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White Sox fans have had a laundry list of gripes trailing back through the past decade, but there’s always a bolt of sunlight bursting through the thick clouds of mediocrity.
Sometimes those moments come from the achievements of individual players, like Philip Humber’s perfect game or Paul Konerko’s 400th home run. Other times it’s the fan experience that adds the spice of life, like giving your uncle the Heimlich maneuver in the 500-level concourse after he chokes on a Polish sausage. It’s moments like those that dump some pepper on an otherwise bland stretch of baseball.
Three weeks ago, Luis Robert Jr. was benched after a half-hearted jog to first base on a soft ground ball. He waved it off after the game, excusing his performance by pointing to a tight hamstring. Whatever the reason, it hasn’t hampered his powerful bat since. La Pantera has punched a few holes in the clouds lately, letting in the sunlight and giving Sox fans a reason to get on their feet.
Robert Jr. currently sits prominently on the American League home run leaderboard, right there with Aaron Judge, among others. Part of his success is simply due to time spent at the plate. Robert has yet to play a complete major league season, partially due to injury and partially due to the shortened 2020 season, but his spring has already seen him tie his career home run high. Barring any bizarre catastrophe, he’ll surpass it handily.
With fireworks shattering the skies over the Dan Ryan Expressway, fans may finally have something to cheer for this summer. La Pantera is on the prowl.
2023 South Side Sox Players of the Week
Oscar Colás (February 25-March 2)
Andrew Vaughn (March 3-8)
Carlos Pérez (March 9-16)
Oscar Colás (March 17-22)
Cactus League MVP: Oscar Colás
Dylan Cease (March 30-April 5)
Luis Robert Jr. (April 6-12)
Lucas Giolito (April 13-20)
Jake Burger (April 21-27)
Lucas Giolito (April 28- May 4)
Hanser Alberto (May 5-11)
Luis Robert Jr. (May 12-18)
Top 10 MVP Standings
Lucas Giolito (42.3)
Luis Robert Jr. (33.4)
Jake Burger (29.6)
Seby Zavala (21.2)
Oscar Colás (17.1)
Zach Remillard (16.4)
Andrew Benintendi (13.6)
Carlos Pérez (8.8)
Lance Lynn (8.4)
Melissa Sage-Bollenbach (8.4)
Top 10 Cold Cat Standings
Tim Anderson (-26.2)
Yasmani Grandal (-19.7)
Yoán Moncada (-16.9)
Aaron Bummer (-13.6)
Alex Colomé (-11.8)
White Sox Offense (-10.0)
Keynan Middleton (-9.2)
Jake Marisnick (-8.9)
Declan Cronin (-8.1)
Tristan Stivors (-7.9)
Last week, Tim Anderson crashed the Cold Cats for perhaps the first time since we’ve instituted these game polls; a week later, his injury-addled play has landed him atop the Cold Cats list!
Writer Standings
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Tommy Barbee creeps up to .500 — which makes him a Top 3 recapper! Scary stuff. Chrystal O’Keefe continues her steady climb out of the basement and actually stands just 3 1⁄2 games out of the top spot, given how crazy-weak our coverage records have been this season.
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!
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