With his 17th GIDP coming tonight, he’s got a real shot at challenging Jim Rice’s single-season record of 36. I think he can do it. I don’t know what the NL record is.
UPDATE: Hey, lay off Reitsma, Joe. This is the Greek God of Walks we’re dealing with, after all.
Joe Simpson mentioned a radio interview he did with Andruw in which he told Simpson that his goal for the second half is to be more selective. I’m not sure if that came before or after the 17th GIDP.
…Or the big whirling strike three whiffer that ended the 11th inning. Seriously I like Andruw too, but I’d like him more if he didn’t eat up so much payroll OR didn’t make weak rally-ending swings like that on such a consistant basis. I’m not asking for both necessarily. Just one or the other would be nice. Andruw’s value has always been in his high production numbers over the course a 162 game season. The fact the he starts in about 160 a year amazes me in itself. But when the pressure is on and there’s a quality pitcher on the mound, he’s not the guy I like to see at the plate. To put it another way: If I could start a team around either Andruw or Derosa, it’s no contest which one I would pick. But if I had both players on my bench late in a close game with runners on base and the pitcher’s spot coming up then Dero’s my hero. I apologize for waxing poetic.
I guess that the deal with the White Sox is over.
Hats off to Schuerholz for trying to make the team better if for only half a season. Andruw will still be an important part of the team and will still contribute but I bet that when trade talk comes up JS will throw AJones into any discussion.