2018 COMMENTARY

FOR THE FIRST TIME IN QUITE AWHILE, THE SOX WEREN'T IN CONTENTION FOR A PLAYOFF SPOT - AND, NOT COINCIDENTALLY, THIS WAS CHICAGO'S FIRST CONTROVERSY FREE SEASON IN YEARS.

GM LARRY FEENEY HAD WORKED HIS MAGIC FOR YEARS - BUT THE RABBIT FELL OUT OF THE HAT IN 2018 - WITH A SOLID THUD.

THE SAME SOUND MANY OF US HEARD ALL YEAR, AS OPPONENT AFTER OPPONENT PUT UP BIG NUMBERS AGAINST AN OVERMATCHED PITCHING STAFF - THE ONE WITH A MAJOR-LEAGUE WORST 6.48 ERA.

PERSONALLY, I SAAW MY FILL OF 13-7 GAMES THIS YEAR, BUT IT MAY NOT GET MUCH BETTER UNTIL YOUNGER PITCHERS MATURE.

OFFENSIVELY, THE SOX WERE A FUN GROUP TO WATCH. AARON CONNER GOT HIS DEEP SWING BACK. ORLANDO VALDEZ GREW INTO A FORCE. RAY WHITE CONTINUED HIS HEAVY WORKLOAD BEHIND THE PLATE.

THE SOX WENT AFTER ISIDRO BARRIOS - HARD - LATE IN FREE AGENCY, BUT HE SIGNED WITH THE ROCKIES.

NO PROBLEM.

FEENEY DEALT ROBBY RICHARD FOR BARRIOS THE DAY BEFEORE THE SEASON STARTED. RICHARD STARRED FOR THE SOX IN 2017, BUT HIT ONLY .243 IN COLORADO AND HIS HOMER TOTAL FELL TO EIGHT FROM 23.

BARRIOS, WHO CNA PLAY ALL OVER THE FIELD, MAINLY STAYED AT SECOND BASE TO REPLACE RICHARD. AFTER A SLOW START, BARRIOS HIT .308 WITH 23 HOMERS AND 94 RBI'S, MAINLY FROM TEH SECOND SLOT IN THE BATTING ORDER.

IN THE FIRST YEAR OF A FOUR-YEAR DEAL, BARRIOS WILL BE THE KEY TO THE 2019 SEASON. ORLANDO VALDEZ WILL BE GOING INTO THE FINAL YEAR OF HIS DEAL AND HE KNOCKED 30 HOMERS, MOST FROM THE LEADOFF SPOT.

IT'S NOT LIKE CONNER LOST HIS HOME RUN TOUCH. HE'S HIT AT LEAST 36 KNOCKS A YEAR SINCE HE BROKE INTO THE MAJORS AS AN 18-YEAR-OLD. IN HIS EIGHT SEASONS, HE'S AVERAGED 40 HRs A SEASON.

HE SURPASSED 600 ABs FOR JUST THE THIRD TIME IN HIS CAREER, ONE THAT HAS HIM SITTING ON 333 HOMERS AND 900 RBIs AT AGE 25. HE HAS DRIVEN IN 100 RUNS THE LAST SEVEN YEARS AND IS WRITING HIS TICKET TO THE HALL OF FAME, REGARDLESS OF WHETHER OR NOT HE BECOMES THE ALL-TIME HOME RUN KING.

WELL, TIME FOR THE INDECENTLY LONG WAIT UNTIL SPRING TRAINING.


---PAT DORWIN