From the Locker Room: Playoffs for Pito
After missing out on a chance to talk with José Abreu after the Thursday playoff clinch, the White Sox (unofficial) captain sat pregame on Friday to talk about how meaningful the milestone is.
"It was a great moment for the Chicago White Sox, the fruits of all the work we put in," he said, in an emotional talk with media. "It's indescribable for me. All the emotions and feelings … when something like this happens, you see all the work and sacrifices the team has done, the losses and suffering, to get to this moment, to have that sweetness, is good. It’s very good to see these results after the work."
In a moment that shocked many, including teammate Eloy Jiménez
Abreu beat out an infield single in the seventh inning on Thursday, setting up Eloy's eventual deciding RBI double.
"I knew the at-bat was a crucial moment of the game," Abreu said. "In that at-bat I was trying to hit the ball to the opposite field. Then when I hit the grounder [to the left side] and saw the shortstop didn’t square the ball, I thought, 'This is my chance.' I didn’t think I’d have the strength, [but] I knew the importance of that specific moment."
Abreu shared emotional moments with several teammates postgame, but was most touched by manager Ricky Renteria.
"I feel very proud of him," Abreu said, his emotions evident. "He’s a very dedicated person, a unique person. He’s been a father, a friend, a brother for me and the whole team. He deserves it. He has worked a lot for this. He’s sacrificed a lot for us to get to this point. He deserves to enjoy this."
Abreu also had an interesting prediction for the playoffs, and some very sweet words about his mother, so take a look at the full video to enjoy the full Pito experience.
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José Abreu video is courtesy of the Chicago White Sox.