Heroes

Really, what can you say? One day after looking totally inept (and is there any other way?), the White Sox no-hit the Indians last night 8-0 behind Carlos Rodon, he of 42.1 innings pitched the last two seasons before this. Rodon doesn’t project warm and fuzzy the way Eloy Jimenez or even Adam Engel might. He’s always struck me as intense, businesslike, which may be why he has Scott Boras for an agent. Early on, I assumed Rodon would be gone come free agency, unless the Sox ponied up whatever price Boras concocted from that magic formula he employs for clients. Since the Sox aren’t in the habit of ponying up diddly for Scott Boras, I didn’t invest a lot of emotion on Carlos Rodon. On top of that were the injuries, including Tommy John and shoulder surgeries, that seemed to hound Rodon following his rookie season in 2015. Each year, Rodon seemed to lose a little more on the mound. And ex-Sox manager Rick Renteria hardly helped last season inserting Rodon in two relief outings, to disastrous results (think Cleveland and Oakland). So, the Sox released him, and I didn’t give it much thought. Then they brought him back in the preseason on a one-year contract, and I didn’t give it much thought. Either Rodon pitched himself into the rotation, or he didn’t. That’s baseball. But, more than other sports, baseball is also a business that affords a player multiple chances. At age 28, Rodon looks to have put his latest one to very good use. He’s now 2-0 in two starts in 2021 after going 3-4 the two previous seasons combined. As for last night’s no-hitter, it was a perfect game with one out in the top of the ninth and an 0-2 count on catcher Roberto Perez; a big, breaking slider clipped Perez on the toe. Maybe a more agile batter would’ve tried to jump out of the way. Maybe not. Rodon could go on to win 15+ games this season and be gone from the South Side the next. That’s the business of baseball. But, just for a second last night, I thought I spied the smile of a nine-year flash across that bearded face. And I thought of David Bowie, of all people: “We can beat them just for one day/We can be heroes just for one day.” Yes, we can.