Headlines of April 13, 2015 Humble Sale a true difference-maker White Sox ace won't heap praise on himself, but Ventura, others will

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1 Headlines of April 13, 2015 Humble Sale a true difference-maker Scott Merkin, MLB.com Sale outduels Hughes as White Sox take series Scott Merkin and Sarah Trotto, MLB.com Well-rested Sale hits ground running, heater in tow Phil Rodgers, MLB.com Robertson, Duke anchoring reliable White Sox bullpen Scott Merkin, MLB.com Abreu at third base in 2015? Maybe Scott Merkin, MLB.com White Sox to renew acquaintances with rival Indians August Fagerstrom / MLB.com LaRoche no stranger to slow starts Scott Merkin, MLB.com Chris Sale shows no signs of injury, wins season debut Paul Skrbina, Chicago Tribune Sunday's recap: White Sox 6, Twins 2 Paul Skrbina, Chicago Tribune White Sox star Jose Abreu could see some action at 3rd base Paul Skrbina, Chicago Tribune Documentary looks back at White Sox's 2005 World Series season Ed Sherman, Chicago Tribune White Sox serious about Jose Abreu's work at third base Toni Ginnetti, Sun Times Chris Sale shows no sign of trouble from foot injury in dominant debut Toni Ginnetti, Sun Times Sunday's power rankings Christina Kahrl, ESPN.com Group of MLB pitchers using ballcaps with Kevlar inserts, manufacturer says William Weinbaum, ESPN.com Chris Sale's domination an ego boost for White Sox Doug Padilla, ESPN.com Adam LaRoche's home runs light the way for White Sox Doug Padilla, ESPN.com Rapid Reaction: White Sox 6, Twins 2 Doug Padilla, ESPN.com Chris Sale pitches 6 strong innings in season debut to lead White Sox AP, ESPN.com Jose Abreu at 3B? It is under consideration Doug Padilla, ESPN.com Chris Sale reinstated for his 2015 debut Doug Padilla, ESPN.com Relive 'Believe: The Story of the 2005 White Sox CSN Staff Confidence scheme: White Sox hope to convince Dan Jennings he's ready Dan Hayes, CSN Sports Business: Could retooled Sox mean 2005-like attendance? CSN Staff White Sox Road Ahead: Tribe, Tigers throw tough pitchers CSN Staff Despite series victory, White Sox not playing clean just yet Dan Hayes, CSN White Sox's Hector Noesi wearing protective cap inserts made with Kevlar Chris Gehring, Sporting News Humble Sale a true difference-maker White Sox ace won't heap praise on himself, but Ventura, others will By Scott Merkin / April 12, 2015 CHICAGO -- There are few things that Chris Sale likes doing less than talking about himself in the context of great pitchers: present, past and future. Maybe seeing a bad movie or possibly paying taxes. Definitely

2 missing most of Spring Training due to an avulsion fracture in his right foot sustained during an accident at his Arizona home on Feb. 27. Whether Sale likes to discuss his continued excellence or not, the left-hander is a difference maker. One could argue that not having Sale available early on stood as a major factor in the White Sox 0-4 start, with no offense to any other top talent on the roster. Sale is a winning-streak extender or a losing-streak stopper. He's a clubhouse leader, and as proven by his six-inning, 98-pitch effort during a 6-2 victory over the Twins Sunday, Sale stands as an intimidating presence just by his name being listed as that day's probable. Ask Sale for a description of how he fits in the overall pantheon of White Sox baseball, and his response is much more nuts and bolts basic. "I'm just a pitcher," said Sale, who looked as if he was ready to humorously buzz a reporter with one of his 98-mph fastballs when manager Robin Ventura's comparison of Sandy Koufax was brought up. "You guys have all these questions for me like I can read the future and have all the answers," a smiling Sale continued. "I'm a baseball player. I want to go out and play baseball and do the best I can. That's all I've ever done and all I'm ever going to do. All the extra stuff is cool and fine, but I'll stick to being a baseball player." That's fine with the White Sox, who improved to 2-4 behind Sale's stellar performance. He struck out eight and walked one, while throwing 72 of his pitches for strikes. He didn't rely on his wipeout slider too often this game, but always seemed to have a little extra to reach back and grab during the few trouble spots. Hence, the White Sox manager's comparison to Koufax, the Hall of Famer. If Sale has no interest in placing himself among the game's elite, then allow his teammates to handle that task, or at least underscore his importance. "Yeah, he was awesome. He was lights-out," said White Sox infielder Gordon Beckham, whose eighthinning homer locked down the victory. "Clearly a leader and a guy we need to have on the hill every five days. It was good to have him back." "Any time you have a guy like Chris Sale, the offense is like, 'Let's push a couple across today and it's going to be enough to hold up,'" reliever Zach Duke said. "It takes pressure off of everybody and really just allows everyone to settle in and do what they know they can do." After his first victory Sunday at U.S. Cellular Field, Sale was asked about liking the new bullpen alignment and if things seem set up well behind him. Sale once again shook his head with a smile, pointing out, "I'm not a coach." No, he's a pitcher, one of the game's best, whether he likes to talk about it or not. Sale outduels Hughes as White Sox take series By Scott Merkin and Sarah Trotto / MLB.com April 12, 2015

3 CHICAGO -- Chris Sale pitched brilliantly in his first start of the 2015 season Sunday afternoon at U.S. Cellular Field. Even though Twins starter Phil Hughes matched the White Sox ace almost pitch-for-pitch, Chicago came through with a 6-2 victory. The White Sox move on to a five-game road trip beginning Tuesday in Cleveland after two straight wins, while the Twins fall to 1-5. Sale allowed just one run on five hits over six innings, striking out eight and walking one. He threw 72 of his 98 pitches for strikes, finishing in the neighborhood of what the White Sox wanted to see after he was sidelined during Spring Training due to an avulsion fracture in his right foot. "Like I said before, I'm not hurt anymore. I'm back to being a baseball player," Sale said. "It helps when you have some runs in your back pocket, too, especially that early in the game. You try to find a rhythm and try not to mess it up." More > Hughes yielded three runs on eight hits in six innings, also topping out at 98 pitches. His biggest trouble spot was the first inning, when the White Sox knocked out five straight hits and scored twice. Adam LaRoche drove in one with a run-scoring single, and Alexei Ramirez doubled home a run. LaRoche added his second homer in two games in the third. MOMENTS THAT MATTERED Let's get fired up: The days of Sale throwing in the high 90s with his fastball seemed to dwindle once he left the bullpen and moved to the 100-pitch per start rotation days. But the southpaw hit 97 mph four times in the first inning, and then after allowing a run in the third, he touched 98 in an at-bat against Brian Dozier and struck out Joe Mauer looking with a 96-mph fastball. Putting it away late: With the White Sox clinging to a one-run lead and nobody on base in the eighth, Twins reliever Blaine Boyer was brought in to face a string of four right-handed hitters. He was consistent, for the White Sox, as all four reached base. The biggest shot was Gordon Beckham's two-run blast, scoring Ramirez, who had singled home Avisail Garcia. "I'm as frustrated as anybody right now," Boyer said. Defensive miscues: Twins left fielder Eduardo Nunez dropped a routine fly ball for a three-base error in the second inning in his first start of the season. Micah Johnson was thrown out at home on Adam Eaton's grounder to third. On the next play, third baseman Eduardo Escobar dropped a fly ball for another error. Despite the two errors, the White Sox didn't score in the inning. "He didn't let any of the misplays turn into runs," said Twins manager Paul Molitor of the defense behind Hughes. "I have no complaints with what he gave me today." Good day for Danny: Leadoff batter Danny Santana doubled to drive in the Twins' first run in the third inning. He also singled in the fifth against Sale, giving Santana a second straight multi-hit game. He entered the game 0-for-8 with three strikeouts in his career against Sale. QUOTABLE "Obviously it ran through my head a couple times in spring, I was like, 'Oh, I better start throwing a little better because they want to see they're getting something good for what they paid for.' It was just a matter of time, just letting those Spring Training outings blow by and get to the real games." -- White Sox closer David Robertson

4 "You learn to enjoy those kind of matchups when you're facing the best the game has to offer. You know it's going to be challenging, but that's what players want to be. They want to be challenged. He's tough. He has got that funky delivery and arm slot and three plus-pitches." -- Molitor, on Sale SOUND SMART WITH YOUR FRIENDS Sale and Hughes threw 98 pitches apiece in Sunday's contest. They combined to throw 141 of those pitches for strikes. STARTING STRONG In the first five games of the season, the White Sox had four first-inning baserunners in total: Melky Cabrera singles in Game 1 and 3 and walks to Jose Abreu and Garcia in Game 4. They had four singles and a double in the first inning Sunday, scoring twice. WHAT'S NEXT Twins: The Twins will have a sellout crowd for their home opener against the Royals at 3:10 CT on Monday. Trevor May will make his season debut for Minnesota in place of the injured Ricky Nolasco. White Sox: Jose Quintana takes the mound for the start of a five-game road trip in Cleveland, with first pitch coming at 6:10 p.m. CT. The White Sox lost his first start Wednesday in Kansas City, but Quintana emerged with career no-decision No. 40. Well-rested Sale hits ground running, heater in tow Phil Rodgers, MLB.com April 12, 2015 CHICAGO -- Maybe Chris Sale was simply fresh. He was, after all, officially working on 199 days' rest. This includes an extra 10 days he picked up when White Sox manager Robin Ventura decided not to start him against the Royals on the last day of 2014, and when he opened this season on the disabled list after spending the first part of Spring Training in a walking boot. Hey, whatever it takes. We wouldn't bring any of this up, but, man, Sale was the strongest skinny dude you've just about ever seen in Sunday's 6-2 win over the Twins, to the delight of the 23,057 at U.S. Cellular Field, if not the Twins. It's possible we may know where some of Masahiro Tanaka's missing velocity went. Sale, it seems, grabbed a little extra for himself. Like he needed it, right? Sale has been one of the American League's nastiest starters since joining the White Sox rotation at the start of But the guy who has been called the South Side Scarecrow was breathing fire in his injurydelayed first start of '15. He has added some velocity since last on public display in September, throwing harder than in all but a few starts since he was working out of Ozzie Guillen's bullpen. His first pitch was a 96-mph fastball for a strike to Danny Santana. His last pitch was a 98-mph fastball for a strike, putting away Eduardo Escobar.

5 In between those bookends he filled up the strike zone with fastballs, changeups and the occasional slider, as he usually does. The end result was a six-inning effort in which the Twins got to him for one run and five hits while he struck out eight. He threw 72 strikes and only 26 balls. "I stayed loose,'' said Sale, master of the understatement. If it hadn't been a good enough afternoon for Sale, Ventura dropped a Sandy Koufax reference on him after the game. Ventura was asked about Sale throwing 98-mph heaters to the next two men after Santana had shot a 96-mph fastball into the right-field corner for a run-scoring double in the third inning. That had put the potential tying run on second base, but Sale made sure it died there, striking out Brian Dozier and Joe Mauer. Ventura said that, yes, Sale had reached to "get a little extra'' when he was threatened. It's what the great pitchers do. "When something like that happens, he can reach back and get a little extra,'' Ventura said. "There are some guys who feel like they take it off. I've [heard] stories about Koufax. He added on. There are very few guys who can do that -- can pitch, be a very good pitcher in the big leagues, and when they need to, add on. Most guys have to take off. [Sale] has the ability to add on velocity, which is a very good thing to have.'' It's great to have an ace like Sale. The White Sox plan to compete this season by pitching him at the top of a rotation that includes Jeff Samardzija, Jose Quintana and, in the second half of the season, if not earlier, rookie Carlos Rodon, the third overall pick in last year's draft. But the Sox went into the series finale against the Twins 1-4 with a staff ERA of 6.43, the highest in the majors. Sale had been working in the shadows all spring after suffering an avulsion fracture in his right foot unloading his truck in Arizona. It was a scary situation for the team and its fans, but Ventura and pitching coach Don Cooper were confident that Sale would be fine. After a couple weeks of complete rest, Sale was able to throw on a regular schedule. Ventura wound up catching him one day at the Sox complex, and he hasn't worried about the velocity and movement of his pitches since then. "This has all been about his foot, not his arm, so we weren't worried like it was his elbow and every pitch you're on pins and needles,'' Ventura said. " This was his ankle, and you have to be careful about his ankle. You didn't want him mechanically to do anything. But everything all spring, once he started throwing, it was coming out as good as it ever has.'' According to Brooks Baseball, Sale's fastball averaged 96.2 against the Twins, with a high of His average last season was 94.9, up from 94.4 in 2013 and 93.5 in '12, his first season as a starter. Catcher Tyler Flowers kept putting down one finger, and Sale kept firing fastballs. He threw 63 of them overall, according to the Brooks Baseball site, along with 25 changeups and 10 sliders. There have been a handful of other days like this for Sale since he moved into the rotation, including a start before the All-Star break last season. His fastball averaged 96.5 that day, when he held the Red Sox

6 to one run on four hits in 7 2/3 innings, and he carried that into the All-Star Game. He averaged 97.4 in his one inning at Target Field. It's going to be fun to see how good Sale can be in 2015 if he can maintain the velocity he showed against the Twins. After all, he's with a 2.76 career ERA, and he's never started a season quite as audaciously as he did this one. "You can always do better,'' Sale said. " It was good to get out there and pitch I've definitely got all this behind me now.'' There's always been a lot of ah-shucks to Sale, and that's not going to change now. But he did allow that he had felt very good before hurting himself in his Arizona driveway in late February, and that he had worked very hard while he was hurt to maintain the conditioning level he had established in the offseason. "Throughout this offseason, I worked pretty hard at getting in shape, getting stronger,'' Sale said. "When the foot happened, I wanted to just make sure my arm stayed strong. Nothing happened with my foot, [the] push-off leg. I got to kind of strengthen that too.'' Sale said he worked over the winter to strengthen his lower body, doing "a lot of agility stuff, ladder drills, box jumps, single-leg squats, jump rope, stuff that was little bit different [than I'd done in the past].'' No doubt that has much to do with his showing the first time out on 199 days' rest. Sale sees nothing mystical or mysterious about what he's doing. And you're wasting your time if you want to ask him how great he could become. "I'm just a pitcher,'' he said. " You guys have all these questions for me where I have to read the future and have all the answers. I'm just a baseball player. I just want to go out there and play baseball, do the best I can. It's all I've ever done; it's all I'm ever going to do. All the extra stuff, anything that comes with it, it's cool, it's fine, but I'm going to stick to being a baseball player.'' Robertson, Duke anchoring reliable White Sox bullpen Relievers getting it done early for Chicago By Scott Merkin / April 12, 2015 CHICAGO -- As Zach Duke walked to his locker to speak with the media following Chicago's 6-2 victory over the Twins on Sunday afternoon, he was asked by one reporter how his work day went. The veteran southpaw smiled and uttered the word, "Stressful." Stressful, but effective. Duke had to pitch around a wind-induced fly ball to centerfielder Adam Eaton that resulted in a single and an ill-advised throw home by first baseman Jose Abreu on Torii Hunter's slow roller that should have been the second out of the eighth. With a 3-2 lead and two runners on, Duke got a Trevor Plouffe pop out to shortstop Alexei Ramirez and an Eduardo Escobar grounder to Micah Johnson to end the threat.

7 A similar sort of scenario might have resulted in a big inning against the White Sox last season. It wasn't that they had bad relief arms, as much as they had people out of position due to injuries to Nate Jones and Matt Lindstrom. With Duke and closer David Robertson in the back, all of the White Sox late innings appear to be aligned. "We kept the lead and that's the main thing," said Duke, who threw 31 pitches in the eighth. "My job is to make sure we are still winning whenever I come out." Robertson finished Sunday's second straight win at U.S. Cellular Field and struck out four of the six hitters he faced this weekend. Yes, the relief crew was going against a young Twins squad that doesn't look like a 2015 contender, but nonetheless, manager Robin Ventura clearly has options to get from quality starts to victories. "Our main job is to make it tough for Robin to choose when to throw guys," said Dan Jennings, who started a double play on Oswaldo Arcia's grounder back to the mound to end the seventh, punctuated by a roundhouse fist pump. "Have him be able to throw whoever, in whatever situation. I think we have the guys to do that." Abreu at third base in 2015? Maybe Ventura says White Sox first baseman could eventually see time at hot corner By Scott Merkin / April 12, 2015 CHICAGO -- Picture this following White Sox scenario: It's an Interleague contest against the Cubs at Wrigley Field on July 10, a game at the National League ballpark where the designated hitter is not in play. Manager Robin Ventura wants to get both Adam LaRoche and Jose Abreu in the lineup, so he starts LaRoche at first base and Abreu at third base? That's right, the 6-foot-3, 255-pound reigning American League Rookie of the Year, who primarily can be found at first, has taken ground balls at third during batting practice. In fact, Abreu took ground balls across the infield during Spring Training and was working out a bit at shortstop early Sunday. Ventura said before Sunday's game against the Twins at U.S. Cellular Field that Abreu has been discussed in the past as an emergency hot corner option, and that scenario could even play out in less than a dire circumstance. "There might be a chance for him to play a little third base," said Ventura of Abreu. "If we had a situation where we had to get both of those guys in the game, we would look at him. It's a possibility. "He moves around very well. He's got good hands and he makes the throw fine. He's been over there. He does have that in him. He would love to do it." Abreu took grounders at third base for teams during his showcase workout, prior to agreeing to terms with the White Sox on his current six-year, $68 million deal. He had a big smile on his face when speaking through interpreter and White Sox Spanish language broadcaster Billy Russo about starting out at shortstop and then moving to third, second, the outfield and finally settling at first base in Cuba. "When I began to play, I played all around the field except pitcher and catcher," Abreu said. "This right now is to keep my rhythm, to do what I used to do. Just to get a little bit out of the routine.

8 "You can do it in the practice but in games, it's different. In games, it's still different. But I can play. I can play." Using Abreu at shortstop would make Hall of Famer Cal Ripken Jr. look small, per Ventura. He added that the team won't be employing Abreu up the middle defensively, but third base isn't completely out of the question. "If something is decided for the team to win, I will do it," Abreu said. "I will do it." White Sox to renew acquaintances with rival Indians By August Fagerstrom / MLB.com April 12, 2015 The White Sox and Indians continue their journey through the American League Central, beginning a quick two-game series in Cleveland on Tuesday. The White Sox open the season with 25 of their first 28 games against the AL Central, including 18 straight. The Indians open with 20 of 27 against the Central, including 17 straight. Lefty Jose Quintana gets the start on Tuesday for Chicago. Carlos Carrasco will toe the rubber for Cleveland. Three things to know about this game: Quintana is 3-0 with a 3.24 ERA in 11 career games (nine starts) and 58 1/3 innings pitched against the Indians. He has a 1.52 ERA over 23 2/3 innings at Progressive Field, and has also recorded 40 nodecisions overall since 2012, the most in baseball. After learning during Sunday's game that Indians catcher Yan Gomes will miss six to eight weeks with a moderate sprain of the MCL in his right knee, the Roberto Perez era in Cleveland officially begins. Perez caught Carrasco seven times last year, and in those seven starts, Carrasco posted a 1.07 ERA. The White Sox finished 9-10 against the Indians during the 2014 season. They lost seven of their last nine head-to-head matchups after winning seven of the first 10. In 2013, Cleveland held a 17-2 advantage over the South Siders that helped fuel the Indians' playoff push. LaRoche no stranger to slow starts Veteran knows how to work through March/April struggles By Scott Merkin / April 12, 2015 Not with the White Sox, as Sunday's 6-2 victory over the Twins marked just his sixth start as part of the South Siders. And certainly not as a designated hitter, as the Gold Glove-winning first baseman has just 11 career games of DH experience, including this season. This tale centers on slow starts that have plagued the accomplished 35-year-old for much of his 12-yearcareer. LaRoche's career numbers entering Sunday showed a.263 average, 244 homers, a.339 on-base percentage and a.472 slugging percentage. In March/April for his career, LaRoche was hitting.222 with 35 homers, a.316 on-base and.400 slugging entering Sunday. He raised his April homer total to 36 with one of his two hits off of Minnesota starter Phil Hughes Sunday. LaRoche isn't quite sure why the first month is the toughest, but he understands how to work through this latest difficult opening.

9 "I've had a lot of years where it has taken me a minute to get going," LaRoche said. "The bright side there is I've been through it before. A younger me would get really frustrated, but I know that doesn't help accomplish anything. "When you struggle and you're losing games, it makes it really tough. If you're struggling and you're still winning games, you can get through that and it's fine. But when you have a chance to help the team out and not do it just as a group, we need to relax and realize how good we are and let it happen." LaRoche had 46 at-bats during Spring Training, although he was hampered at times by back stiffness and the flu. He also went to Minor League games on a couple of occasions to get eight or nine at-bats in one afternoon. That great feeling at the plate still hasn't come to him quite yet. But he's not using his first primary fulltime foray into the designated hitter's role as an excuse. "He's not a guy for excuses," said White Sox manager Robin Ventura. "Even players during the year that will get a spot start at DH, it's just different. You don't feel like you're really in the game as much as you do when you've always been a guy on the field. It can become an uncomfortable thing for some guys. He's getting better at it." "It's different but I'll get used to it. It's a lot easier here," LaRoche said. Chris Sale shows no signs of injury, wins season debut By Paul Skrbina, Chicago Tribune April 12, 2015 Chris Sale abandoned his celebratory postgame beverage on a counter in the White Sox clubhouse Sunday before he talked about how he had just put his best foot forward in his season debut. His right foot has been a hot topic since he suffered an avulsion fracture before spring training. His left arm, though, looked like vintage Sale and suggested that 98 mph equaled 100 percent. His first day of facing major-league hitters in 2015 was complete after 98 pitches when Eduardo Escobar flailed at Sale's 98-mph fastball in the sixth inning to become strikeout victim No. 8 in the Sox's 6-2 victory against the Twins at U.S. Cellular Field. "I'm not hurt anymore," said Sale, who earned the victory after giving up five hits, a walk and a run. "It's like it never happened." Whatever "it" was that caused the injury Sox general manager Rick Hahn said Sale hurt the foot while unloading his truck at home the 26-year-old looked healed Sunday. Part of that process involved a couple of minor-league starts and a lot of rehab. Oh, and throwing to his boss, Sox manager Robin Ventura, during spring training. "There was one day, he was just over on the half-field throwing so I ended up catching him for a little bit, as strange as that sounds," Ventura said. "Just it coming out of his hand, you could see the velocity, you could see there was something on it." Ventura said it was a little frightening being on the receiving end of the 6-foot-6, 180-pounder's heat. "Yeah," he said. "And protect myself? I caught it. That's how you protect yourself."

10 The first of Sale's pitches Sunday was clocked at 97 mph. He struck out Torii Hunter to end the first and Trevor Plouffe (three strikeouts against Sale) to start the second. By then the Sox had provided Sale with a two-run cushion. But Sale's afternoon wasn't perfect. He struggled with his slider before dismissing it in favor of his fastball and changeup. "We were trying to pick spots to use it and get a better feel for it, and it seemed like every time we did that we gave up a base hit," Sox catcher Tyler Flowers said. "So we just kind of scrapped that." The plan worked. The Sox won their second game in a row and will head to Cleveland with a 2-4 record and some sense of relief after an 0-4 start. "He's the best pitcher on our team, so yeah, it's nice to have him go out there every five days," Flowers said. "Jeff (Samardzija) did a good job (Saturday) after the one tough inning. I think that probably created more momentum than really what we did today." As for where that momentum could take Sale in the eyes of his critics, well, he'll leave that to his critics. He said he prefers baseballs to crystal balls. "You guys have all these questions for me like I can read the future and have all the answers," he said. "I'm a baseball player. I want to go out and play baseball and do the best I can. That's all I've ever done and all I'm ever going to do. All the extra stuff is cool and fine, but I'll stick to being a baseball player." The Sox will take that. For now, Sale has a beverage to finish. Sunday's recap: White Sox 6, Twins 2 By Paul Skrbina, Chicago Tribune April 12, 2015 The summary The White Sox started puttin' on the hits in the first, when they scored twice and had five hits in a row. They had four in a row during a three-run eighth that helped ensure their second win in a row, 6-2 against the Twins on Sunday. Adam LaRoche hit his second home run in two days, a solo shot that cleared the right-field fence by a breath in the third for a 3-1 lead. Gordon Beckham hit a two-run homer in the eighth to put the Sox ahead 6-2. At the plate Melky Cabrera, Jose Abreu, LaRoche, Avisail Garcia, Alexei Ramirez, the Sox's Nos. 2-6 hitters, were a combined 10-for-16 with four RBIs. Beckham and Tyler Flowers had the team's other two hits. On the mound In his season debut, lefty Chris Sale struck out eight, walked one, gave up a run in six innings to earn the victory. He's 3-0 with a 2.63 ERA in his last four starts against the Twins. In the field

11 The Twins made two errors on routine popups in the second inning, but the Sox made their second baserunning mistake of the afternoon when Micah Johnson was thrown out trying to score on a grounder to third. Jose Abreu was thrown out at third in the first inning on LaRoche's single. The number 72. Strikes thrown by Sale in 98 pitches. The quote "The ball went over the fence. Whether or not the swing felt good, looked good, doesn't really matter. Definitely a good thing to have happen and put a little cushion between us and them for the bottom of the ninth." Beckham on his home run Up next At Indians, 6:10 p.m. Tuesday, WPWR-50. White Sox star Jose Abreu could see some action at 3rd base By Paul Skrbina, Chicago Tribune April 12, 2015 Nobody will be writing poems about Abreu to Johnson to LaRoche, a la Franklin Pierce Adams' 1910 piece titled "Baseball's Sad Lexicon" on the Cubs' double play combination of Tinkers to Evers to Chance. Besides, Jose Abreu outgrew playing shortstop many inches and pounds ago. "He would make (Cal) Ripken look small," White Sox manager Robin Ventura said. But Ventura didn't rule out penciling in his 6-foot-3, 255-pound first baseman/designated hitter at third base. Abreu spent some time on the left side of the infield before Sunday's game, mostly watching. "He actually looks good at third," said Ventura, a six-time Gold Glove winner there. "He moves around very well and has done it. There have been questions raised in an emergency of him being able to go over there and do it. He would love to do it. Shortstop, we might have to wait on. "There might be a chance for him to play a little third base." It most likely would happen during interleague play in a National League park. No praising Arizona: David Robertson, the White Sox's $46 million (last) man out of the bullpen, earned his first save Saturday when he struck out the side in the ninth inning of a 5-4 victory. He said he was glad to put Arizona and a not-so-memorable spring training behind him. "I was like, 'Oh, I better start throwing a little better because they want to see they're getting something good for what they paid for,'" Robertson said. "The only concern was everybody else here (besides teammates) was like, 'Wow, you stink. It's spring and you can't get anybody out,'" Robertson said. "I needed to get out of Arizona and get into an atmosphere that counted."

12 Men of steal: Tyler Flowers playfully tried to avoid a pitch about why the White Sox haven't been able to catch basestealers this season. "Basestealing?" Flowers joked. "I haven't had too many opportunities." But opponents have taken advantage of opportunities they've had against the White Sox, going 9-for-10. Flowers said a few have been on balls in the dirt and others have had to do with timing, and still others the Sox shouldn't have attempted a throw. "Geo (Soto) got one (Saturday), so we're on the board," Flowers said. "We'll get it rolling." Documentary looks back at White Sox's 2005 World Series season Ed Sherman, Chicago Tribune April 12, 2015 Producers Sarah Lauch and Ryan McGuffey had a challenge for their documentary on the 2005 White Sox. Even though 10 years have passed since a Chicago baseball team actually won a World Series, many of the moments still remain fresh for Sox fans. Our goal was to try to really get behind the scenes and tell the inside stories about that team, Lauch said. We wanted to explain what went into that team. The end result of 14 hours worth of interviews is Believe: The Story of the 2005 White Sox, which debuts Sunday at 7 p.m. on Comcast SportsNet. The 90-minute film, narrated by South Side native Mandy Patinkin, features insights from virtually every important individual associated with the team, from Ozzie Guillen to Ken Williams to Paul Konerko. However, one of the best passages came from Orlando Hernandez recounting his historic inning of relief when he got the Sox out of a bases-loaded, no-out jam during a playoff game in Boston. Hernandez, speaking in Spanish with English subtitles, told how he waved off fastball signs from catcher A.J. Pierzynski, electing to throw curveballs down the middle. The veteran knew the Red Sox hitters would be anxious in that situation, and would be off-balance with breaking balls. Sure enough, Hernandez was right as his big inning helped key the Sox' surge during that postseason. The significance of that inning was huge, McGuffey said. The guys said, Yeah, this is the moment. There s no looking back now. It all culminated with the White Sox wrapping up their first championship in 88 years with the four-game sweep in Houston. In the film, general manager Williams recalls the moment. For me, it was a deep breath and then my attention went right to Jerry (Reinsdorf) and I think I watched him from the time of the last pitch to the time we went down to the tunnels, Williams said. I watched him because he was he was like a little kid, and I promised him we re going to get this done. McGuffey and Lauch said a highlight for them was doing all the interviews. Guillen s session lasted nearly two hours.

13 For most of those guys, that team was their signature moment, McGuffey said. They left no stone unturned. They were really into it. They never really felt like interviews. They felt more like two people talking. White Sox serious about Jose Abreu's work at third base Toni Ginnetti, Sun Times April 12, 2015 Don t be surprised if first baseman Jose Abreu moves to the other side of the diamond at times this season. The slugger has taken ground balls at third base, and not just for show. There are questions about in an emergency of him going there and doing it, manager Robin Ventura said. He actually moves well, and it s something he has in his past [in Cuba]. He d love to do it. If we had a situation where we had to get both those guys in a game [Abreu and Adam LaRoche] maybe like interleague play it s a possibility. He has good hands and makes the throw fine. He does have that in him. The Sox have Conor Gillaspie and Gordon Beckham as primary third basemen, and Emilio Bonifacio has played the position. But keeping Abreu s bat in the lineup would be a deciding factor. Closing debut Repairing the bullpen was a priority. That made the relief corps performance Saturday and Sunday more significant. Zach Duke pitched the eighth inning to earn the victory Saturday before David Robertson earned his first save, striking out the side in the ninth. I think you envision that when those guys come in, especially with Duke facing [Joe] Mauer early, Ventura said. Then Robertson comes in with a clean inning and looked great. Robertson s effort answered concerns lingering from a less than impressive spring. The only concern was everybody else here who was like, Wow, you stink. It s spring, and you can t get anybody out, Robertson said. I just needed to get out of Arizona and get into an atmosphere that actually counted. Obviously, it ran through my head a couple times in spring, I better start throwing a little better because they want to see they re getting something good for what they paid for. It was just a matter of time letting those spring-training outings blow by and get to the real games. Speed it up Basestealing is not a staple of the Sox offense. They stole their first base Sunday in the eighth, when Avisail Garcia took second. But improving the running game overall and trying to control opponents who excel on the bases remains an on-going goal.

14 I think it s important for us to hold the ball and make guys a little uncomfortable when they are on base, Ventura said. You have to be able to change that up, get a little quicker to the plate [with] throwovers and all the stuff you have to do to shorten that up and make it more difficult for [opponents]. It s important when you start looking at if a guy gets on first and he s automatically on second. It s no different than a guy hitting a double if guys are running free. You really have to take pride in giving your [catcher] a chance. We need to be better at that. Hail Buehrle The majority of Toronto Blue Jays left-hander Mark Buehrle s 200 victories came in a Sox uniform, making his milestone victory Friday a cause for pride. He s a guy who doesn t have that velocity, but he has a great feel for the game, Ventura said. He does it with guile an d guts. You re happy for him because he was here for so long. Chris Sale shows no sign of trouble from foot injury in dominant debut Toni Ginnetti, Sun Times April 12, 2015 In the fourth inning of the White Sox 6-2 victory against the Minnesota Twins on Sunday, pitcher Chris Sale threw three different pitches to Trevor Plouffe. The first was a 79 mph slider, called a strike. The second was an 86 mph changeup Plouffe missed. The last was a 97 mph fastball, also swung at and missed. That was pretty much an ideal sequence, catcher Tyler Flowers said. I think that was the only slider we dropped in early [in a count]. He didn t have a very good slider today, but we picked spots for it. In a sequence like that, I m glad I was the catcher. Sale gave every indication he ll continue to make life miserable for hitters and hopeful for the Sox each time he s on the mound. Though he essentially missed spring training after injuring his right foot Feb. 27, Sale was dominating in his season debut. The lefty threw 72 strikes among his 98 pitches in six innings. He fanned eight, walked one and gave up five hits. The only run he allowed came in the third, when Danny Santana doubled home Eduardo Nunez, who also had doubled. The Sox had given Sale a quick lead, scoring two runs in the first inning against Phil Hughes (0-2). The guys got two runs early, and that takes the edge off a little, Sale said. It could have been more had Jose Abreu not been thrown out at third trying for an extra base on Adam LaRoche s single to center.

15 It was the second out of the inning, and it proved costly when Avisail Garcia singled and Alexei Ramirez doubled. It could have been four or five runs in that inning, but it s also being aggressive, manager Robin Ventura said. [The Twins] have made some good throws in the last couple days to get you, but you have to put pressure on to be able to do that. I m fine with that. Sale and the Sox bullpen kept pressure on the Twins throughout, with Javy Guerra, Dan Jennings, Zach Duke (one run) and David Robertson holding them to two hits and one walk. Anytime you have a guy like Chris Sale, the offense is like, Let s push a couple across today, and it s going to hold up, Duke said. It takes pressure off of everybody and really just allows everyone to settle in and do what they know they can do. It s great to have him back. And back in the same form. I think seeing him come all the way back, I think the control, the velocity, everything that he had going on he looked great, Ventura said. It was vintage him. He had a little more velocity today. Probably when you re cooped up on the DL and let loose, he was free and easy. Sale had at least one strikeout in each inning and consistently threw in the upper 90s on decisive pitches. I just try to get outs, Sale said. I try to change it up a little and mix it up. Whatever works. But it s more than that, Ventura said. It s not just that he rears back and fires it. He s pitching, Ventura said. No matter what you sit on, if you re not sitting on the right thing, you re probably not going to hit him. Sale and Ventura will say that because the injury was to his foot and not his arm, there was less concern about Sale s return to the mound. It wasn t even my push-off foot, Sale said, downplaying the injury, which happened when he hopped off his truck. I m not hurt anymore. I m back to being a baseball player. Sunday's power rankings Christina Kahrl, ESPN.com April 12, Miguel Cabrera, Detroit Tigers. Wait, Miggy was supposed to be hurt, right? But after homering twice, doubling, singling and walking in Sunday s romp over the Indians, he s hitting.520 and slugging.840. With that sort of performance plus the expanded depth in the lineup the Tigers have with a revamped outfield, it s no coincidence that the Tigers are Chris Sale, Chicago White Sox. Having already seen big-ticket offseason addition Jeff Samardzija go through two tough starts, getting their ace back from the DL and see him whiff eight Twins in his first

16 turn is exactly what the South Side squad needed. If the White Sox are going to keep up with the Tigers and Royals over the next six months, 30 or more starts from Sale are a must to make it happen. 3. The Los Angeles Dodgers' excess of hitting talent. Third baseman Alex Guerrero and center fielder Joc Pederson might have batted seventh and eighth in Sunday s 7-4 win, but they combined for six hits, two doubles and two homers to give Zack Greinke a lead big enough that even the Dodgers shaky bullpen couldn t blow it. The two rookies are a big part of the depth that should see the Dodgers through a significant injury or two. 4. George Springer, Houston Astros. You did see him stealing what could have been a walk-off grand slam by Leonys Martin for the Rangers right back off the scoreboard in the bottom of the 10th inning, right? It might have been a slow first week for Springer at the plate, but that catch keeps a game going that the Astros ultimately won 6-4 on Hank Conger's game-winning two-run blast in the 14th. 5. Bartolo Colon, New York Mets. Not only did the beefy veteran hand the previously undefeated Braves their first loss to notch his second victory of the young season, he drove in his first run in a decade. That s no small thing for Colon: Having come into this game with a career.075/.080/.081 line with 90 strikeouts in 175 plate appearances, Colon had a minus-56 OPS+, which easily ranks among the worsthitting pitchers of all time. Group of MLB pitchers using ballcaps with Kevlar inserts, manufacturer says William Weinbaum, ESPN.com April 12, 2015 A group of six pitchers that includes Chicago White Sox right-hander Hector Noesi has used a Kevlar padding insert in caps this season or in spring training that Major League Baseball has not approved, the manufacturer told ESPN's "Outside the Lines" on Sunday. Rob Vito, CEO of Unequal Technologies, said Noesi and New York Yankees reliever Esmil Rogers have worn the company's "Dome" insert under official New Era caps in games this season. Four other pitchers he declined to name have also worn them in the last six weeks. Vito said the padding is a 5½-ounce military-grade composite, with one layer of coated Kevlar and another of a soft proprietary material called airilon. Noesi started the White Sox's home opener Friday; the team's Comcast Sports Net telecast first reported he was wearing the Kevlar padding in his cap. The padding of an insert that six MLB pitchers have worn this season consists of a 5½-ounce militarygrade composite, with one layer of coated Kevlar and another soft proprietary material, Unequal Technologies CEO Rob Vito said. Unequal Technologies An MLB executive told "Outside the Lines" on Sunday that it was looking into the use of the Dome inserts and was reserving comment. Pitchers are free to wear protective headgear of their choice, as long as it doesn't interfere with competition or with MLB licensing agreements.

17 As "Outside the Lines" reported last year and last month, MLB and the players association approved two versions of isoblox padding for pitchers' caps made by 4Licensing subsidiary Pinwrest. But only one pitcher wore last year's product and none has worn the new iteration in a game this season. That padding weighs about 7 ounces and noticeably increases a cap's size and bulk. Approval came after independent laboratory testing at 83 mph, which an MLB-commissioned study determined to be the average speed of line drives reaching the mound area. Vito said his Pennsylvania-based company's padding will "keep pitchers safe from line drives, but I'm not making any claims about speeds." Unequal did its own testing, had independent testing done and plans to seek MLB approval, Vito said. The group of pitchers that has worn the padded cap includes White Sox right-hander Hector Noesi, seen during Friday's home opener. Jonathan Daniel/Getty Images "But I wanted to keep quiet about it until seeing whether players like it," Vito said. Two years ago, Unequal failed to gain acceptance when it offered padding weighing 9½ ounces, Vito said. He added that a change to airilon from another material, an "elastomer" called accelleron, has reduced the weight and increased the capacity to absorb energy. About 20 MLB catchers, including the Kansas City Royals' Salvador Perez and David Ross of the Chicago Cubs, an endorser for Unequal, wear either the Dome or the company's "Uncap" padded insert that has a hard plastic layer, Vito said. The Uncap has not been tested or approved by MLB either. But Vito said he believes his products deserve a favorable response from baseball. "I think MLB will welcome the fact that players have armored up their protection," Vito said. Chris Sale's domination an ego boost for White Sox Doug Padilla, ESPN.com April 12, 2015 CHICAGO -- The thinnest player on the Chicago White Sox's roster has always made the heaviest impact and in his 2015 debut, Chris Sale delivered again. Sale was all kneecaps and elbows flying at the Minnesota Twins on Sunday, doing what he typically does in allowing one run over six innings in a 6-2 White Sox victory. Sale missed his first turn through the White Sox's rotation because of a fractured bone in his right foot during the early part of spring training, and the team stumbled without its rod-iron savior. The club was 0-4 and would have been 0-5 if Jeff Samardzija hadn t righted the ship Saturday. Suddenly, the White Sox are standing tall again after consecutive victories, with a trip through the teeth of the American League Central ahead at Cleveland and Detroit. Yeah, he was awesome; he was lights out, said veteran Gordon Beckham, who hit a late home run to help the cause. It s good to have him back. Clearly he s a leader and a guy we need to have on the hill every five days.

18 Afterward, Sale kept it simple, just as he did while recording eight strikeouts in a 98-pitch performance that was light on sliders and heavy on fastballs and changeups. In fact, his 98th and final pitch registered 98 mph on the stadium radar gun. Like I said before, I m not hurt anymore, Sale said. I m back to being a baseball player. That he dominated without his best pitch, the slider, is even more impressive. If Sale can get away with throwing fewer sliders and more fastballs and changeups, perhaps he can avoid the early-season arm discomfort he has felt in each of his three seasons as a major league starter. Last season he actually spent time on the disabled list with a dreaded forearm strain, but came back strong to finish third in the Cy Young Award voting with a 12-4 record and a 2.17 ERA. While his Feb. 27 injury caused plenty of consternation in the White Sox s front office, the good news is that it wasn t an arm issue. Sale worked his way through his own three-week spring training without even facing major league hitters. In his first taste of them Sunday, it was as if he was out on a back field in Arizona again facing overmatched minor leaguers. Sale has a way of doing that to any level of hitter he faces. He was sharp, manager Robin Ventura said. I think seeing him come all the way back and everything, it was that and I think the control, the velocity, everything that he had going, he looked great. There s nothing else to say. It was vintage him, changeup, everything. I don t know if he really relied as much on his slider, the real sharp back-leg slider. He had a little more velocity on it today. It s probably from being cooped up on the DL and you let it loose. He was free and easy today. With two off days this week, Sale could end up with a full week of rest before facing the currently undefeated Detroit Tigers next Sunday. Or the White Sox could skip No. 5 starter Hector Noesi this week and throw their mega-threesome of Jeff Samardzija, Sale and Jose Quintana at the Tigers, in that order. After stumbling to an 0-4 record, the White Sox looked nowhere near ready for a test through the teeth of the division. They already were swept at Kansas City. Suddenly, Sale gives the team that added jolt of confidence they were missing when they were sucker punched by the Royals. It doesn t matter what you throw at us, we are going to find a way, Sale said. We have grinders. We have fighters. Just [Saturday], you look at what Jeff did. He s down in a 4-0 hole and gets to the seventh and we end up winning that game. What were we, 0-4? Right there, that s being a ballclub. That s being together and working hard for each other. That s what we are going to get from here on out. The skinny on Sale is that he is one of the best pitchers in the game right now, and one the White Sox centered their roster rebuild around, along with slugger Jose Abreu. On days like Sunday, you can ask the lanky left-hander all you want about pitching. Just don t ask him about his place in the game.

19 I m just a pitcher, he said. You guys have all these questions for me like I can read the future and have all the answers. I m a baseball player. I want to go out and play baseball and do the best I can. That s all I ve ever done and all I m ever going to do. All the extra stuff is cool and fine, but I ll stick to being a baseball player. Right now, the White Sox couldn t ask for anything more. Adam LaRoche's home runs light the way for White Sox Doug Padilla, ESPN.com April 12, 2015 CHICAGO -- If the Chicago White Sox are off and running following their slow start, it could be the home run Adam LaRoche hit Saturday that is eventually looked back at as the turning point. Maybe the one he hit Sunday will be mentioned as well. LaRoche, one of a number of newcomers on the 2015 White Sox roster, is starting to heat up now, which is a development not because he started the season 1-for-14 with eight strikeouts but because he usually works his way into a season very slowly. In regular-season games played in March and April, LaRoche entered play Sunday batting.222 with a.400 slugging percentage. In every other month, he is at least 40 points higher in batting average and 50 points higher in slugging percentage. "I don't know why it takes me, at times, a little bit to get going," LaRoche said. "I haven't been able to put a finger on it. I've been playing a long time, and I've [had] some springs where I've had a lot of atbats, and I've had some like the past one where I had few at-bats. I don't know what it is." Instead of those early comparisons to Adam Dunn, another Washington Nationals import with a penchant for huge strikeout numbers, LaRoche is starting to look like a veteran catalyst and a guy who has the ability to take advantage of short power alleys at U.S. Cellular Field. "I don't know the wind patterns yet, but it seems to carry pretty good the first few games," LaRoche said. "I don't know if that is the norm around here, but we need to square up a bunch of balls because as a team, we've certainly not done what we're capable of doing offensively. We've got some really good hitters in here, but you know, that's baseball." LaRoche admits that after playing nearly all of his career in the National League, the designated hitter spot is going to be an adjustment. Saturday's home run came while he was playing at first base, but he was back in the DH role Sunday and still delivered. "It's just different," manager Robin Ventura said of hitting in the DH spot. "You don't feel like you're really in the game as much as you do when you've always been a guy on the field. It can become an uncomfortable thing for some guys. He's getting better at it. He has some good guys to lean on and try to kind of get that feeling back. He's done well with it so far. He's not a guy for excuses. He likes playing first base, and he's going to still get that to be able to get that going." While the entire White Sox team appeared to be pressing in the early going, it was not surprising that it was a 35-year-old veteran who broke through the tension. Was it important for a veteran to start leading the way?