Thursday, May 21, 2026

Domino Theory

The White Sox could have won yesterday’s rubber match against the Mariners. Instead, a lack of clutch hitting contributed to a 5-4 loss. So did a lack of clutch hitting, even more so. For the third straight game, starter Sean Burke couldn’t get out of the fifth inning. How do you say “pressure on the bullpen”? Right, I just did. Sean Newcomb replaced Burke with the bases loaded and two out in the fifth. Newcomb did his job by getting Rob Refsynder to ground out. The lefty then went out to pitch a scoreless sixth. Was he done for the day after that? Nope. Manager Vibes Venable decided to ler him face righthanded hitting Jhonny Pereda, who led off the seventh with his first career homerun. But that’s more on Venable than Newcomb. Especially letting Newcomb face Julio Rodriguez, another righty hitter; Rodriguez doubled. And this is where the game slipped away. Venable called on Jordan Hicks, who grooved his second offering to Randy Arozarena, who sent the ball over the fence in left centerfield. Venable has reliable relievers (Tyler Davis, Bryan Hudson and Grant Taylor), but he used them all the night before in the Sox 2-1 win. Newcomb also falls into that category, as evidenced by going 1.3 innings before losing it. Hicks was the wrong choice at the wrong time, so shame on Venable. But I doubt he was excited over his options. If not Hicks, then who? Trevor Richards? Seranthony Dominguez? Again, I find myself in the odd position of pining for Jordan Leasure. The lack of that option doesn’t fall on Venable but GM Chris Getz, which leads us back to Burke. If he pitches into the seventh or finishes the sixth, it’s an entirely different ballgame. Simply put, short outings by Burke hurt bigtime. As it is, the Sox rotation is trying to get by with Erick Fedde. How’s that going, Chris? Maybe Getz doesn’t want to rush Hagen Smith or Tanner McDougal. If so, why didn’t he consider re-signing ex-Sox deep thinker—and I mean that as a compliment—Lucas Giolito? Right now, I’d rather see Giolito out there than either Burke or Fedde. I’m sure a lot of Sox fans would, too.

Wednesday, May 20, 2026

Go-Go and Kudos

It was Go-Go White Sox 2.0 in Seattle last night as the Sox used a walk; a hit-by-pitch; and a double steal plus two infield hits to manufacture two runs in the top of the ninth to beat the Mariners 2-1 last night. Holy Al Lopez! I believe in giving kudos where kudos are due, even—especially—if I was just throwing brickbats at the same people. I’m talking about you, Vibes Venable. The Sox manager showed some definite in-game chops. Munetaka Murakami led off the ninth inning with the Sox down a run by drawing a walk. Venable then chose to prioritize speed now over possible power later by having Derek Hill pinch run. Miguel Vargas followed with a hit-by-pitch, thank you very much, Luis Castillo. After Colson Montgomery struck out, Seattle manager Dan Wilson brought in his closer Andres Munoz to face Chase Meidroth. No three-outcome baseball here. Meidroth poked a singled through a pulled-in infield, after which Andrew Benintendi did likewise. Wait, there’s more begrudging kudos. I’m talking about you, Anthony Kay. The 31-year old righthander labored, and I do mean labored, through a 35-pitch first inning. Kay gave up a single; walked two batters; and hit another. Here’s the thing—that was the Mariners’ only hit all night. Kay settled down to retire fifteen of the final seventeen batters he faced. Now, more kudos coming. I’m talking about you, Chris Getz. Not all the relievers the Sox GM has come up with the past two seasons have been a bust. Two recent acquisitions, Tyler Davis and Bryan Hudson, combined for 2.2 hitless innings in relief of Kay. Then came Grant Taylor, the reluctant reliever, to pitch the bottom of the ninth. The righthanded Taylor needed thirteen pitches to strike out three lefty pinch-hitters, all swinging. Mercy. The trick now is to keep playing smart baseball. A few displays of power wouldn’t hurt, either.

Tuesday, May 19, 2026

Find Head. Scratch

It’s like White Sox manager Vibes Venable is going out of his way to lose games, with an assist from GM Chris Getz. The two contributed mightily to last night’s 6-1 loss in Seattle. Start with Venable’s decision to start Drew Romo behind the plate. Excuse me, but Edgar Quero hit a walk-off homerun the game before, and he sits? That’s almost as head-scratching a move as playing Luisangel Acuna in center. Another game, another 0-fer for Acuna, now hitting .174 in 86 at-bats. Unfortunately, there’s more. It was a 3-1 game going into the bottom of the eighth, the Sox scoring on a homer by Tristan Peters, another homerun-hitting hero from the game before who managed to escape the Quero treatment. Starter Noah Schultz went 5.1 decent innings (three runs, five hits, zero walks), after which Venable decided to play Russian Roulette with his bullpen. First, he brought in Brandon Eisert and dodged a bullet. Next, he tried Jordan Hicks and lucked out again. But the third reliever proved an unlucky charm, when Trevor Richards gave up a two-out, three-run shot to rookie third baseman Colt Emerson. It was the 20-year old’s first career hit, by the way. Yes, Venable can only use the players he’s given, and, for all I know, he’s pleaded with Getz to move on from Acuna; Eisert; Hicks; and Richards. If that’s the case, he has to plead harder. And only use Acuna to pinch-run or come in for late-inning defense.

Monday, May 18, 2026

More Good Than Bad

First, the good news—the White Sox overcame poor starting pitching yesterday to beat their archrivals, with Edgar Quero (!) delivering a two-run, walk-off homerun in the bottom of the tenth. Sox 9 Cubs 8. I’m starting to wonder if Tristan Peters isn’t a lefthand-hitting Adam Engel, a ballhawk with less power but more ability to make contact. Which isn’t to take anything away from Peters hitting his first career homer yesterday in the bottom of the eighth, a three-run shot that should’ve won the game in regulation if Seranthony Dominguez was doing his job. Peters offered heartfelt sentiments after the game, with a heavy dose of Manitoba nice throughout. Quero provided more passion, and I especially liked it when he said he wanted to hit a homerun to win the seventh game of a World Series. Keep visualizing, Edgar. Now, for the bad news—the Sox had to overcome bad starting pitching, which is usually the case with Erick Fedde on the mound. Fedde had his team in a 2-0 hole two batters into the game after Michael Busch took him deep to right. Sox get a run back in the third, Fedde gives it back in the fourth. The 33-year old righthander went three-plus innings giving up four runs on six hits and four walks. Which leads to this question for GM Chris Getz: Do you want to compete for the postseason? If so, bring up outfielder Braden Montgomery and starter Hagen Smith; starter Tanner McDougal, too, if he’s healthy. All three could break into the lineup/rotation at their own pace. Fedde and at least two relievers on the roster are patch jobs. (Yes, I’m also pining for the return of Jordan Leasure. Truly, End Times.) Now’s the time to get real. Or am I missing something?

Sunday, May 17, 2026

They Did Do

Well, most of the do-be White Sox I singled out yesterday did in fact do what I hoped they’d do I an 8-3 Sox win over the Cubs at a packed Rate Field last night. Colson Montgomery and Miguel Vargas homered. Jarred Kelenic didn’t, but Andrew Benintendi did, and Munetaka Murakami, too, twice to be precise. Which brings us to Davis Martin. The 29-year old righthander was nothing short of superb, pitching six innings of one-run ball, with seven strikeouts and zero—I repeat, zero—walks. In 56 innings this season, Martin has walked ten batters while holding the opposition to a .223 BA. How do you say a “record of 6-1 with a .98 WHIP”? I think I just did. And let’s not forget Sam Antonacci at the top of the order—two hits, two runs scored. It’s best not to depend on the longball; in my experience, it’s never there when you need it the most. But small ball is something you can almost call on at will. Antonacci does, along with Chase Meidroth. Punch-and-Judy mixed in with pop. Now, that’s a formula for success.

Saturday, May 16, 2026

Do's and Don'ts

Don’t labor through 4.1 innings of a start, give up four runs on eight hits, and then tell reporters, “I kind of liked how my stuff was,” Sean Burke. [today’s online Trib] Cubs’ hitters liked your stuff, too. Don’t come in to relieve, Jordan Hicks, if you’re going to walk four batters, all of whom will score in an eventual 10-5 Cubs’ win over the White Sox. And, trust me, a run-scoring wild pitch will only leave a bad taste. Do homer again, Colson Montgomery; Miguel Vargas; and Jarred Kelenic. If nothing else, fireworks rev up the crowd. And do take tonight’s start as an opportunity to make a statement, Davis Martin. Your team turns its lonely eyes to you.

Friday, May 15, 2026

Two Sides of Crow

A preference for young teams is baked into my baseball DNA, thanks to two-time White Sox owner Bill Veeck, who had a knack for trading away tomorrow for today. After winning a pennant in 1959, Veeck shipped off a nucleus that would’ve driven the Yankees to distraction—Battey; Callison; Cash; Romano. Gene Freese, Minnie Minoso and Roy Sievers in return did not constitute fair trade(s). Then, when he was running the Sox on a shoestring budget in the second half of the 1970s, Veeck traded off the likes of Bucky Dent Brian Downing; Terry Forster; and Goose Gossage, though GM Roland Hemond got a better return. All of which is to say I was less than excited when Chris Getz acquired 34-year old Randal Gruchuk and 31-year Anthony Kay. So far, Getz looks a lot smarter than I do. In eight games since he was let go by the Yankees, Grichuk has gone 5-for-16 with his new team, including three homeruns and seven RBIs. Last night, he homered and drove in four runs in a 6-2 win over the Royals, Naturally, Kay got the win, which provided a three-game sweep of a team that usually sweeps us. Girchuk, at least, has had a solid major-league career, with 215 homers 638 RBIs. Kay? He’s 3-1 so far this year, 7-3 over the course of five-plus seasons. The Royals looked befuddled with the lefty’s assortment of breaking pitches. Pitchers are supposed to throw hard in this age of velo and launch angle. To quote Devo, how long can this go one? I don’t know. Maybe long enough for the talent in the minors to be ready. That would work for me.

Thursday, May 14, 2026

Kids Growing Up

Maybe Colson Montgomery peaked ever so quickly at his batting average after last night’s 6-5 White Sox win over the Royals. I would, if I’d just gotten three hits, including the difference-making homerun. Allow me to point out to young Mr. Montgomery how hits turn into runs (he had two for the game) and RBIs. But I don’t want to sound like a cranky, old fan longing for the old days, when youngsters dreamed of winning batting titles and triple crowns. Check that. I do long for those days. And the day when Noah Schultz figures out how to throw strikes on a consistent basis. The rookie lefthander had a 3-0 lead going into the fourth inning and promptly loaded the bases on walks; Schultz had five walks on the evening, three or which scored. Exactly half of the 76 pitches he threw were strikes. This will not do. Especially if the Sox want to get beyond .500, where they find themselves for the first times since starting last season at 2-2. You can’t win without pitching, and the Sox won’t win without Schultz. Waiting on you, my man.

Wednesday, May 13, 2026

If Just For One Day

It seems like the White Sox have a thousand outfielders, which is to say they don’t have three solid regulars. Sam Antonacci has come out of nowhere—or the infield—to stake his claim to left, where he’s made himself at home while batting .280 with thirteen runs scored and a .382 OBP. After Antonacci, though, it’s dicey. Austin Hays was signed to play left, but Antonacci’s out there because Hays can’t stay healthy. Luisangel Acuna played himself out of center field because he can’t hit, and Tristan Peters, his replacement, can’t hit for power. Right field belonged to Everson Pereira, but he can’t stay healthy, either. That led to a chance for Jarred Kelenic, who pretty much hits like a dead man walking. At some point in the season, Braden Montgomery will get called up from Charlotte, and somebody not named Antonacci will have to go. It could even be Derek Hill, who pinch-hit a homerun in the bottom of the eighth last night to put the White Sox ahead and proved to be the deciding run in a 6-5 Sox win over the Royals. Wait, there’s more. Hill went in to play right field for Kelenic in the ninth inning and proceeded to rob Bobby Witt Jr. of extra bases with a diving-to-the-line catch for the first out. Then, in a postgame interview, Hill came off as humble and articulate, as well as the consummate teammate; if praise were money, Hill was making everyone in a Sox uniform rich. The 30-year old journeyman, now on his sixth team, was a hero, if just for one day. And, who knows, maybe a little longer.

Tuesday, May 12, 2026

No. Take a Peek

The White Sox haven’t been this good since they went bad under Tony LaRussa in 2022 Success is relative to a point, I guess. With the exception of Davis Martin, nobody from then is n the roster now; different players definitely generate different results. Coaching helps, to a point. Now, consider Colson Montgomery. Starting with 2022, here are his predecessors at shortstop: Tim Anderson; Elvis Andrus; Paul DeJong; and Chase Meidroth/Jacob Amaya. Anderson, Andrus and DeJong were all on the decline while Meidroth was just holding Montgomery’s spot for him while he got ready. As for Amaya, I never understood why he was on the team, and we’ll leave it at that. Right now, Montgomery rates as a cornerstone of the current rebuild, surprisingly good in the field and with plenty of left-handed power. He hits in the clutch but so far hasn’t hit for average (.221 BA this season, .233 over a two-season career). Cause for concern? Depends who you ask. Montgomery told the Sun-Times today, “I don’t look at my average.” Instead, he checks “production, on-base percentage, OPS [on-base plus slugging percentage], things like that.” OK, let’s do that. The 28 RBIs in 145 at-bats would come out to 112 in just under 600 at-bats, so that’s good. But Montgomery also projects to score 64 runs, which isn’t. Long story short, batting average matters. If you don’t get on base, the next guy(s) can’t bat you in. Somebody needs to explain that to Montgomery, and soon. The Sox have a whole bunch of promising middle infielders in their system along with the number-one pick in the upcoming draft, which could turn out to be a shortstop. Players needs good numbers all along the board. To me, OPS is overrated because slugging is a statistic that can be distorted from a lot of solo-shot homers. The other part of OPS comes from on-base percentage, and guess what that depends on? Hits as well as walks. Thirty-two hits and fifteen walks times four in a season won’t cut it, Colson. Either start hitting, or start looking over your shoulder.

Monday, May 11, 2026

The Long and Short of It

I taped yesterday’s White Sox game for something to watch while riding the exercycle. Given that the Sox managed but one hit over seven innings, I was all caught up by the time I showered and dressed for a Mother’s Day dinner with Michele’s mom. What a difference ten or fifteen minutes make. First, the much-maligned—by yours truly—Randal Grichuk left off the bottom of the eighth with a pinch-hit homerun that tied the score at one. Drew Romo followed with a longish ball of his own, a double to the corner in right. But teams do not win by the long ball alone. Which is another way of saying Sam Antonacci laid down a perfect sacrifice bunt, moving Romo to third, the better to score on a very short fly to left. Let’s just say Randy Arozarena’s arm will never be confused with Carl Yasztremski’s. Sox take the rubber game against the Mariners, 2-1, this against Seattle reliever Eduardo Bastardo, who entered the game with a 1.53 ERA over 17.2 innings, and this despite closer Seranthony Dominguez loading the bases with one out in the ninth. It’s been a while since the Sox have pulled off wins like this. That said, they’re still two games under .500, at 19-21. The Royals come to town Tuesday, followed by the Cubs. Talk about two teams I’d love to beat to get over the hump, it’s them.

Sunday, May 10, 2026

Lessons

We had a Saturday evening of babysitting at Clare’s so she could go out with Chris for a Mother’s Day dinner. Cue the chasing and puzzle-assembling. Eventually, my grandson ran out of gas, to the point he actually sat next to me on the couch; naturally, the White Sox game was on TV. A tip of the cap to Miguel Vargas for his two homeruns in a 6-1 Sox win over the Mariners. This allowed me to do my hitting-coach thing. “Do you see how he hit just like you did today?” I asked Leo, referencing a ball he launched a few hours earlier off a tee into the outfield. Then I said what grandson and ballplayer both did, they “saw the ball and made sure to hit it,” after which I started talking about the strike zone; like souls, we all have them. “You have one, your mom has one, your dad and even me.” Next, I talked about knees-to-armpits, along with an imaginary plate that follows everyone around. “You don’t want to swing at anything too high or too low or way outside.” Walks, I said, are good. At 4-3/4 years old, does he know four balls equal a walk? Well, you have to start sometime. Lessons on Sam Antonacci hustle to follow.

Saturday, May 9, 2026

Cranky

Games like last night’s 12-8 White Sox loss to the Mariners make me cranky. You do not hit two batters in an inning, the second forcing in a run, or give up a two-out grand slam on an 0-2 pitch, all after getting the first two outs in an inning. I’m looking at you, Sean Burke. And you don’t let the number-seven batter drive in seven runs, guys. I was admittedly cranky going into the game after reading a smart-ass remark by Jayson Stark in The Athletic yesterday, that Munetaka Murakami “may not be the next [Harmon] Killebrew, [Hank] Aaron or Bambino [Babe Ruth]. But he might be at least the next Adam Dunn. And we are all in on that.” What the hell does that mean? All I know is, if Dunn exhibited half the personality that Murakami has shown so far this season, he would’ve had a longer career; better stats; and more friends in the dugout. If Murakami resembles anyone recent, it’s Kyle Schwarber, and right now I’ll take Murakami. On a brighter note, the Osvaldo Bido era ended on the South Side yesterday. Bido was DFA’d to make room for someone under the age of 30, Tyler Schweitzer. That almost makes up for the Sox sending down Joran Leasure after acquiring 32-year old Trevor Richards, who made his Sox debut yesterday by giving up a three-run homerun to Josh Naylor. Now, I’m cranky again.

Friday, May 8, 2026

Uncarted Waters

Michael Reinsdorf apologizing to Bulls’ fans for the state of the franchise? The new team executive vice president of basketball operations admitting to reporters that he cried when Reinsdorf gave him the job? That’s what happened at the Wednesday press conference where Bryson Graham made his Chicago debut. “We’re going to pull our sleeves up,” Graham told the media. “We’re going to get to work, and we’re going to get out of the mud. I’m not afraid of the work. It’s going to take time. This is something that is not going to be rushed. We’re not in a place that we’re going to be adding players and competing for a championship in the ’26-’27 season.” [quote from story on team website] Wow, shades of Winston Churchill. Granted, ex-vp Arturas Karnisovas leaves a pretty low bar, but, still. Graham came off as sincere and willing to engage reporters the way that Chicago baseball GMs do, whether they want to or not. Let the blood, sweat and tears begin.

Thursday, May 7, 2026

Same Old Same Old

Noah Schultz didn’t have it yesterday, giving up seven earned runs in 3.2 innings of work. Angels 8 White Sox 2. But, hey, Ovaldo Bido threw 2.1 scoreless innings, thereby lowering his ERA to 6.27. Dare I say, “Wow!”? For his career, the 30-year old Bido has a 5.17 ERA to go with a 11-13 record. Want more? GM Chris Getz apparently did. On Tuesday, Getz went out and acquired another Bido, though this one left-handed, that being 32-year old Trevor Richard, he of a 24-28 career record and 4.52 ERA. Not “Wow!” but “Yikes”! It’s one step forward, two likely steps back for the Sox bullpen. Two weeks ago, Getz brought up rightie reliever Tyler Davis, who right now looks to be a real find at age 27. Davis played college ball through age 24, and even spent a year as the first baseman for Sam Houston State; the Sox signed him out of independent ball in 2024. So far in five games totaling 5.1 innings, Davis has posted a 1.69 ERA. Shouldn’t Getz be on the lookout for another Tyler Davis, or two? Instead, it’s Bido and Richard, the same old same old. Go figure.

Tuesday, May 5, 2026

Frenemies

Interesting what a little competition can do to motivate a player. Before the White Sox called up Sam Antonacci, Chase Meidroth was batting .196 with eleven hits and six runs scored. With Antonacci as a teammate (and possible replacement at second base), Meidroth is hitting .319 with 22 hits and fifteen runs scored. Last night in the first inning, leadoff batter Antonacci walked and Meidroth singled him in from the five-spot. More, please. Is anyone on the Sox competing with Munetaka Murakami? I doubt it. You’d have to be crazy to think you could outhomer Murakami, who clubbed his fourteenth in the top of the fourth last night, a two-run, 429-foot shot to dead center in a 6-0 Sox win over the Angels. Then Miguel Vargas went back-to-back with a homerun to right center. I could get used to this. Starter Davis Martin must feel the same. The righty threw seven shutout innings, recording a career-best ten strikeouts along the way, against no walks and five hits, four of them singles. On top of that, Martin needed just 85 pitches to do it all. I’m betting the coaching staff could get used to that. Oh, did I mention Antonacci went 2-for-4 with a walk and two runs scored?

Monday, May 4, 2026

A Silver Lining or Two

The way Padres’ closer Mason Miller is throwing right now, the best possible combination of Ted Williams and Jesus Christ probably couldn’t hit him. Still, the White Sox had the tying run at second base in the top of the ninth with two out against Miller. If only. If only what? If only somebody other than shortstop Luisangel Acuna had faced Miller, but, for whatever reason, Sox manager Vibes Venable stuck with Acuna rather than pinch hit Austin Hays. Three pitches, three strikes. Padres 4 Sox 3. Acuna is now batting .169, in case anybody is wondering. Oh, well. Catcher Drew Romo homered again, so there’s that. And top prospect Braden Montgomery was promoted to Triple-A Charlotte. Montgomery was hitting .313 in Double-A with six homeruns and 22 RBIs. With luck, he’ll do the same with Charlotte, and, then, who knows? Did I mention he plays center field? That’s where Acuna mostly plays.

Sunday, May 3, 2026

More Dues-giving

The White Sox won a game yesterday they would’ve lost any number of ways in seasons past. Reliever Grant Taylor took the mound in the bottom of the ninth for a second inning of work and a 4-0 lead. Taylor failed to cover first on an infield single by Jackson Merril and then proceeded to walk the next two batters. This brought up ex-Sox Gavin Sheets in a lefty-righty matchup in Sheets’ favor. Key the fireworks for grand slam. No, check that. Sheets was called out on strikes after catcher Edgar Quero challenged a ball call by plate ump Sean Barber on a 2-2 pitch. Exit Taylor for Seranthony Dominguez. Keep those fireworks ready. No, check that. Dominguez recorded a flyout and strikeout to preserve the win while earning his eighth save. What’s going on here? Obviously, the new regime is making headway. Winning starter Sean Burke threw six shutout innings. This is the same Sean Burke who pitched himself back to the minors last season. Pitching Coach Zach Bove must be doing something right, though I couldn’t say what; ditto hitting coach Derek Shomon. And, yes, manager Vibes Venable seems to be pulling the right levers more often than not lately. If, by some miracle—another two-hit game from Sam Antonacci wouldn’t hurt—the Sox pull off the sweep today, they’ll be at .500, cause for celebration, indeed. I’ll keep the fireworks ready.

Saturday, May 2, 2026

Additions

The White Sox started a six-game road trip last night with an 8-2 win over the Padres. Four players contributing to the win weren’t on the team this time last year. Three are from the Sox farm system while the other may be from another planet, and, if not that, another hemisphere. That would be Munetaka Murakami, who clubbed his major-league leading thirteenth homerun, good for three of seven runs scored in the second inning. That was all that Noah Schultz, one of those farmhands I mentioned, needed. The 22-year old recorded his second career victory with six innings of shutout ball, at one point retiring sixteen straight San Diego batters, with a little help from a double play. Did I mention Colson Montgomery and Sam Antonacci? My bad. Montgomery started the second by walking; two batters later, Antonacci drove him in with a single. Montgomery also homered in the fifth while Antonacci had two hits on the night with a run scored and RBI. More, please. Now, to give the devil his due. Schultz and Montgomery were both drafted by the old regime headed up by Rick Hahn (or Hahn-Kenny Williams, the uncertainty of which was a big part of the problem). So were starter Hagen Smith and infielder Jacob Gonzalez, both of whom are putting up call-up worthy numbers at Triple-A Charlotte. Hahn deserved to be fired. That said, if this rebuild—I forget which number we’re on—starts taking off, Hahn deserves part of the credit. You have no idea how much it pains me to say that.

Friday, May 1, 2026

Market Discipline

I saw a survey not too long ago that found baseball fans are warming to the idea of a salary cap. So, maybe I should get onboard, too. In fact, I will just as soon as owners can spell out how savings for them will be passed on to me. In the meantime, I’m still inclined to point out how well the market works on its own: The Dodgers get what they’ve paid for. The Mets, not so much. After blowing the rubber game to the Nationals at home yesterday, the Mets have themselves a 10-21 record to go with a $357.6 million payroll, the highest in baseball for a 40-player roster (per USA Today from 3-25-2026). Francisco Lindor is hurt; Juan Soto has been hurt; and free-agent acquisition Bo Bichette is hitting .230 with fourteen RBIs. Guess who has fifteen? Miguel Vargas. Speaking of ex-Sox players on the Mets, Marcus Semien is looking every bit of 35, with a .218 BA and nine RBIs in 110 at-bats. And Luis Robert Jr., who not too long ago was saying how nice it was to play in front of a lot of fans for a change, just went on the—wait for it—IL with “lumbar spine disc herniation.” Bet that clears up real fast. The only way for things to improve is if everyone starts to play up to the stats from the back of their baseball card. If they don’t, the Mets end up like a Rick Hahn team. Wait, wasn’t Hahn the one who told Sox fans to chill because it was only a matter of time before Yasmani Grandal—wait for it—played up to the stats on the back of his baseball card? Only it didn’t happen. Mets’ owner Steve Cohen spent recklessly and is paying the price. Why let a salary cap protect a fool from his folly?