Distraction

Chasing around a twenty-month old grandson reminds a person there are other things to worry about than the White Sox losing 1-0 to the Pirates. E.g., keeping the kid from standing on the big Eldon dump truck, which will treat him as a load to dump. Michael Kopech went six innings, yielding that one run on the only two hits the Pirates would get all day. Yea, I guess. I mean, this is the Pirates. Speaking of which, Sox hitters managed all of six bingles, three by Gavin Sheets. I mean, this is the Pirates. Speaking of whom, they’re a team Chuck Tanner once managed, and I want to compare new Sox manager Pedro Grifol to Tanner, but, so far, that would only be to Grifol’s detriment. Allow me three examples from yesterday’s game. First, he sat Luis Robert Jr. along with his .366 BA, four homeruns and ten RBIs. Then, in the top of the ninth inning, after Sheets collected his third single with two outs, Grifol didn’t go with a pinch runner. As a team, the Sox are 13/13 in stolen bases. If he didn’t want to push it and try to steal, Grifol still could’ve used a runner faster than Sheets, say, Hanser Alberto. Or here’s a thought—instead of going with thirteen “pitchers,” why not bring Billy Hamilton up? Back to the game. Two out, Sheets on first with Oscar Colas up. Not to take away any of my previous Floyd Robinson comparisons, but Colas was in his tenth major-league game ever. That meant Grifol let an aggressive rookie face closer David Bednar, yet to be scored in three appearances (make that four) and with a career 2.90 ERA. Yes, Colas had the lefty-righty advantage, but that didn’t keep him from striking out. Robert wasn’t available to pinch hit why, again? Leo didn’t get dumped, Kopech pitched decently. Those are the holiday takeaways. That, and the Easter candy.