I’m inclined to say something because as recent as 2007, it appeared as Andruw Jones could very well end up in Cooperstown some day.
Then he went to the Dodgers….and we all know how that ended up.
Well, today, the ten-time Gold Glove winner (and, yes, he did win them consecutively) is heading to the Chicago White Sox to resurrect what used to be a Hall of Fame caliber career.
Now, I’m sure some of you are laughing. I mean, how could this bloated shell of what used to be the Majors best centerfielder be the least bit valuable to the Southsiders?
Easy.
He brings veteran leadership to a club that is now lacking Jim Thome, Jermaine Dye and, more than likely, Paul Konerko. Along with fellow former Texas Ranger and newly acquired Omar Vizquel…the Sox have two of the game’s best all-time fielders to help mentor their younger players.
Second, thanks to last season’s injury to Josh Hamilton, the five-time All-Star appears to still be hungry to play. Sure, he still struck up a bunch (72 times in 331 plate appearances), but nearly a third of his hits were home runs.
Which brings me to this…Jones is 12 longballs shy of 400 for his career. And nothing makes someone turn it up half a notch more than being on the cusp of a milestone.
Lastly, he’ll enter the season just short of his 33rd birthday and at only half a million a year…the White Sox actually look smart bringing in a slugger with a fantastic glove to spell Alex Rios and Carlos Quentin in the outfield and whoever ends up playing first.
And if Jones DOESN’T work out…I hear Minnie Minoso is just a phone call away. You see, like Vizquel and Jones…he’s old too.
Zing!
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