Better Late than Never

Before Saturday’s game at whatever they called the White Sox home field these days, Jose Abreu took an extra 45 minutes of infield practice.  It may have something to do with him dropping an easy throw that led to four unearned runs in the first inning against the Twins the other day or the fact that his five errors ties Abreu with Matt Carpenter of the Cardinals for most errors by an MLB first baseman.  So, it can’t hurt, I think.  

Ever-positive Sox manager Rick Renteria lauds Abreu’s work ethic and thinks at least part of the problem may be equipment-related.  Renteria said in a story on the Sox website that the webbing of Abreu’s mitt  may be the culprit “because the balls roll around a little too much more than I would like.”  Me, too.

A very long time ago when I was but a boy Dick Stuart played first base, mostly with the Pirates and Red Sox.  Like Abreu, Stuart could hit the ball far, as in 228 career homeruns.  But it was Stuart’s defensive play that earned him the nickname of Dr. Strangeglove.  It was the ’60s, after all.   

Now, what’s that saying, Everything old is new again?  And everything Abreu is Stuart, too.