The White Sox had a slow start to the season, but after their latest trip to New York they’ve been playing much better and have won four of their last five. Eloy Jimenez hit two bombs against the Yankees, while Yoan Moncada and Tim Anderson continue their success. And hey, the pitching has even been better during this recent five-game stretch for the most part.
There is one glaring negative. Daniel Palka.
He became a fan favorite in 2018, hitting 27 home runs in his rookie season. With a few moves in the offseason, fans feared Palka’s playing time would diminish in 2019, but so far he’s played in 12 of the 16 games. But now it’s hard to justify much playing time for the left-handed hitter, as he’s now 0-for-32 this season and 0-for-34 going back to 2018.
Chris Davis just set the MLB record for the longest hitless streak from a non-pitcher, going 54 straight at-bats without a hit. That streak also dated back to 2018, as Davis began 2019 going 0-for-33 before getting a hit against the Red Sox on April 13.
Palka still has a long way to go to reach Davis, but he’s getting really close to the all-time hitless streak for the White Sox. Right now he’s tied for the fourth longest hitless streak in team history and the record holder might be surprising.
During his rookie year in 1990, Robin Ventura went 0-for-41.
Ventura’s streak started on April 18 and ended on May 11 against the Royals. He went from a slash line of .333/.462/.619 when the hitless streak began to .117/.293/.217, right before it came to an end.
Palka has six walks and two RBIs so far this season. Let’s hope he doesn’t break Ventura’s record.
