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As a sports fan I have had very few moments where the teams I root for have actually won a championship. That’s because, other than the Chicago Bulls of Michael Jordan days, the teams I root for pretty much suck. One of those teams that pretty much suck all the time are my beloved Chicago White Sox. They have won Major League Baseball’s championship a total of three times. Once in 1906 (I wasn’t around). Once in 1917 (again, not around). And then finally, in 2005. (YES!)
In one of the greatest runs in Major League Baseball playoff history my Sox went an amazing 11-1 and ended the team’s 88-year championship drought. One of the most epic games during that run was game three of the 2005 World Series versus the Houston Astros.
In what would be the longest game in World Series history by time and tied for the longest game in World Series history by innings, my White Sox would prevail 7 to 5 in 14 innings. The story of the day, other than Geoff Blum’s shocking and game-winning home run, was the fact that our ace Mark Buehrle got the save after pitching 7-1/3 innings in game two!
Since then there have been rumors that Buehrle, who obviously did not expect to play in the game, had sucked down a few beers in the bullpen before getting the call to close the game. White Sox pitching coach at the time, Don Cooper, had mentioned it in the past, but we’d never had the story confirmed by Buehrle himself, until now.
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According to a story on Buehrle for The Players’ Tribune, here’s how it went down…
The thing a lot of people talk about with that one is this rumor that I drank a few beers before I got the save in our Game 3 victory.
There’s been some stuff that’s come out on that topic, but I feel like you all should really hear it straight from the horse’s mouth. So, here goes….
In short: Yeah, sure, O.K. fine, so I had a few. I can admit to that.
But you gotta let me explain.
First off, no one on the planet would’ve ever guessed that I was going to see the field in Game 3. I had started the previous game of the series and threw 100 pitches in that one. I would’ve bet my house that I wasn’t going to pitch a day and a half later. Anyone would have.
So, that being the case, you better believe that I was gonna do what came natural to me — grab a few beers during the early innings, kick back and enjoy the game like everyone else.
And it was just like one or two beers.
Every time I grabbed one, I’d go over and check in with the coaches.
“Hey, you guys are sure you’re not going to need me, right?”
“No, Mark. You are not pitching today. You just went.”
So I’d hear that and grab a beer.
It was only like three beers….
Max.
Definitely no more than three, though.
I swear.
Anyway, of course the game had to go 14 innings, right?
By the 11th, I began to get the feeling that something strange might be taking place. At that point, I started to bear down and prepare. And I was ready to pitch when my name was called.
When it was all said and done, I got the save. We got the win. And we won the whole thing the next day.
No one gives me any grief about it … because, first and foremost, sports fans in Chicago care about winning. And we brought home the trophy.
But also, I think part of it has to do with the fact that the people there really love their beer.
They understand.
“Definitely no more than three.” Awesome. And yes, people really do love their beer, Mark.
Check out the rest of the very in-depth and fascinating piece on Buerhle over at The Players’ Tribune.