South Side Sox Player of the Week (September 4-10): Elvis Andrus

For many 34-year-old ballplayers, a waiver pickup is a Band-Aid on a flagging career. In the case of Elvis Andrus, it was a shot at redemption.

For more than a decade, Andrus was an All-Star shortstop for the Texas Rangers. He came in like a lion, finishing runner-up for Rookie of the Year. Never a power-hitting slugger, the Venezuelan nonetheless mastered clutch timing and the art of sacrificial bunting.

Andrus was bounced to Oakland two seasons ago, then into the lap of the White Sox last month, where he replaced the injured Tim Anderson. He’s proven to be one hell of a substitute, slashing .300/.364/.667 in his last seven games, including an uncharacteristic three homers: easily his strongest season in years.

With both leadership and lineup changes in the White Sox clubhouse, it comes as no surprise to see radically different results. The Pale Hose are putting up more runs than they have all season. What’s making the difference? The one statistic that can’t be quantified: enthusiasm.

Elvis has successfully filled in for the blue suede shoes (cleats?) of Tim Anderson. As for Elvis’ future, the 2023 White Sox should have a jumbo base with his name on it.

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2022 South Side Sox Players of the Week

Tim Anderson (April 8-17)
Tanner Banks (April 18-23)
Lucas Giolito (April 24-May 1)
Dylan Cease (May 2-8)
Michael Kopech (May 9-14)
Davis Martin (May 15-21)
Jake Burger (May 22-29)
Andrew Vaughn (May 30-June 5)
Jake Burger (June 6-12)
Johnny Cueto (June 13-18)
Andrew Vaughn (June 19-25)
Dylan Cease (June 26-July 2)
Lucas Giolito (July 3-9)
Dylan Cease (July 10-17) (no art/essay)
AJ Pollock (July 22-30)
Eloy Jiménez (July 31-August 6)
Michael Kopech (August 7-13)
Johnny Cueto (August 14-20)
Gavin Sheets (August 21-27)
Dylan Cease (August 28-September 3)
Elvis Andrus (September 4-10)

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MVP Standings

Dylan Cease (144.3)
Johnny Cueto (101.8)
Michael Kopech (69.3)
Andrew Vaughn (58.5)
Lance Lynn (30.4)
Eloy Jiménez (30.2)
Luis Robert (24.5)
Tanner Banks (23.3)
Jake Burger (19.4)
Elvis Andrus (18.4)

Cold Cat Standings

Tony La Russa (-88.7)
Leury García (-72.4)
Yasmani Grandal (-53.2)
Josh Harrison (-45.2)
Joe Kelly (-43.2)
Liam Hendriks (-38.1)
Kendall Graveman (-36.6)
Yoán Moncada (-35.7)
Rick Hahn (-29.4)
Tim Anderson (-23.8)

Dylan Cease is essentially uncatchable at this point. On the Cold Cats side, however, there’s still a battle, as Leury García is within spitting distance of Tony La Russa.

Last week, it was Lance Lynn who leapfrogged mainstay Lucas Giolito on the MVP list and knocked him completely off of it; this week, it’s Elvis Andrus knocking off mainstay José Abreu.

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Writer Standings

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If you’re interested in seeing more of Mitch’s work, or if you’d like to purchase original drawings or prints, contact him via Twitter (@soxsketcher), Instagram (@southsidesharpie), or by e-mail at southsidesharpie@gmail.com. Thanks for supporting local artists!