You can take all the division winners, wild cards, and division series finalists, but what really matters is winning the pennant.

The White Sox won the pennant, their first since clinching the American League flag on September 22, 1959.

Back then Al Lopez was the manager, Early Wynn won the Cy Young award, when only one was given out, and Nellie Fox won the MVP award as teammates Luis Aparicio and Jim Landis were voted second and third in the balloting.

Now The Curse of Luis Aparicio is finally broken.

What you never heard of the Curse of Little Looie, the Hall of Fame White Sox shortstop?

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Just when you think you’ve seen everything in baseball something new happens that makes you realize you don’t have any real idea what goes on behind the closed doors of a major league front office.

Ken Macha is back managing the A’s when it seemed that he was on his way to managerial oblivion in Pittsburgh, Tampa Bay, or Baltimore.

Why did he return?

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As the playoff story unfolds the players who will be known forever in baseball history as the ones who led their teams through “October Baseball” step up on the national stage.

In Chicago, pitcher Jose Contreras is the key to the Sox winning the ALCS. The cagey veteran finally trusts his tricky assortment of pitches. In times past, the former Cuban national star has refused to challenge the hitters. Not so anymore, Contreras says here’s the ball, go ahead and try and hit it. So far he’s been the most dominating pitcher of the postseason.

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The division series is a five gamer, nothing more, nothing less.

Once the regular season ends, baseball changes the rules.

Welcome to the party. Five intense games, the winners go to the next round, the losers go home, thanks for playing our game.

Which teams can run through this gauntlet without falling apart?

What do you need to be successful?

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No doubt the injuries to Rich Harden, Bobby Crosby, and Bobby Kielty contributed mightily to the A’s demise during their stretch run. However, for me the most devastating injury the team suffered was the season ending elbow surgery for closer Octavio Dotel.

Here’s why.

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No matter what happens over this weekend in the American League keep your eyes focused on the final three games of the season.

Seems like every time you turn around the Devil Rays are in the picture.

The Angels face the troublesome Rays in Anaheim this weekend before the Halos invade the Coliseum Monday.

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As the 2005 baseball season enters its final two weeks, six teams are in contention for playoff spots in the American league. Only four will continue to play past October 2nd.

In the National league only the Cardinals have clinched a playoff berth, leaving the remaining three postseason spots still up for grabs.

The White Sox are struggling. All of a sudden their starting pitching has gone in the tank. Here’s a scary thought: righthander Jose Contreras is the steadiest pitcher on Ozzie Guillen’s staff. No wonder the Cleveland Indians are licking their chops as they get ready to face the Sox next week in Chicago in a crucial three game series.

Can Cleveland catch Chicago?

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There’s an old saying in sports, “When the going gets tough, the tough get going”.

This age old proverb normally applies to baseball teams heading down the stretch to see which squads get to play October baseball.

Not so in 2005. The real question this year is, “who’s hurting and how much will he help the team during the remainder of the season?”

Let’s look at some of the injuries that the some of the key players in the pennant race are facing right now.

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The A’s and the Angels showed the baseball world this week that they are evenly matched when they face each other on the diamond.

The winner of the AL West will be the team that handles the remaining teams on the schedule most effectively.

Both contenders get a steady diet of the top teams in the league over the next couple of weeks. The A’s see Boston, Cleveland, and Minnesota. The Angels meet the White Sox, Red Sox, and the pesky Devil Rays.

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Big players step up in big games. There are no bigger games played during the baseball season then the contests played during the stretch drive.

In 2000, Jason Giambi carried the A’s through the final month leading the team to its first division championship since 1992.

In 1967, Hall of Famer Carl Yastrzemski hit over .500 in an out- of- this- world last twelve games leading the Red Sox to its “Impossible Dream” pennant. [Read more →]