Sox Finally Leave 1919 Behind

(CBS)  Decades of futility finally came to an end Wednesday night, as the Chicago White Sox nipped the Astros, 1-0, in Houston, to sweep the World Series.

And make no mistake, says CBS News Correspondent Cynthia Bowers: The White Sox didn't just win. Behind powerful pitching and clutch hitting, they dominated, with 11 wins and only one loss in the postseason.

Back home, well, at least the '"South Side" of the Windy City erupted in celebration.

In one bar crowded with cheering Sox fans, one said, "I waited forever, my whole life for this. They finally did it. I can't believe it. It's the greatest day; beyond belief."

The White Sox hadn't made it to the World Series since 1959, and hadn't won since 1917. Two years later, the White Sox turned "Black Sox," when eight players, including star outfielder "Shoeless" Joe Jackson were charged with taking bribes to throw the 1919 World Series. All these years later, it's still one of the most infamous episodes in baseball history.

Chicago historian Richard Lindberg paused to reflect: "The old motto used to be that, 'Whatever can and will go wrong, will happen to the White Sox. … The monkey is off our back. … We're gonna be able at last hold our heads up high."

From the outset of their championship run, Bowers suggests, it was hard not to think fate was trying to make it up to the Pale Hose.

In game after game, questionable calls went their way and, when you throw in last-minute heroics not only from stars Paul Konerko and Scott Posednik, but also from a benchwarmer named Geoff Blum, you have the makings of magic, and an unforgettable season for the Sox, and the city.