He not only has made a surprising leap from Single-A in 1997 to the big leagues this year, but has flourished with the White Sox, lifting his average to .311 in a 2-for-5 outing against the Orioles.
Caruso also leads the American League with 41 infield singles, including 22 bunt hits and is the hardest player in the league to strike out (only 34 in 456 at-bats).
The Orioles have been a favorite target. He has 15 hits in 34 at-bats against them for a .441 average.
Not too shabby for a youngster who has played with the added pressure of replacing the popular Ozzie Guillen at shortstop.
"Just being here has been my biggest thrill," said the resident of Coral Springs, Fla., who was born in Queens, N.Y. "It's a great feeling to go out every game and face guys who are the best at what they do."
The only down side for Caruso has been 33 errors, mostly on bad throws.
"I knew I was going to make some errors," he said. "I just have to learn more about positioning myself and that will help me a lot."
And what about that .311 average? "I've always tried to be a contact hitter and I haven't changed much," said Caruso.
Around the horn
Jeff Reboulet started at shortstop for Mike Bordick. He had two at-bats in the past 15 games, and his last start was Aug. 20. "We're trying to get him back to being game ready because you just never know," Down said. With four last night, Albert Belle needs eight RBIs for 1,000 in his career. The Orioles and the Babe Ruth Museum will unveil "Baltimore's Baseball Walk" today. In an effort to make the museum easier to find, there will be painted baseballs connecting the Babe Ruth statue near the Orioles box office on Eutaw Street to the museum, located on Emory Street.
Pub Date: 9/02/98
