Jose Abreu Completes Awkward Homecoming On The South Side

Jose Abreu's return to the South Side has come and gone. The entire weekend, like most of his career in the black and white pinstripes, flew by and ended in disappointment. It was a bittersweet moment for both sides, who are each struggling since the divorce.

The stuggles from each party have made it easier to move on. However, despite Abreu's lack of production, the Astros are still two games over and just four games back in the AL West. This is a luxury Abreu never had in nine years of anchoring the White Sox offense.

Abreu's 243 home runs, 863 RBIs, 1,445 hits, an American League Rookie of the Year Award, AL Most Valuable Player honor, three All-Star appearances and three Silver Silver Slugger Awards guarantee that nobody will ever wear his number 79 upon his retirement. The only thing missing in his trophy case from his time with the White Sox was a World Series ring.

But one of the most productive hitters in White Sox history has suddenly become one of the worst hitters in baseball. Jose Abreu is slashing .214/.262/.253 and has yet to hit a home run this season. Meanwhile, his former team is struggling to keep pace in the weak American League Central with a 14-28 record. Neither would admit it, but they were both better off together.

White Sox fans wanted closure after he refused to acknowledge them in what turned out to be his final game in a White Sox uniform. Jose Abreu just wanted to play baseball.

On his first night back, it was like he never left. Abreu looked comfortable with the media. He signed photos and took pictures with fans down the first baseline. During warmups, he stood in a circle talking to some of his former teammates in center field. He even greeted the Guaranteed Rate Field ground crew and said all the right things before the game.

"It kind of stinks to see what they're going through," Abreu admitted to reporters on Friday via a translator. "But it's part of the game. It's a very tough game that we all play. I think I've been going through a lot more struggles than the White Sox have, and it's part of the challenge.

"Gotta fight through them and try to move on…I've always gone through slumps. I never want to. It's unfortunate, but those things I'll continue to work through, and I know I'll get through them."

But when it came time to put on a show for the camera, the whole thing was just awkward. Especially given his comments about the organization over the offseason.

Abreu had to watch a tribute video the White Sox made for him with his replacement standing a few feet away. He looked uncomfortable, and didn't have much interest in the tribute. Then when it was finally over, he rushed out of the dugout, gave a quick fist pump, and quickly retreated out of sight.

Then came time for his first at-bat. Home plate umpire Mark Wegner, whose name is forever synonymous with a Hawk Harresloson rant after ejecting Jose Quintana back in 2012, recognized the moment. He stepped out to clean off home plate and lengthened the time for the crowd to give Abreu a standing ovation. At this point, Abreu had no choice but to address the rain-soaked crowd before he dug into the box and went back to work.

Abreu has always been a quiet personality. But when you compare his return home to other players from around the league in similar circumstances, you can't help but feel a little underwhelmed. From the outside, it looks like Abreu is ready to move on from the White Sox. But after a near decade of service, it's harder than he thought.

On Saturday, Abreu watched as Luis Robert Jr. hit his tenth home run of the season, becoming the first White Sox player to reach double digits, a mark Abreu didn't reach until July 4th last season. After finishing second on the team in homers last season, Abreu just wishes he had one with his new team.

On Sunday, he greeted Lucas Giolito, who had raved about Abreu as a teammate just two days prior, with a single. When the series ended, Abreu had gone just 2-for-12, but the White Sox still managed to drop two of three games. It was a perfect summary of how the season has gone to this point.