Small Blessings

Clare called last night to tell me about a podcast she heard with White Sox rookie outfielder Daniel Palka.  “He didn’t sound dumb,” my daughter reported, relieved, I think, that Palka looks to be a goof but not an idiot.  Several times, she said, Palka was given a chance to dump on the Twins, the team that released last fall, to talk instead about the opportunity he has with the Sox.

By the time Clare called, I’d already stopped watching the game to read a book (please don’t snitch on me to the thought police).  Something about seeing James Shields give back a two-run lead gets old after a while.  I knew the game was 4-2 going into the bottom of the ninth and went to bed pretty certain the Sox had their 96^th loss in the bag.

Of course, the morning Tribune couldn’t be bothered with a box score, not for the Sox or the playoff-contending Cubs, both of whom are playing at home; that gurgling sound you hear is print journalism circling the drain.  Eventually, I went to the MLB website and slowly ran down the line scores.  I found the Sox game and scrolled down expecting to see a big zero for the bottom of the ninth.  Imagine my surprise to find a “3” instead.  Sox win, Six win, as Ed Farmer says (not nearly often enough).  And Mr. Palka had a two-run single for the walk-off in a 5-4 game.

Palka told reporters after the game, “I just try to keep it as simple as possible.  Luckily, it was my third AB [at-bat] off of him [Indians’ starter Carlos Carrasco in a relief role], so I saw everything he was getting me out with and was just kind of waiting on that [an 84-mph off-speed pitch outside and belt high].  

Palka has 66 RBIs in 401 at-bats for a team that ranks 24^th out of 30 in baseball for runs scored.  For comparison’s sake, consider that the lowest ranked team with a shot at the playoffs is Milwaukee, at 12^th.  This gives you an idea how few and far between RBI chances have been for Palka, who also leads MLB rookies with 27 homeruns.  My prediction is he finishes fourth for AL Rookie of the Year, behind Miguel Andujar and Gleyber Torres of the Yankees and Shohei Ohtani of the Angels.  But you’re #1 on the South Side, Daniel, #1 on the South Side.