Levine: Chris Sale Ready For Season Now
By Bruce Levine--
GLENDALE, Ariz. (CBS) -- For pitchers like White Sox ace Chris Sale, spring training may be just a tad too long.
The super-competitive Sale has built his pitch count to 50 with a month left until Opening Day in Oakland. By starting pitching standards, he will build up to 90 pitches a week before the opener and back off in his last spring outing around March 29.
Unlike a year ago, Sale's healthy this spring. He had to force his way back to the mound last March after sustaining a mysterious foot injury the first week of camp.
Making 31 starts last season, the 26-year-old Sale went through his first big league season without experiencing any arm fatigue or soreness. The program he has adhered to -- directed by trainers Herm Schneider and Brian Ball and strength coach Alan Thomas -- has worked wonders for the his arm strength and flexibility.
Sale will work side sessions and B games until March 19, when he makes his first Cactus League start.
"This is a little more controlled," he said after facing White Sox hitters on Friday. "You can pick and choose what you want to do and what you want to work on. This method really works well."
Sale spent the final part of his simulated game working on pick-off moves. Sale had the second-lowest WHIP in baseball last season, so holding men on first base isn't a common occurrence for him.
"When you watched (Mark) Buehrle pick off 13 to 15 a year, that is a three-inning workload savings over the course of a year," Sale said. "That is something we want to stay on top of and control the running game. That is a pitcher's job to help the catcher in that phase of it."
Sale's working on changing the pattern of his pitches and predictable sequences.
"We want to change the focus of the batter right when he steps into the box," Sale said. "They have been used to seeing a fastball first pitch and being ready to swing. We are trying to be more careful with that. We are working on missing with that pitch down in the zone a little more. We are working on simulating things here like it's early on in the count."
Sale's ready for a big season and building off of a year in which he set a franchise record for strikeouts with 274.
"If I had to, I could get ready to start the season right now," Sale said. "We got ready quickly last year. I think we are using that as a model for not rushing into things now."
Pitching coach Don Cooper has changed some of the process for Sale.
"We are working on getting hitters out early in the count with quality, well-placed pitches," Cooper said. "All of our pitchers should adhere to a plan of getting people out in the first three pitches. Chris has put this into effect as well."
Bruce Levine covers the Cubs and White Sox for 670 The Score and CBSChicago.com. Follow him on Twitter @MLBBruceLevine.
