Beer and Mark Buehrle have always gone hand in hand.

The popular beverage and the former White Sox left-hander have been linked at the hip in team history since his first major-league win, on July 19, 2000, at the old Metrodome in Minneapolis, when Buehrle received a traditional beer shower.

“Sox hang on, and the beer’s on Buehrle” was the headline on my Chicago Tribune report that day.

Fast-forward 25 years, and it’s the same old story.

Buehrle loves beer.

“Beer on Buehrle” vouchers were handed out to fans at Friday’s SoxFest Live event at the Ramova Theatre in Bridgeport after Buehrle promised to buy a round for everyone in the house following the announcement of a Buehrle statue dedication July 11 at Sox Park.

“I like to have an adult beverage, so I figure they can partake in it too,” Buehrle explained to  reporters while hinting the Sox helped pick up the tab.

No word on the damage yet, but it would have to go a ways to beat Jon Lester’s goodbye round to Cubs fans back in 2020, when his free-beer tab totaled $31,082. Lester added a $16,012 tip, making it $47,094 total.

Buehrle famously partook in the downing of multiple adult beverages during Game 3 of the 2005 World Series in Houston, having been assured he would not be used out of the bullpen after starting Game 2. Naturally, manager Ozzie Guillen threw Buehrle into the game in the 14th inning, replacing Dámaso Marté with two outs and two men on. Buehrle induced a popup to Adam Everett to notch a save in the 7-5 win, giving the Sox a 3-0 lead in their four-game sweep.

The story became legend, much like the pitcher, and was embellished over the years.

White Sox pitcher Mark Buehrle enters the game in relief in the 14th inning of 7-5 win over Astros in Game 3 of the World Series on Oct. 25, 2005, at Minute Maid Park in Houston. (Scott Strazzante/Chicago Tribune)
White Sox pitcher Mark Buehrle enters the game in relief in the 14th inning of 7-5 win over Astros in Game 3 of the World Series on Oct. 25, 2005, at Minute Maid Park in Houston. (Scott Strazzante/Chicago Tribune)

“It was only like three beers,” Buehrle later wrote in The Players’ Tribune. “Max. Definitely no more than three, though. I swear.”

Sox fans would’ve pardoned Buehrle even if he had “misremembered” the moment. He maintained that he never got any grief from Sox fans for pitching while buzzed, writing: “I think part of it has to do with the fact that the people there really love their beer. They understand.”

Fact checking this, we can confirm that Sox fans really do love their beer.

Buehrle came up as a 21-year-old Missouri boy in the summer of 2000, back when I was the Tribune’s Sox beat writer. In that first major-league start at the Metrodome, he went seven innings in a 3-2 win over the Minnesota Twins, helping to increase their division lead to 10½ games over Cleveland. His pitching line was two runs on six hits with five strikeouts and a walk, and he stranded seven base runners. He also picked Corie Koskie off first, a signature move we would see for years to come.

White Sox pitcher Mark Buehrle winds up to deliver to the Twins' Cristian Guzman on July 19, 2000, in Minneapolis. (Ann Heisenfelt/AP)
White Sox pitcher Mark Buehrle, making his first career start, winds up to deliver to the Twins’ Cristian Guzman on July 19, 2000, in Minneapolis. (Ann Heisenfelt/AP)

Manager Jerry Manuel left Buehrle in after the rookie hit a batter with the bases loaded and two outs in the sixth, hoping to show confidence in the kid. Buehrle then induced a popup. We didn’t know then, but that would be “vintage Buehrle,” a pitcher who always was at his best under pressure. Two no-hitters, including a perfect game, are Examples A and B.

The traditional beer shower he received after that starting debut followed by two days a postgame beer shower for 20-year-old starter Jon Garland, who beat the Milwaukee Brewers for his first career win. I wrote that Chairman Jerry Reinsdorf “should just keep a couple kegs around” the team for future postgame celebrations for Sox pitching prospects.

Photos: SoxFest Live at the Ramova Theatre

My unsolicited advice was not heeded, but Buehrle would be up to stay, beer keg or no beer keg.

“It’s good to get that first one out of the way,” Buehrle said afterward. “Hopefully there will be many more to come.”

There were. He wound up with 214 regular-season wins, including 161 with the Sox, not to mention Game 2 of the ’05 World Series, which led to the aforementioned beer break in Game 3.



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