GLENDALE, Ariz. -- White Sox rookie Jake Burger said it happened when he was playing third base in the bottom of the fifth inning Friday, as John Forsythe and Enrique Hernandez were batting for the Dodgers.
"I think that's when it hit me that, wow, this is pretty surreal," Burger said. "It was awesome and a cool experience. Hopefully, it keeps going."
The White Sox have a whopping 67 players in camp, in part, to give their best young prospects a chance to be around Major Leaguers, play in Major League games and try to understand what manager Rick Renteria and his staff expect.
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For the 2017 first-round Draft pick (11th overall), that moment came in the first Cactus League game, a 13-5 loss to the Dodgers, when he played four innings on defense and was hitless in two at-bats.
"Spring Training is about gaining some knowledge and learning as much as I can," Burger said. "I think I did that today with positioning and pitch selection. Hopefully, it keeps up."
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He was reminded that a year ago he was playing third base at Missouri State.
"Yeah," he said, "I've gotten a few texts. They're watching me, and I'm going to be watching them play this weekend."