<Table> <Tr> <Td> ← 2004 </Td> <Td> World Series </Td> <Td> 2006 → </Td> </Tr> </Table> <Tr> <Td> ← 2004 </Td> <Td> World Series </Td> <Td> 2006 → </Td> </Tr> <P> The 2005 World Series was the 101st edition of Major League Baseball's championship series, a best - of - seven playoff between the American League (AL) champions Chicago White Sox and the National League (NL) champions Houston Astros . The White Sox swept the Astros four games to none in the series, played between October 22 to 26, winning their third World Series championship and their first in 88 seasons . Although the series was a sweep, all four games were quite close, being decided by two runs or fewer . </P> <P> Home - field advantage was awarded to Chicago by virtue of the American League's 7--5 victory over the National League in the Major League Baseball All - Star Game . The Astros were attempting to become the fourth consecutive wild card team to win the Series, following the Anaheim Angels (2002), Florida Marlins (2003) and Boston Red Sox (2004). Both teams were attempting to overcome decades of disappointment, with a combined 132 years between the two teams without a title . The Astros were making their first Series appearance in 44 years of play, while the White Sox had waited exactly twice as long for a title, having last won the Series in 1917, and had not been in the Series since 1959, three years before the Astros' inaugural season . </P>

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