Not that I want to accuse White Sox manager Tony La Russa of falling asleep on the job …
Well, to be fair, it kinda seems like I don’t have to make that accusation:
Anyway, last night, with the White Sox trailing the Astros by two runs in the 8th inning, Eloy Jimenez doubled to score two and tie the game. Great stuff. Then, with Jimenez – not the fleetest of foot, and not likely to stay in for defense anyway – out there at second base as the potential game-winning run, Tony La Russa was totally gonna … do nothing? A pinch-runner was at least a reasonable call in that situation. Maybe even an obvious one.
God bless fans who are within ear shot of the manager, I guess. Now, we can’t say for 100% certain that La Russa wasn’t going to get this same message from his bench coach or something and make the move at the last minute, but it sure LOOKS like he only pinch ran Adam Engel for Jimenez because this fan got his attention and screamed it quite clearly:
I mean, the at bat is about to start, and it sure looks like the dugout is taking note of the fan’s repeated call to “get Engel!” La Russa then meanders out to stop play so that he can hastily get Engel up and out onto the field. It did not look like a pre-planned move.
So I’m gonna call it: I’m pretty sure that fan convinced Tony La Russa and/or one of his nearby coaches to pinch run for Jimenez with Engel.
Oh, and guess what? Engel wound up scoring on a subsequent single, and the White Sox won the game.