Nick Capra has been burned twice now by Yolmer Sanchez. Or should we say f-rozen.
“The little creep,” said a grinning Capra, the White Sox’ third-base coach.
Capra wasn’t smiling when he got dumped on for the second time in two seasons by Sanchez — the Sox infielder whose walk-off hijinks know no limits on creativity — after Jose Abreu homered to beat the Tigers July 3.
With ice trapped between his glasses and eyes, this one staggered Capra, who couldn’t see after Sanchez emptied the freezing contents of a Gatorade container on him. He chucked a piece of ice at Sanchez.
“It was my fault because I know I have a -target on my back with Yolmer,” Capra said. “He’s hilarious. I let my guard down, and he got me. Got me good. He enjoyed it, the rest of the club enjoyed it.”
Capra? Not so much, but give him props for being a good sport.
“Roll with the punches,” said the former Sox farm director, now in his third year in the coach’s box.
Coaching third isn’t for the feint of heart. Snap decisions — made taking the score, number of outs, who’s due to bat and who’s making the play into account — can win or lose a game.
“I love it,” Capra said.
Capra doesn’t like it when he makes a bad “send.” He knows the only decisions that get noticed are the bad ones, which “beat me up,” he said.
It’s not unlike the life of a closer.
“It’s kind of a ruthless job out there,” he said.
Being a Sox coach is becoming a better job by the week as a team that went into the All-Star break two games under .500 distances itself from a 100-loss season in 2018.
“Everybody is starting to see results [of the rebuild],” Capra said. “I don’t think people anticipated us being where we are. You see it in the clubhouse, see it on the field. These guys are starting to buy into what we’re doing.”
Knowing what Sanchez is doing will be on Capra’s mind in the second half. Told that being alert for payback should be on his, Sanchez was unfazed.
“You want him to do something, huh?”
No, you might just want to avoid the same mistake Capra made and leave your guard down.
“I love Capra,” Sanchez said. “Maybe he forget.”
HIDDEN FIGURES
395
Distance in feet to the center-field wall at Dodger Stadium. That would work for Eloy Jimenez in the 2020 Home Run Derby. Fourteen of the rookie left fielder’s 16 home runs have been to center, left-center or right-center fields.
2
Where Aaron Bummer’s 1.89 ERA ranked among American League left-handed relievers in the first half, behind only Aroldis Chapman (1.82).
33-62
Sox’ record at the All-Star break last season, en route to finishing 62-100. They were 42-44 at the break this year.
DID YOU KNOW?
Third baseman Yoan Moncada (.308/.364/.544) was one of seven players with that batting average, on-base percentage and slugging percentage or better among players who qualified for the batting title at the All-Star break. The others: Cody Bellinger, Charlie Blackmon, Christian Yelich, Rafael Devers, Nolan Arenado and Freddie Freeman. Shout-out to Chicago-based stats guru Christopher Kamka for this one.
THAT’S WHAT HE SAID
“If the White Sox don’t sign me, I’m going to sign here anyway. I’m going to sign myself here. I’m going to be here, believe me. I’m going to be here. I don’t want to miss this. I don’t want to miss what is coming.” — Jose Abreu, whose six-year, $68 million contract with the Sox expires after the season, during All-Star festivities this week
“It’s been good, but it’s going to be better.” — Eloy Jimenez, on the start to his first season in the majors. he batted .241/.303/.482 with 16 homers, seven doubles and 38 RBI in 62 games and 251 plate appearances in the first half.
“He’s ready for that next challenge.” — General manager Rick Hahn, on the promotion of prized outfield prospect Luis Robert to Class AAA Charlotte after 56 games at class AA Birmingham
