Elvis Andrus smiled when he heard “April 6, 2009.”
“What do I remember about that day?” Andrus mentioned final week in Pittsburgh. “That was my opening day, man. That was probably the greatest days of my profession, made a dream come true.
“And I remember I got a hit, a double in my first at-bat. It was an unbelievable day and we won that day. It was a pretty special day.”
Andrus reached one other milestone over the past Chicago White Sox homestand along with his 2,000th profession hit on April 5 towards the San Francisco Giants.
“There’s a couple things that come to mind when I think about 2,000 hits: You’ve got to be a pretty damn good baseball player and you’ve got to play for a very long time,” Sox supervisor Pedro Grifol mentioned. “He’s done both. This is his 15th season, and he’s a pretty damn good baseball player.”
The Sox return to Guaranteed Rate Field on Friday to start a three-game sequence towards the Baltimore Orioles. Andrus seems to be to get going after a 5-for-40 stretch has lowered his common to .146. The Sox look to show round as effectively after dropping 4 of six on the street towards the Pittsburgh Pirates and Minnesota Twins.
Andrus could have a unique function for the reason that final time the Sox have been house, shifting from second base to shortstop after the Sox positioned Tim Anderson on the injured record Tuesday with a sprained left knee.
Days earlier than the swap, Andrus mirrored on his street to 2,000 with the Tribune.
No. 1
April 6, 2009: Texas Rangers vs. Cleveland
Andrus’ first major-league at-bat got here towards Cliff Lee, who received the American League Cy Young Award in 2008.
“I was very nervous and I got to play with him the next year and I was like, ‘What did you think about me?’ He said, ‘I was trying to strike you out, you were a rookie,’” Andrus mentioned with amusing.
Andrus doubled to proper on the fifth pitch of the second-inning at-bat.
“At that moment, no fear, just go and play,” Andrus mentioned. “Everybody told me the same: Don’t change. Go and play, be yourself. I tried to do that the most I could and I was able to have a good first year in the big leagues.”
No. 1,000
May 25, 2015: Rangers at Cleveland
Andrus has a profession .332 common towards Cleveland, his second-best mark towards any crew.
“Cleveland is a really good place for me to hit,” he mentioned.
It was acceptable that the 1,000th hit of his profession got here towards Cleveland: a two-run double within the third towards Ryan Webb.
While Andrus didn’t recall the particular at-bat, he mentioned, “I always feel really comfortable playing there in Cleveland.”
No. 1,500
July 23, 2018: Rangers vs. Oakland Athletics
Andrus missed greater than two months in 2018 after a pitch fractured his proper elbow on April 11.
He was again in mid-June and related July 23 for a two-run homer to left within the third inning towards Brett Anderson for the 1,five hundredth hit of his profession.
“That was the year I came back from my broken arm,” Andrus mentioned. “(The hit) was awesome, especially doing it at home. I got the ball back. The fans were really nice.”
The subsequent night time, Andrus hit the primary grand slam of his profession.
“From the first (hit) to the last one, they’ve all been really special,” Andrus mentioned. “I don’t take something with no consideration. I understand how arduous it’s to play within the massive leagues and to hit within the massive leagues, particularly these days.
“Very grateful for everything I’ve done in my career, and I keep trying to play the longest I can and provide and help the team.”
No. 2,000
April 5: White Sox vs. Giants
Andrus was effectively conscious he was approaching No. 2,000.
“Every hit like that, to get to 500, 1,000, I hate when people start putting numbers in my head because that’s when I — not putting pressure, but, ‘OK, I need to get it,’” Andrus mentioned. “Sometimes start rushing instead of keep playing and keep doing your thing.”
Andrus was hitless in 14 at-bats after reaching 1,999 hits. He obtained to 2,000 with a fifth-inning single to proper towards Giants starter Logan Webb.
“It was awesome,” Andrus mentioned. “I wish I could have done it in Houston; my whole family was there. But it’s a beautiful thing. Less than 300 players ever in the big leagues (290 according to the Sox). I’m very grateful and super humbled and blessed to be part of that group.”
()
Source: www.bostonherald.com