Walking the Walk

This week, the White Sox signed 30-year old lefty starter-reliever Hector Santiago to a minor-league deal with an invitation to spring training.  There are any number of reasons to hope that Santiago makes the Sox roster.

For openers, consider that Santiago may be the only pitcher over the last decade or so to feature a screwball among his pitches.  When Santiago is on, that screwball is ridiculous, and, when he’s off, he can’t find the plate for the love of money.  I know this because Santiago, a 30^th round draft choice of the Sox, pitched for them in 2012-13 before being traded as part of the Adam Eaton deal.  Did I mention Santiago has a 5-1 record against his former team with a 1.59 ERA?  Well, he does.

The native of Newark New Jersey and son of a carpet installer also gives of his time and treasure to various causes, too many to list here.  What I recall from his first stint with the Sox is that Santiago volunteered to go to Newtown, Connecticut, in the wake of the Sandy Hook shootings.  Nobody asked, he went on his own to give comfort.  Such a player stands out, whether or not anyone knows.

And now Anthony Rizzo has done the same after the shootings at Stoneman Douglas High School, his alma mater in Parkland, Florida.  Rizzo left camp in Arizona as soon as he heard about the carnage that left 17 dead; the Cubs’ first baseman knew at least two of the victims.  His remarks at a vigil Thursday night showed a young man speaking passionately about a place he loves and still calls home in the offseason.  I’d be willing to bet Rizzo wrote each and every word he spoke.  And no publicist would ever let a client tweet “our country is in desperate need for change” as Rizzo did before he left.

Each in his own way, Hector Santiago and Anthony Rizzo show what’s expected of us, not as ballplayers or fans, but as Americans.