White Sox Deal Former Star of Future Beckham

August 22, 2014 @ admin → No Comments

The Chicago White Sox traded second baseman Gordon Beckham to the Los Angeles Angels on Thursday. If nothing else, Beckham epitomizes what it is to go from being one of the building blocks for a brighter future to being a part of the past. And how quickly that can happen.

Video below of Daniella Sarahyba. You can thank us later.

* And, yes, Cubs fans might want to take a look at the Beckham rise, fall and exit as a cautionary tale. Not that Cubs fans ever would think a Sox projected star is anything close to a Cubs future Hall of Famer, such as the ones who abound in the team’s minor-league system.

* It’s unclear whom the Sox will receive as the player to be named later (as if it would be a player to be named earlier — meaning the “later” really is superfluous). What should seem clear is that it will be a player whose contract is for far less money than Beckham would be receiving in 2015. What also should seem clear is Beckham won’t be calling up in the offseason to sell tickets for the Sox.

* On the bright side for Beckham is he is going to a first-place team that won’t be depending on him to provide much in the way of offense. On the bright side for the Sox, rather than a player they might receive cash considerations. Whatever that might be.

* The good news for the Cubs is they won the conclusion of their suspended game vs. the San Francisco Giants. The bad news: The Cubs lost the regularly schedule contest 5-3 and struck out 15 times in the process. The worse news: Baltimore, which leads the American League East, comes to Wrigley for a weekend series.

* Speaking of Cubs strikeouts, Javier Baez went 0-for-4 with four strikeouts. Meaning he has 31 in 71 at-bats. Meaning Baez (.211 batting average) strikes out 44 percent of his at-bats.

* Speaking of struggling Cubs, the team placed pitcher Edwin Jackson on the disabled list with a strained bullpen. No, that’s not right. A strained earned-run average (6.09). No, actually the Cubs called it a strained right lat.

* Outfielder Matt Szczur recorded his first big-league hit in the Cubs loss. The research department at ElliottHarris.com still is trying to determine if he is the first player in major-league history with two z’s and only one vowel in his last name to accomplish the feat.

* Speaking of research, the research department around here is also trying to determine whether the Cubs — with Baez, Szczur and Anthony Rizzo — lead the majors in most z’s in the last name of players on their roster.

* Speaking of Rizzo, he went 1-for-3 with a strikeout in the loss. Meaning he tied recently demoted outfielder Junior Lake for the team lead in that category with 102. Rizzo did so in 473 at-bats to 291 for Lake.

* Congratulations to the Jackie Robinson West baseball team. It not only reached for the
championship game of the Little League World Series but also for having their highlights of Thursday’s victory vs. Philadelphia being on Comcast SportsNet’s midnight edition of “SportsNet Central” ahead of the Cubs’ highlights.

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