Reasonably Unreasonable Reasoning....For A Reason...

Top 10 reasons that the Chicago White Sox will win the 2005 World Series:

10) The adversity that the White Sox went through at the end of the season, when they nearly blew a 15 game lead to Cleveland and battled back to win homefield throughout the playoffs , has made them a strong, battle-tested cohesive team.

9) They have the fastest lead-off hitter in the game in Scott Posednik( .290 BA, .351 OBP and 59 stolen bases during the regular season).

8) They may be facing Houston’s “Big Three” but they are countering this fearsome threesome with their equally formidable Big 4: Freddy Garcia(14-8 3.87 ERA), John Garland(18-10 3.50 ERA), Mark Buehrle (16-8 3.12 ERA) and Jose Contreras( 15-7, 3.61 ERA). Oh, and all they did against the Angels was pitch back-to-back-to-back-to-back complete games, in winning the last four games of the series.

7) Roger Clemens may be one of the best pitchers of all-time, and this season may have pitched better than anyone else in the major leagues, but as his early exit in Game 1 with a hamstring injury seems to indicate, his body is finally breaking down, leaving Houston with only two-thirds of its “Big Three” in a series that they can only win by out-pitching their opponent.

6) Jose Contreras has developed into the ace starter that the Yankees thought that they were getting when they signed him to that $8 million a year contract. Too bad Brian Cashman thought his money was better spent renting one-year wonder Esteban Loiaza. During the second half of the season, Contreras was arguably the best pitcher in the American League, posting an 11-2 record with a 2.96 ERA.

5) The White Sox make you beat them; they don’t beat themselves. They led the league in fielding percentage this year and have likely the best defensive middle infield in the league in Iguchi, Crede and Uribe.

4) Paul Konerko( .283 BA, 40 HRs and 100 RBIs this season) is a proven hitter that is scarier to face then anyone in Houston’s lineup. Sure Morgan Ensberg had a good year( .283 36 HRs and 101 RBIs) but Konerko has shown us that he can do better, hitting 41 HRs and driving in 117 runs last year. Did I mention his two homeruns and seven RBIs against the Angels? Enough said.

3) A.J. Pierzynski has emerged as one of the best power-hitting catchers in the league(3 HRs and 6 RBIs during the playoffs), complementing his already impressive pitch-calling and defensive abilities.

2) Chicago is this year’s Boston. The breaking of the curse for the Red Sox last year has apparently opened the floodgates for every other cursed team in Major League baseball to have their time in the sun as well. Next year maybe the Cubs or Indians will get to hoist the trophy? Or better yet, the Devil Rays…

1) I have written in my blog that the White Sox will win, and I am all-knowing. Anyone who has read my blog at all can attest to my infinite wisdom when it comes to predicting the outcomes of the playoffs this year and can see that in compiling this list and with no belief in superstitions whatsoever I have only honorable intentions. I love the White Sox. I love Ozzie Guillen. May the best team win…