White Sox ace Sale hoping to make first All-Star Game start
Chicago White Sox ace Chris Sale not only deserves to be at Tuesday's All-Star Game in San Diego, he deserves to be the American League starting pitcher.
"It would be awesome," Sale said on Wednesday, a day after being named to his fifth straight all-star team. "That would be such a thrill. I've always been there and seen the start of the game and just everything that goes into it. I would be thrilled to do that."
Sale leads the major leagues with 14 wins, and when he takes the mound against the Atlanta Braves Friday night at U.S. Cellular Field, the 27-year-old lefty will attempt to become the first AL pitcher to reach 15 in the first half since David Wells in 2000.
"I'm proud of him," Sox pitching coach Don Cooper said. "I'd love to see him start the game."
The starting pitchers won't be announced until Monday, and AL manager Ned Yost is going to decide if Sale becomes the first White Sox pitcher to start the All-Star Game since Mark Buehrle in 2005.
If Yost decides on the Indians' Danny Salazar or the Rangers' Cole Hamels, there is going to be some controversy.
Does Yost opt to snub Sale based on a brawl between the Sox and Royals at the Cell in April of 2015?
True, volatile Kansas City starter Yordano Ventura ignited the scrap, but Sale was also pitching that night and he aimed high when retaliating and drilled Mike Moustakas in the shoulder.
Before being ejected from the game and inexplicably trying to get into the Royals' clubhouse after play resumed, Sale and Yost exchanged heated words on the field after the brawl simmered, undoubtedly about the pitch that hit Moustakas.
Start or relieve, Sale is not going to take velocity off his fastball like he's done throughout the first half in order to pitch deeper into games.
"I'm not going to reserve anything when I get in there," said Sale, who leads the AL with 120 innings pitched and a 0.98 WHIP. "I fully intend on letting it eat when I get out there, whenever that is. It's hard not to. You've got a packed crowd, you're facing the best, so you better bring it."
If Sale (14-2) has one regret, it's not bringing rotation mate Jose Quintana (6-8) with him to San Diego.
Despite ranking seventh in the AL with 111⅔ innings pitched and eighth with a 3.06 ERA, Quintana failed to make his first all-star team.
"If you compare him and I and put our numbers back to back, you would probably have a hard time figuring out who is who, honestly, other than wins and losses," Sale said. "Those are things you really can't control. There's not a doubt in my mind he'll be there one day. I thought this year was the year. He's as good as anybody.
"I'm not speaking from a biased standpoint when I say that."
Quintana never complains about his lack of run support, and he's not complaining about being bypassed for the All-Star Game.
"I have my focus on the team," said Quintana, who has the lowest run support average (2.88 runs per game) in the AL. "If I make all-star, that's good. That's good for any player. Now I have my focus on the team. Maybe next year I can go to my first All-Star Game."