White Sox’ vibes are more positive than they were one year ago
TORONTO — White Sox shortstop Tim Anderson didn’t have a chance Sunday to celebrate his three-run homer to center field with a flashy bat flip. In the split second he was debating whether he should do it, Anderson heard manager Rick Renteria yelling at him to run.
After he rounded the bases and made his way to the dugout, Anderson exchanged high-fives and smiles with his teammates. He also did a complicated handshake with rookie outfielder Eloy Jimenez in celebration.
“We’re all kids,” Anderson said after the Sox’ 5-1 win over the Blue Jays. “We like to have fun.”
The vibes surrounding the Sox this season are night-and-day compared to 2018.
One year ago Sunday, the Sox were at their lowest point of last season and riding a seven-game losing streak. After a 3-2 start, they spiraled out of control and were losers in 25 of 31 games.
As the losses continued to pile, it became increasingly more difficult to find the silver linings in each game.
But that hasn’t been the case this season.
“It’s a lot more fun [this season],” Anderson said. “We’re doing our own thing, so it’s cool. We’ve been having a good time.”
Said right-hander Lucas Giolito: “The vibes in the clubhouse, in the dugout, we’re loose. Even if we’re down a couple of runs in a game, we know that our bats are really good. We can come back late in the game, tie a game up … All around I think everybody is kind of gelling together more and more each day. We’re having more fun on the plane, one the bus and having that camaraderie is coming out to the field.”
The Sox are 18-21 this season as compared to last year when they were 9-27 at this time. Though the Sox, as expected, are still experiencing their fair share of growing pains, there’s been noticeably improvement of several key players, including Anderson and Yoan Moncada, who switched to third base this offseason.
Anderson, who’s already smashed eight home runs this season, had his sixth three-plus hit game Sunday, tying him with Twins infielder Jorge Polanco to lead the American League. He’s hitting .331 this season.
Meanwhile, Moncada, who is hitting .277, is showing improved plate discipline. Last season, he had 49 strikeouts in 114 at-bats at this point of the season. So far in 2019, he’s had 46 strikeouts in 155 at-bats.
Jimenez, who’s out with an ankle sprain but expected to have a minor-league rehab assignment early this week, has also shown flashes of greatness in his first season in the majors.
“We have seen growth,” Renteria said. “Right now, we’re certainly in a better place, I believe. I think that the younger guys that we expect to improve are improving and overall well-being of the clubhouse is more solid right now than it was last year.”
With that said, Renteria hasn’t lost the reality of the Sox’ situation.
“Our goal or our view of where we’re at as an organization and as a club continues to be looking forward,” Renteria. “My concern is how well we play because at the end of the day as these guys are developing and we play good baseball that process takes care of the wins and losses. And I think we’re in a better place for sure.”
Anderson said the positive energy is contagious among his teammates.
“We’ve been playing pretty well,” he said. “We’re coming together as a team and I think we all know what we’re trying to do and that’s go out and play hard and see what happens. And good things have been happening.”