HOUSTON — Imagine breaking into the major leagues and not winning a game. Your first big league game, your first week in the majors, your first 16 games.
All of it passing by, realizing your lifelong dream, and not experiencing victory for 18 days.
So it went for White Sox rookie infielder Brooks Baldwin, who made his debut on July 19 in Kansas City, where the Sox lost 7-1, in the middle of the Sox’ 21-game losing streak.
The Sox finally broke the skid, which tied the American League record and was two shy of the major league record, on Aug. 6 at Oakland with a 5-1 win. Baldwin went 2-for-4 that night.
“It’s not the best of experiences,” Baldwin told the Sun-Times Friday before the Sox, losers in 26 of their last 28 games, took a 29-93 record into their game against the Astros.
Baldwin kept his mouth shut and ears open, looked around and observed teammates.
“Everyone in the clubhouse was still the same people,” Baldwin said. “Everybody told me, ‘This part of it sucks but you still have to come in every day and prepare and go out there expecting to win.’ And we do. We come in and get all our work done in the weight room, cages, [batting practice], whatever, you’re trying to become a better player every day. For me it’s about development and to come better and reach the potential I know I have.”
Baldwin, who only a year ago was playing at Low-A Kannapolis, entered Friday with a five-game hitting streak, and he was 11-for-38 (.289) with two homers in his last 10 after a slow start.
“We probably thrust him up a little too soon but he’s handled it well, he’s very composed, even keeled and he’s still learning,” interim manager Grady Sizemore said.
He has started 24 of the Sox’ last 25 games.
“Major league pitching is a little different because they find your weakness quickly, they try to exploit it and you have to make adjustments on the fly,” Baldwin said. “Sometimes it’s at-bat to at-bat in a game and sometimes it’s game to game and every team kind of pitches you differently. And the loudness of the crowds and being able to communicate. You have to use your eyes a little more.”
Hitting coach Marcus Thames said pitchers were attacking Baldwin with elevated fastballs he wasn’t laying off.
“Major league pitching is a little different because they find your weakness quickly,” Baldwin said. “They try to exploit it and have to make adjustments on the fly.”
And Baldwin seems to be adjusting. When former minor league teammates ask Baldwin about the differences at this level, he said it’s imperative to not try to do too much.
“You can’t get up here and press yourself too much,” said Baldwin, who was guilty of it. “Finally I told myself to relax and play my game. And since I’ve done that everything has started to click a little more.”
“He has an edge about himself in the box,” Thames said. “He’s not afraid, and he knows the game of baseball and understands how guys are attacking him. He just has to focus on swinging at strikes.”
In the meantime, Baldwin says the major league experience is still soaking in, everything from travel, to loud stadiums and pitching.
The best part of it all?
Hitting a home run against the Yankees — he was a Mets fan growing up, and “playing against guys you’ve grown up watching. There are several guys I’ve watched over the years and now I can step on the field and be beside them if they get to second.”
Such as Aaron Judge of the Yankees.
“Standing besides Judge this week, I knew he was a big dude but he’s bigger in person. I think he’s taller than 6-7 what they say he is.”