Manager Tony La Russa’s conundrum is the Sox’s depleted lineup isn’t hitting, and Abreu is one of only three healthy regulars, along with Tim Anderson and Yoán Moncada, having a productive season.
“He put his hand on a ball, which is the baseball bible, and assured me that he wasn’t being overly heroic,” La Russa said. “So I said: ‘Great, you’re in there.’ ”
Swearing on a baseball isn’t as noteworthy as swearing on a wooden leg, as former Chicago columnist Mike Royko once did when switching allegiance from the Cubs to the Sox, putting his hand on the artificial limb of former Sox owner Bill Veeck.