 
listening tonight knows, the difference between the north side and the 
south side of Chicago when it comes to baseball is like deep dish pizza 
versus thin pizza. It is a serious, lifelong fight.
  I will say as the proud father of an 8-year-old son, who took his son 
to the World Series game Sunday in the rain and 32-degree weather, 
which is a little more like a football game than a baseball game, and 
watched that grand slam and being there with my son, it was a great 
moment. It was a great moment for baseball, it was a great moment for 
Chicago, and a great moment for this country. And as a north sider, it 
was a great season for watching the Chicago White Sox, a great team.
  Mr. DAVIS of Illinois. Mr. Speaker, let me just close by thanking all 
of those who have spoken. And I agree

[[Page 24491]]

with my colleague from Illinois (Mr. Kirk) when he said that the City 
of Chicago and the Chicago White Sox have no greater White Sox fan than 
the mayor of the City of Chicago.
  If you have never seen a ticker tape parade, if you have never seen a 
real outpouring in a city, you should have been there on Friday when 
Chicago put on one of the greatest displays of public affection upon an 
athletic team, an athletic enterprise that one could ever witness. So I 
want to thank the people of Chicago for their great display of support 
shown to the White Sox.
  As a matter of fact, you would have thought that there was no other 
kind of Sox except White Sox in town. It was a great season, a great 
victory. Again, I congratulate the owners of the White Sox, I 
congratulate all of the players and the coaches, and say that we will 
be back next year.
  Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.
  Mr. DENT. Mr. Speaker, I urge all of my colleagues to support the 
adoption of House Concurrent Resolution 281.
  Mr. WELLER. Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong support of this resolution 
honoring a sports team that will go down in history as one of the best 
there ever was: the 2005 Chicago White Sox. For a city so rich as 
Chicago in sports tradition--and sports misery, for that matter--our 
first World Series championship since 1917 has generated fond new 
memories for a whole new generation of Chicagoans.
  Perhaps most remarkable about the team that has restored baseball 
pride to Illinois is its recipe for success: teamwork, teamwork, and 
more teamwork. Ozzie Guillen, the man who led this team of non-
superstars, is in immigrant from Venezuela whose coaching future was 
measured by some experts in terms of months. Players such Scott 
Podsednik, A.J. Pierzinski, and Bobby Jenks, who provided some of the 
series' most thrilling and memorable moments, were mostly cast-offs 
from other teams. This Chamber, and indeed this country, can learn a 
lot from the team-first principles which the Chicago White Sox proved 
are the ultimate winning formula.
  Mr. Speaker, I'm particularly proud of the manner with which the 
Chicago area celebrated our team's victory. The moment Paul Konerko 
caught the final out of Game Four, millions of Chicagoans and thousands 
of my own constituents poured out into the streets of most every 
neighborhood, and managed to conduct themselves in a wildly 
enthusiastic, yet safe and dignified manner. The victory celebration 
downtown attracted 1.7 million people and had to be held on a Friday 
because nobody wanted to wait until the weekend.
  Mr. Speaker, the world-class city that is Chicago now has another 
world championship calling card. I salute the 2005 White Sox and their 
fans, and I urge passage of this measure honoring this utterly 
deserving team.
  Mr. GUTIERREZ. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to congratulate the Chicago 
White Sox for their historic 2005 season which culminated in their 
first World Series victory in 88 years.
  Earlier this year, many Chicagoans realized that this team was 
something special. For example, their style of play was unique. The 
White Sox placed emphasis on aggressive base running, solid pitching, 
strong defense and strategic hitting. This style of play became known 
around the league as ``Ozzie ball,'' named after the White Sox former 
shortstop and now manager, Ozzie Guillen.
  The White Sox front office caught on to this trend and began 
marketing the Sox with their ``Grinder Ball Rules'' ad campaign. One of 
these ``rules,'' Grinder Ball Rule #7, was demonstrated in a print ad 
featuring White Sox closer and Japan native, Shingo Takatsu with the 
line: ``To win, you need defense, speed and discipline . . . And 
immigration.''
  That ad captured two of the important components of this historic 
team: the hard nosed ball playing of the Sox and the diversity of 
players that came together to win the championship as a team.
  The White Sox dugout at times sounded as if it were a mini-United 
Nations. Jose Contreras and Orlando Hernandez from Cuba. Damaso Marte, 
Luis Vizcaino, Pablo Ozuna, Juan Uribe and Timo Perez from the 
Dominican Republic. Freddy Garcia and manager Ozzie Guillen from 
Venezuela. Tadahito Iguchi from Japan. And last, but not least, the 
Korean baseball hero, always smiling bullpen catcher, ``the Hulk,'' Man 
Soo Lee.
  Their story is so familiar, so hopeful, for so many immigrants in 
this country--men and women who, like them, come to the United States 
to work hard, to provide for their families and loved ones, so that 
they, too, can live a better and safer life and pursue the American 
Dream.
  And that is why this resolution is so important, deserving and 
justified. Throughout history people have associated baseball with the 
strengths of American culture and equated the game with the best of our 
country's character and resolve.
  And in Chicago, we have found a team that embodies the character of 
our great city, especially the South Side of Chicago, where part of my 
District lies. The team, much like the South Side, is composed of 
close-knit friends who do their work diligently and without much 
fanfare. You can see it in the fan base, especially when you watch 
games on television. When the White Sox swept the Red Sox in the first 
round of the playoffs, celebrities like Ben Affleck, Jennifer Garner, 
Matt Damon, and Robert Redford were easily identified by the television 
cameras panning around Fenway Park. But when the next round came back 
to Chicago, the cameras weren't as active looking for Bernie Mack, 
James Denton (the plumber from ``Desperate Housewives'') and Dennis 
DeYoung of Styx.
  And I think that's just fine with the South Side and our city at 
large. The White Sox didn't win the World Series by relying on the star 
power of a few individuals. Instead they had to work together and grind 
out every game with blood, sweat and, after the champagne popped in the 
clubhouse, after the last game of the year, tears of White Sox heroes 
who all share the spotlight equally with some of the best fans in 
baseball. Congratulations.
  Ms. BEAN. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to congratulate the 2005 World 
Champion Chicago White Sox. Chicagoans--particularly those on the South 
Side--have been waiting 88 years for this historic win. Today, I am 
proud to join my colleagues in the Illinois delegation, our 
constituents across the State and White Sox fans across the country to 
celebrate the team's long-awaited victory.
  Led by manager Ozzie Guillen, the 2005 White Sox finished the regular 
season with 99 wins and 63 losses--the best record in the American 
League. After the regular season, the White Sox went on to sweep last 
year's champions the Boston Red Sox and then marched past the Los 
Angeles Angels.
  Facing off against the Houston Astros in the World Series, it was 
immediately evident that this could be our year. Throughout the series, 
we all sat on the edge of our seats witnessing great baseball between 
two formidable opponents, ultimately resulting in the White Sox 
sweeping the series and finishing the playoffs 11 and 1.
  This year's team proved that hard work, dedication, and the desire to 
win can prevail against all odds. I want to again congratulate the 
players and management as well as the fans of the Chicago White Sox. 
The 2005 World Championship may have been long in the waiting, but 
don't expect us to wait another 88 years for the next one.
  Mr. DENT. Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore (Mr. Boustany). The question is on the motion 
offered by the gentleman from Pennsylvania (Mr. Dent) that the House 
suspend the rules and agree to the concurrent resolution, H. Con. Res. 
281.
  The question was taken; and (two-thirds having voted in favor 
thereof) the rules were suspended and the concurrent resolution was 
agreed to.
  A motion to reconsider was laid on the table.

                          ____________________