(Photo by G. N. Lowrance/Getty Images)
These baseball players, man, what a life.
Between dipping tobacco on the field and crushing beers in the bullpen, even at the professional level, the players are essentially just dudes being bros: hitting baseballs, chewing dip, drinking beers, and getting paid millions of dollars to do so.
However, that said, I had no idea the bro-culture of drinking beer during the game made it’s way all the way up to the World Series. You’d think that given the fact the World Series is the largest stage most players will ever perform on that they’d have the self-control to not drink during the game. Especially when they’re a pitcher that could be used at any moment, right?
Right?
Wrong.
For years now, legend had it that longtime White Sox ace Mark Buehrle had put down a couple of beers before his now-legendary save during Game 3 of the 2005 World Series. In the twelve years since Buehrle has yet to give a definitive answer … until now.
The thing a lot of people talk about with that one is this rumor that I drank a few beers before I got the save in our Game 3 victory.
There’s been some stuff that’s come out on that topic, but I feel like you all should really hear it straight from the horse’s mouth. So, here goes….
In short: Yeah, sure, O.K. fine, so I had a few. I can admit to that.
But you gotta let me explain.
First off, no one on the planet would’ve ever guessed that I was going to see the field in Game 3. I had started the previous game of the series and threw 100 pitches in that one. I would’ve bet my house that I wasn’t going to pitch a day and a half later. Anyone would have.
So, that being the case, you better believe that I was gonna do what came natural to me — grab a few beers during the early innings, kick back and enjoy the game like everyone else.
And it was just like one or two beers.
Every time I grabbed one, I’d go over and check in with the coaches.
“Hey, you guys are sure you’re not going to need me, right?”
“No, Mark. You are not pitching today. You just went.”
So I’d hear that and grab a beer.
It was only like three beers….
Max.
Definitely no more than three, though.
I swear.
Anyway, of course the game had to go 14 innings, right?
By the 11th, I began to get the feeling that something strange might be taking place. At that point, I started to bear down and prepare. And I was ready to pitch when my name was called.
When it was all said and done, I got the save. We got the win. And we won the whole thing the next day.
No one gives me any grief about it … because, first and foremost, sports fans in Chicago care about winning. And we brought home the trophy.
But also, I think part of it has to do with the fact that the people there really love their beer.
They understand.
Now while one might be quick to jump on Buehrle, not only did the White Sox win Game 3 and the series, but four years later, Buehrle would go on to pitch the 18th perfect game in the history of professional baseball. Clearly, drunk or not, the dude knew what he was doing.
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