Luis Robert Jr. looks like favorite to represent White Sox in All-Star Game

About an hour before game time Sunday, in Suite 250.

Luis Robert Jr. went 3 for 4 with two home runs and three RBIs on Sunday, lifting the White Sox to a 4-1 win over the Boston Red Sox in the rubber match of a three-game series at Guaranteed Rate Field.

Robert Jr.'s first homer was in the fourth inning, a high fly to right-center field that just cleared the fence. The two-run shot gave the Sox their first lead of the game at 2-1.

Andrew Benintendi's RBI double scored Gavin Sheets, who had walked, in the fifth inning to make it 3-1. Robert Jr. then capped the scoring in the sixth with a screaming liner to left field that cleared the Sox bullpen.

On the pitching side, it was a bullpen game for the Sox. Tanner Banks started and gave up the lone Boston run over 2.2 innings pitched. Jesse Scholtens (1-2) went four scoreless innings to pick up the first win of his career, and Keynan Middleton worked a 1-2-3 ninth inning for his second save of the season.

Robert Jr. now has 21 home runs this season, to go along with 20 doubles.

Here is a list of Sox players to clear 20 home runs and 20 doubles before the All-Star break:

• Frank Thomas, 1993
• Frank Thomas, 1994
• Magglio Ordonez, 2000
• Frank Thomas, 2003
• Jermaine Dye, 2008
• Jose Abreu, 2014
• Jose Abreu, 2019
• Luis Robert Jr., 2023

It's exclusive list. Robert Jr.'s slash line is now .269/.326/.559. Even with his high strikeout totals (91 in 315 plate appearances), his extra-base power and premium defense in center field easily make Robert Jr. the most effective player on the Sox this season.

It's hard to see a scenario where he isn't the guy to represent the Sox during the MLB All-Star Game next month in Seattle.

Jose Abreu struggling with Astros, but White Sox need more from Andrew Vaughn

Jose Abreu

First basemen were in the spotlight this weekend when the Houston Astros visited Guaranteed Rate Field to take on the White Sox.

Jose Abreu was back in Chicago for the first time since he signed a three-year contract with the Astros during the offseason. It was a good series for Houston, as it won two out of three games.

However, it was not a good series for Abreu, who went 2 for 13 with four strikeouts. Both of his hits were singles, and the 36-year-old veteran did not score a run, nor did he drive in a run. His bat looks slow, to say the least.

This marks the continuation of a season-long struggle for Abreu, who has not hit a home run through his first 39 games with the Astros. 

He's batting .214/.262/.253 with only six doubles and 14 RBIs. His OPS is .515. His OPS+ is 43, meaning that he is 57% below league average for players at his position.

Is this vindication for the Sox and their decision to move on from Abreu, who will one day have his No. 79 jersey retired on the South Side? You'd have to answer that question in the affirmative.

Abreu's power dip in 2022 looks like the beginning of a precipitous decline. If you've been on social media, you've probably seen some Sox fans dunking on Abreu as he struggles.

Fair enough, but the Sox's new first baseman also had an ugly series. Andrew Vaughn went 0 for 12 with three strikeouts and a GIDP in the three games against Houston.

This season has been a mixed bag for Vaughn. He leads the Sox with 12 doubles and 29 RBIs. However, he's only got four home runs, and his slash line is unimpressive -- .236/.324/.401.

Vaughn's OPS is .725, and his OPS+ is 99, meaning he is one percentage point below league average at his position.

The Sox did not draft Vaughn to be about league average. They selected him with the No. 3 overall pick in the first round of the 2018 draft. He was brought here to be the next in a proud first base lineage that includes Frank Thomas, Paul Konerko and Abreu.

Vaughn is nowhere near that level at this point. He's still only 25, so there's still time for him to improve. However, it's worth noting that Abreu had an OPS of .820 or better in eight of the nine years he played for the Sox. His OPS+ was never lower than 117 in any season.

Right now, Vaughn's career OPS is .729. His career OPS+ is 101 -- the epitome of mediocrity.

Yes, 2023 Vaughn is better than 2023 Abreu, but that should be little consolation to the Sox and their fans.

The team needs Vaughn to hit like the top 3 draft pick he was. They need him to hit like Abreu did from 2014 to 2022. So far, we're not seeing it.

On this date in 1989 ...

Frank Thomas

 ... the White Sox selected Frank Thomas with the No. 7 overall pick in the Major League Baseball draft.

Thomas, of course, went on to become perhaps the greatest player in franchise history, and he was elected into the National Baseball Hall of Fame on the first ballot in 2014.

It's fun to go back and look at the top 10 players chosen in that draft:

1. Ben McDonald, Baltimore Orioles

2. Tyler Houston, Atlanta Braves

3. Roger Salkeld, Seattle Mariners

4. Jeff Jackson, Philadelphia Phillies

5. Donald Harris, Texas Rangers

6. Paul Coleman, St. Louis Cardinals

7. Thomas, White Sox

8. Earl Cunningham, Chicago Cubs

9. Kyle Abbott, California Angels

10. Charles Johnson, Montreal Expos

Yikes. The Sox got the gem of that group, didn't they? 

McDonald didn't have a bad career. He went 78-70 with a 3.91 ERA over nine seasons, seven of them with the Orioles.

Johnson was a good catcher. He played 12 seasons, won two Gold Gloves and played in two All-Star Games. In fact, he won the All-Star Game MVP in 1997. Thing is, he didn't sign with the Expos, who drafted him out of high school in 1989. Johnson played college ball at the University of Miami, and then was drafted in the first round again in 1992, this time by the Florida Marlins. He played for six teams, including the Sox, from 1994 to 2005 and accumulated a career WAR of 22.6. Respectable.

Thomas has a career WAR of 73.8, even though he wasn't a good defensive player and had below-average speed. That's what a .301/.419/.555 slash line with 521 home runs, 495 doubles and 1,704 career RBIs will do for you.

Looking back at these old drafts, it's also a reminder of what a crapshoot it is trying to find the next great player. No doubt, all 10 of these guys were highly regarded when their names were called on draft day.

But beyond Thomas, you basically had two other decent-to-good players in the top 10 of this draft.

White Sox first baseman Jose Abreu wins American League MVP

Jose Abreu

For only the fifth time in franchise history, a White Sox player has won the American League Most Valuable Player award.

First baseman Jose Abreu received the 2020 MVP honor Thursday night, joining a short list in team history that includes Nellie Fox (1959), Dick Allen (1972) and Frank Thomas (1993-94).

Abreu has been a pillar of excellence his entire career. In five of his first six seasons with the Sox, he hit 25 or more home runs and had 100 or more RBIs. Those contributions went mostly unnoticed, as Abreu toiled for some truly terrible Sox teams.

But in the pandemic-shortened 2020 season, the Sox turned things around. Abreu was part of a winning team for the first time, and the Sox qualified for the playoffs for the first time in his career -- that no doubt made MVP voters more likely to cast their ballot for him.

During the 60-game season, Abreu led the American League in hits (76), RBIs (60), slugging percentage (.617), total bases (148) and bWAR among position players (2.8). 

Abreu is only the fourth player in American League history to lead the league in BOTH hits and RBIs. His .317/.370/.617 slash line features career bests in all three categories. He finished with a team-best 19 home runs.

And I should add that Abreu appeared in all 60 White Sox games this season -- not a small consideration considering the injuries and illnesses that hit teams hard around the league in 2020.

For his efforts, Abreu was first on 21 of the 30 MVP ballots. Jose Ramirez of the Cleveland Indians got eight first-place votes and finished second. DJ LeMahieu of the New York Yankees got one first-place vote and finished third.

Among other Sox players, Tim Anderson finished seventh. He got one third-place vote. Pitcher Dallas Keuchel received one 10th-place vote.

Will Jose Abreu have to take bullets for White Sox on Tony La Russa mess?

The Most Valuable Player awards for 2020 will be announced Thursday. White Sox first baseman Jose Abreu is a finalist in the American League, along with Jose Ramirez of the Cleveland Indians and DJ LeMahieu of the New York Yankees.

All three of these men had excellent seasons and played for teams that qualified for the playoffs. The race for this honor is too close to call, frankly, and whichever one of these players wins will be deserving. I have no prediction.

But what if Abreu wins and needs to hold a press conference Thursday?

It's worth noting that no high-profile member of the Sox organization has spoken to the media since manager Tony La Russa was charged with DUI in Arizona earlier this week.

Jerry Reinsdorf, the man who created this mess by hiring La Russa, has remained silent. Nothing from general manager Rick Hahn, either, and certainly nothing from La Russa himself.

It's unfortunate that circumstances are set up to where Abreu -- who has been nothing but a good player and has represented the organization with class and pride during his seven years with the Sox -- might have to be the one who faces the media firing squad first to answer questions about the La Russa debacle.

If Abreu wins this award, he would be only the fourth Sox player in team history to achieve the honor -- and the first since Frank Thomas in 1994.

It would be one of his career highlights, and a historic moment in the history of the franchise. But it would be soiled because of this La Russa mess, and because the cowardly 85-year-old billionaire who owns the Sox doesn't feel he needs to answer for his decision-making.

This whole thing just stinks.

Found this video from old Comiskey Park (circa 1990)

Found this video of old Comiskey Park that some random guy shot and thought it was awesome. It takes me back to my childhood. This is a game from 1990, the last year of the old ballpark, when I was 14 years old.

Hall of Famers on the field for the White Sox: Frank Thomas and Carlton Fisk
Future managers on the field for the Sox: Ozzie Guillen and Robin Ventura
Future Cubs icons on the field for the Sox: Sammy Sosa

Plus, an Ivan Calderon (RIP) home run that sets off the exploding scoreboard. Pitching for the Sox? One of my favorites: Alex Fernandez.

Now that I've reached middle age, I appreciate these memories more.

McCormick Place as a venue for SoxFest ... It has potential

Pitcher Michael Kopech and his wife, Vanessa Morgan

This was the first year SoxFest was held at McCormick Place, and speaking just about the venue and the setup, I'd give it mixed reviews.

First, the good part: I really like the fact that there are three hotels attached to McCormick Place, and that fans had a choice of accommodations. Access to McCormick Place was easy. You simply walk across a footbridge, and you don't even have to go outside into the January cold.

There also are good dining options within reasonable walking distance for after the fest, which is nice because, well, you don't eat that well at SoxFest itself.

However, here's the problem, SoxFest was more cramped and crowded than it ever was when it was at the Chicago Hilton on Michigan Avenue, the previous venue.

The Sox really pumped up the idea that they were holding SoxFest at the "largest venue in North America" or whatever, but then they only rented a very small portion of the space available. I felt as though I could have walked for miles through the empty space at McCormick Place this past weekend, and I thought to myself, "Couldn't the Sox have used this area?"

That's especially true because it was standing room only at the main stage for almost every seminar the whole weekend. There were maybe 200 seats there, and the Sox actually needed about 500.

The "White Sox Museum" was a nice idea, and it was used as a secondary stage for seminars. Only problem? There were maybe 100 chairs in there. They needed at least double that, especially for Chuck Garfien's podcast featuring pitcher Michael Kopech and his wife, actress Vanessa Morgan.

And don't even get me started about the food court. I ate my lunch sitting on the floor Saturday, and so did everyone else I know who attended the event. The McCormick Place food court was not open; the Sox no doubt wanted all the profits, so they set up their own food vendors. And they were approximately 500 tables short of what they needed to accommodate the crowd.

Autograph stages were too close together, and walkways were jammed as lines to see headliners such as Kopech, Frank Thomas and Eloy Jimenez snaked around the convention hall.

The Sox obviously sold more tickets to this event than they did in years past, and that's fine considering the bigger venue.

Problem is, they didn't use the venue properly. That main stage needed to be somewhere else. It was practically right next to the museum, and those attending seminars in the museum were routinely disrupted by what was going on at the main stage. It just didn't make sense.

I guess there is one good thing for the Sox in this scenario: Their posts on social media showed the overflow crowd and long lines in the conventional hall. They can stake their claim that there was a lot of interest in SoxFest this year, and that's not completely wrong. The area designated for SoxFest was packed with fans.

However, if they really want to have a great event, they need to rent more space. McCormick Place, as it turns out, is an inspired choice as a location, but for crying out loud, they need to make better use of the venue.

Here is the 2020 Hall of Fame ballot

Paul Konerko

Below is a list of every player on the 2020 Hall of Fame ballot. Names are listed alphabetically:

Bobby Abreu, Josh Beckett, Heath Bell, Barry Bonds, Eric Chávez, Roger Clemens, Adam Dunn, Chone Figgins, Rafael Furcal, Jason Giambi, Todd Helton, Raúl Ibañez, Derek Jeter, Andruw Jones, Jeff Kent, Paul Konerko, Cliff Lee, Carlos Peña, Brad Penny, Andy Pettitte, J.J. Putz, Manny Ramírez, Brian Roberts, Scott Rolen, Curt Schilling, Gary Sheffield, Alfonso Soriano, Sammy Sosa, José Valverde, Omar Vizquel, Billy Wagner, Larry Walker.

Of note for White Sox fans, Konerko is on the ballot for the first time. I do not expect Konerko to make the Hall this year or any other year, but hey, I didn't expect Harold Baines to get in either, but he did.

Jeter is the only sure bet to get in among the other first-timers. Other notables making their first appearance on the ballot include Soriano, Giambi, Dunn, Lee and Abreu.

Me personally, I hope Giambi doesn't get in. He's a steroids guy, and I hold a grudge against him for cheating to win the 2000 American League MVP award. (Frank Thomas was more deserving.)

Walker is on the ballot for the final time, and we'll see if he can get the votes necessary for induction on his last kick at the can, much like Edgar Martinez did last year.

Players must appear on 75% of the ballots in order to be inducted. Last year, there were 425 ballots cast, so 319 votes were necessary to cross the 75% threshold.

Hall voters are required to submit their votes by the end of the calendar year, and this year's class will be announced Jan 21 on MLB Network. The 2020 induction will be July 26.

2 White Sox players finish atop American League leaderboard

Tim Anderson

I'd be remiss if I didn't acknowledge Tim Anderson and Jose Abreu for making White Sox history this season.

Anderson, who hit .240 during the 2018 season, pretty much shocked the baseball world by winning the 2019 American League batting title. He finished the year at .335, comfortably ahead of the New York Yankees' DJ LeMahieu, who batted .327.

There are only two other players in Sox history who have won a batting title, Luke Appling (1936, 1943) and Frank Thomas (1997), so Anderson is joining select company.

Abreu, meanwhile, totaled a career-high 123 RBIs to lead the American League. Kansas City's Jorge Soler and Boston's Xander Bogaerts finished second with 117 RBIs each.

This marks the first time a Sox player has led the AL in RBIs since Dick Allen did it in 1972. In other words, it has happened in my lifetime (which spans 43 years).

I've heard some fans grump that they don't care about "these individual accomplishments," and while I agree that team success is more important, and while I agree that the losing on the South Side of Chicago has grown tiresome, I also have an appreciation for baseball history and White Sox history when I see it.

We don't see Sox hitters lead the league in significant categories too often, so I see no harm in extending congratulations to Anderson and Abreu for the seasons they had at the plate.

Jose Abreu, Tim Anderson have chance to lead AL in key offensive categories

Jose Abreu

Jose Abreu has a chance to do something no other White Sox hitter has done in my lifetime: lead the American League in RBIs.

Believe it or not, Hall of Famer Frank Thomas never led the league in RBIs. The last Sox player to do it? That would be Dick Allen, who drove in 113 runs during his MVP season of 1972.

Abreu entered Tuesday's game against the Kansas City Royals with 112 RBIs. That's five more than Boston third baseman Rafael Devers. Here's the AL leaderboard:

1. Abreu, CWS, 112
2. Devers, BOS, 107
3. Xander Bogaerts, BOS, 105
4. Mike Trout, LAA, 104
5. Alex Bregman, HOU, 103
6. Jorge Soler, KC, 102

That probably exhausts the list of players who are close enough to possibly win the RBI title. Abreu hasn't been doing it with home runs either. While he leads the Sox with 31, that ranks only 12th best in the AL.

Meanwhile, shortstop Tim Anderson has a chance to win the batting title. He's hitting a league-best .334 entering Tuesday's play. Thomas was the last Sox player to lead the league in hitting. He batted .347 in 1997.

Batting titles have been rare in Sox history -- only Thomas and Luke Appling (1936, 1943) have done it. Here's what the competition looks like for Anderson:

1. Anderson, CWS, .334
2. DJ Lemahieu, NYY, .326
3. Michael Brantley, HOU, .323
4. Hanser Alberto, BAL, .321
5. Devers, BOS, .314

The Sox (63-80) basically are landlocked into third place. With 19 games to go, they are 20 games behind Cleveland (84-61) for second place, and 10.5 games ahead of fourth-place Kansas City (53-91). The Sox are mathematically eliminated from contention, and there's nothing to cheer for in terms of wins and losses.

So, I'd say let's cheer for Abreu and Anderson to finish as league leaders in these offensive categories. What else is there to do over the last three weeks of the season?

Harold Baines Day at Guaranteed Rate Field

In the American League, a team needs good production from its designated hitter. The 2019 White Sox don't get anything from their DHs, who have combined to post a .178/.264/.301 slash line this season.

That makes you appreciate the career of Harold Baines a little more, doesn't it? Baines was elected to the National Baseball Hall of Fame this year, and the Sox honored him for his achievement this past Sunday before a game against the Oakland A's.

Baines prepares to speak at Guaranteed Rate Field.

Humble as always, Baines spoke softly, for four minutes and 43 seconds, thanking his family, former teammates, the Sox organization and its fans.

The ceremony also featured speeches by Hall of Fame manager Tony La Russa and two of Baines' closest friends and former teammates, Ron Kittle and Ozzie Guillen.

Other Sox Hall of Famers were on hand, including Frank Thomas, Tim Raines, Jim Thome and Carlton Fisk.

Among the other former Sox players present were Robin Ventura, Dan Pasqua, Ron Karkovice and John Cangelosi.

I was pleased to have the opportunity to attend this game, because the highlights of Baines' career shown on the scoreboard took me back to my childhood in the 1980s. Baines' best years with the Sox were from 1982-89, when he made four All-Star teams. Sure, the Sox weren't very good in those years -- except for 1983 -- but Baines was the best player on the team during the days when I was becoming a Sox fan and learning about baseball.

Baines' election to the Hall has been shrouded in controversy. Some people don't think he belongs, and to be honest, if I had a vote, I'm not sure I would have voted for him. That said, as a Sox fan, I refuse to apologize for being happy for Baines and his family. He was an outstanding player, and he's well-respected by any person he has ever been around.

And when I went to the Hall of Fame this summer, I enjoyed some of the Baines memorabilia on display. Take this locker of stuff:

Here's the bat Baines used to hit that famous home run in the 25th inning on May 9, 1984, against the Milwaukee Brewers:

Check out this old-school edition of Baseball Digest. I subscribe to this magazine, and did so when I was a kid, as well. I'm pretty sure I received this edition in the mail as a youngster:

Here's the poster next to the Baines' locker, detailing his career highlights:

And, of course, here's the plaque that will hang in Cooperstown, N.Y., forever. Not a replica, folks:

Congrats, Harold, and thanks for the memories!

Some other photos from SoxFest 2019

I mentioned in Monday's blog that I didn't get a great shot of the five Hall of Fame players on stage, but my girlfriend, Jen, did capture Harold Baines, Tim Raines and Frank Thomas together after that seminar.

Me with Manny Machado's brother-in-law (Yonder Alonso). I told him he would like Chicago better than Cleveland. (Who wouldn't?)

I tried to get in line to meet Ken Harrelson. That didn't work out. I was person No. 126, and he was only taking 125 photos. So, I got in the back of the line for Bo Jackson instead. Too bad Bo doesn't know Yaz.

Proof that SoxFest photographers aren't the best. I zoomed my phone in for this woman, and apparently, she zoomed it back out to take this photo of me and Jace Fry.

And then there is this very zoomed in photo of me with Reynaldo Lopez ...

Ozzie Guillen was at SoxFest for the first time since his last year as manager in 2011. Even though the feud between Guillen and former GM Ken Williams cost the Sox an opportunity to contend in that season, eight years probably is long enough to say that's water under the bridge.

I joked that I should try getting a haircut like Daniel Palka's. OK, maybe that's not such a good idea.

Sure, more than 13 years has passed, but the 2005 World Series trophy still is being displayed. Maybe the Sox should think about winning another one these sometime soon, huh?

5 takeways from SoxFest 2019

After months of anticipation (I booked my hotel package in September), SoxFest 2019 has come and gone in the blink of an eye.

A few thoughts and opinions from the three-day event at the Chicago Hilton.

1. 5 Hall-of-Fame members on one stage: Easily the coolest moment of the weekend for me came Friday night when the White Sox had a seminar featuring five Hall-of-Famers and a Cy Young award winner on the same stage.

I wish I could have gotten a little closer for a better picture, but you can see Harold Baines, Jim Thome, moderator Steve Stone, Frank Thomas, Tim Raines and Carlton Fisk in the picture above.

I wonder how many organizations in baseball could put together a star-studded panel such as this for their fans. That's more of a rhetorical question than anything. ... I'm sure there are a few other teams that could, but credit the Sox for getting all these guys in the same room.

It had been a couple years since I had seen Thome at SoxFest, even though he works for the organization. A recorded message was shown last year at SoxFest, with Thome thanking Chicago fans for their support on the occasion of his election to the Hall. It was good to see the man in person this time.

2. The Machado pursuit is real: Not surprisingly, GM Rick Hahn fielded a lot of questions about the team's pursuit of superstar free agent Manny Machado. Hahn can't speak specifically about negotiations, of course, but in a rare moment of candor, he said he would be personally disappointed if the Sox fail to bring Machado into the fold.

I remain skeptical, and I'll award Hahn no points unless he gets Machado to sign on the dotted line. Trying isn't enough, but it's quite clear that the Sox are really trying. Hahn went out of his way to detail the organization's top-to-bottom effort to get Machado on the South Side of Chicago. Everyone is involved from the front office to players to community relations staff.

At a seminar Sunday, players were asked whether they were involved in the Machado recruitment. Michael Kopech answered first and said he was not. But right after that, Yoan Moncada raised his microphone to his mouth and immediately began speaking rapid-fire Spanish. Through an interpreter, the second baseman noted that he and teammate Yonder Alonso had face-timed Machado right before the start of SoxFest opening ceremonies Friday, and they basically told him that he needs to get up here and join the Sox.

The saga continues.

3. Fifth starter? The Sox don't have one: Are you ready for Manny Banuelos to be a member of the 2019 starting rotation? I asked Hahn about it Friday night. I said the Sox have four starters: Carlos Rodon, Reynaldo Lopez, Lucas Giolito and Ivan Nova. I don't see a fifth. Who might it be?

Hahn did not rule out an acquisition from outside the organization. Thank goodness, because I think they need one. He said right now the competition for the job would be between Banuelos and Dylan Covey, who failed in the role last season.

It was quite clear from Hahn's answer that Banuelos, who was a top-30 prospect seven years ago before injuries curtailed his career, has the inside track. Apparently, some scout "pounded the table" and told Hahn that Banuelos could help the Sox win right now, so they acquired him in a swap of minor-leaguers with the Los Angeles Dodgers three months ago.

Personally, I think it will take a lot more than Banuelos to cover the 204.2 innings that James Shields pitched as a member of the Sox's rotation last season.

4. Moncada's struggles: On Saturday, I asked manager Rick Renteria about Moncada. The "Jason from Wheeling" in the first sentence of this Chicago Tribune story? Yep, that was me.

I want Moncada to continue taking his walks. I don't want him to swing wildly at bad pitches, but he needs to be more aggressive. He needs to put the ball in play more often. He makes hard contact, so there's every reason to believe his production will go up if his strikeouts come down.

Renteria told me that Moncada was working with him and hitting coach Todd Steverson in Arizona a few weeks after the season ended. They are making a physical adjustment in the way Moncada grips the bat. Previously, his grip apparently limited his plate coverage, making it difficult for him to get to pitches on the outer half as both a left-handed and right-handed hitter. Renteria also wants Moncada to accept the idea that a productive out every now and then isn't the worst thing. They've been going over situations to try to improve his mental approach to hitting.

I also asked whether Moncada might be moved down in the lineup, with the arrival of veteran outfielder Jon Jay. It sounds as though the answer to that is no, because Moncada wants to bat leadoff and told Renteria so. But, the manager did acknowledge that Jay's presence on the roster gives him another option for the top spot in the batting order.

5. Don't worry about Madrigal: There's a Baseball America article out that made note of Nick Madrigal's struggles in hitting the ball to the pull side of the field during his professional debut last season.

I wasn't real concerned about it, given the small sample size, and when Madrigal was asked about it, he didn't express concern either. But since it's being talked about, I decided to ask player development director Chris Getz and amateur scouting director Nick Hostetler about it during a Sunday seminar.

Hostetler noted that Madrigal suffered a broken wrist during his season at Oregon State last year, and that he had seen the 2018 top draft pick the day before the injury. And, Madrigal had turned on a fastball and cranked it over the left-field bullpen. So, maybe that wrist wasn't 100 percent at the end of 2018, and maybe that was sapping him of pull-side power.

Getz made note of Madrigal's consistent approach and elite bat-to-ball skills, and it's expected that he'll make adjustments to the inside pitch as we go along.

Jose Abreu elected to start All-Star Game despite horrible slump

Jose Abreu

First baseman Jose Abreu will become the first White Sox position player to start for the American League All-Star team since Frank Thomas in 1996.

(The Sox have had three pitchers -- Esteban Loaiza, Mark Buehrle and Chris Sale -- start the midsummer classic in years since.)

I would be more excited for Abreu if he weren't in the midst of the worst slump of his normally consistent and admirable career. In fact, if we were having this conversation about Abreu on June 1, I would have wholeheartedly endorsed his candidacy to be the starting American League first baseman.

Through May, Abreu had posted a slash line of .298/.360/.522 with nine home runs and 19 doubles. Those figures basically are right on par with his career totals of .296/.353/.515.

However, you can't ignore his subpar June and horrible start to July.

Abreu is hitting only .175/.232/.289 over his past 30 games with just two home runs. At one point in time, he was on pace to set a new club record for doubles in a season, but as I type here July 9, Abreu has been stuck on 27 doubles since June 20. Over that same span, he only has two extra-base hits -- a home run on June 27 and a triple on July 1.

This prolonged slump has dragged his season slash line down to a very un-Abreu-like .259/.315/.448.

There have been a couple years in the past where perhaps Abreu should have gotten an All-Star start but did not, so maybe this is a bit of a makeup call, or a reward for career achievement.

And there's no question Abreu is benefiting from a weak crop of AL first basemen this year. Future Hall of Famer Miguel Cabrera is out for the year. Eric Hosmer signed with the San Diego Padres last offseason and doesn't play in the American League anymore.

Who among AL first basemen really deserves the honor? Oakland's Matt Olson? Toronto's Justin Smoak? Both those men have good power numbers, but they are both .240 hitters. Boston's Mitch Moreland? I guess he's having a decent year, but does anyone really think he's a better player than Abreu?

I wouldn't say that any of these people are slam-dunk All-Stars, but somebody had to be chosen. Turns out Abreu got elected the starter, and Moreland was chosen as a reserve.

Hopefully, Abreu will find his swing sometime in the next week's worth of games. It would be nice to see him have a good showing July 17 in Washington.

Grinder Bash 2018 at Guaranteed Rate Field -- let's visit the home clubhouse

Grinder Bash, the White Sox's annual party for season-ticket holders, was sparsely attended Saturday, perhaps because this rebuilding team doesn't have many season-ticket holders anymore.

That's fine. More room for us, and for the first time (at least in the years I've attended this event), fans had access to the home clubhouse.

You can see Yoan Moncada's locker right behind me, near the front of the clubhouse. Not surprisingly, Moncada's locker is between those of Hector Santiago and Jose Abreu, whose locker is just out of frame to the right. The Sox obviously want Moncada hanging around a couple of the veteran Latino players who have been there and done that. Let's hope for the sake of the Sox's rebuild that young Yoan gets it going soon. His batting average is down to .221 entering Monday's play; his on-base percentage is down to .289.

Danny Farquhar's locker remain full and intact, even though he hasn't been around the team as much since suffering a life-threatening brain aneurysm during a game April 20 at Guaranteed Rate Field. Notably, Farquhar has a signed Frank Thomas jersey hanging in his locker. That's a pretty cool piece of memorabilia to have. I think the entire baseball community, not just the White Sox organization and its fans, wishes Farquhar well as he continues to recover from one of the scariest situations I've seen happen at a major league ballpark.

I probably found this funnier than it really is, but I got a kick out of seeing a suitcase in Juan Minaya's locker. This guy has been up and down between the Sox and Triple-A Charlotte all season, and I can't help but wonder if that suitcase is there just in case he gets another tap on the shoulder and another plane ticket to North Carolina. Well, actually, with the way Bruce Rondon has been pitching lately, perhaps Minaya's roster spot is safer than it's been at other points during the season.

Off in the corner, here is James Shields' locker. He has nobody to his left, and nobody to his right. Has he really earned all that personal space? Yeah, he's a veteran and all, but his record is 3-9. In the past, perhaps this roomy part of the clubhouse might have belonged to an accomplished Sox player such as, say, Paul Konerko. It seems as though Shields is the guy who currently gets the royal treatment, deserving or not. Or, perhaps they just make him sit in the corner for not being very good at pitching at this stage of his career.

Here's the view from behind home plate. If you ever want to feel small, go down on the field at a major league stadium on a non-game day when the ballpark is empty. You never realize just how big a place it is until you're down at field level.

One other interesting little note: On the wall in the Sox bullpen, the relief corps keeps track of the number of calls received from the dugout. During the 2017 season, there were 888 calls made to the bullpen during the 81 home games. It looks as though the Sox are on pace to exceed that total this season. So far, 502 calls have been made to the bullpen through 43 home games. That's an average of about 11.6 a game. That puts the Sox on pace for 945.6 calls over an 81-game period. Yes, these are rough days. By way of comparison, the calls during the 2013 season only numbered in the 400s. The 2013 Sox were a bad club -- 99 losses -- but starting pitching was the strength: Chris Sale, Jose Quintana, Jake Peavy, the pre-injury Santiago, etc. These days, starting pitching is a weakness, and the bullpen is busy.

The other great thing about Grinder Bash: Free food and drinks, including beer, for those who choose to partake. As I said, the season-ticket base for the Sox is fewer in number than it has ever been, and those of us who have chosen to stick it out through this rebuild have earned a perk such as this.

When all is said and done, it might be one of the more enjoyable days at the ballpark in 2018. After all, we weren't walking back to our cars after a White Sox loss, which has so often been the case during this most trying of seasons.