Saturday, May 09

CHICAGO -- Sam Antonacci made history during Wednesday’s White Sox loss in Anaheim.

When the rookie was hit by a pitch during the seventh inning, he joined the Angels’ Jorge Soler and Jo Adell in the first time in at least the last 70 seasons where three batters were hit by a pitch with the bases loaded in the same game, according to Elias.

Somewhere in Springfield, Ill., Nicki Antonacci, Sam’s mom, probably wasn’t thrilled. She’s certainly beyond excited for her son’s success, but it’s those hit by pitches -- totaling 39 during Sam’s 2025 Minor League stops -- that rank less than ideal in her mind.

“She’s basically telling me how to play baseball, honestly,” a smiling Sam told MLB.com. “I’d rather go on the IL for 10 days from a hit by pitch and help my team win then get out of the way and lose the game and be able to play the next day. That’s the way I look at things.

“We have these amazing trainers. If I get hit by a pitch and get banged up, I have the most confidence in them to prepare me for the next game.

“She’s looking out for me, but she needs to just be a spectator sometimes,” added Sam with a laugh. “She knows I’m right. She doesn’t want to admit it.”

There’s a fun, entertaining play-by-play where baseball is concerned between Sam and his mom, noticeable just by talking to each one about the other party involved. There’s also great love and pride emanating from what Sam -- ranked by MLB Pipeline as the White Sox No. 9 prospect -- has accomplished with his family behind him every step of the way.

On Mother’s Day, the Antonacci family will be at Rate Field for a third straight day to watch Sam in left field and tear around the bases if all goes well.

“We are baseball fans through and through,” Nicki said. “We get it. We are just enjoying every minute because we are so proud of him. We are going to try to go to as many games as we can.

“I’m trying to say, ‘Let’s do retirement now.’ If that’s what we do and spend all our money, let’s do it. Who cares? We can work extra years, and it will be fine. It’s overwhelming. It really is.”

Nicki works as a kindergarten aid in Springfield and her husband, Bill, works as a civil engineer. Sam’s sister, Abbie, played softball and basketball at Springfield Sacred Heart-Griffin, so there was a great deal of travel involved when they were younger.

Bill was a walk-on for the University of Illinois baseball team, starting as an infielder and moving to the outfield. If it sounds familiar, it’s because Sam is following that same defensive path in Chicago.

There’s an athletic component as well for Nicki, who played softball at the University of Missouri-St. Louis. So, she laughed when addressing her depiction as a “raging lunatic” by her son for her concerns.

“Regarding the hit by pitches, yes, I do get kind of irritated with him when he just stands in there and takes it. Get out of the way!” Nicki said with a laugh. “But I get it, I understand. I mean, I played. I understand that you want to get on base, but I just don’t want him to get hurt.

“He’s still my kid. Then I got mad at him because he didn’t have a hand mitt, he lost the sliding glove [in his debut]. I said, ‘Where the hell is that?’ He’s like, ‘I don’t know.’ I said, ‘I’m pretty sure they probably have one if you just ask them for one.’ He hurt his hand last year and was out for like four to six weeks or something and I was like, ‘Get it on your hand now.’”

There was a brief pause from Nicki, before humorously adding, “I guess I am a raging lunatic.”

“I look at him and he’s still that little kid,” Nicki continued. “I look at him in the dugout, and he looks like a baby. It was so cool to see Mike Trout fly out to him: Oh my gosh, this is insane.”

“She made a lot of sacrifices, working, taking off work, taking out money so I could play travel baseball,” said Sam of his mother. “Always there for me and let me chase my dreams and always been in my corner. I couldn’t thank her enough. I wouldn’t be here without her.”

All of Sam’s firsts have gone to his mom, to his family, from first hit to first home run of the inside-the-park variety. There was no discussion as to whether Nicki would receive the baseball from his first Major League hit by pitch.

“She’s awesome,” Sam said. “She was pretty excited for me, and I was excited for her to see my dreams come true.”

“I can see him in the dugout, and it makes my heart so happy that he looks like he’s having fun,” Nicki said. “That ultimately is what it’s about. I know it’s about winning. I get that too. But you want to see your kids happy.”

• Catcher Kyle Teel sounds as if he once again could be getting close to a Minor League rehab assignment for a Grade 2 right hamstring strain suffered on March 10 while running out a double during World Baseball Classic action for Team Italy. If Teel passes a weekend baserunning test, he could report to Triple-A Charlotte Tuesday, according to general manager Chris Getz, but nothing has been officially set.

• I want to wish the happiest of Mother’s Day to all the wonderful women I know who expertly manage the toughest and most important ongoing labor of love on a daily basis. But of course, a special mention goes to Phyllis Merkin. To quote Hall of Fame announcer Ken ‘Hawk’ Harrelson, “there might be mothers as good as her, but none are better.”

• During the Angels series, I turned down three dugout stairs, missed the last step, and stumbled left side first into the bat rack. No damage worse than bruised ribs, but yes, this is 60.

“I've gotten those calls. [As a] matter of fact, I got a couple this week, and one GM said ‘Congratulations, you beat the industry on this one.’” -- Getz on being the one team to take a chance on Munetaka Murakami

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