The 2005 Chicago White Sox season was a historic triumph, as the team finished with a 99-63 record to win the American League Central by six games over the Cleveland Indians. Under the direction of manager Ozzie Guillén, who pushed for a "small ball" approach, the team swept the defending champion Boston Red Sox in the ALDS, beat the Los Angeles Angels in the ALCS, and then swept the Houston Astros in the World Series, finally ending the 88-year Curse of the Black Sox. The offseason was marked by key acquisitions, including signing Jermaine Dye, A.J. Pierzynski, and Tadahito Iguchi, trading Carlos Lee for speedy leadoff hitter Scott Podsednik, and claiming closer Bobby Jenks off waivers. These moves transformed the club into a team-first unit with improved speed and pitching, which paid off immediately as they started the season strong, posting a 17-7 record in April and a 35-17 mark in May. By the end of July, they held a commanding 14.5-game lead in the division, setting the stage for their dominant playoff run and a championship that ended decades of frustration for the franchise. The season is remembered not just for the title, but for the complete overhaul of the roster and philosophy that made it possible.