He Acts to Darn the Hole

In the sunlight of Oct. 13, 1906, Frank Isbell, an infielder-outfielder-pitcher-catcher--that’s how he’s listed in the record book--doubled four times for the Chicago White Sox in Game 5 of the World Series, supplying most of the sock for a Sox club known as the “Hitless Wonders” in their 8-6 downing of the crosstown Cubs.

One day later, Ed Hahn, a Sox rookie outfielder, duplicated Isbell’s four for five. And on this day, Chicago won the World Series, 8-3, defeating . . . uh, Chicago.

Which brings us to 1993.

Inside a domed stadium with electronic gadgets, artificial grass and all kinds of things nobody in 1906 had yet invented, Tim (Rock) Raines, too, went four for five Friday night to become the first White Sox player to get four hits in a postseason game in 87 years.

Well, you know what they say. Records are made to be broken, every century or so.

“I did?” Raines asked.

“No, you only tied the record,” someone said.

“Doggone,” he said. “Maybe tomorrow.”

There are 1,310 names in the White Sox archives of men who have played for them, Isbell being the only one listed under “I.”

By the time Raines’ four-hit splurge came along, in Game 3 of the American League playoffs at Toronto’s SkyDome, there were quite a few Sox using the letter “I.”

Such as George Bell, saying: I don’t like my manager.

Or Ozzie Guillen, saying: I don’t like our fans booing our players.

Or Bo Jackson, saying: I think I should play. (As opposed to his usual: Bo thinks Bo should play. )

Or the manager, Gene Lamont, saying: I don’t like our fans booing our players or our players booing our players.

The Sox were unraveling.

Somebody had to step forward and do something, before the White Sox became the first athletes in history to cause the crowd to ask for quiet.

Raines volunteered.

“I’m sure everybody’s frustrated,” the 34-year-old outfielder said after the Sox lost a pair. “But I don’t think you take your frustrations out on your teammates.”

Better to take them out on the Blue Jays, who had done a nice job of keeping everybody but Raines and Frank Thomas off the bases until the third inning of Game 3.

Then, with two out, Raines trickled a single to right field.

And the merry-go-round began, seven consecutive batters reaching base. Five Sox crossed home plate and began hugging and slapping five. No more of this “I” stuff. A little “we” for a change.

The catalyst was Raines, now hitting .500 in the series to .083 for the Blue Jay leadoff guy, Rickey Henderson. He had two doubles, two singles and sacrificed his body to catch a ball in the left-field corner that put Rock between the foul line and a hard place.

Raines was one of the few White Sox with previous playoff experience and the only one in their starting lineup who has ever won a game. He played against the Dodgers in the 1981 National League championship series with a bunch of Montreal Expos who got their hearts broken by Rick Monday in the fifth and final game.

“I can still see that damn ball leaving Monday’s bat,” Raines says.

It took him a dozen years to get back to the playoffs. Of course, a 12-year wait is a speck of sand in the hourglass of the White Sox, whose postseason success Friday was their fourth since 1919.

Raines, who still has a following here in Canada, said he knew that togetherness was the only way these squabbling Sox were going to snap out of their funk.

“All of that other stuff is pretty much thrown out the window when you win,” he said.

Were the Sox distracted?

“I don’t think so. As players, you pretty much mind your own business,” Raines said.

George Bell didn’t. George said at least 12 of the 25 White Sox were fed up with Lamont’s managing.

“Well, that’s George’s opinion,” Raines said. “As far as I’m concerned, I don’t think so. I have a lot of confidence in Gene as manager, and I back him 100%. He’s not a regular-type manager. Some people would like him to be more outspoken, more animated. Gene’s a quiet-type guy. But he knows the game, and that’s what counts.”

It counted for the White Sox back in 1906, too.

Didn’t help Toronto much.