\n Former Chicago White Sox pitcher Mark Buehrle, center, poses with his 2005 teammates after his statue was unveiled before a baseball game against the Cleveland Guardians, Friday, July 11, 2025, in Chicago. (AP Photo\/Melissa Tamez)
\n AP\n <\/p>\n
The Mark Buehrle statue, unveiled Friday in the right-field concourse at Rate Field, shows him in the midst of delivering a pitch.<\/p>\n
Maybe this is the one time when a different, non-baseball pose would have been appropriate.<\/p>\n
\u201cI was thinking this morning, ‘Man, I wish I was on my tractor in a field right now, cutting the grass or tearing up ground or something,’\u201d Buehrle said. \u201cThat’s more my comfortable zone.\u201d<\/p>\n
But Buehrle was able to park the tractor, reluctantly accept a few minutes in the spotlight, and help the White Sox kick off 2005 reunion weekend.<\/p>\n
Hanging around Rate Field the past couple years, it can be hard to believe the White Sox ever won anything. But, of course, the \u201cDon’t Stop Believin\u201d season of 2005 is very real.<\/p>\n
The reunion seemed to go well, with most of the key faces present. Paul Konerko is expected to arrive Saturday. Outfielder Aaron Rowand was absent due to international travel, according to a team spokesperson.<\/p>\n
Pitcher Jon Garland proudly wore the No. 45 jersey of reliever Bobby Jenks, who died July 4 in Portugal with a form of stomach cancer.<\/p>\n
One theme discussed before the statue unveiling was whether the White Sox World Series winner is properly appreciated. Going 11-1 in the postseason, with 99 regular-season wins, is one of the most impressive achievements of the past 30 years, since the MLB playoffs expanded. At least it is on paper. Everything else is subjective.<\/p>\n
\u201cI’ll take that team against pretty much anybody,\u201d catcher A.J. Pierzynski said. \u201cEleven and one in the postseason. Four complete games in the ALCS. You’ll never see that again. Wire to wire, 99 wins.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe beat the Red Sox. We beat the Angels, they had the MVP (Vladimir Guerrero, the previous season), they had the Cy Young (Bartolo Colon) that year. Beat the Astros, who had Hall of Famers all over that roster. So I think that team was great.\u201d<\/p>\n
Pierzynski felt maybe the lack of Hall of Famers from the 2005 squad explains why the respect level could be lacking. People certainly try to make a case for Buehrle and Konerko.<\/p>\n
\u201cI want all my teammates to get in, because then I get invited to go to the Hall of Fame,\u201d Pierzynski said. \u201cIt’s pretty cool when you get the opportunity to go.\u201d<\/p>\n
When Buehrle was asked if the ’05 White Sox get enough credit, he let his tractor do the talking.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou’re asking the wrong person,\u201d he said. \u201cI don’t pay attention to all that. It doesn’t matter to me if people recognize us. I know what we did and you can’t take that away.\u201d<\/p>\n
Another common theme was how close-knit the players were, the fun they had off the field. Third baseman Joe Crede mentioned how important it was to keep the clubhouse relaxed.<\/p>\n
\u201cI was always on edge, just because I was hitting .240, .250, a lot of the year,\u201d Crede said. \u201cI was upset a lot of the time. It just started snowballing and they would notice it and be like, ‘All right, you need to either get in the cage or we need to go out to a bar or something. We need to get you to relax somehow and play this game and have fun.’\u201d<\/p>\n
Teammates stood alongside Buehrle and his family as the statue was unveiled. Another nice touch was his two kids got a chance to replay roles they had at the ballpark when Buehrle’s No. 56 was retired in 2017. Buehrle’s daughter, Brooklyn, threw out the first pitch and his son, Braden, sang the national anthem.<\/p>\n
\u201cI joked with him when I saw him,\u201d World Series MVP Jermaine Dye said of Buehrle. \u201cI told him, ‘Man, it takes you getting a statue to get you out of the house, huh?’ He kind of stays to himself and stays on his farm and kind of hangs out there.\u201d<\/p>\n
But it also sounded like Buehrle should get out more often. He did leave his farm in Missouri in January to appear at Sox Fest and throw a few pitches for the benefit of the sculptor.<\/p>\n
\u201cI hadn’t talked to a couple of those guys in 10 to 12 years and it was like we didn’t even skip a beat,\u201d Buehrle said. \u201cWe were just getting on each other, wearing each other out, making fun of each other. I think when you go to battle and win a World Series with a team, you’ve got a special bond with those guys.\u201d<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
\n The Chicago White Sox unveil a statue of former pitcher Mark Buehrle, center, as they celebrate their 2005 World Series-winning team before a baseball game against the Cleveland Guardians, Friday, July 11, 2025, in Chicago. (AP Photo\/Melissa Tamez)
\n AP\n <\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
\n The Chicago White Sox unveil a statue of former pitcher Mark Buehrle, right, as they celebrate their 2005 World Series-winning team before a baseball game against the Cleveland Guardians, Friday, July 11, 2025, in Chicago. (AP Photo\/Melissa Tamez)
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