Luis Robert's teammates rave about his 'special' day originally appeared on NBC Sports Chicago
Ask anyone who watches the White Sox who they believe could be the next South Sider to win MVP, and chances are they’ll say Luis Robert. He’s got a powerful bat, he catches practically every ball hit his way and he’s got incredible speed, and he showed it all off on Tuesday in the team’s home opener. It may feel like a little taste of what the future could hold for Robert, but don’t let Tony La Russa catch you using the word “little” to describe any part of what Robert displayed.
“He showed a *lot* of why he’s so special,” La Russa said.
La Russa’s got the right of it. It wouldn’t be hyperbolic to say the White Sox probably wouldn’t have won without Robert’s contributions.
It started in the third inning, when Robert tracked down a ball earmarked for the wall in right centerfield. With two Mariners on base, it looked like the play was destined to score at least one run, maybe two. But Robert made the catch in stride, bounced off the wall, and managed to get the ball back to the infield to prevent the runners from advancing.
“It’s very comforting, as a pitcher, to know there’s a lot of ground that’s going to be covered,” said Vince Velasquez. “It’s both offense and defense. He pretty much checks all the boxes.”
Three innings later, Robert finally got to Mariners rookie Matt Brash, who had White Sox hitters off balance all day with his filthy offspeed stuff. Robert blasted a solo homer to give the White Sox a one-run lead, in what was shaping up to be a low-scoring affair.
“The craziest part was, I don't think the home run was even hit as hard as the line drive to the shortstop,” said Liam Hendriks. “And that’s ridiculous. That he has that much talent, it’s a joke. He does everything well, and not only does he do it well, but he actually shows up to the field early, he does everything the right way, as well.”
But he wasn’t done yet. After drawing a walk to start the eighth inning, Robert stole second, and then stole third to get into scoring position. By moving up two bases, Robert was able to make it home on an Eloy Jiménez fielder’s choice, scoring what proved to be the game-winning run.
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“What he did today, you definitely don’t see that every day,” said Tim Anderson. “I think that shows how special he is, and how special he can really be.”
While Robert’s teammates raved about him, a performance like this could be considered ordinary for him. We’ve come to expect Robert to make the highlight-reel catch, or to come up with the clutch hit when the team needs it.
That’s what makes Robert truly special.
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