Grab Hair, Pull Hard

With the White Sox, you don’t take anything for granted. Other teams go full-in on a rebuild and play their prospects, but that’s not how they do things at 35th and Shields, not all the time. So, I’m nothing short of ecstatic that rookie third baseman Bryan Ramos has started five straight game. Better yet, Ramos is producing, another two hits last night, including his second double, in a 3-2 win over the visiting Guardians. Now, guess who caught and went 0-for-2? Yup, Martin Maldonado, now batting a meager .095. Pretty soon, you’re going to read a microscope to see his stats, except for the 25 strikeouts in 63 at-bats. Another start or two, and Maldonado should be cracking the 40-percent mark there. Why, oh, why, is he playing? The Sox are in a rebuild, not a pennant race. In 183 innings behind the plate, Maldonado has been charged with two passed balls while throwing out two of 22 would-be base stealers. Sox pitchers have also thrown 20 wild pitches with Maldonado catching. In 147 innings, Korey Lee also has been charged with two passed balls while throwing out six of 24 would-be base stealers; that’s 25 percent, above the league average of 22 percent. Did I mention wild pitches? Sox pitchers have only uncorked nine when Lee’s behind the plate. That might say something about his mobility, and Maldonado’s lack thereof. Did I mention Lee’s hitting? To me, a .273 BA with eight RBIs sure beats .095—.095!—with three RBIs. I must be missing something. Oh, right, the veteran presence behind the plate. If you say so. Again, this is a rebuild. How is Lee going to earn the trust of his pitchers, assuming that’s even an issue, if he doesn’t catch more? Give him what he needs. And why not promote a catcher from Triple A, while you’re at it?