Fate is on the White Sox side.

Is it just me or does it seem like fate wants the Chicago White Sox to win the World Series? I have been watching this year’s playoffs and I have noticed some things that make me believe we have another Boston Red Sox situation.

Here we have a baseball team that hasn’t won a World Series championship since 1917. That is a long time. In fact it is a longer time than the drought the Boston Red Sox suffered through. Why don’t we love/hate the White Sox like we love/hate the Red Sox? What can we blame their curse on? Is there room for another curse in baseball, much less the city of Chicago?

The White Sox are most famous for throwing a World Series. The famous Black Sox scandal not only embarrassed Chicago, it almost ruined baseball. I can’t believe that hasn’t been picked up and used as an excuse for their run of futility. The Black Sox Curse, that has a nice ring to it.

Whatever the case, curse or no curse, the White Sox (as of this writing) are up two games to none on the Houston Astros and appear to be on their way to a World Series championship. Things just seem to be falling into line, as they have all the way through the playoffs for the White Sox.

Can anyone forget what happened in the first round with the White Sox facing a 2 games to none deficit going into game 3 in Los Angeles? Well, they were facing a two games to none situation until AJ Pierzynski took a trot down to first base and threw the whole series on its ear.

With the help of an incompetent umpire, the White Sox stole one from the Angels and cruised to a 3 games to one series win. I am convinced this incident sucked the life out of the Angels. They already had to be playing on fumes after the Yankees series and this “dropped” strike three blew their second wind right out of them.

That was the first thing that made me think the Chicago White Sox were destined for Great things this postseason. I saw a few things in game 2 on Sunday night in Chicago that convinced me this year once again belongs to the Sox.

One thing that convinced me is that the weather was so bad even I was uncomfortable just watching it. It was cold and rainy and nasty. I half expected the game to be called and finished on Monday, but this being the World Series; I knew that was going to be a long, long shot. While I am sure it was miserable for both teams, I am also sure Houston probably doesn’t play in 45 degree weather all that often. The elements were against the Astros.

Here is another weird thing. It comes once again from the umpires. Jermaine Dye was up to bat in the seventh inning and was hit by a pitch. Or was he? Apparently he was not, but it appeared as though he was and the umpire sent him to first base, thus loading the bases with the White Sox trailing the Astros 4 runs to 2.

I am sure the umpire made the best call he could; in fact, I too thought Dye was hit by the pitch, until I saw the replay. We all know what happened next. The bad call extends the inning and Paul Konerko comes up and blasts a grand slam to give the Sox a 6-4 lead. Are we sure that Dye would have gotten out if he had not been “hit” by that pitch? No, but it didn’t help the Astros one bit. Fate hurts.

Now, if those two things aren’t enough to convince you that fate is intervening on the behalf of the White Sox. We get to the 9th inning. Somehow the Astros battle back against all odds and somehow tie this game up with the best closer in baseball coming on to hold off the White Sox. Brad Lidge is a bad dude; believe me when I say this. No one can stop him unless your name is Albert Pujols.

Lidge is facing a guy who did not hit one home run during the regular season. A guy who is known more for stealing bases than rounding them in a home trot.

Scott Podsednik steps up against Brad Lidge and lofts a 2-1 pitch into the bleachers. This is Podsednik’s second homerun in the post season. Either this guy is the new Derek Jeter or we need to test for illegal substances or fate is stepping in and giving the White Sox some help.

This was the kicker for me. I am convinced this Series is all over but the shouting. I know, I know, it’s not like I have been Kreskin so far with my baseball predictions, but this is bigger than a moron like me trying to prove how smart I am. This is bigger than that. It’s been said many times in cases such as these, but this time it will hold true. You gotta believe, and even if you don’t, it’s not up to you and me. It’s fate.