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Former Illinois State pitcher and current Chicago White Sox reliever
Neal Cotts was one of these boys growing up. He kept his World
Series dream alive while pitching at Lebanon High School and
continued that dream as a Redbird at ISU. In 2001, Cotts got closer
to his dream when he was drafted by the Oakland Athletics in the
second round of the 2001 Major League Baseball amateur draft. After
a trade to the White Sox and three years with the team, Cotts now
finds himself on the verge of watching his dream come to fruition.
On Saturday, Cotts will join his American League champion White
Sox teammates on the grass at U.S. Cellular Field for Game 1 of the
2005 World Series. He joins ISU Hall of Fame member Dave Bergman
(Detroit Tigers, 1984) as the only two Redbirds to ever compete in
the World Series. Even though he had dreamed of this moment all his
life, Cotts never imagined it would happen.
"I could never imagine being here and pitching in the World
Series with this bunch of guys," said Cotts. "I've always dreamed
about it, but I never really got a grasp on what it's really like.
There have been so many guys in professional baseball that have
worked their entire careers to get here and never do. Now, I'm here
in my third year in the league and it's a special time."
The 2005 season has been a special one for Cotts and his
teammates. The left-hander finished the season with a record of 4-0
and a 1.94 ERA in 69 appearances out of the bullpen for the White
Sox, helping the team to its first World Series appearance since
1959. In addition, Cotts became a great sports trivia answer, as he
was only Sox relief pitcher to see action in the American League
Championship Series against the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim. His
seven pitches in two-thirds of an inning in Game 1 were the only
ones thrown out of the pen, as the Sox starters reeled off four
straight complete game wins to finish the series.
Cotts says the season was special, not just because the team
played so well, but because nobody thought they would.
"Going into the season, no one expected us to play as well as we
did," said Cotts. "In some preseason rankings, we were picked as low
as fourth in our division, and even when we were winning, the
critics said we were going to choke. But we always knew we were
going to win, and everyone in the locker room expected to be where
we are now."
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 With the World Series in his sights, Cotts is excited about the
chance to play the biggest games of his life in his home state and
in front of his family and friends. Cotts, who ranks fifth on the
all-time Redbird career strikeout list and is the highest Redbird
baseball draft pick ever, says the Illinois State contingent in the
Chicago area is overwhelming, and the support from Redbird fans has
been great all year.
"It seems like everyone in Chicago is somehow related to ISU,"
laughed Cotts. "I hear people yelling down from the outfield
bleachers that they go to ISU, graduated from ISU or have family
that goes to ISU, on a daily basis. The Redbird fans have been so
supportive all season for me, and it's great to know I will always
have something in common with some of the Sox fans in Chicago."
Although Cotts is not a Chicagoan by birth, he is now one at
heart. In fact, Cotts was born in Belleville, just 20 miles from St.
Louis and Busch Stadium, the home of the Cardinals. Wednesday night,
along with all his family and friends from the St. Louis area, he
watched to see if the Cardinals could pull out a come-from-behind
NLCS victory against the Houston Astros to play his White Sox in the
World Series. Although his family and friends are Cardinals fans, he
knows that they will support him in Chicago when the Series starts.
"It's been fun to listen to everyone squirm in St. Louis," said
Cotts. "But my family and friends have been great this year in
coming to games in Chicago and supporting me through the season. I
know when push comes to shove, they'll be there Saturday cheering
for us."
After 170 games to date this season, Cotts will be ready to pitch
if needed in the biggest one yet on Saturday. Although U.S. Cellular
Field is not that far away from Redbird Field, Cotts has traveled
thousands of miles in between to get the opportunity to fulfill his
dream of playing in the World Series. With luck and hopefully not a
lot of work, Cotts may be returning to ISU in the near future to
celebrate with Redbird fans with a World Series championship ring on
his finger.
[Illinois
State University news release]
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