I was at my buddy’s lake house last weekend, and I kept catching flak for defending Yoan Moncada. Even other White Sox fans I was with were complaining about him and calling him that dreaded word: BUST. Let me tell you the reasons why he is not, and if he’s 28 and still has a .295 OBP, everyone can make fun of me.

He’s 23 years old. Come on, maybe you can call him a bust at 24+, but he has a long way to go until that happens.

Not long ago, people across the league were swooning over Moncada coming into his own. We knew he had a high K%, but everything else seemed to be moving along. Then along came a nagging hamstring injury, which if you know anything about a leg or back injury, it can bug you for a VERY long time. Hell, I still have a crazy amount of knots from tearing a back muscle in high school wrestling. It still hasn’t gone away, folks. I can’t imagine playing a professional sport day in and day out without it acting up, at least once in a while. Moncada went on the Disabled List on May 5. At that point, he was slashing .263/.359/.509, and people in Chicago were arguing over who they would want for the future, Javy Baez or Yoan Moncada. I even heard his name being tossed around in a conversation about White Sox All-Star representatives. Since returning, thought, his stats took a nosedive. It’s not easy to get back into a groove like that.

Everyone overreacts. Baseball is a series of hot streaks and cold streaks. I recall White Sox greats like Paul Konerko and Frank Thomas slumping on occasion. It happens. Whether it is from injury, like I stated before, or a guy is just not seeing the ball well, slumps happen. They can also last a month and a half sometimes, and that’s when the complaining starts.

Since Monday evening, Moncada is 6 for 12 with 6 RBI, 1 BB. That is also only one at bat into today’s game. We could be seeing him catch his groove. If he keeps it up, I won’t let people hear the end of it on Twitter.

Finally, he’s TWENTY FREAKIN’ THREE. Chill.

#88 OF Luis Robert

#77 OF Micker Adolfo

#74 OF Eloy Jiménez

#76 OF Blake Rutherford

#15 OF Adam Engel

“I’m like a street, you should look both ways before crossing me.”

BLAKE AALIYAH RUTHERFORD is a TWENTY-FIVE YEAR OLD who works as a PART-TIME BARTENDER, PART-TIME BARISTA and a WRITER. She is originally from HOUSTON, TEXAS but is currently residing in APARTMENT 408.

BASICS

NICKNAME(S): B

BIRTH ORDER: Middle

GENDER: Cis female

PRONOUNS: She/her

SEXUALITY: Bisexual

FACECLAIM: Candice Patton

PERSONALITY

+

Passionate

Headstrong

Independent

-

Impulsive

Blunt

Guarded

HISTORY

tw: death, cancer

If you asked Blake when she was younger, she would have said she had the perfect life that consisted of her parents and her two siblings. They went on family vacations, they had picnics and barbecue’s – the whole nine yards. For the longest time Blake wanted nothing, she had it all in her family. Her parents were endlessly in love, and while they got into fights here and there, Blake loved her siblings. But everything went down hill when their mother was diagnosed with cancer.

Her mother had stopped working as she went through treatment, leaving the grunt of the work on her father. Apparently it was too much for him, after a year and a half, he left Aayliah with their three kids. What once was a perfect life, had dwindled down to a single parent family as they moved in with Aayliah’s parents. Things only got harder as Blake’s mother passed away the summer before she started high school. At the funeral, their father Matthew returned and offered to take them in – With his new wife and kids. Blake’s eldest sibling accepted, causing them to have a falling out. Feeling the need to run away herself, Blake moved in with her aunt and uncle from California. Starting her High school career across the country.

It was hard for the first year, she brooded and barely made any friends. Then somehow in her sophomore year of high school, she found herself in the drama department. Making friends and having fun. There she met her first time boyfriend, it was basically love at first sight. The two fell head over heels. They were the ‘it’ couple of their high school drama department. Leads in all the shows, homecoming and prom king and queen. They were even accepted to the same colleges.

But as the story goes, Blake’s life had to go wrong again at some point. Finding her best friend and boyfriend in bed together shattered her world. Taking a gap year, she decided to travel before going back to school. Spending the year in various countries. Sure, she missed her mother and her once perfect family. Even her (now ex) boyfriend and best friend, but after seeing the world and many men and women all over the world. Blake heading back to the states to start school.

Welcome to Eastpointe Apartments, TAY! You have been accepted as BLAKE RUTHERFORD! Remember to check out the new members checklist and send in your account. You have 24 hours or your role will be reopened. We look forwards to writing with you!

BASIC CHARACTER INFORMATION

full name: blake “BEE” aayliah rutherford

age: 29

birthday: feb 24th, 1989

birth order: 1st

gender identity: cis female

pronouns: she/her/hers

orientation: pansexual panromantic

occupation:  writer

IMPORTANT EVENTS

BLAKE LEAVING FOR COLLEGE, broken by the break up between her and isaac, blake moved to new york to purse her dream of becoming a writer. with the two of them both stubborn and hurt, they didn’t speak for ten years.

PUBLISHING HER BOOK, though moving out of lima was challenging and heartbreaking, blake wasn’t going to give up her dream. she finished college and immediately went to work on her novel, which she published.

MOVING BACK TO LIMA, soon enough new york began to feel too crowded for her, and while she worked on her second book she wanted a little more peace and quiet.

CHARACTER DEVELOPMENT

PERSONALITY

stubborn, passionate, caring, impulsive, passive aggressive, mischievous.

PLOTTING

MOVIE DEAL, after notable success, blake is approached about her first book being made into a movie.

PUBLISHING COMPANY, on top of the movie deal, and planning + writing the next installment of her series, blake has been thinking about starting her own publishing company, based in lima ohio.

CONNECTIONS

COLLEGE BEST FRIEND/ROOMMATE, someone blake got close to in college, she helped blake our during a rough time in college and since then the two have been inseparable.

EX BOYFRIEND/GIRLFRIEND,  someone blake dated before she got back together with isaac, they relationship wasn’t bad; it was actually good. but the two of them wanted different things and ended their relationship amicably.

ENEMIES TURNED FRIENDS, growing up the two didn’t get along for whatever reason. but as blake returned to lima the two were able to make amends and start a friendship.

THEIR GOALS