The Fruits of His Labors

At age twenty-eight, Lucas Giolito still hasn’t decided what he wants to be when he grows up, not entirely. By my count, Giolito has reinvented himself at least twice since coming to the White Sox in the Adam Eaton trade back in 2016. And he’ll be doing it again this offseason. Giolito came to camp in March some twenty pounds heavier, all muscle. Our California dreamer said he felt great, initially, only to realize over time that the extra muscle affected his athleticism. Of all the places to be the Incredible Hulk, a pitching mound is not among them. I can’t wait to see what Giolito comes up with for his next incarnation. I only wish it could withstand the touch of Yasmani Grandal, the man made rich by GM Rick Hahn. Grandal was a virtual one-man wrecking crew in the game against the Tigers last night, only the wrecking cost his team the game, 5-3. Detroit stole bases in the seventh and eighth innings. Both runners scored courtesy of our catcher. In the seventh, Akil Baddoo continued on to third base because Grandal threw the ball into center field. In the eighth, pinch runner Willi Castro stole off of Grandal and went to third on a wild pitch. Virtually any ball in the dirt turns into a wild pitch because Grandal can’t block it. But, hey, he got a double and a walk Nothing says “success” like a .208 BA and .309 OBP. And let’s not forget Yoan Moncada, another of Hahn’s great acquisitions. Moncada went 0-for-5, which he does a lot given how acting manager Miguel Cairo likes to bat him second instead of, say, eighth or ninth. Can you bat bench? Moncada is hitting .213 on the season. To think that we once had Robin Ventura and Joe Crede at the hot corner. Heck, Pete Ward and Bill Melton. Heck again, Vance Law and Eric Soderholm. Pitcher to catcher to third base—what hath Rick Hahn wrought?