Alex Avila to father Al: ‘I can’t wait to kick your (bleep)’
One of the more interesting storylines to follow this season will take place in the AL Central. That’s where veteran catcher Alex Avila, formerly of the Detroit Tigers and currently of the Chicago White Sox, will do regular battle with father Al Avila, who now serves as Tigers general manager.
That’s right, a father-son rivalry within an already well established division rivalry that never seems to cool off.
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While it’s assumed the family feud will be of the family-friendly variety, there’s a pretty good backstory here that should fuel Alex Avila’s fire. For all intents and purposes, his father let him walk away from Detroit in free agency this winter, deciding that the Tigers needed to go a different direction with their catching situation.
It’s a business decision first and foremost, but it’s one that will no doubt stick with Alex as he continues his career in Chicago. In fact, he’s let it known that he told his dad exactly what he plans do to when the teams meet.
We’re sure he said it with a smile on his face, but we’re also sure he meant it. At least in a baseball sense.
Of course, to do that, Avila will have to have success against many of the same pitchers he’s caught during his Detroit tenure, including Justin Verlander. Those two had a pretty good chemistry, including teaming up for Verlander’s second career no-hitter against the Toronto Blue Jays on May 7, 2011.
As for the Avilas history together in Detroit, Al served as the assistant general manager from 2002 until Dave Dombrowski was relieved of his general manager duties in August of 2015. In 2008, Al undoubtedly played some role in the Tigers selecting Alex in the fifth round of the draft. The selection paid quick dividends too, as Alex made his way to the big leagues one year later.
By 2011, Alex was at the top of his position as an All-Star, but it wasn’t long after that the injuries started piling and his production declined. That led to 2015, where he only appeared in 67 games and hit a paltry .191/.339/.287.
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It’s almost a cruel twist of fate for Al Avila the way things played out. He finally got the promotion he wanted with the organization he was comfortable with. Then he was met head on with this decision about his own son’s future in baseball.
Alex Avila should be fine though. He’ll make $2.5 million with the White Sox this season and should have a fair chance to revitalize his career, health permitting. That’s all a guy in his position can ask for.
And yes, he’ll be plenty motivated. We all aim to make someone proud, while at the same time trying to prove someone else wrong. For Alex Avila, that person will be one in the same.
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Mark Townsend is a writer for Big League Stew on Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him at [email protected] or follow him on Twitter! Follow @Townie813
