Congratulating the Chicago White Sox

Floor Speech

CONGRATULATING THE CHICAGO WHITE SOX

BREAK IN TRANSCRIPT

Mr. DURBIN. Mr. President, I thank my colleague from the State of Illinois who is truly a White Sox fan from the South Side of Chicago. We have town meetings every Thursday morning, and from the beginning of this baseball season, he has been rooting for his White Sox. As his fellow Senator from Illinois, I want to congratulate him and the White Sox organization.

Say it is so, Joe.

Eighty-six years after the 1919 Black Sox scandal, and 88 years after they beat the New York Giants in the 1917 World Series, the Chicago White Sox are bringing the World Series crown home to Chicago. It is amazing. The ghost of Sholeless Joe Jackson can finally rest in peace.

Last night, the White Sox completed their magical World Series quest with a 1-0 win to complete a four-game sweep over the Houston Astros. But as Senator Obama has said, they were close games. Some of them broke records for their length and the hard battle that they brought to the mound and to the field.

White Sox fans from my home State of Illinois and all around the world are rejoicing as the White Sox nation will cherish this victory for decades to come.

The South Side of Chicago is the gladdest part of town. If you go down there, you better be aware that the White Sox won the World Series crown.

I congratulate the White Sox players, their manager, the valiant Venezuelan, Ozzie Guillen, pitching coach Don Cooper. What an amazing performance by the pitching staff, and so many White Sox stars turned coaches such as Tim Raines, Greg Walker, Harold Baines, and Joey Cora; general manager Kenny Williams for putting together this magical team, himself a former Sox player who made key moves not only in the off season but during the season, such as adding closer Bobby Jenks, just 24 years old, pitching in double A's just a few months ago. And there he stood on the mound last night pitching those 99- and 100-mile-an-hour fast balls. But during the season, general manager Kenny Williams also added game 3 hero Geoff Blum. To the owners and my friends, Eddie Einhorn and Jerry Reinsdorf, congratulations for 25 years of dedication to their great moment of victory. Everyone in the White Sox organization richly deserves this World Series victory.

The Sox organization has made citizens of Chicago and the State of Illinois proud by bringing home this crown. And to those generations of White Sox fans who stayed faithful to their team even in the darkest days, I say rejoice. The Chicago White Sox are world champions.

I yield the floor.

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