Saturday, September 17, 1983—The Date That I Witnessed The White Sox Clinching Something Big

      I realized what was going to be big about the White Sox game against the Seattle Mariners as I was glued to my TV set.

     Jerry Hairston, no. 17 who had already had 15 pinch hits, comes up to bat for the Sox. He had a batting average of .297, with 5 homers and 22 runs batted in. He reminded me of Reggie Jackson, for he seemed to have worn some sunglasses, but I think it was a mirage. Then, I see Julio Cruz is on deck. I saw that Jerry Hairston’s first two swings are strikes, and then, there was a ball. And then he drives a line shotto Seattle’s Reinecke (no. 21) to first base for a quick putout.

     Then, I observed Julio Cruz, no. 16 ,coming to bat. He walked and scored, and bounced to second base as I saw Rudy Law is on beck.

    The commentators told me that 45,646 was the paid attendance, and they reached the 2,000,000 mark in paid attendance in 1987.

       I then saw 3 straight balls at Julio Cruz. Then I saw ball four and Julio Cruz walks to first. Del Crandell was the Mariners’ manager who comes up at the starting pitcher for a time out, and then he goes back to the dugout.  Next, I saw Rudy Law had a batting average of .288, with 3 homers and 30 runs batted in. He was 1 for 4 with a single. And I found out that Sox’s Julio Cruz had 52 stolen bases with 63 attempts at that time. Then Julio Cruz successfully steals base no. 53 and I see him do a belly-flop slight almost like Pete Rose would do.

       Afterwards, I saw that Law ends up with a good count with 3 balls, and Caudill, no. 37, is the pitcher. Then Seattle’s Caudill walks Cruz. Bill Caudill is his full name. At the time he walked Cruz, I learned that he had two walks and no strikeouts.

      Then I saw an important Sox player come to bat--here comes Carlton Fisk, no. 72. His batting average is .291, with 25 homers and 81 runs batted in. His first pitch at-bat is a ball. Then Carlton Fisk check-swings at strike three and the Seattle catcher throws at third base as Julio Cruz tries to steal third and the home plate umpire calls strike three, but the home plate umpire wants an appeal to the third base umpire----and the third base umpire says NO SWING! The White Sox get second life and that was a very close call I felt.

      Then, I lamented slightly as Carlton Fisk is waved off and Harold Baines will be the pinch hitter. Then Bill Caudill is eventually ordered to leave the game by the manager. As the pitching change happens, I hear the crowd in the stands chanting “Runaround Sue” with the help of Nancy Faust.  I then saw relief picture Ed Vandeberg has 2 wins, 4 losses, and an ERA of 3.54, warming up on the mound.   

      I then looked at the TV cameras at Ken Harrelson is in the White Sox clubhouse awaiting a possible clincher celebration if the White Sox win this game. Later on, as Harold Baines takes the first few pitches, I hear Nancy Faust play one of my most-beloved old-time songs, “Hava Nagliah” to rally the thing, Harold then hits a sacrifice pop-up to the Seattle center fielder, and the fielder catches it, and I see Julio Cruz tag and run for his life towards home plate. The throw is delivered towards home plate but it is too late and I went to the bed and fell down on the mattress, realizing that the Sox got what they wanted—an American League Western Championship clinching!!!

      The celebration immediately after the final out was a bit like the 1973 celebration of the world series championship clincher by the Oakland A’s as they finished off the Mets. Just like what happened at the Oakland Coliseum on that moment, some of the fans stormed onto the field at Comiskey Park, the Sox gang-banged themselves around the infield as the exploding scoreboard set off its short, big flurry of pyrotechnics, and organist Nancy Faust wailed “Na Na Hey Hey Good-bye” in grand fashion. Then the Sox stormed into the dugout and into the clubhouse for the big celebration that involved a lot of champagne drinking—and of course, spraying. At one point, the catch phrase used by the Sox—“Winning Ugly”—I did not mind it or who coined that term. But still, I was a bit glad that the Sox would really be in the post season. The Chicago Cubs – they would get their turn next year, but for the time being, it was, for me, a time for the White Sox—and its fans—to celebrate a clincher like this.