updated 3:27 p.m. ET Oct. 17, 2005

ANAHEIM, Calif. - Not since Shoeless Joe Jackson have the Chicago White Sox caused this much of a commotion.

World Series, here they come — for the first time since 1959.

A.J. Pierzynski came out on the right side of yet another umpiring ruckus, Jose Contreras pitched a five-hitter for Chicago’s fourth straight complete game and the White Sox beat the Los Angeles Angels 6-3 Sunday night to win the AL championship series in five games.

“In the end, our pitching was amazing,” Pierzynski said. “I don’t know if you’ll ever see it again.”

The White Sox ran back on the field after the game to pose for pictures on the mound as their fans behind the first-base dugout cheered. They’ll get two days off before resuming workouts and will take on either Houston or St. Louis, starting at home Saturday night.

FREE VIDEO 'We proved a lot of people wrong' Oct. 16: White Sox manager Ozzie Guillen talks about the clinching victory. NBC Sports

After nearly a half-century of ho-hum baseball, the White Sox will get a chance at their first title since 1917.

And they will get a shot at some long overdue redemption — they lost the most infamous World Series ever, when Shoeless Joe and his “Black Sox” threw games against Cincinnati in 1919 and gave the sport a black eye.

The 46-year gap between Series appearances is the longest in major league history. The Chicago Cubs would end up with an even longer one, if they ever get back — their last NL pennant was in 1945.

FREE VIDEO 'Poured their hearts out' Oct. 16: Angels manager Mike Scioscia discusses his team's elimination in the ALCS. NBC Sports

“It finally puts us above the Cubs, because they’ve been getting all the credit,” said bench coach Harold Baines, who played more than 13 of his 22 seasons with the White Sox.

Whoa Nellie!

The last time the Windy City’s South Side team made it this far, it was all about Nellie Fox and his Go-Go Sox of 1959, who lost to the Los Angeles Dodgers in six games.

“We’re in the World Series!” White Sox owner Jerry Reinsdorf hollered in his suite after the final out.

Reinsdorf once said he would trade all six NBA titles won by his Chicago Bulls for one World Series championship, and his opportunity is coming.

“I still can’t believe it,” he said, heading to the clubhouse to celebrate with his team. “I’m numb right now. Honest to God, it hasn’t sunk in. I think something really good is happening, but I’m not sure what it is.”

It’s pitching, that’s what.

Not since the 1956 New York Yankees beat the Brooklyn Dodgers behind five straight complete games from Whitey Ford, Tom Sturdivant, Don Larsen (his perfect game), Bob Turley and Johnny Kucks had a staff thrown as many as four in a row in a postseason series.

“I think it’s great because we proved a lot of people wrong, and I think I like that,” said manager Ozzie Guillen, who at 41 wasn’t even born when the White Sox last made it to the World Series. “I call it low key. We took a lot of beatings this year during the year about my team, and we just kept playing. Good thing my players don’t listen to what I was saying to the media.”

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Pitching in drizzle on an un-Californialike night, Contreras retired his final 15 batters. He followed Mark Buehrle’s five-hitter in Game 2, Jon Garland’s four-hitter in Game 3 and Freddy Garcia’s six-hitter in Game 4.

“You might call it lucky, you might call it great, but we stepped it up,” Contreras said through a translator.

It was complete domination — Chicago’s bullpen was needed for just seven pitches in the whole series — two outs by Neal Cotts in the opener.

“It seemed like they were competing against each other, trying to one-up each other,” general manager Ken Williams said. “You hope to get one (complete game) and give your bullpen a rest, but this is ridiculous.”

Chicago held the Angels to a .175 batting average and 11 runs — the fewest in an ALCS of five or more games. Los Angeles had just 27 hits — the fewest in any LCS going five games or longer — and 2004 AL MVP Vladimir Guerrero was 1-for-20 (.050) at the plate.

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