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White Sox coach says pitcher drank beer during 2005 World Series game

If a player was pounding beers during a game in the 2005 World Series, it must’ve been a member of the Houston Astros, who were swept in four games by the Chicago White Sox, right?

Wrong.

Mark Buehrle, Chicago’s ace at the time, had a brew or a few during Game 3 before earning the save in the White Sox’s 7-5 win in 14 innings.

At least that was the story shared this week by Chicago pitching coach Don Cooper, who said Buehrle — coming off a solid seven-inning outing in Game 2 — approached him midway through Game 3 with a styrofoam cup in his hand.

“I look in it, there’s a beer in there,” Cooper told CSN Chicago. “It wasn’t uncommon for guys on the 2005 staff, the starters when they weren’t pitching, to enjoy a cocktail from time to time.”

With the White Sox clinging to a 5-4 lead in the seventh inning, Buehrle asked Cooper if the team needed him to pitch.

“Heck no, we’re trying to win this game. We don’t want you in it,” Cooper said he told the left-hander. “Then I hedge my bet by saying, ‘Well, if it goes 13 or 14.’ And son of a gun if (the Astros) don’t tie the game up (in the eighth) and the only guy left (in the 14th) is Buehrle.”

After Damaso Marte put the tying runs on base in the bottom of the 14th, Buehrle was summoned to record the final out. He needed only three pitches to earn the save, getting Adam Everett to pop out to short.

“No telling how many beers he had before that save,” quipped Cooper.

Babe Ruth would be proud.

Check out the interview below.

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