On October 26, 2005, the Chicago White Sox defeat the Astros, 1-0, to earn their first World Series title since 1917. The victory gives the Sox a four-game sweep of Houston, whose making their first trip to the Fall Classic. Jermaine Dye, the Series MVP, delivers the game-winning hit in the eighth which is the only run scored in Game 4. Dye single to center field off Brad Lidge to score Willie Harris who had singled earlier in the inning, moving to second on a Scott Podsednik sacrifice bunt and moved to third base on a Carl Everett groundout, setting up the heroics from Dye. Former Astro farmhand Freddy Garcia blanks Houston over 7-2/3rds innings and relievers Cliff Politte, Neal Cotts and Bobby Jenks polish off the t1-0 shutout. White Sox shortstop Juan Uribe makes two defensive gems to clinch the title .
The Chicago White Sox become the second team in Major League history to never relinquish first place during the regular season (to the New York Yankees of 1927) and then steamroll their way through the post season by dropping just one game. Ending the 88 year championship drought was over as the “Curse of the Black Sox” was finally lifted.
The four game sweep over Houston had a 6 run scoring differential, the lowest in World Series history, indicating that pitching was at a premium in this series and for the second consecutive year, an American League team sweeps its National League opponent.
Tadahito Iguchi becomes the first Japanese native to win a World Series ring the second baseman left the Fukuoka Daiei Hawks to sign as a free agent with Chicago prior to the start of the championship season.
White Sox skipper Ozzie Guillen becomes the first foreign-born manager to win a World Series. The 41 year-old Venezuelan is also the youngest pilot to ever win a World Championship and Garcia also becomes the first Venezuelan starter to win a World Series game.
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