Second City

I am a Chicagoan by birth and inclination, down to my love-(mostly) hate relationship with New York City.  Obsessing on the Yankees takes up way too much of my time.

Maybe that’s what led me to think a conspiracy was afoot going into the AL wildcard game, with the A’s deciding to start Liam Hendriks.  Hendriks was 0-1 with a 4.13 ERA, pretty much what you’d expect of a pitcher designated for assignment by Oakland in June.  But the A’s saw something in Hendriks’ career stats of 12-22 and 4.72 ERA that made them think they could win at Yankee Stadium.  Final score: New York 7 Oakland 2.  And they talk about the Black Sox?

This weekend, I’ve been watching the Yankees play the Red Sox in the ALDS.  (By the way, thank you, Chris Sale, for winning game one).  Looking at the Yankees’ lineup, I couldn’t help but wonder what White Sox player could make it.  Yoan Moncada or Gleyber Torres at second base?  Tim Anderson or Didi Gregorius at shortstop? Yolmer Sanchez or Miguel Andujar at third base?  Heck, Jose Abreu or half-year wonder Luke Voit at first?  Also consider that only Gregorius developed incrementally, which is what the White Sox are hoping for—or deluding themselves about—Moncada and Anderson.  The other three are virtual rookies who’ve made an instant impact on these 21^st century Bronx Bombers.   

Over on the Boston side, the Red Sox started 36-year old Ian Kinsler at second base instead of Moncada.  You could say that’s the price they had to pay in order to get Sale.  I’ll bet they’d be willing to do that eight days a week, if not more.  But Michael Kopech should be up and about for the 2020 season.

Second-city syndrome, yeah, I got it bad.