If it all seems backwards, that’s because it is. Welcome to baseball in Chicago.
More Top Picks Best Baby Bath Tubs For Newborns
Ron Schueler, who generally manages the White Sox, went looking for relief pitching a few weeks ago. His team’s bullpen has been brutal, what with 18 blown save opportunities already this season, worse damage control than occurred during the entire 1994 season, such as it was.
So, when the name of Randy Myers was brought up, it sounded so perfect. As the Cubs’ ninth-inning ace, Myers would be a wonderful fit for the Sox come August and September.
There’s only one problem. The Cubs are much closer to a playoff berth than the Sox. It’s the Cubs who should be looking for the Sox to unload players.
“Cycles,” sighed Sox Chairman Jerry Reinsdorf. “The one sure thing in sports is cycles. We had five very good years, including last year, when we thought we had a chance of having a World Series team until the strike. Now . . . now we’re still in the entertainment business, but we don’t have a very entertaining product.”
Reinsdorf didn’t have to say he’s disgusted. The inflection of his voice said it for him. But what are the Sox to do? Break up a relatively young and apparently talented team? Bite off a multimillion-dollar loss at the gate and swallow hard? Make a deal here and there until the next cycle?
“We haven’t really decided,” Reinsdorf said. “All the questions you ask have no answers. Other than the fact that nobody is untouchable.”
Nobody?
“Nobody,” Reinsdorf repeated.
If and when the Sox decide to dump salaries, egos, veterans, some combination thereof, it will be evident. Terry Bevington, their 100-compression manager, obviously thinks it’s too early to be too late.
“We ain’t gonna catch Cleveland,” he said. “I don’t even want to think in terms of that. But we still are in contention for a wild-card spot. What’s it gonna take, a record of 77-67? That’s 10 games over
.500. We wound up the first half 10 games under. That means we have to play 20 games over .500 from now on.
“Do I think we can? If we play up to our ability, yes. That’s what, 49-29? Yes. I think we can do even better. I don’t think that’s crazy. Look at those blown saves. If we win even half of those, we’re right there. I still believe in our pitching.”
Bevington then decided to play general manager for a moment. He mentioned the Sox starting rotation–Alex Fernandez, Wilson Alvarez, Jason Bere, Jim Abbott. Admittedly, only Abbott’s numbers resemble his career norm. Go to the bullpen and it gets worse. Tim Fortugno has pleasantly surprised, while the rest have contributed to a horrific team earned-run average higher than 5.00.
“But if you picked up the phone tomorrow,” Bevington went on, “and called around the American League, I’ll bet you every team would trade their starting pitchers for ours. Every team!! That’s why I don’t think it’s over. See me in the middle of August. The 15th.”
Meanwhile, it’s as though the Cubs and Sox changed uniforms during the winter. The Cubs, so beatable only last summer, now play hard for a new regime and seem upwardly mobile, while the Sox, a team for the ’90s, disappear before our eyes in a funky free fall.
As Reinsdorf said, there’s a precedent. After winning their division by 20 games in 1983, the Sox were supposed to take over the town. Instead, the Cubs owned 1984, while the Sox finished fifth. After winning their division in 1989, the Cubs couldn’t wait for 1990. But the Sox came from nowhere to win 94 games, while the Cubs bombed.
In Chicago baseball, you’re never more than a year away from being a year away.