Scooting through the White Sox clubhouse Friday like a human hoverboard, Rick Renteria oozed with positive energy the manager of a fourth-place team going nowhere fast in its division normally doesn’t possess.
The Sox, returning home after a 3-7 trip, have lost three starting pitchers and three relievers to injuries — not to mention lefty ace Jose Quintana has yet to look right for extended stretches. So why is this man so happy?
"The most important thing for us to do is to keep our dobbers up," Renteria said in the Sox dugout.
Coming soon to Guaranteed Rate Field: Dobber Day — the first 10,000 fans who go through the gates with a wide grin get a bobblehead of Renteria smiling. Renteria’s smile identifies him at 35th and Shields easier than his No. 17 jersey.
While the Cubs have sweated every detail involved in defending their World Series championship through the first quarter of the season, the Sox concerned themselves most with staying upbeat. Such are the expectations for Chicago baseball in 2017, the reality in a year the city’s teams entered with diametrically opposite goals that established a different set of standards.
The Cubs live in a World Series-or-bust world, where roster and lineup minutiae become magnified daily — like the woes of the 1 percent — while the Sox operate freer of pressure, knowing minor-league progress matters more than major-league success.
By that measure, as the Memorial Day weekend traditionally represents baseball’s first real evaluation, the Sox arguably have met more organizational goals so far than the Cubs. The Cubs remain a lock to win their division and, despite their overly dissected flaws, figure to play deep into October for the third straight year but the good vibes have favored the Sox because of the development throughout the system of exciting prospects such as Yoan Moncada and Michael Kopech.
That could change by the All-Star break. Heck, that could change by the time you’re done reading this. The Cubs have shown signs of resembling their 2016 selves. Meanwhile, the Sox kept their momentum going Saturday when the introduced 19-year-old Cuban phenom Luis Robert, the equivalent of a top-five draft pick.
Over what should be an enjoyable few months, the arrows point up on both sides of town (except for that dreaded logo) — and the Cubs and Sox both have summer to-do lists.
Cubs
Photos of Cubs outfielder Jason Heyward.
Solve the fifth starter issue: Eddie Butler looked better in a five-inning outing Thursday. Brett Anderson recently went to Arizona to rehabilitate a back injury, and that’s a good place for him to stay. Mike Montgomery always could fill that role, but then who is the bullpen left-hander? The solution lies in the Cubs’ ability to land a starter from another team. Think big, considering scenarios for top targets like the A’s Sonny Gray and the Rays’ Chris Archer (a former Cubs prospect traded to the Rays in a deal for Matt Garza) — both of whom likely would cost a young player off the major-league roster. Chances are, the Cubs shrewdly will acquire a veteran for the cost of a minor leaguer. Please don’t suggest 1-6 Giants pitcher Jeff Samardzija as that veteran.
Settle on a leadoff hitter: Only Joe Maddon’s stubbornness will give .181-hitting Kyle Schwarber another shot at the top of the order. Ben Zobrist makes the most sense now but it’s a long season. Ian Happ could enter the equation. Maybe whoever plays center field will emerge. Did you know Jason Heyward has led off 128 games in his career, with a slash line of .273/.353/.417?
Shore up defense: No excuse for a Cubs team with so many good fielders to lead the National League in errors with 36 after 46 games. If starting pitching has been the biggest source of inconsistency and disappointment through the first quarter, shaky defense rates a close second. That’s mental.
Stay humble, hungry: Chemistry played a huge role in 2016, with camaraderie keeping the focus on the only goal that matters. So far, the Cubs have complained about sleep deprivation because of their schedule and answered questions over whom they miss more in the clubhouse: Dexter Fowler or David Ross? Nothing ever stays the same and, gradually, this Cubs team will develop its own identity forged by being the team every team wants to beat.
White Sox
Photos of White Sox third baseman Todd Frazier.
Keep dealing: If Quintana, Todd Frazier and David Robertson remain in a Sox uniform past the All-Star break, general manager Rick Hahn will have some explaining to do. Starters Derek Holland and James Shields should be candidates to be flipped. Hahn missed on selling high on Quintana but he still should be committed to selling the Sox’s most marketable commodity in a year devoted to accumulating prospects. It’s all about acquiring enough talent to allow for the occasional misses that will occur in projecting prospects.
Stay patient, positive: It will take discipline for Hahn to keep Moncada, for instance, at Triple-A beyond the All-Star break but no hurry exists. Same goes for pitchers Kopech, Reynaldo Lopez, Zack Burdi and Lucas Giolito — who just threw a no-hitter. Let Carson Fulmer be the first to leave Charlotte. Renteria’s relentless optimism will come in handy as the losses in Chicago mount but, regardless of record, the rebuilding effort in the minors must stay the course.
Get Carlos Rodon going: The mystery surrounding Rodon’s injury and recovery created one of the few sources of skepticism. The 24-year-old left-hander, drafted third overall in 2014, always has been considered a cornerstone of the Sox’s future — but he must get healthy. Seeing Rodon return to the rotation would ease a lot of anxiety.
Focus on style, not standings: Keep playing hard and refusing to quit for a manager whose infectious enthusiasm won’t let them, regardless of the deficit or record. Avisail Garcia must continue hitting like a guy emerging as an American League Comeback Player of the Year contender. Shortstop Tim Anderson needs to show growth by reducing mistakes in the field and at the plate. Let the bullpen arms keep coming. Give infielder Yolmer Sanchez a chance to make management reconsider his role in the rebuild. Make the Sox Way something worthy of more than a snicker.
dhaugh@chicagotribune.com
Twitter @DavidHaugh
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