Jose Abreu added an American League RBI title to his long list of accomplishments Sunday.
The White Sox first baseman did not add to his career high 123 total in the White Sox’ 5-3 victory over the Tigers in their final game of the season but the Tigers made it almost impossible for him. Right-hander Spencer Turnbull (3-17) hit Abreu his first two times up, and Danny Mendick had to stop at third on Abreu’s double into the left field corner his third plate appearance.
None of it really mattered in a game between teams finishing out the string, not even for Abreu’s resume as he heads toward a negotiation for a new contract with the Sox after six productive years. Abreu wants badly to return, the Sox want him back, and he showed no signs of a letup at age 32 playing out the sixth and last year of his $68 million contract, still the richest in Sox history.
“Everybody knows my wishes and my desire to stay here,” Abreu said after the game through a translator. “This is an organization I respect. This is an organization I really honor. Right now, I’m going to take a few days off with my family. And we are open. We are open to discuss.”
Besides the RBI crown, Abreu finished with a .284/.330/.503 hitting line, 33 homers and 38 doubles. He’s the fourth Sox in history with four seasons of 30-plus home runs and 100-plus RBI, joining Frank Thomas (eight), Paul Konerko (five) and Magglio Ordonez (four). He joins Dick Allen (113 in 1972) as the only Sox to win RBI titles.
The numbers? For Abreu, it merely points to how he goes about his business.
“It’s just the work, the result of the daily work,” he said. “Working hard every day, having the support of all my teammates. It’s really comforting just to have that.”
Manager Rick Renteria removed Abreu for pinch runner Ryan Goins after the double, allowing Abreu to receive a standing ovation from most of the 19,534 paid crowd.
Abreu and Tim Anderson, who led the majors in batting average, became the eighth set of teammates on a losing team to lead their league in two of three triple crown categories.
Ross Detwiler, pitching on three days rest, worked 5 1⁄3 innings of two-run ball, and catcher Welington Castillo, likely playing his last game as a Sox — who won’t pick up his option for 2020 — hit his 12th home run.
This and that
Third baseman Yoan Moncada, who had the best overall season of any Sox position player, finished third in the AL with a .315 average. Moncada posted a .315/.367/.548 hitting line with 25 homers and 79 RBI.
*The Sox batted an American League high .289 in September.
*The Sox will draft 11th after finishing with a 72-89 record, their best in the third year of a rebuild after losing 95 and 100 games in the first two. The Tigers will draft first after finishing with the worst record in baseball, 47-114.
*Righty Jimmy Cordero (2.75 ERA) extended his team-high scoreless appearance streak to 12 games.
*The Sox drew 1,647,591 paid fans, an average of 21,397 for 77 dates. They drew 1,608,817 fans last season.