Thursday, July 24

TAMPA -- If you need a solid Major League Baseball trivia question to both stump and impress your friends, try this one.

In the history of the World Series, there have been three games decided in exactly 14 innings and thus three winning pitchers in those games. One winner was Chris Young in the Royals’ 5-4 victory over the Mets during Game 1 of the 2015 competition, the same Young who went on to win the 2023 World Series as the Rangers' president of baseball operations.

Another was Babe Ruth in Game 2 of the 1916 World Series, leading Boston past the Brooklyn Robins by throwing 145 pitches over all 14 innings. The Bambino needs no further introduction or clarification.

And the third answer is Damaso Marte in Game 3 of the 2005 White Sox World Series sweep of the Astros.

Here’s another piece of information regarding Marte, who pitched from 2002-05 with the White Sox and appeared in 570 games over 11 seasons. After leaving the Yankees and retiring following the 2010 season, he became a pastor in the Dominican Republic.

“Yes, I chose the decision to kind of go to church and follow that path,” Marte told me, with the help of interpreter Kimmy Marroquin, during the 20-year anniversary of the 2005 champions, celebrated at Rate Field the weekend of July 11. “Become a pastor and be a spiritual leader of the people. It’s gone very well for me, my family and my kids.

“I’m trying to provide more information, more guidance and provide them with a little bit more information. Everyone knows that we come to life but having the thought of what’s the future, the next steps, once you pass, I want to bring more information to the world of what that means.”

According to Marte’s Instagram page, @damasomarte43, with 43 being his jersey number, he is a pastor for the Ministerio Refugio de Fe y Esperanza, which translates to the Ministry Refuge of Faith and Hope. Marte preaches to roughly 160 people, by his estimation, in Santo Domingo.

“The chapel service they would do here for the White Sox and the organization is what kind of ingrained it in me,” Marte said. “That’s what made me want to continue with that after baseball.”

Marte’s most dominant season in Chicago came in ’03, when he posted a 1.58 ERA, 11 saves and struck out 87 in 79 2/3 innings over 71 games. He finished with a 3.77 ERA and four saves over 66 games in ’05.

That ’05 season had a pitfall for the pitcher who turned 50 on Feb. 14. Marte showed up late for treatment one Sunday while dealing with a strained muscle on the side of his upper back, and manager Ozzie Guillen sent him home.

Guillen masterfully ran the 99-win team with an 11-1 postseason record and had very few rules in doing so: Play hard, be on the field for the national anthem and be on time, which in turn, shows complete respect for your teammates. Marte was allowed back on the roster, in this instance, after talking with his teammates in the clubhouse.

Twenty years later, there’s a mutual appreciation running between the reliever and his manager.

“Ozzie has been a great friend, a great guide,” Marte said. “He had to be strict on me as a pitcher and I learned a lot from him. I highly respected him as a manager.”

“No, I never see him. I thought Marte was in jail or dead,” said Guillen, staying true to his honest form, at the reunion. “When I see Marte face to face, a different man. Marte, [Pablo] Ozuna, Timo [Perez], [Luis] Vizcaino [all ’05 contributors] [are] here. It’s something very special.”

Marte admits to missing baseball “a lot.” The southpaw reliever carries a great deal of memories, including winning a World Series title with the ’09 Yankees, but he will never forget a first championship with the White Sox.

As for his part in that postseason trivia question? Marte smiled and said he was aware.

“Five years later I found out about the trivia question. I’m still amazed about it,” Marte said. “Being up there with all those greats, it was a privilege and an honor.”

During my conversation with Martín Pérez at Dodger Stadium at the start of July, he expressed zero doubt concerning his return to the Majors at some point this year. The veteran starter, who last pitched on April 18 in Boston and has been fighting through left elbow inflammation, wasn’t messing around.

After doing some up-and-down mound work simulating innings and then facing hitters, Pérez is targeting an injury rehab assignment beginning Aug. 2.

“I just want to finish healthy,” said Pérez in Los Angeles. “I don’t need to show people that I can get people out. Everybody knows that. I just want to feel good and be ready for the next season. I want to be here. Oh yeah, I like it here.”

• Manager Will Venable’s crew wasn’t exactly setting the world on fire to begin the second half, but something changed for the South Siders during the four-day All-Star break. Judging by Venable’s intense celebratory reaction with his coaching staff after meeting the media post-sweep Sunday, he saw it as well. It was more than simply dominating a bad Pirates squad. They might go out and lose 8 of their next 10 as the rebuild continues, but the White Sox improvement/development clearly is there.

• Buying a Tommy Bahama shirt in Tampa’s airport at 12:45 a.m. Monday wasn’t on my bingo card. But life throws you curves, and you must adjust.

• The White Sox need a compelling home song following victories, something along the lines of “I Love LA” (Dodgers), “Go Cubs Go” (Cubs) or “New York, New York” (Yankees). Any ideas?

• Harry Teinowitz always referred to me as his “second favorite Merkin,” which is interesting because I rank further down the list within my own family’s voting. He was a radio original, a truly funny and kind man and he will be missed.

“I gave Shane [Smith] a hug as soon as I got back from my rehab outing. Not to be dramatic, but [I said] ‘Oh my god, I missed you guys,’ and it was just eight days. That shows the closeness the staff has, the team has.” -- Right-hander Davis Martin, who should return tonight vs. the Rays

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