With fan energy high, White Sox keep celebration going after clinching playoff berth

CHICAGO -- Fans came early to Rate Field on a cool Friday night.

They arrived by car. They arrived by train. Some took rideshare. There might have been some who arrived through a combination of all three.

It was Hispanic Heritage Night, with a Los White Sox poncho giveaway. But the energy and fervor on the South Side were far from steeped solely in the highly popular theme evening. This near-sellout crowd was welcoming back their conquering heroes.

Conquering for the White Sox, as in the first step of the postseason process, which simply is qualifying. That scenario became official on Thursday via a 9-1 victory over the Royals in Kansas City bringing on the ensuing celebration.

But Friday was a time for the fans to start their celebration as well, albeit with a number of them still tailgating in the parking lot before watching the White Sox and Rockies in action.

“We have really strong team chemistry and it’s amplified with our fans,” White Sox general manager Chris Getz said. “I had mentioned it last year or in the offseason, the support that our fans have provided our players, I really do think it’s helped their development. These guys have responded really well.”

“There’s going to be a lot going on, a lot of good vibes tonight,” White Sox manager Will Venable said. “It’s going to be special for these guys taking the field.”

There has been something special about this young White Sox team long before Friday night. And it’s being noticed by dignitaries around the world.

Munetaka Murakami’s mid-celebration interview with CHSN’s Brooke Fletcher went viral, and Pope Leo XIV was asked about his favorite team’s success. It’s the same team for which the man known then more as Robert Prevost attended two 2005 World Series games during the sweep of Houston to the championship.

This turnaround followed a Modern Era record 121 losses in 2024 and 102 setbacks during Venable’s first season at the helm in ‘25. So was there extra special guidance from the newest Pope to help the White Sox arrive?

“No comment,” Pope Leo XIV told reporters with a smile. “Great things happen in Chicago.”

President Barack Obama, who threw out a ceremonial first pitch prior to the famous Game 2 of the ‘05 ALCS, put out a congratulatory tweet for the White Sox (and for the Cubs in parenthesis). That’s right, the Cubs punched their postseason ticket three minutes after the White Sox on Thursday, marking the fourth time both teams have qualified for the playoffs in the same year and giving thought again to the all-Chicago World series.

“Traffic would be out of control,” said Getz, echoing an earlier-season sentiment espoused by Andrew Benintendi. “You look back at the series that we do have, the crosstown series, and we’ve got a feisty bunch, they’ve got a feisty bunch. That would be pretty remarkable and a lot of fun.”

“This is the best place for me, especially during the summer, Chicago is the best place,” Venable said. “To have two teams that are really good at baseball in the middle of everything and a beautiful city with the fans and how passionate they are about the game, it’s really special.”

Friday’s pregame festivities turned up a notch or two with a cut to the White Sox home dugout, showing the players clapping and right-hander Mike Vasil, also known as the Windy City Wizard, breaking into a perfectly executed Kazatzki, making Henry Winkler proud.

If you watched Happy Days, you understand the reference.

Finally, the players took the field to a standing ovation. Not an overwhelming ovation, mind you, but maybe the White Sox fans know there’s more to celebrate in the near future.

It didn’t take long. The White Sox scored two in the first, with Munetaka Murakami blasting out home run No. 34 off Tomoyuki Sugano.

“They love to play, they love each other,” said Getz of his team. “It's about as good of a clubhouse as I've ever seen or been a part of. You want to bottle it up. But in the meantime, just really want to enjoy it and continue to support our players."