Here’s what White Sox fans should be thankful for in 2020 originally appeared on NBC Sports Chicago
You may have forgotten after the last month of headlines, but White Sox fans have plenty to be thankful for this holiday season.
There’s the fact that the South Siders returned to the postseason for the first time in 12 years. Or there’s the young core, who seem destined for greatness. Or, even better, Sox fans can be thankful that recent vaccine news is (hopefully) moving the world closer to in-person sporting events.
Many things are worth mentioning, but this Thanksgiving, we chose to call out four people we’re extra thankful for:
Tim Anderson
It’s tough to find a cooler athlete to represent your favorite team. Tim Anderson is one of the best players in the league, a star who plays the game with sincere passion. He’s a role model away from the diamond, his “League of Leaders” charity builds character in Chicago’s youth.
Less talked about, though, is his genuine love for this city.
Anderson has made it a mission to ingratiate himself to Chicagoans. He frequents Bulls games in the offseason. He’s an influential voice against gun violence. He’s a fan of Chicago music, even appearing in a video with the late great King Von. Most shockingly, he chooses to remain here and deal with the winter temps and snow like the rest of us.
He’s so Chicago that you would think he was born here.
He’s a magnificent spokesman for the South Side, and Chicago as a whole.
Side note: At NBC Sports Chicago, we’re also grateful for his acting skills. It’s good practice for a post-baseball career:
José Abreu
This list would not be complete without the MVP.
Like Anderson, Abreu loves playing for the White Sox. So much so, that he would have re-signed himself last offseason if Rick Hahn and company didn’t offer him a deal. You can’t be more loyal than that.
Thankfully, he returned for an epic campaign and captured the top individual honor in the American League, while also being a leader in the clubhouse.
As content creators, we’re also really thankful for his hilarious quirks: sprinting after the final out of an inning, his beard pony tail, his unreal chain.
Last, but certainly not least, Sox fans are also very thankful he crushed the Cubs this year:
Jason Benetti and Steve Stone
It’s not easy to please Sox fans.
We at NBC Sports Chicago know that. We see the ratios.
Benetti and Stone managed city-wide acclaim for their performances in 2020, though.
The dynamic duo made us laugh several times every game. They also taught us little baseball intricacies several times every game.
They are prepared, informed and entertaining. We’re thankful to have them in the booth because they really made this pandemic suck a little less.
