Oh, Well

How did the White Sox go from being up 3-0 against the A’s to losing the game 6-4 and ending their postseason “run”? Going through nine pitchers who gave nine walks might have something to do with it. And, yes, bad luck, too. The Sox needed Eloy Jimenez for more than the two at-bats he gave them Thursday afternoon, just as they needed rookie reliever Garrett Crochet to go more than two-thirds of an inning. If Eloy hadn’t injured his foot last week, the Sox might still be playing. If Crochet needs Tommy John surgery, next season loses some of its promise. It’s never a good idea to tell Jerry Reinsdorf what to do; bulls are less bull-headed. So, I won’t waste my time calling for someone, anyone, to replace Renteria in the dugout. But even Reinsdorf has to be able to see that it’s long past time for pitching coach Don Cooper to take his pension and exit stage right. Nine pitchers, nine walks and a loss—that’s Cooper in a nutshell. Rookie center fielder Luis Robert hit a 487-foot homerun that the folks on ESPN couldn’t stop talking about; I was more impressed by Robert’s RBI single. Robert hit an 89-mph fastball from Mike Fiers. Big deal. I told Clare I would’ve expected her to hit it at least 387 feet. Same for any good ballplayer. Don’t get fooled by Robert’s feats of strength. He’s far from a finished work. The Sox need to be on their big talent all offseason. What are you eating? What video are you watching? How ’bout this one showing you swinging and missing at breaking ball after breaking ball? If they do that, next season may not be such a downer, after all.