Fansided
Fansided

Ranking The 10 Greatest Chicago Sports Teams In History

By Erik Lambert

26 Jan 1986: Quarterback Tony Eason #11 of the New England Patriots is brought down by linebacker Wilber Marshall #58 of the Chicago Bears during Super Bowl XX game at the Louisiana Superdome in New Orleans, Louisiana. The Bears won the game 46-10.
26 Jan 1986: Quarterback Tony Eason #11 of the New England Patriots is brought down by linebacker Wilber Marshall #58 of the Chicago Bears during Super Bowl XX game at the Louisiana Superdome in New Orleans, Louisiana. The Bears won the game 46-10. /
facebooktwitterreddit
Prev
7 of 11
Next
Members of the Chicago White Sox celebrate on the field after winning the 2005 World Series with a 1-0 win over the Houston Astro’s at Minute Maid Park in Houston, Texas on October 26, 2006. The White Sox swept the series 4 games to none. (Photo by G. N. Lowrance/Getty Images)
Members of the Chicago White Sox celebrate on the field after winning the 2005 World Series with a 1-0 win over the Houston Astro’s at Minute Maid Park in Houston, Texas on October 26, 2006. The White Sox swept the series 4 games to none. (Photo by G. N. Lowrance/Getty Images) /

This is going to cause a gigantic war of words when Chicago fans hear that the 2005 White Sox are considered the better team over the 2016 Cubs. How can this be possible? This Sox team scored fewer runs, gave up more and won fewer games (99 to 103) than the Cubs did. It seems almost impossible to justify. Except no it isn’t, because the regular season is only part of the story.

The true depth of the 2005 Sox came in the postseason. By then they were a battle-tested ball club. This was a team that played 54 games that were decided by one run that season, games in which they had a record of 35-19. This wasn’t a team driven by offensive explosion. Their strengths lay in playing smart, fundamental baseball and leaning a terrific pitching staff.

Three of their starting pitchers won at least 15 games that season with Mark Buehrle and Jon Garland were All-Stars, combining for four shutouts. Closer Dustin Hermanson delivered 34 saves and veteran Orlando Hernandez became a huge addition that provided some clutch relief performances when they needed them most.

First baseman Paul Konerko and outfielder Scott Podsednik also became All-Stars and those two delivered the biggest hits of the postseason with home runs that broke open the World Series against Houston for the Sox. Konerko had 40 home runs on the season and Podsednik had 59 stolen bases. It was such a well-rounded group.

Fitting that it was the unheralded Jermaine Dye who drove in the winning run and stout defensive short stop Juan Uribe who got the final out to clinch the championship. All told the White Sox went 11-1 that postseason, sweeping the defending champion Red Sox, beating the Angels in 5 and sweeping Houston in the World Series. Few teams ever did any better.

Home/Power Rankings