Sox’ Beckham having a seriously good season
At the July 31 nonwaiver trade deadline three years ago, Gordon Beckham was in his first full season with the White Sox and his future was still loaded with promise.
Just for giggles, then general manager Kenny Williams summoned Beckham into former manager Ozzie Guillen’s office, ostensibly to tell the infielder he’d been traded.
Williams was messing with Beckham, but he didn’t make much of an impact with the Sox in 2010, batting .252 with 9 home runs and 49 RBI.
Beckham was even worse the following season (.230, 10 HRs, 44 RBI) before bouncing back a bit last year (.234, 16 HRs, 60 RBI).
This year, as many of his White Sox teammates brace for Wednesday’s nonwaiver trade deadline, Beckham looks like one of the few keepers.
“I think he’s changed a lot of what was wrong last year, at the end of last year he changed, and he brought it to spring training,” manager Robin Ventura said. “So he’s had a pretty good run. You get a better idea of what he’s going to be looking in the future, what he can do. That’s all positive stuff.”
After going 0-for-4 and being hit by a pitch in Sunday’s 4-2 loss to the Royals in 12 innings at U.S. Cellular Field, Beckham is riding an 0-for-17 slump.
But overall, he’s the only White Sox player hitting over .300.
“I’ve done OK,” said Beckham, who is batting .307. “But I guess it’s just kind of bittersweet because if we’re struggling and not winning, what does it matter what you’re doing? You want to do well and have the team win, that’s everybody’s win-win.”
Beckham actually started doing well with the bat at the end of last season, when he changed his stance. The 26-year-old second baseman continued getting comfortable with the adjustment and it’s carried into this year.
“I just got a little lower,” Beckham said. “It keeps my body out of it a little bit and I can allow my hands to work. That’s what’s been keeping me going, and I haven’t tried to do too much for the most part. I’ve just tried to square the ball up and get hits.
“I’m not trying to get too big, and that’s part of the reason I’ve been doing a little bit better because all I want to do is square it up and do the right thing.”
He’s been doing just about everything right this season — except stay healthy.
Beckham fractured the hamate bone in his left wrist on April 9 and missed nearly two months.
And he missed five games with a ligament strain in his left wrist before returning to the lineup Friday night against Kansas City.
While the dual injuries to the same wrist are unrelated, they have managed to sap much of Beckham’s power. In 174 at-bats this season, he’s hit 2 home runs.
“I’m grinding through some stuff and in some ways it probably helps because it reminds me I can’t try to do too much,” Beckham said of his left wrist woes.
“In other ways, it probably hurts because the power and stuff like that doesn’t really come. But that’s OK, because I’d rather hit .300 than I would hit 10-15 home runs, to be honest.”
White Sox vs. Cleveland Indians at Progressive Field
TV: Comcast SportsNet Plus today; WCIU Tuesday; Comcast SportsNet Wednesday and Thursday
Radio: WSCR 670-AM
Pitching matchups: The Sox John Danks (2-8) vs. Zach McAllister (4-6) today at 6:05 p.m.; Jake Peavy (8-4) vs. Scott Kazmir (6-4) Tuesday at 6:05 p.m.; Jose Quintana (5-3) vs. Corey Kluber (7-5) Wednesday at 6:05 p.m.; Chris Sale (6-10) vs. Justin Masterson (12-7) Thursday at 11:05 a.m.
At a glance: Peavy is scheduled to start for the White Sox on Tuesday night, but he is likely to be traded before the game. The nonwaiver deadline is Wednesday at 3 p.m. The Sox are 2-7 vs. the Indians this season (1-2 on the road). Danks is 0-3 with a 5.60 ERA in his last 4 starts. Cleveland has won four straight and shut out Texas on Saturday and Sunday.
Next: Detroit Tigers Friday-Sunday at Comerica Park
Scot Gregor