Fan Favorite

My favorite ballplayers are just as likely to be average as great.  For every Frank Thomas and Paul Konerko, I’ve rooted for the likes of Walt Williams and J.C. Martin.  Once they leave the White Sox, I still follow them in the box scores, which is why I now check on the Pirates to see how ex-Sox J.B. Shuck is doing.  Answer: Just sent down to the minors.

 

Speaking of Pittsburgh, the A’s visited over the weekend, with another one of my favorites, former Sox catcher Josh Phegley.  Talk about a night, Phelgley went four for five with two doubles, a homerun and eight RBIs, a franchise record for an A’s catcher. 

 

Coming up with the Sox, Phegley suffered from a condition known as idiopathic thrombocytopenic purpura, a serious blood disorder that necessitated the removal of his spleen; my sister Betty had something similar.  Phegley reminds me of her, which is one of the reasons I want him to have a nice, long career.

 

Phegley was traded to Oakland after the 2014 season as part of a package for Jeff Smardzija.  You just have to love the Sox front office (or not).  The A’s also received infielder Marcus Semien in the deal.  Semien has had his issues at shortstop, making as many as 35 errors in a season; he’s also hit as many as 27 homeruns in a season.  Right now, he’s hitting .295 with 4 homers, 18 RBIs and 21 runs scored.  Compare that to Tim Anderson at .339 with 6 homers, 20 RBIs and 21 runs scored.  Semien has 1 error in 132 chances versus 9 errors for Anderson in 129 chances.

 

It’s not so much that the White Sox can’t develop talent as not knowing what to do with it.  Phegley and Semien are both still with the A’s (along with the third player shipped to Oakland, pitcher Chris Bassitt).  What do we have to show for it?  As ever, addition through subtraction, Smardzija, not Phegley et al.