Snatching

Yesterday, the White Sox hit three homeruns, including two two-run shots by Luis Robert Jr. and pulled off a kind-of steal of home (Nickey Lopez out at second, Braden Shewmake safe at home but not credited with a steal). They still lot to the Tigers, 7-6 in ten innings. It bears repeating—if you’re going to be bad, go young. The Sox were ahead 6-4 going into the seventh when manager Mickey Mouse brought in 32-year old Dominic Leone, who promptly got the score tied. And something else bears watching, with consequences better sooner than later. Eloy Jimenez batted with the bases loaded, one out in the bottom of the seventh and gave the Tigers just what the doctor ordered, a third-to-first double play. Then, with Detroit ahead 7-6, a runner on second and nobody out, Jimenez popped out to third on the first pitch he saw. That’s four baserunners stranded in two at-bats that generated three outs. All of which is how you snatch defeat from the jaws of victory.

Play Ball

Leo and his parents came over to color Easter eggs this morning. It’s a family requirement, and the kid did himself proud. After we cleaned up, my grandson ushered everyone into the living room while we headed for the back porch, door closed. From there, it was a combination of air guitar with song accompaniment (“Paw Patrol, Paw Patrol,” repeated ad infinitum); checking on the squirrel in the backyard; keeping an eye out for wolves ( a concern of his right now); and throwing whatever ball he could get his hands on. Oh, and hitting. He teed up the mini-basketball and took a swing. Once was enough. I gently advised that, starting next week, we’d commence hitting in the backyard, squirrels and wolves notwithstanding. I also encouraged him to try and hit everything on the sweet spot, which for this bat was the label. It looked like he understood. We’ll see soon enough.

One Down, 100-Plus to Go

Good thing spring training doesn’t count, or else the White Sox record would stand at 9-21 instead of just 0-1 after yesterday’s 1-0 shutout loss at the hands of the visiting Tigers (with Detroit’s new play-by-play man Jason Benetti calling the game). Trust me, it only goes downhill from here. Starter Garrett Crochet was everything you’d want. In his first-ever start, Crochet gave up one run on five hits over six innings, striking out eight without a walk. Crochet threw 87 pitches over six innings to 24 in one inning of relief for Michael Kopech, by the way. The Sox offense consisted of three singles, with not a runner reaching second base and the last seventeen batters all going down ever so sadly. In case you were wondering, Jake Burger had three hits and three RBIs for the Marlins. But, hey, Yoan Moncada didn’t get injured, yet. The announced crowd was 33,420, nearly 7,000 short of a full house. I’m guessing it’s the largest crowd of the year.

Like I Said

I guess the White Sox got half the message—yesterday, they sent some players out onto the street to pass out hot dogs, but it was the wrong street, as in State. That, or one street too few. Andrew Benintendi and Gavin Sheets manned the corner of State and Lake, which, last time I checked, qualifies as North Side real estate, generating all the goodwill that comes with free food and the presence of pro athletes. But they couldn’t do this on 95th Street? What, not enough players? Last time I checked, Nickey Lopez grew up in the southwest suburbs. Our new second baseman couldn’t put in an appearance? But, hey, a picture and story made its way into today’s Sun-Times, and the Sox will take all the attention they can get, especially if it doesn’t entail losing or counting all the empty seats at Guaranteed Rate Whatever. They probably even liked the story about new Sox broadcaster John Schriffen and the man he replaced, Jason Benetti. Sorry, the guy still looks like a deer caught in the headlights, and I don’t mean Benetti.

Take the Ryan, Exit at 95th

Michele and I went to a St. Patrick’s Day party on the South Side in Morgan Park, which doesn’t sound out of the ordinary until you get a load of my last name and I tell you a few stories about my dad. Let’s just say he wasn’t a fan. But a good time was had by all. We took 95th Street west to Harlem on our way home, through the heart of White Sox country. The number of Sox signs and hats and jerseys on display would make you think we were a only few blocks from Guaranteed Ratre Whatever. And I got to wondering. When was the last time anyone from the Sox travelled 95th Street to gauge the mood of Sox fans? Who in the organization would even know how to get there? When the team vice president in charge of looking out the window let play-by-play announcer Jason Benetti walk, the message was loud and clear—people like him, a South Sider born and bred, don’t matter. The same goes for all those folks I saw wearing the colors. I have a feeling they’re going to be returning the disdain Jerry Reinsdorf on down has shown them since forever, and then some. Play ball.

Ignorance is...Ignorance

This morning, Bears’ president Kevin Warren announced the team’s focus for a new stadium has shifted back to Chicago, the lakefront to be exact and just south of their current home at that. Wait, there’s more. As quoted in today’s The Athletic, Warren exhibited one shaky grasp on Chicago history. “It will set this city up for greatness for the next 100 years,” he said from Orlando, where NFL owners are meeting. “If you go back and look at the Daniel Burnham [P]lan from 1932, you’re talking about a vision. He set the vision for the World’s Fair.” Where to start? How’s this: The Burnham Plan dates to 1909, not 1932. And his mention of the 1933 World’s Fair amounts to gibberish. Yes, the fair was centered around Northerly Island, and Burnham called for the creation of a series of such offshore islands, but how somebody who died in 1912 set the “vision” for a world’s fair twenty-one years later is beyond me. And last time I read the Plan—can you say that, Kevin?—Burnham didn’t mention anything about a World’s Fair. I also happen to have a book about the Century of Progress done as kind of coffee-table book. It notes a connection between the Burnham Plan and the “City Beautiful” movement, with the fair connected to Burnham through a couple of degrees of separation. But you have to take time to read the text carefully. Otherwise, you’re bound to say something wrong. Warren also called the lakefront area around the museum campus the “most beautiful piece of property in the country.” Yeah, and the Bears don’t own it. The people of Chicago do, and they shouldn’t give it away to a bunch of grifting Munsters.

Silver Linings

Well, here’s a real silver lining. After yesterday’s 7-3 loss to the Rockies, the White Sox close out spring training with a 9-20 record, but there’s somebody worse, by winning percentage at least. That honor belongs to the Twins, whose 8-18 record translates into a .308 percentage, as opposed to .310 for the Sox. And the Twins are the consensus pick to win the Central Division. Other glimmers of hope? Not really, although GM Chris Getz did give Jesse Chavez and Touki Toussaint their walking papers (while bringing back outfielder Kevin Pillar. Go figure.). Beyond that, the talent is so bare the Opening Day roster isn’t set three days before the first pitch of the season. And I guess this qualifies as good news of a sort. Catcher Max Stassi is suffering from general soreness from missing last season due to injury. That opens the door to Korey Lee. If you’re going to be bad, be bad with youth. Lee is 25 to Stassi’s 33. Nothing personal, Max.