Sport-Blog.com

Since Ozzie Guillen took over as manager in 2004, the Chicago White Sox have played the kind of baseball known as "small ball". This means that a team emphasizes the fundamentals of the game and gets things done through the execution of old-fashioned basics. Here is a typical small ball scenario that ends up scoring a run: the leadoff man in the inning gets on base by being patient at the plate and drawing a walk. The next batter lays down a perfect sacrifice bunt to move the baserunner over to second with just one out. The third man up in the inning hits behind the runner (to the right side of the field) to advance him to third base with two outs. The fourth man up in the inning might then get a base hit to drive the runner in.

That's small ball in a nutshell, and those are exactly the kinds of things that the White Sox did all year long en route to their first World Series Championship in 88 years.

But that doesn't mean the White Sox can't hit for power. Chicago demonstrated just how powerful the lineup really is during their four-game sweep of the Houston Astros. Series MVP Jermaine Dye got things started for the White Sox in the first inning of Game One when he took Roger Clemens deep to make it 1-0. Dye's home run set the tone for the entire series for the White Sox offense. In Game Two, Paul Konerko blasted a grand slam in the seventh inning to put the White Sox ahead 6-4. Then, after the Astros tied it in the top of the ninth, Scott Podsednik, who hadn't hit a single homer in the regular season, connected on a Brad Lidge fastball to win the game. And Geoff Blum, a mid-season trade acquisition, homered in the top of the 14th inning in Game Three to put the White Sox ahead for good.

The power is clearly there, but it was small ball and great pitching that brought the World Series title home for Chicago. That's why it was so fitting that the White Sox clinched the championship in a 1-0 game that hinged on doing the little things right. Pinch-hitter Willie Harris led off the eighth inning with a single. Then Podsednik did an excellent job of handling a hard, high pitch for a sacrifice bunt. Carl Everett followed by grounding out to second base, which allowed Harris to move over to third. Finally, Dye came up and hit a grounder back up the middle to score Harris.

Chicago reliever Bobby Jenks was strong in the bottom of the ninth inning, shortstop Juan Uribe made two great plays, and the next thing you know, small ball had prevailed and the White Sox were celebrating their World Series win on the pitcher's mound at Minute Maid Park.

In this day and age, where home runs seem to be valued over everything else, it was nice to see old-fashioned baseball take center stage. Here's hoping that Ozzie Guillen and the White Sox utilize the same formula next season!