If there’s one guy who deserves a gold star for enduring a few straight garbage seasons and does it with a smile, it’s Jose Abreu. Considering he could have demanded a trade or found an excuse to walk off the team, or even phone it in during these Lego building block years, he hasn’t. Instead, Jose Abreu has risen to be the clubhouse leader for the White Sox.
Currently, he’s beating the ever-loving shit out of the baseball and is showing no signs of stopping. Abreu has posted severe numbers, going for 12 multi-hit games in May, while hitting .354 and the body count is only getting bigger. Without a doubt, the White Sox first baseman is evolving in a multitude of ways that is driving his value into arena’s no one could have foreseen when he debuted with the White Sox back in 2014.
Yeah, we knew he’d be good, especially with the dog and pony show they built him up to be, but little did the White Sox faithful realize we need the dude. When Paul Konerko was riding out of town on The Goodbye Express, Rick Hahn and Kenny Williams boasted Jose Abreu was the future. He was the next superstar for the team. That’s kinda happened, but not in the way that was laid out on paper.
When Abreu came to the Sox from Cuba, he was touted as a potential Roberto Alomar or Albert Pujols, a superstar slugger. But, it’s become more significant than that thanks to the rebuild. Abreu has been the quiet storm. He’s consistent, does his cagework and makes opposing pitchers miserable year after year. The dude is the picture of consistency and make no doubt about it, most MLB GM’s would hack off a pinky toe Lewbowski-style to have a player like that on their roster.
“Of course, there is not any doubt about it,” said Abreu of his desire to stay in Chicago, through interpreter Billy Russo. “My mom and dad, they taught me to always be grateful, and I’m really grateful for this organization because of all the things they have done for me and the opportunities they gave me.
“I hope with God’s will I can finish my career here. I hope I can stay here for as long as I can as a baseball player.”
And it’s not to be forgotten: Jose Abreu could be on a contender wrecking shop, but instead is wholly committed to the rebuild and is taking the losing, retooling and constant stream of nonsense in stride. A lot of big league crybabies would have gotten off the ride, but Abreu dug his heels in and is grinding away for the South Siders. The White Sox need to reward that loyalty.
With the rebuild happening before our eyes and keeping faithful that the front office doesn’t ship him off to a Colorado or Los Angeles for an armful of prospects, I think it’s entirely possible to argue that Jose Abreu becomes the next White Sox team captain.
Capitan’s are a rare honor given to very few MLB players, and at one point, Konerko and Varitek were the only two in the league. But, when you think about it, it makes sense: Abreu puts up numbers, comes with zero bullshit and is a perfect representation of a working-class superstar, and by 2020 when the team is competitive again, he’ll have helped foster the group of kids around him.
Many of these young players look up to Abreu; they follow his leadership and consider him a mentor. That’s similar to Konerko’s DNA, and by then it’s entirely conceivable Konerko will be back in a black jersey as a hitting coach. Seeing the two together again to build up the kids of tomorrow couldn’t be a bad thing.
With the trade deadline looming like Godzilla over Chicago, a few teams will dangle serious weight in front of the front office. It remains to be seen if the veteran presence is all talk or means something.
I think Uncle Jerry and Hahn reward their guy and slap the C on his chest by the end of next year, cementing Abreu as their undisputed leader. The core will be in place by next season and from there, it’s just tweaking.
The Capitan tradition means something and unique to an old-school sensibility, which any White Sox fan knows is most definitely our thing. We’re a “paying dues” culture. We appreciate and respect a guy putting in the work. Abreu deserves the nod.
What do you think? Slug it out in the comments. Does Abreu have the stones to be the Capitan of the White Sox or is he trade bait? We await your memes and insults to one another, you savages.
