The White Sox appeared to be going nowhere fast in the playoffs before Rob Holt decided to work his magic.

       The season-ticket holder’s team was facing playoff elimination against the Houston Astros Sunday in Chicago, down 5-1 in the third inning. Sitting behind the visitors’ dugout, on a whim, he grabbed the cane he was using for a sprained knee, and pointed it at the batter.

       “I just picked up my cane arbitrarily,” he said. “I said, ‘Hit the ball to left field,’ and he hit it to left. The next guy I said, ‘Hit the ball to the gap,’ and he hit it to the gap. A couple guys in back of me said, ‘Your cane is magic.’ My son said, ‘It’s not the cane, it’s him. He’s a wizard.”

       Rob Holt, 71, at home in Northbrook with the walking cane he used Sunday during the White Sox, 12-6, win over the Houston Astros at Guaranteed Rate Field. While the Astros were at bat Holt pointed the handle of his cane, as seen here, toward the field to try to keep the players from getting on base. Holt then flipped the cane and pointed the end toward the field while the Sox were at bat to encourage hits. (Armando L. Sanchez / Chicago Tribune)

       The Sox came to life, with two home runs that inning, followed by a series of unlikely runs scraped together out of singles and a throw to home that hit a batter headed to first. On top of that, the Astros soon stopped scoring. And the Sox went on to win 12-6.

       “The cane became the center of attention,” he said. “So if I don’t pick it up, I’ll get smacked on the shoulder, ‘Dude, we need your help.’ I’d pick up the cane, say, ‘You have the power,’ and they’d get a hit or the Astros would make an error. It was just uncanny.”

       Holt’s seeming magic was caught on TV and word of the cane spread. Sox fans — who started the game in an electric atmosphere Holt had never seen in 30 years as a season-ticket holder — were ecstatic over the turn of events.

       “It was as corny as can be,” Holt said. “Guys were coming down to take pictures with me and the cane. The whole thing was a hoot.”

       Rob Holt, 71, with the cane he used during the 12-6 White Sox win over the Astros on Sunday. According to Holt, the cane is made from sumac wood and was acquired in northern Wisconsin. (Armando L. Sanchez / Chicago Tribune)

       Holt temporarily retired the cane after a while with the Sox in the lead, saying, “This is getting too stupid.”

       On the way out, fan after fan came up to congratulate him on being the “cane guy.” Former and off-duty police officers working security welcomed him.

       Holt, a retired financial adviser, is a lifelong Sox fan, following in the footsteps of his father. He grew up in the north suburbs and lives in Northbrook and has also raised his three grown children as Sox fans. After Holt, 71, was featured on TV and became an online meme, he, his wife and kids were flooded with texts and calls wondering how he did it and begging him to keep it up.

       White Sox representatives came to his seat to offer him tickets for Game 4, which got rained out Monday and rescheduled for Tuesday.

       “They said, ‘We want you to come as our guest. But you have to bring the cane,’ ” he said. “Don’t worry, I’ll be there.”

       rmccoppin@chicagotribune.com

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