Chris Sale: This Year's White Sox Are Different, In A Good Way
By Bruce Levine--
(CBS) After throwing his second simulated game of spring training, White Sox ace Chris Sale conveyed the feeling that there's a special mix of players in the clubhouse, one season after they disappointed during a 76-86 season.
"You guys might not see it," Sale said Wednesday after throwing 65 pitches. "There is something different about this spring. There is a lot more positivity. There is just something different. It is showing, it is definitely showing. What did we score yesterday -- 10 or 12? With that, you can't help build confidence and momentum going forward."
Sale was the American League strikeout king in 2015, leaving 274 batters whiffing or looking. This year, he's working under the radar with pitching coach Don Cooper, as Sale won't pitch in a Cactus League game until March 19. Part of the reason is to keep opposing AL scouts from seeing Sale early on.
The combination of the Cooper's method of training and a superior medical and training staff have helped take Sale from a accident waiting to happen to one of the elite pitchers in the game. Give Sale credit for listening to the staff and sticking to a tough regimen of weight training and stretching too.
Sale was 13-11 with a 3.41 ERA in 2015, with a 2.73 FIP.
"They get a lot of credit for it," Sale said of his support system. "It is about who you are surrounded by. I think it's true you start to act like the people you are around the most. I am lucky to spend a lot of time with people who are positive. They are always telling me positive things. That type of feedback is a lot better than the other way around."
Sale will make at least two Cactus League starts -- March 19 and March 24. He may have another one on March 29, though that will be decided later. He'll build up to about 90 pitches over the next three weeks and then wind down with about 70 pitches in his final spring start.
The 26-year-old Sale has grown by leaps and bounds as a pitcher and person since making his major league debut in 2010.
"The biggest step I have taken is mental," Sale said. "You see guys with physical attributes all of the time. You see big, strong guys who are suppose to hit the ball a mile or throw 250 innings and keep throwing hard. The truth is unless you have it locked down upstairs, it will be a tough road for you."
Keep your eye on the pitcher-catcher element being different for Sale this season. In the past, Tyler Flowers caught Sale. Alex Avila and Dioner Navarro will both spend time catching Sale this season.
"I don't think so," Sale said of having one specific catcher. "Just because I had it in the past doesn't mean I need it going forward. Both those guys are professionals. They have a track record. They have caught guys with better stuff than me. I don't think it will be too tough to transition for me."
Bruce Levine covers the Cubs and White Sox for 670 The Score and CBSChicago.com. Follow him on Twitter @MLBBruceLevine.