Storylines

Look hard enough, and you can find all sorts of fun storylines in the spring-training box scores. Take yesterday’s White Sox-Brewers’ game. The Sox started Jake Burger at third base, not that they want or expect him to supplant Yoan Moncada. In my heart of hearts, I suspect Rick Hahn wishes Burger would play himself off the team. Only the one-time first-round pick is doing just the opposite. Burger went 1-for-3 with a double and two RBIs. He’s driven in nine runs so far this spring, which I think leads the team. Romy Gonzalez started, too, and he homered on the first pitch of the game. For some reason, Leury Garcia hasn’t played much this spring, which might lead one to wonder if the Sox would actually eat the last two years of his contract. They might think along those lines if Gonzalez keeps hitting. Lest I forget, Gavin Sheets also homered yesterday. The more that happens, the more likely Sheets will stick around as a left-hand bat with pop, speaking of which we have one Daniel Palka. He’s back, with the Sox, but of a different color, maybe. Palka earned an invite with the Red Sox in Florida and so far, so good. The big man is hitting .278 with seven RBIs. How weird but fun it would be to see him in that other Sox uniform come April. Some guys have great springs, and nothing happens, or they make the team only to play sparingly and get released after a few weeks. That could happen to Palka. Because they’re younger, Burger, Gonzalez and Sheets have minor-league options, though I suspect the Sox might try to trade Burger and/or Sheets because of their power potential. May everyone mentioned here make their respective teams and have solid seasons. In what seems half a lifetime ago, I followed a rookie who made the Sox after a great spring. That was John Cangelosi in 1986. Tony La Russa was the manager who took a chance on a 5’8” speedster. That may have been the last smart move La Russa made on the South Side.