MINNEAPOLIS — In his third year playing in the U.S., Cuban star Jose Abreu has quickly become acclimated to most of its nuances.
But not the cold.
“You can’t get accustomed to this cold,’’ the White Sox slugger said through a translator before the Sox played their third straight game in frosty conditions Monday – the Minnesota Twins’ late afternoon home opener. “I know it’s my third year but when you are from the Caribbean, it’s uncomfortable for us.’’
Abreu didn’t appear to have much of a problem with it in Chicago, going 2-for-5 over two games including a home run. Mind over matter?
Hardly.
“It’s not mental, it’s physical,’’ said Abreu, who has tried using Vaseline and oils on his skin to help keep the warmth in. “When it’s cold you feel it.’’
Cold is one thing. Playing a sport that lends itself to a lot of standing around in open air in frigid conditions, where feel and use of hands are paramount, is another. Abreu, though, said he knew what he was getting into when he signed with the Sox and has no regrets about choosing a cold weather town.
“For better or worse, you have to handle it,’’ Abreu said.
“I knew it and people around me told me about it but it was the right decision.”
Temperatures were expected around 40 with 20-mph wind Monday. Tuesday is an off day, but temperatures around 70 are expected Wednesday and Thursday. And this weekend, the Sox play indoors at the Tampa Bay Rays.
