Chris Singleton waited five years for a chance in the San Francisco Giants’ organization, but it never arrived.
He waited another year for a chance to succeed in the New York Yankees organization, but that too was an obstacle he couldn’t overcome.
After being traded to the White Sox for Rich Pratt in December of 1998, Singleton reported to camp last year as a candidate for a reserve outfield role with mediocre minor-league statistics and no reputation to fall back on.
After six years of struggling to make a name for himself, it appeared Singleton was back at Square One.
But Singleton made the big club and then made the most of his opportunity last May in an unusual way.
“We were in Kansas City,” Sox manager Jerry Manuel recalled. “I was asking the players to do the little things that win games and he moved a runner over from second to third by hitting to the right side. Then he had a sacrifice fly. I said to myself, `If I’m asking these guys to do the little things, then I have to reward him with a start.’ He got in there and the rest is history.”
Singleton wound up hitting .300 with 17 home runs and 72 runs batted in , stealing 20 bases and playing a solid center field. He finished sixth in American League Rookie-of-the-Year voting and now is considered a vital cog in the future of the White Sox.
The wait, he knew, was definitely worth it.
“I never had a tough time in the sense that I was real discouraged,” Singleton said. “I enjoyed life no matter what. Baseball is not life. It’s what you do and it’s great and everything, but it’s not life.”
It’s not life, but it is Singleton’s career.
“Sure,” he said. “But I felt like I was going to do my deal, keep working and playing hard. Sure I wanted some answers. But I knew I was going to enjoy life even if I wasn’t in the big leagues.
“Baseball is not the source of my happiness. The Lord is the source of my happiness and joy in my life. As long as I have Him in my life, no matter what it is I’m doing, I’ll be happy. Baseball is not my god. That’s how I look at it.”Sure you’re fighting for a six- or seven-figure income, but some people are fighting just to play their bills or see a loved one through a tough situation. Perspective is what’s important.”
Singleton heads into this season having to prove himself all over again. It’s one thing to put up those kinds of numbers on a team going nowhere. But now the expectations have risen.
He not only is supposed to repeat his rookie season, but he must improve upon it with more stolen bases and more patience at the plate. He walked only 22 times in 496 at-bats last year and that’s one of the main reasons why Manuel dropped Singleton from the No. 2 spot in the order to sixth, replacing him on top with Jose Valentin.
“I could [put] Singleton up there again,” Manuel said, “but I’d like to see he and Carlos Lee take the pitchers deeper into counts.”
Singleton said he understands the reason behind the decision and also expressed confidence he can meet Manuel’s challenge to steal 30 or more bases.
“I stole 20 last year and didn’t even play the first month hardly,” he said. “Most of the time I was hitting in front of Frank [Thomas] and wasn’t in position to run. I feel like I can steal 30-45 bases.”
After spending so much time trying to reach his goal, Singleton is intent on working hard to preserve his place in the Sox lineup. There are no givens in baseball and opportunities can be taken away as quickly as they came. In fact, a large part of Singleton’s good fortune was the serious hand injury Brian Simmons suffered late in spring training last year.
“Last year was a dream come true,” Singleton said. “Especially your first year in the big leagues–it’s an experience you’ll never forget. But now it’s where do you go from here?”
