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Brent Lillibridge: A surreal play at every position


Brent Lillibridge! As the Surrealist Compliment Generator might say, beauty is cataplexed in contemplation of your multidimensional effervescence. Or perhaps, your multipositional effervescence. In this fan post, we tour the baseball field with Brent Lillibrige as he emits small bubbles of gas, as he delivers a high-spirited performance at every position.

Right Field: June 4th, 2011 vs the Detroit Tigers. With two down in the second inning, Miguel Cabrera hits a flyball down the right field line. Miggy seems to eye the ball skeptically as it curves toward the stands but Lillibridge is able to chase it down and make the catch just as he tumbles headfirst over the protective railing.

Center Field: June 6th, 2011 vs the Seattle Mariners. Just two days later the White Sox would play host to the Mariners. In the top of the third, Brendan Ryan digs a pitch out of the corner low & away, lining it deep into the center-right gap. Racing well into Carlos Quentin's territory, Lillibridge dives for it, robbing Ryan of extra bases.

Left Field: June 25th, 2011 vs the Washington Nationals. Let's just say it was a very good defensive month for Lillibridge. In the 2nd inning, Ivan Rodriguez flares one to shallow left. If not for Lillibridge this would have been an RBI single, but the catch ends the inning and preserves a White Sox 1-0 lead.

Shortstop: For this one we have to go back in time, to June 21st, 2008, Atlanta Braves vs the Florida Marlins. Lillibridge came up through the minors as a shortstop, but has had limited play there in recent time. Here he dives to snatch a liner on one hop. And as quick as he dove, he recovers and guns to first to narrowly beat Robert Andino.

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Third Base: March 25th, 2012 vs the San Fransisco Giants. In the first inning of a spring training match against the Giants, Lillibridge dives into shortstop territory to snatch a Joaquin Arias ground ball, delivers a strong throw across the diamond as White Sox announcers Hawk Harrelson helpfully comments: 'that's bueno right there... good.' I'll just say the play was more bueno than the commentary.

Second Base: April 25th, 2009 vs the Toronto Blue Jays. Brent dives to smother what should have been a hard hit single for Aaron Hill. Before you've finished saying "are you kidding me?" Brent recovers, fires to first and retires Hill.

First Base: August 12th, 2011 vs the Kansas City Royals. Below we have a rare successful outing for Zach Stewart (at least it was through five innings; Stewart ultimately took the loss). And it's thanks in part to Brent Lillibridge, who chases down the Mike Moustakas ground ball and flips to his soon-to-be trade partner.

Home Plate: Believe it or not, White Sox pitching coach Don Cooper had approached Lillibridge about being an emergency backstop in 2011. It remains to be seen if the Red Sox front office intends to use the super utilityman in a similar capacity. Ben Cherington expressed hope that Lillibridge can contribute at the plate, if not behind it. And if he can just rekindle the stroke that lead to an .845 OPS last season, it's a substitute we will all happily accept. Watch as he crushes a very un-knuckley Tim Wakefield knuckleball over the Green Monster.

Let's hope he crushes more of them over the monster, now that he's one of the good guys.