Floyd no mystery this spring as Sox' No. 2 in rotation
It's almost as if they're just one pitcher.
John Danks and Gavin Floyd. Or, Gavin Floyd and John Danks.
Maybe the link stems from their inexperience. Maybe it's that both were high first-round draft picks with other teams (Floyd with the Philadelphia Phillies, Danks with the Texas Rangers).
More likely, Floyd and Danks often are mentioned in the same breath be- cause both are coming off breakout seasons.
There's little doubt the White Sox don't make the playoffs last season if Floyd doesn't go 17-8 (3.84 ERA) and Danks 12-9 (3.32).
But the differences between the two are many.
The right-handed Floyd (26) is a bit older than the left-handed Danks (23), and he grew up on the East Coast (Annapolis, Md.), the son of a dentist. Danks was born and raised in Austin, the son of a University of Texas basketball star.
The duo filled the bottom two spots in the Sox' starting rotation at the start of last season. This time around Floyd is likely to pitch behind No. 1 starter Mark Buehrle, with Danks entrenched at No. 3.
"Last year was a lot of fun," Floyd said at SoxFest three weeks ago. "I think there were a lot of questions about us, but we're both coming off good seasons."
Floyd bordered on phenomenal while finally living up to all the hype that made him the fourth overall selection in the 2001 draft.
Blessed with a powerful right arm, the 6-foot-5, 230-pounder finally figured out the mental side of the game while leading the White Sox in wins.
"I think it was just a matter of not worrying about everything so much," Floyd said. "It's almost like you have to ignore what goes on and just give it your all. And then you have to move on and get ready for the next one, so it's almost like there's less pressure."
Floyd pitched in plenty of pressurized situations last season, managing to go 9-2 in starts following a Sox loss.
It was a season to remember, but Floyd is not going to forget some alarming statistics. Opposing runners stole 37 bases when he was on the mound, the most in the American League. Floyd also ranked second in home runs allowed (30).
"There are a lot of things I can improve on," Floyd said. "If I ever stop thinking that there's something I can improve on, I'm going to quit. There's always something you can learn. Coop (pitching coach Don Cooper) and I talked about some things, so we'll work on them and try to become better."
Floyd throws one of the nastier curveballs in the game, and he came close to pitching a pair of no-hitters last season.
Like Danks, the big righty also proved last season that he has what it takes in the heat of a pennant race.
"When I got home at the end of the season, I sat on the couch and was like, 'Man, I'm exhausted,' " Floyd said. "I think my adrenaline was kicking in and I was excited because it was a good season and we made it to the playoffs. But when everything was all said and done, I was like 'Whew, I'm tired.' "
Now he is rested and ready to resume a career that finally has gotten off the ground.
"I gave myself enough rest when the season ended, three or four weeks, but I worked my butt off," Floyd said. "I tried to push myself as much as possible.
"Every year I try to do that. I just keep pushing myself, and I think I'm a good worker."