popular thinking

CONGRATULATIONS TO THE WHITE SOX: Perhaps this year, the fans on the South Side of Chicago will finally be relieved of their own cursed fandom. The 2005 Red Sox, much like its fans, did not have that same magical feeling this fall that this was THE YEAR. That's due, in large part, to the fact that last year was THE YEAR. But it's also more evidence that pitching always wins or loses the World Series. Peter Gammons and Bob Ryan said as much last year on-air in the minutes and hours following Game 4 of the 2004 World Series, trying to put the Red Sox accomplishment into perspective. The Red Sox won last year because their starting pitching and their bullpen got the job done. This year's squad never had that edge. Foulke was a mess from start to early finish. Schilling never fully recovered from his Faustian ankle bargain of an October ago. Pedro went to Queens. And Edgar Renteria, who grounded out as a St. Louis Cardinal to end Boston's Curse last year, grounded out to close not one but two of the three games with the White Sox, while Orlando Cabrera still provides a spunky spark, only now in Anaheim. How fitting. Anyhow. I could go on a full rant, but I shan't. What's done is done. It'd be very interesting to see how Chicago and the baseball world would respond if the White Sox do go all the way. How would Cubs fans feel then? Would they still cede some ownership of the Windy City? Or would their lovable loser shtick get ramped up even more if the White Sox win?