CHICAGO – When looking back on arguably the greatest moment in the history of the White Sox, the team’s shortstop is the one who made it happen.
With two outs of Game 4 of the 2005 World Series on October 26, 2005 at Minute Maid Park in Houston, Juan Uribe fielded the ground ball from pinch hitter Orlando Palmeiro on the run. He threw the ball to Paul Konerko just in time to beat the runner to get the final out in a championship-clinching 1-0 win.
It ended an 88-year World Series title drought for the White Sox, who finished with an 11-1 record in the postseason to bring home the club’s third title.
Yet the best play of that Fall Classic, that World Series, and maybe one of the best in the field in any postseason, may have actually come a few minutes before.
That’s when Uribe made arguably the best catch in the history of the White Sox, and one that often gets overlooked on the national stage.
With one out and protecting the one-run lead with a runner on second, Bobby Jenks was on the mound for the White Sox and Chris Burke at the plate. The pinch hitter lifted the sixth pitch he saw into foul territory down the third base line.
As the ball floated towards the seats at Minute Made Park, Uribe gave chase.
He sprinted from his shortstop spot towards it, getting under the ball just as he approached the low wall down the line.
Uribe would then lunge into the crowd, making the catch as he fell into the fans in the first few rows of seats.
Third baseman Joe Crede screamed towards the field that Uribe had indeed made the catch, and a few seconds later the umpire confirmed it.
“The catch is made by Uribe, an unbelievable grab,” said Fox sports play-by-play announcer Joe Buck as the White Sox got a very critical second out.
Watch the full play by clicking here.
Of course, Uribe would provide the moment that would officially end 88 years of championship frustration about two minutes later in what was the best sequence of his five seasons in a White Sox uniform.
It’s a moment that’s remembered on the 17th anniversary of the moment in 2022, especially the catch that the shortstop made that no one should forget.
