This was supposed to be the year. 1906 revisited. The North and South sides meet in the World Series and battle for the real title, not just bragging rights. The Minnesota Twins did their part by playing Kansas City and getting their butts handed to them by a young and hungry team. The Indians and the Tigers had already done their part by having crappy seasons.

All the Sox needed to do was win a game or 2. Three would have been nice.

Instead they went to Minnesota and got swept. They stand today on the precipice of being swept by Cleveland. If the Twins win today and the Sox lose, there is no need for a makeup game. The Sox will be out of the playoffs.

Magic number or no magic number, they will be done.

And that is a shame.

Picked by many pundits to finish fourth or worse, they have had an incredible season. Injuries? They laughed at them. Lack of hitting, timely or otherwise, they found other ways to win. And, here, at the very end of the season, all that work, all those efforts, are set to pay off. The Sox could go to the playoffs and tell all the nay-sayers to go to hell.

As MLB Columnist David Just noted, it was all there for the Sox.

Not to oversimplify what shapes up to be a somewhat complicated finish in the American League Central, but the division crown really was there for the taking for the White Sox on Saturday night at U.S. Cellular Field.

Consider the following. The Twins (87-74) already had suffered an inexplicable second straight loss at home to the Royals before the second inning of the White Sox contest against Cleveland was complete. That news came 20 minutes or so after word that AL Cy Young front-runner Cliff Lee was scratched by Cleveland from Sunday’s start with neck stiffness and replaced by journeyman hurler Bryan Bullington. - courtesy MLB.com

So, here we are; make or break; do or die, win or stay home .... pick your cliche.

This is the part where I, as a Sox fan, am probably expected to say things like “Well, they gave it a hell of a ride...” or “No one expected them to do this well, so let’s count our blessings and ...”

Instead, I have just one thing to say; WIN THE GOD DAMN GAME WILL YOU?!?!

Okay, you can go back to your regularly scheduled Sunday now.

CLICK HERE TO READ EARLIER PREDICTIONS OF SUCCESS AND THEN CRY.