What is so striking about the White Sox is how long so many of their people have worked there. Ozzie Guillen, Harold Baines, Joey Cora and Greg Walker were White Sox who returned home. Don Cooper was coaching there when Astros pitching coach Jim Hickey signed. Ken Williams has worked one place, Duane Shaffer and Larry Monroe have been running the scouting for what seems like decades, Herm Schneider has been the trainer, Roger Bossard the groundskeeper, Nancy Nesnidal the executive assistant, Ed Farmer and Ken Harrelson the broadcasters back when Mark Buehrle was in junior high school.

All of which tells you a lot about Jerry Reinsdorf. Stability is a function of two-way loyalty, and that as much as anything makes the phrase world champion White Sox all the more special. There is a reason the players chanted his name when they clinched the World Series in Houston, something they know that so many in parts far from 35th and the Dan Ryan never appreciated because of Reinsdorf's image as the dark political figure tied to the 1994 strike.

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