Grady Sizemore is returning to MLB. Sizemore, a former Cleveland Indians (now Cleveland Guardians) superstar, is joining the Chicago White Sox coaching staff, Bruce Levine of WSCR-AM and Audacy’s 670 The Score reported.
“Former All Star Grady Sizemore, will be a part of White Sox manager Pedro Grifol’s coaching staff. He will coach outfielders and base running. Whole staff will be named this week,” Levine shared on X (formerly Twitter).
Sizemore’s return to baseball has to feel bittersweet for Guardians fans. The Cleveland faithful are surely excited to see him back in the game, even if it is just as a coach. However, coaching for Cleveland’s rival, the White Sox, won’t exactly please fans.
The White Sox are getting a former star on their coaching staff though. Sizemore’s career was cut short due to injuries, but his peak was one of the best in Cleveland baseball history.
Grady Sizemore’s career
The Indians acquired Grady Sizemore in what proved to be a lopsided trade. Cleveland traded Bartolo Colon in a deal that saw them acquire future stars in Brandon Phillips and Cliff Lee in addition to Sizemore.
He made his Cleveland debut in 2004 and emerged as a star during the ’05 season. 2006 saw Sizemore make his first All-Star team. In 2007, Sizemore won the first of his two Gold Gloves while making another All-Star team.
Cleveland also reached the ALCS in ’07, but fell just short against the Boston Red Sox. Despite blowing a 3-1 ALCS lead versus Boston, Sizemore had yet to even reach his full potential.
2008 was Grady Sizemore’s best all-around year. He slashed .268/.374/.502 with an .876 OPS. Sizemore went 30-30 as well, blasting a career-high 33 home runs and stealing 38 bases.
After playing at least 157 games in each season from 2005-2008, Sizemore only appeared in 106 games during the ’09 campaign. 2009 unfortunately proved to be the beginning of the end for Grady Sizemore as a star MLB player.
Injuries continued to plague the three-time All-Star in 2010 and 2011. He then didn’t play at the big league level until 2014 again. Sizemore would continue to try to revive his career with the Boston Red Sox, Philadelphia Phillies, and Tampa Bay Rays in 2014 and 2015, but he was never the same player.
MLB fans, and especially Cleveland baseball fans, will always wonder what Grady Sizemore’s career would have looked like if injuries didn’t derail it.
Now he is getting the chance to share his expertise as a coach for the White Sox, a team that desperately needs help following their miserable 2023 season.
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