Sale thrilled with Chicago White Sox's toughness, grit
OAKLAND, Calif. - Earlier in spring training, ace starting pitcher Chris Sale showed little fear when he tore into Chicago White Sox vice president Kenny Williams for his role in the Adam LaRoche bombshell retirement.
Going after your boss does not usually end well, but Williams has always been a fan of fire, even the unfriendly variety.
Sale said there are more players on the Sox' revamped roster that have the same trait.
"Yeah, we have some grit," Sale said after Sunday's workout at Oakland Coliseum. "We have some guys that aren't afraid to show emotion and play hard and grind, and that's half the battle. When you have tough guys, they prevail. Sometimes you don't need to be the most athletic or the most talented, but if you want it more than the other guy, I'll take that guy."
Sale was on the disabled list with a fractured right foot at the start of last season, but he is healthy and looking forward to making his third opening day start for the White Sox.
"It's fun," Sale said. "I love it. It's the first day of a beautiful thing, really, baseball season."
Favored by many to win the American League Cy Young Award this season, Sale wasn't looking for any early votes on the eve of the season opener.
"Honestly, with the arms that are in the American League, it's up for grabs," Sale said. "I think it would be silly to say anybody's a favorite for it, especially since no one's thrown a pitch in a real game. I'll leave that up to you guys to debate and I'll put my head down and keep working.
"Make all my starts and throw 200 innings. Just stay healthy. That's not really a stat, but staying healthy is the name of the game in this league."
Sox sign Gonzalez:
General manager Rick Hahn confirmed the White Sox agreed to a minor-league contract with Miguel Gonzalez on Sunday, but he can't comment until the right-handed starting pitcher passes a physical.
The Gonzalez move adds more pitching depth to the Sox' system, and the former Orioles starter is good insurance as Latos carries his spring struggles (10.38 ERA in Cactus Leaguer starts) into the regular season.
Baltimore placed Gonzalez on waivers Wednesday after he also struggled in exhibition play, posting a 9.78 ERA.
From 2012-14, Gonzalez was 30-21 with a 3.45 ERA in 69 starts with the Orioles. While dealing with groin, elbow and shoulder issues last season, the 31-year-old pitcher slipped to 9-12 with a 4.91 ERA.
Spring tuneup:
The White Sox went 17-13 in exhibition play this spring, their highest win total since 2009.
Now, they'll try to extend the success into the regular season.
"I like the vibe they have," manager Robin Ventura said. "I like the energy and the confidence they come out of spring training with and you just go from there."