When the Boston Red Sox won the 2004 World Series, it seemed like the world was about to come to an end. The team's long-suffering fans spoke of the championship as if it were a destiny fulfilled. Older fans could suddenly die in peace, and cemeteries were overrun with jerseys, uniforms, and sports sections offered as proof to the dead that their team had finally achieved the impossible. At least for a little while, we were all honorary members of Red Sox Nation, weren't we? (Well, maybe not all of us, but you get the point.)
But while the Red Sox were forging their identity with decades of broken hearts and near-misses, the Chicago White Sox were one step ahead of them, or behind, depending on your point of view. Boston's misery stretched back to 1918, but Chicago's last Series win came the previous year, in 1917.
And so even if no one is making movies about the White Sox, their victory is no less historic. To get the full picture of Chicago's season, check out Major League Baseball's Official World Series DVD. It gives an overview of their workman-like regular season, the tension of their near collapse in the season's closing days, and all of the drama and controversy of the playoffs and World Series.
Aside from highlights, the DVD's strength lies in the insider's perspective offered by in-game audio, player profiles, and numerous interviews. As an example, Geoff Blum mentions that he hopes he can get an at bat in game three, hours later he turns that at bat into a game-winning homerun, and in the days following the series he talks about the humbling experience of having the Hall of Fame ask for his bat.
Also included are about thirty minutes of bonus materials, the most entertaining of which being an old This Week in Baseball feature on a young Chicago shortstop named Ozzie Guillen. Good stuff.
If there's a White Sox fan on your Christmas list, buy this DVD now.
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