Congratulations to Dan Holm and the 1964 Chicago White Sox

Dan Holm and the 1964 Pale Hose are our 2014-15 Holiday Festival Champions.  In 6 rounds of action the Sox NEVER once faced an elimination game.  The team finished a remarkable 20-5 during the tournament.  The axiom of "Good Pitching beats Good Hitting" held to form with this team.  Juan Pizzaro (6-0, 2.10) had a perfect tournament.  Fittingly he pitched the clincher.  Gary Peters (5-1, 2.04) was also stingy when it came to giving up runs. Joel Horlen (2-2, 1.29) was the stingiest.  Unfortunately he never really got any run support during his magnificent outings.  Pete Ward (.340-3-18) and Don Buford (.337-1-10-5sb) were constantly on base and getting he big hit.  Moose Skowron's 5 homers all seemed to come at just the right time.  Dave "Swish" Nicholson (.353-3-6) and Mike Hershberger (.417-0-2) were key platoon / bench contributors as this was a total team effort led by some of the most underrated arms in baseball history.

Finals Game 6 - "Ward takes Cleaver to O's as Chisox win Tournament

GM 6 At Comiskey- Tillman vs Pizzaro

Sox get 1 in the first but once again have a 6 run 2nd. Hansen singles home Nicholson after he tripled to lead off frame. A error on pitcher and a passed ball scored 2 more. It was all followed up by a Pete Ward 2 run homer. This was more than enough for Pizzaro who got the win (6-0). Juan threw a 3 -hit CG in a 8-2 WSox win. 

Sox top 3 pitchers get 22 of the teams 25 starts mainly because the palehose never went a through a 7 game series keeping them well rested.

Pizzaro 6-0 2.10 era, Horlen 2-2 1.29 era,Peters 5-1 2.04 era. Eddie Fisher 4-2, 2 saves 1.04 era, 14 games pitched 17 innings 0 walks. Pete Ward .340 18 rbi, Hansen leads team with 20 rbi. Nicholson and Mike Hershberger had key roles considering both could not hit hitting .417  and .353 respectively in small roles.

Opponents hit just .187 against Sox pitching with a paltry .227 OBP and just a .280 slugging %.
--all writeups for Finals submitted by Dan Holm--

Finals Game 5 - "Resting on Hardy's laurels"

GM 5 At Camden Yards- Horlen vs Chen

Horlen has been the best pitcher in tourney maybe and only has a 2-1 record to show for it. Balt gets one off him in 2nd on run scoring double by Reynolds and get 2 more off Joel in 4th when JJ Hardy singles home 2 to give Birds a 3-0 lead with their best pitcher on bump. In 5th Sox get one back on 2 out run scoring single by Don Buford. O's get solo shot from Jones in 6th and Chen along with the great O's relievers shut down Sox for a 4-2 win and stay alive. Chen the win, Johnson 9th save, Horlen loss now just 2-2 despite a 1.29 era.

Finals Game 4 - "Ron-ing Away with it"

GM 4 At Camden Yards- Buzhardt vs Hammel

Things started bad and only got worse for Balt in this one. The Sox score 6 in 1st and then 6 more in 2nd and only 1 rest of way for a 13-6 win. Ronnie Hansen 4 hits, 2 doubles, homer, 5 rbi. Reserve catcher Jerry McNertney hits 2? homers good for 4 rbi. Dave Nicholson homer. 8 sox players score. 18 hits for WSox. Hammel early exit the loss. Buzhardt the win. Sox up 3 games to 1.

Finals Game 3 - "Handy Andy"

GM 3 At Camden Yards- Peters vs Gonzalez

Gary Peters comes in 5-0 in tourney but Andrew Jones gets O's first lead of series with a solo shot off Peters in first.  Sox tie game in 5th with a solo homer of their own by big Dave Nicholson who made the most of his few AB's in the series and tournament. Sox take lead in 6th when Moose Skowron hits his team leading 5th homer of tourney to make it 2-1 sox. Andrew Jones ties it with a 2 out run scoring single in bottom half of  6th to tie it at 2. Birds take lead when catcher Matt Wieters jacks a solo shot off Peters in 7th. Darrin O'day and Jim Johnson (who has not been scored upon in tourney) shut Sox down rest way for a 3-2 O's win and they are back in it. Johnson his 8th save.

Finals Game 2 - "Piz-az"

GM 2: At Comiskey- Tillman vs Pizzaro

Juan Pizzaro comes in 4-0 and once again was very difficult to hit and every Sox hitter but Pizzaro Sox make it two in a row with 4-1 win. It was another pitching duel with sox holding only a 1-0 lead when they got 3 important runs in 8th capped by run a scoring double by F Robinson, run scoring single by Ward and a run scoring triple by Hansen. Pizzaro (5-0)walked no one in the CG win. Tillman pitched well getting the loss allowing only 1 run in 7 innings. O's in a hole.

Finals Game 1 - "Swish swats O's in Extras"

GM 1: At Comiskey- Chen vs Horlen

Sox get one in 1st on singles by Landis, Ward and Hansen. Remained 1-0 till Paulino batting for Teagarden in O's 8th singles and takes second on a Floyd Robinson error. Reimold batting for Flaherty makes em pay with run scoring single to tie game at 1.  The game went into  the 13th inning when with 2 out and Pete Ward on 1st for Sox Skowron singles him to second. Up next pinch hitter Dave 'swish' Nicholson who promptly singles to left and Pete Ward was safe at the plate on a close play for the winner.   Joel Horlen again was magnificent pitching 10 innings  getting 10 k's with only 1 walk and only run allowed was unearned.  Game went a total of 13 innings

2-1 Sox.
--submitted by Dan Holm--