After nine Opening Day appearances with the Chicago White Sox, longtime star first baseman Jose Abreu will face his former team as a member of the Houston Astros on Thursday night.
White Sox general manager Rick Hahn admitted it would be odd to see Abreu take the field out of the home dugout when Chicago plays Houston, likening it to a certain Windy City legend in an interview with ESPN’s Buster Olney:
“It’s going to be like seeing (Michael) Jordan in a (Washington) Wizards uniform… It’s going to be weird.”
•
While Jose Abreu isn’t exactly on the same level as Michael Jordan when it comes to sports icons, the slugger has certainly meant a lot to the Chicago White Sox since his debut with the team in 2014.
After inheriting first base from beloved White Sox player Paul Konerko that season, Abreu won the American League Rookie of the Year Award and placed fourth in the AL Most Valuable Player voting. He delighted everyone with a .581 slugging percentage, as he hit 36 home runs with 107 RBI and a .307 batting average.
During nine seasons with the Chicago White Sox, Jose Abreu hit .292 with 243 home runs and 863 RBI. He was a three-time AL All-Star, earned three Silver Slugger awards, and was the league’s 2020 MVP while providing steady leadership in the clubhouse and on the field.
Abreu’s departure from the team was expected this past off-season, but it still hurt his former team’s fans when he signed with the Astros last November. As Hahn told NBC Sports Chicago at the time:
“Obviously it’s always a tough day from an emotional standpoint or a fan’s point of view when you see a franchise icon don a different uniform. It’s a day no one can ever imagine, but the reality of the business side sometimes dictates that such things happen.”
With Jose Abreu gone, who will man first base for the Chicago White Sox?
While not nearly as celebrated a transfer as it was when Abreu inherited first base from Konerko, the next man for the White Sox is slugger Andrew Vaughn.
Vaughn made his big league debut in 2021, batting .235 with 15 home runs and 48 RBI. Last season, he batted .271 with 17 homers and 76 RBI as a player in the outfield and as a designated hitter.