In the middle of October 2005, the sports world witnessed something that shouldn't have been possible in the modern era of specialized bullpens and pitch counts. Four straight complete games. Four. It happened in the ALCS, and it remains one of the most absurd statistical anomalies in the history of Major League Baseball. Yet, whenever people talk about the greatest teams of the 2000s, this squad gets left out. They’re the "forgotten" champions.
Honestly, it’s kinda weird.
The white sox 05 roster didn't just win; they steamrolled. They went 11-1 in the postseason. That’s a winning percentage of .917 against the best teams in the world. They led their division wire-to-wire, starting the season on a tear and never looking back, even when the Cleveland Indians tried to make it interesting in September. If you look at the names on that list today, you see a bunch of "grinders" and "misfits" who somehow out-pitched the most expensive rotations in the game.
The Pitching Staff that Refused to Leave the Mound
If there’s one thing you need to understand about the 2005 Chicago White Sox, it’s that the starters were basically horses. Don Cooper, the pitching coach, had these guys dialed in. We’re talking about Mark Buehrle, Jon Garland, Freddy Garcia, and Jose Contreras.
In the ALCS against the Los Angeles Angels, after Jose Contreras lost Game 1, the next four guys didn't just win—they finished what they started.
- Mark Buehrle threw a gem in Game 2.
- Jon Garland followed up with a complete game in Game 3.
- Freddy Garcia did the same in Game 4.
- Jose Contreras came back to finish the job in Game 5.
That’s 36 consecutive innings where the bullpen didn't have to throw a single pitch. Think about that for a second. In today’s game, a manager gets nervous if his starter sees a hitter for the third time. Ozzie Guillen just sat back and let his guys cook.
👉 See also: NFL Fantasy Pick Em: Why Most Fans Lose Money and How to Actually Win
The rotation was incredibly healthy, too. Only six pitchers made a start for the Sox all year. Brandon McCarthy was the "sixth man," making 10 starts when needed, but the core four each eclipsed 200 innings. That kind of durability is extinct now.
The Bobby Jenks Factor
Before the season started, nobody knew who Bobby Jenks was. He was a waiver claim from the Angels—literally picked up for $20,000. He started the year in Double-A Birmingham. Then, around July, the Sox needed a power arm.
Jenks showed up with a 100-mph heater and a curveball that fell off a table. Dustin Hermanson had been the closer for most of the year, racking up 34 saves, but his back was barking. Jenks stepped in and became the face of the postseason bullpen. He looked like a guy you'd see at a bowling alley, but he pitched like a closer from a video game.
Small Ball and the Ozzie-Ball Philosophy
The offense on the white sox 05 roster was... interesting. It wasn't a lineup of superstars. It was a lineup of roles. Kenny Williams, the GM, made a massive gamble that offseason. He traded the team's best pure hitter, Carlos Lee, to Milwaukee for Scott Podsednik and Luis Vizcaino.
People thought he was crazy. "You're trading 30 home runs for a guy who might not hit any?"
✨ Don't miss: Inter Miami vs Toronto: What Really Happened in Their Recent Clashes
Turns out, Podsednik was exactly what they needed. He stole 59 bases. He was a pest. He forced pitchers to focus on him, which gave guys like Paul Konerko and Jermaine Dye better pitches to hit.
Konerko was the soul of that team. He hit 40 bombs and drove in 100 runs. He was the quiet leader who stayed in Chicago for years, but 2005 was his masterpiece. Then you had A.J. Pierzynski. He was the guy everyone else in the league hated, which is exactly why the South Side loved him. He was smart, annoying, and always found a way to win. The dropped third strike in the ALCS? That’s pure A.J.
The Middle Infield Connection
The signing of Tadahito Iguchi from Japan was one of those under-the-radar moves that changed everything. He was a professional. He knew how to move runners over. He hit .278 and played a gold-glove caliber second base.
Combined with Juan Uribe at shortstop, the Sox had one of the most underrated defensive middle infelds in the game. Uribe wasn't a high-average guy, but he hit 16 home runs and made the play of a lifetime in the World Series, diving into the stands to grab a foul ball.
Why History Tends to Forget the 2005 Team
It’s the "middle child" syndrome of baseball history. The 2004 Red Sox broke their curse the year before. The 2016 Cubs broke theirs a decade later. Because the White Sox aren't the "loveable losers" of the North Side or the high-payroll Yankees, their 88-year championship drought being snapped didn't get the same media treatment.
🔗 Read more: Matthew Berry Positional Rankings: Why They Still Run the Fantasy Industry
Even ESPN has a habit of forgetting them. There have been multiple instances where graphics showing World Series winners from that era simply skip 2005. It drives Sox fans nuts.
But if you look at the stats, they were dominant. They didn't just "luck" into a ring. They won 99 games in the regular season. They swept the defending champion Red Sox in the ALDS. They swept the Astros in the World Series.
Actionable Insights for Fans and Historians
If you're looking back at this roster to understand how to build a winning team today, there are a few "old school" lessons that still apply:
- Chemistry over Stars: The 2005 roster was built of players who accepted their roles. Jermaine Dye was a veteran leader. Joe Crede was a homegrown third baseman who always came through in the clutch.
- Pitching Depth is King: While you can't expect four complete games anymore, the 2005 Sox proved that having four reliable starters who can give you 6-7 innings every night saves your bullpen for the moments it actually matters.
- The "pest" factor: Players like Podsednik and Pierzynski create value that doesn't always show up in a standard box score. They force errors and mental mistakes from the opposition.
The white sox 05 roster wasn't the most talented on paper. They didn't have the highest payroll. But for one month in October, they played the most perfect version of baseball anyone has seen in the last twenty years. They were gritty, they were loud, and they were, quite literally, unbeatable.
Whether the national media remembers them or not doesn't change the fact that the banner still flies at 35th and Shields. They ended 88 years of waiting by playing a brand of "Ozzie-Ball" that we might never see again.
To truly appreciate this team, go back and watch the 14-inning marathon that was Game 3 of the World Series. Look at Geoff Blum—a mid-season trade acquisition who barely played—stepping up and hitting the game-winning home run. That was the 2005 White Sox in a nutshell: somebody different stepped up every single night.