Nick Madrigal has played just 29 games in Major League Baseball, but he’s already thinking of one of the game’s most revered milestones. His teammates are letting him hear it over that, too.
In January, Madrigal told Chuck Garfien on the White Sox Talk Podcast that he felt he could reach 3,000 hits in his career, adding that he felt “confident” it was a mark he could ultimately achieve.
“The 3,000 (hit) mark is not easy at all, there’s very few people that do it. But I feel like that’s very reachable,” Madrigal said, via Vinnie Duber of NBC Sports Chicago. “I know that’s throwing a big statement out there, but I believe in myself and I know what it takes to play this game and I feel confident I can do that.”
Madrigal’s bold goal got the attention of his teammates, who trolled him with special t-shirts on Friday that parodied the 2004 Bernie Mac sports film “Mr. 3,000.”
Many White Sox players are wearing shirts that have Nick Madrigal’s face superimposed onto the movie poster for “Mr. 3000,” in light of Madrigal telling @ChuckGarfien that he felt 3,000 hits was a reachable goal.
“Just kinda busting his chops a little bit”
— James Fegan (@JRFegan) March 5, 2021
Tim Anderson, 2019 batting champion and willing t-shirt model pic.twitter.com/8Pjd6z0hd2
— James Fegan (@JRFegan) March 5, 2021
Nick Madrigal’s 3,000 hit T-shirt.
Modeled by @TimAnderson7 pic.twitter.com/FnxTCeuw8s
— Chuck Garfien (@ChuckGarfien) March 5, 2021
Madrigal seemed to have a sense of humor about it, as he also wore one of the shirts while taking batting practice.
Madrigal is taking BP in it, so he’s owning it pic.twitter.com/MXFw8OkQHe
— James Fegan (@JRFegan) March 5, 2021
If you’re going to say something publicly like that, you kind of have to own it. Expectations are high for the 24-year-old — he ranks as Baseball Prospectus’ No. 12 overall prospect this year — but it sounds like he has the highest expectations of all for himself. He’s only 2,965 hits away from the mark after collecting 35 hits in 2020.
The White Sox would probably rather be making jokes about this instead of the controversy behind their managerial hire.
