WHITE SOX HEADLINES OF JULY

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1 WHITE SOX HEADLINES OF JULY 15, 2016 White Sox may add from within in 2 nd half Scott Merkin, MLB.com Source: White Sox to call up top prospect Fulmer Cash Kruth, MLB.com White Sox calling up right-hander top prospect Carson Fulmer Colleen Kane, Chicago Tribune White Sox hope they learned from uneven first half, can continue upswing Colleen Kane, Chicago Tribune Cubs remain on playoff course while White Sox will fall just short David Haugh, Chicago Tribune We have a chance Chris Sale says as White Sox open second half Daryl Van Schouwen, Chicago Sun-Times White Sox still trying to prove they re legitimate contenders Scot Gregor, Daily Herald Benetti s first half with Sox a once-in-a-lifetime experience Manny DeJesus, Daily Herald Extend hero tributes to first responders Lt. Col. Matthew Coughlin, Daily Herald Reports: White Sox to promote top pitching prospect Carson Fulmer Staff, ESPN.com White Sox fans surprise Chicago Police Officers with a sweet note Ed Komenda, DNA Info BOZICH: Zach Burdi, Louisville s resilient closer, two steps from the White Sox Rick Bozich, WDRB.com 10 storylines to watch as White Sox, Cubs push for playoffs Jon Greenberg, The Athletic White Sox may add from within in 2 nd half By Scott Merkin / MLB.com July 14th, 2016 ANAHEIM -- When the right trade comes along, the White Sox won't wait for the Aug. 1 non-waiver Trade Deadline to pounce. They proved that fact true by adding James Shields from San Diego on June 4. The White Sox figure to be in the market for another left-handed bat and a hard-throwing reliever, leaving myriad possibilities. But the White Sox also will be weighing the cost of those potential moves, both monetarily and personnel given up, against the in-house help they already have. "You sit there and start getting guys healthy, that becomes important," White Sox manager Robin Ventura said. "It's like adding guys. Until that happens, for our sake, we're just concentrating on today and the immediate future of who you got and how you come to the park and how you play. Midterm Report "That becomes hard to sit there and try to think about when you're actually playing that day. That's stuff for later on, that you know they're sitting there. You eventually have to figure out what you're going to do when they get back. But for right now, you let it run." Justin Morneau moved his injury rehab assignment from Triple-A Charlotte to Double-A Birmingham, with Charlotte on its All-Star break. He could be close to a White Sox debut, providing that sought after lefthanded bat. A great deal of talk has centered around Zack Burdi and his 100-mph fastball following the Chris Sale path, with the right-handed reliever selected 26th overall in the 2016 MLB Draft potentially making the Major League jump during the same season. But top prospect Carson Fulmer, the eighth pick overall in the 2015 Draft, got the call first on Friday.

2 Austin Jackson, Alex Avila, Carlos Rodon and potentially even Zach Putnam are expected back from the disabled list, which doesn't preclude the White Sox from making another move or two. But the White Sox might not want to gut a developing system to pay that price. TRADE SCENARIO If the White Sox are truly going for it all, they would figure out the asking price for the Rockies' Carlos Gonzalez, try to talk it down a bit but settle somewhere around a package of Avisail Garcia, No. 3 prospect, per MLBPipeline.com, Spencer Adams and another Minor Leaguer in order to bring the lefthanded power bat to Chicago. But a left-handed hitter such as Atlanta's Nick Markakis, who had a big pre-break weekend in Chicago, could be a solid addition despite a decided lack of power over the past two years. Garcia would be a moveable chip off the Major League roster. WHAT ARE THEY PLAYING FOR? Although their streak of consecutive series won ended at five straight with the home loss to Atlanta, the White Sox pushed themselves into the postseason-contention picture. They are looking for any sort of postseason berth, marking their first since '08, in this revamp-while-contending mode. THE ROAD AHEAD A six-game trip to Anaheim and Seattle to start the second half would seem favorable for the White Sox, considering the Angels have had a down year and the Mariners are in the same borderline-contention spot as the White Sox. But the team has not traditionally played well on the West Coast. The White Sox finish the season with four at home against the Rays and three against the Twins, but they have to survive 12 games against the Tigers, Indians and Royals in August and 16 more in September. And let's not forget four with the Cubs from July KEY PLAYER Morneau has not played a Major League inning for the White Sox, but his production figures to be an integral part of the second-half offense. The White Sox are short a left-handed bat, and while they don't figure to get the Most Valuable Player-caliber Morneau who tormented them with the Twins, his presence could serve as an important move without giving up anyone. PROSPECTS TO WATCH Burdi caught the eye of talent evaluators with his triple-digit fastball and his polish on the mound at Louisville. But it looks as if Fulmer could be up sooner than later. He found a comfort zone with his delivery tempo after an erratic start, fanning 46 in his last 35 innings, and could provide a bullpen presence. Source: White Sox to call up top prospect Fulmer Right-hander will get his feet wet in big leagues working out of bullpen By Cash Kruth / MLB.com July 15th, 2016 Top White Sox prospect Carson Fulmer is joining Chicago's bullpen, a source told MLB.com. The White Sox have not confirmed or commented on the promotion. Fulmer, a right-hander out of Vanderbilt and the No. 33 prospect in baseball, per MLB Pipeline, will follow in the same path as past and present White Sox aces Mark Buehrle and Chris Sale -- gaining Major League experience while working in relief. Though many scouts believe Fulmer's future is in the bullpen, the White Sox have developed the No. 8 pick of the 2015 Draft as a starter, and they will continue to do so after the season. Fulmer, who pitched in the Futures Game, was 4-9 with a 4.76 ERA in 17 starts for Double-A Birmingham.

3 White Sox calling up right-hander top prospect Carson Fulmer By Colleen Kane / Chicago Tribune July 15th, 2016 Ready or not, here comes Carson Fulmer. The White Sox will call up 2015 first-round draft pick Carson Fulmer on Friday for the opener of a threegame series against the Angels, according to a major-league source. Fulmer, 22, has been pitching at Double-A Birmingham this season, his second in the minors after being selected No. 8 overall in last year's draft. He has gone 4-9 with a 4.76 ERA with 51 walks and 90 strikeouts over 17 starts this season. He was strong over his last three starts, allowing two earned runs with 22 strikeouts over 19 innings. He also pitched a perfect inning in the Futures Game during All-Star festivities in San Diego on Sunday. He had a 1.96 ERA in 23 innings pitched in Fulmer will join the Sox bullpen after the club sent Chris Beck to Triple-A Charlotte before the All-Star break, the source said. The Sox also outrighted Scott Carroll to Charlotte on Thursday afternoon to clear space on the 40-man roster for Fulmer. Sox manager Robin Ventura spoke last week about the possibility of adding Fulmer for a relief role. "You're trying to see if a kid can do it, and we did it with Carlos (Rodon) a little bit and Chris (Sale) has done it," Ventura said. "You bring 'em up here and you bring 'em through out of the bullpen and see if you can lighten their load a little bit and then see how they handle it." The Sox also need a temporary replacement in the rotation for Rodon, who is out with a left wrist sprain. The news was first reported by Dave Williams of Barstool Sports. White Sox hope they learned from uneven first half, can continue upswing By Colleen Kane / Chicago Tribune July 14th, 2016 The White Sox weren't always good in the first half, but they allowed their fans to experience the full gamut of emotions over the first 88 games of the season. There was Giddiness over a start. Fury over a stretch that dropped them to three games below.500. A little surprise at the team's quickness to part with underperforming veterans John Danks, Mat Latos and Jimmy Rollins. Bewilderment over new acquisition James Shields' start with the team. And then even some cautious hope as the Sox rebounded to entering the All-Star break. "It was good, then it was bad, then it started getting good again," manager Robin Ventura said. "It's that simple. These guys put that out of their minds and now you're just continuing to go every day. Every day's a new day. Once you've lived through it, you can see that the sun comes up the next day and you get back after it."

4 So what, exactly, is to be expected when the Sox open the second half in Anaheim for a three-game series with the Angels? First things first, the Sox will hope to be healthier soon. Closer David Robertson (strained leg), catcher Alex Avila (strained hamstring), left-hander Carlos Rodon (sprained wrist), reliever Zach Putnam (elbow pain), center fielder Austin Jackson (knee surgery) and designated hitter Justin Morneau (elbow surgery) were all out of play as of Sunday. Getting to full strength before the month is up could be key as the Sox face an important stretch of games heading into the Aug. 1 trade deadline. They have series against the Angels, Mariners, Tigers, Cubs and Twins before the deadline. Of the American League teams, only the Tigers are in front of the Sox in the wild-card standings, perhaps presenting an opportunity to make up ground. Last year, the Sox went on a late July run that convinced the front office to keep the team intact for an ultimately unsuccessful playoff run. As the Sox sit seven games behind the Indians in the American League Central and 41/2 games from the second wild-card spot, another such run could convince the Sox to continue to add. Bullpen help is needed, as injuries to Putnam and Jake Petricka left a sizable hole in the middle relief corps, and an additional outfielder or designated hitter could be possibilities for a trade if the timetable or performance of Jackson or Morneau isn't satisfactory. General manager Rick Hahn is expected to update the team's status before Friday's game. As they prepare to emerge from the All-Star break with a winning record for the first time since 2012, the Sox hope their turbulent first half will help them navigate through the remainder of the season. A little bit of everything went wrong during the rough patch a sluggish offense, some epic bullpen collapses and a handful of starting pitching blow-ups, but the good stretches sandwiched around that spiral showed the Sox can be better than that. "We learned from it," right fielder Adam Eaton said last week. "We learned from our success early on. We learned from our failure last month, and right now we're kind of riding the wave again. But we want to make sure that we keep our successes in line and have them continue. And then if we do have a lull or a dip in the season, get out of it quickly." Cubs remain on playoff course while White Sox will fall just short By David Haugh / Chicago Tribune July 14th, 2016 That dastardly Cubs schedule players complained about over the All-Star break, the one that forced them to work 24 straight days playing baseball, softens considerably now. Of the next 32 games, the Cubs will play 24 at Wrigley Field with three scheduled days off. Five of those eight road games come at U.S. Cellular Field and Miller Park, mere short drives away for Cubs players and fans alike. The Cubs can give their team pilot the month off; they don't board a plane again until the three-game series in Oakland beginning Aug. 5. By then, the rest of the National League probably will complain to Major League Baseball about how conducive to winning the Cubs calendar was in July. Everything evens out eventually in the course of a season, which is why those gripes about the 24-straight-games stretch were best attributed to fatigue.

5 In contrast, the White Sox start the second half on the road, where they will have plenty of time to bond the next month. The Sox face 23 of their next 32 games away from The Cell, including three tough series at the end of the swing at Kansas City, Miami and Cleveland. In other words, Hawk Harrelson better sit back, relax and strap it down because the road-only announcer will be working a lot in the coming weeks. You play who you play in professional sports, whenever the schedule dictates, and the rest is noise. A team's slate always receives more blame and credit than it deserves. Good teams overcome logistical challenges. Mediocre teams don't. The 162-game grind lasts long enough to distinguish the two, a distinction that will be made clear in Chicago soon enough. Whenever it is, and recent North Side concerns are exposed as overreaction, the Cubs still will look headed for a deep postseason run. The Sox, meanwhile, figure to have their noses pressed to the glass again, on the outside looking in at the playoffs. They will finish with more than the 76 victories they had in 2015, but the lack of timely hitting and rotation depth will prevent them from winning the AL Central or overtaking the two wild-card teams. For the Cubs to resemble the team that ran roughshod through the National League the first six weeks instead of the one that muddled recently, they need Jake Arrieta to remove the mystery suddenly surrounding every start. Arrieta need not duplicate the historical dominance he has shown but must pitch like an ace again for the Cubs to be World Series contenders. Removing himself from the All-Star equation only increased the intrigue around Arrieta, quietly creating a stir over injury and idiosyncrasy, the latter more acceptable than the former. Cubs President Theo Epstein must anticipate the annual second-half slip of Jason Hammel, and cannot ignore the struggles of John Lackey, but it all starts with Arrieta. If he cannot star at the front of the rotation, stabilizing the back end won't matter as much. Epstein also must devise a better plan for bullpen help than Joe Nathan, a 41-year-old reliever with 377 career saves who might help or pull a hamstring fielding a bunt in his first outing. Nathan's arrival after his injury rehabilitation would offer an enticing narrative but Epstein never has been one to get swept away like a baseball romantic and now is no time to start. Cubs leads require surer protection than that. Of position players, Jason Heyward has 74 games left to prove the Cubs didn't just invest $184 million in the franchise's best defensive right fielder since Andre Dawson. For that money, Heyward needs to do more than drop jaws with the occasional throw or catch. He must hit, and perhaps dropping to the sixth spot where he was 10-of-23 in six games before the break could reduce pressure and resume production. Other Cubs keys include continuing to transition Willson Contreras into the everyday catcher's role, finding another impact bat via trade or the farm system and getting Dexter Fowler healthy. As for the Sox, the emergence of the James Shields they thought they had traded for represented the nicest development heading into the break. If Shields establishes himself as a dependable No. 3 starter behind All-Stars Chris Sale and Jose Quintana, the Sox can stay in the thick of the wild-card hunt. Maybe 2015 first-round choice Carson Fulmer accelerates his development and contributes. Maybe shortstop Tim Anderson keeps delivering the excitement he has brought to every game since his call-up from Triple A. Maybe general manager Rick Hahn has another big move up his sleeve for a team trying to rebuild on the fly more likely to be buyers than sellers at the trade deadline. Maybe Sale wins 25 games, raising everybody's level of play. The Sox also should be realistic about basing too much optimism on Justin Morneau, the 35-year-old first baseman/designated hitter currently on a rehab stint at Triple-A Charlotte. Hahn likes referring to Morneau's 2014 NL batting title with the Rockies but that was before he had elbow surgery and dealt with concussion issues. Can Hahn find a healthy alternative? Funny how two injured former Twins Morneau and Nathan find Chicago baseball executives placing so much faith in them. Proceed carefully, gentlemen. The calendar catches up with players more often than it does teams.

6 We have a chance Chris Sale says as White Sox open second half By Daryl Van Schouwen / Chicago Sun-Times July 14th, 2016 ANAHEIM, Calif. The White Sox open the second half of the season Friday have a fighting chance to make the postseason. During that horrendous run that came on the heels of an oh-so encouraging start that some say was only fool s gold, the Sox seemed to have no chance of playing more than 162 games in But their 12-7 spurt going into the All-Star break which produced five consecutive series wins before their disappointing series loss to the Atlanta Braves at U.S. Cellular Field last weekend served as a successful CPR effort. At two games over.500, the Sox now see themselves in position to at least talk postseason, which All- Star Game starting pitcher Chris Sale felt free to do on the national stage this week. We re in it, Sale said. We re right where we want to be, we re over.500. We have a chance. Had the Sox taken two of three from the lowly Braves, or even swept them as they had designs on doing with Sale, fellow All-Star Jose Quintana and James Shields going to the mound, perhaps Sale could have said as much with his chest sticking out. But the Sox, at 45-43, may have simply demonstrated who they really are by losing that series: A.500 team with the ability to look like a slightly better outfit when things fall into place. Sale and company know they have to keep on winning series, starting with the Angels this weekend, wild card contender Seattle next week on the road and the Tigers in a four game series when the Sox return home for four games next Thursday. After that they play the Cubs for four games, and when those are completed on July 28, four days before the non-waiver trade deadline, the front office might be in a better place to size up the enormity of the tough task at hand which is either catching the Cleveland Indians, who lead them by seven games in the AL Central, or be one of two teams among themselves and seven others at.500 or above that must separate from the pack and claim a wild card berth. If it looks like too daunting a task, some assets may be traded off, although indications are general manager Rick Hahn has enough confidence in his contract-controlled starting rotation to keep the guts of the current roster in place for another season with Jose Abreu, Adam Eaton, Todd Frazier, Brett Lawrie, Melky Cabrera and Tim Anderson under contract control through at least Frazier, Lawrie and Cabrera have one more year left of team control, the others multiple years. Designated hitter Justin Morneau and right-hander Carson Fulmer, the No. 8 overall pick in the 2015 draft, could be on as soon as Friday to strengthen two needs left-handed hitting and the bullpen. Austin Jackson (knee surgery) doesn t appear to be close to coming back to strengthen the outfield, which is where Hahn is known to be looking for upgrades via the trade market, particularly in center field. Sale knows Hahn and executive vice president Ken Williams historically have been apt to go for it rather than back down and retool. Players like Sale, always about the here and now, certainly hope that s the case this year. The main thing is get to the playoffs, Sale said after starting in the Midsummer Classic in San Diego. Have a good second half and let s get there. NOTES: Twenty of the next 29 games are on the road, including three each in August against AL Central nemeses Detroit, Kansas City and Cleveland, against whom the Sox are a combined 6-18.

7 *The Sox outrighted AAA right-hander Scott Carroll off the 40-man roster Thursday. WHITE SOX AT ANGELS Friday: Miguel Gonzalez (2-4, 4.39) vs. Hector Santiago (6-4, 4.58), 9:05 p.m. (CST), CSN, 890-AM Saturday: James Shields (4-10, 5.42) vs. Matt Shoemaker (4-9, 4.45) 8:05 p.m., CSN, 890-AM Sunday: TBA vs. Jered Weaver (7-7, 5.27), 2:35 p.m., Ch. 9, 890-AM White Sox still trying to prove they re legitimate contenders By Scot Gregor / Daily Herald July 14th, 2016 Major-league baseball's traditional nonwaiver trade deadline is July 31. The key date falls on a Sunday this season, so it has been pushed back a day to Aug. 1. That's good news for the Chicago White Sox, who are going to need as much time as possible to determine if they are contenders or also-rans. Heading into the second half of the season with a West Coast game against the Los Angeles Angels on Friday night, the Sox rightly view themselves as contenders. They are tied for third in the AL Central, 7 games behind the first-place Cleveland Indians. The White Sox are only 4½ games out of a wild-card spot. "We have the right guys in the right spots," said ace starting pitcher Chris Sale, who leads the major leagues with 14 wins. "Just pick up where we left off and keep grinding." Looking to make the playoffs for the first time since 2008, the Sox opened the season as the best team in the league with 23 wins in the first 33 games, but they followed up with 23 losses in the next 33 games. The White Sox got back on track with 12 wins in 19 games heading into the all-star break, and here are five keys in the second half: Starting line: In their last 5 combined starts, Miguel Gonzalez and James Shields have been excellent, allowing 7 earned runs in 34⅓ innings. Sale and Jose Quintana are all-stars at the top of the rotation, and strong starting pitching typically gets teams to the playoffs. Carlos Rodon is the key to the starting five. The 23-year-old lefty opens the second half on the disabled list with a sprained left wrist, and he needs to pitch better when he returns later this month. "It hasn't been what I wanted, that's for sure," said Rodon, who was 2-7 with a 4.50 ERA in the first half. "Hopefully, I only miss 1 start, get healthy and come back better." Roster additions: General manager Rick Hahn is likely to add an outside player or two if the White Sox are still in the race at the end of the month.

8 Before the deadline, the Sox are going to get designated hitter Justin Morneau, whom they signed in early June. Morneau is on a rehab assignment and just about fully recovered from December elbow surgery. Center fielder Austin Jackson (knee) also is due back in the near future. He has been sidelined for more than a month. Zach Putnam is hoping to avoid elbow surgery and return to the White Sox's bullpen. He hasn't pitched since June 20. Resplendent rookie: The Sox initially were planning to give top prospect Tim Anderson a full season at Class AAA Charlotte. The 23-year-old shortstop had other ideas, and he joined the White Sox in early June and immediately showed he was ready for the majors. "He has the talent to stick here," manager Robin Ventura said. "He has the talent to do some special things." Not only has Anderson shown strong defensive skills at a demanding position, he has posted a.304/.310/.488 slash line with 4 home runs and 10 RBI in 28 games. Heart of the matter: The White Sox's offense is better than last season, but not by much. Entering the second half, the Sox rank 12th in the league with 368 runs scored. Last year they were last in the AL with 622. Jose Abreu got off to a slow start, and once Abreu got going Todd Frazier tailed off. Abreu has reached base safely in 31 of his last 33 games, and Frazier is batting.317 with 4 home runs and 8 RBI in his last 11 games. The White Sox's starting rotation is the key to a playoff push, but the White Sox need to produce more runs, and it all starts with Abreu and Frazier in the middle of the order. What a relief: The Sox's bullpen was overworked throughout April and into May, and there was a predictable drop-off. With Sale, Quintana, Gonzalez and Shields all showing an ability to pitch deeper into games, key relievers Zack Duke, Nate Jones and closer David Robertson should benefit from getting needed rest. The White Sox also could get a boost from top pitching prospect Carson Fulmer. The No. 8 overall pick in the 2015 draft, Fulmer has been starting at Class AA Birmingham. Shaking off some early-season struggles, the right-hander has shown steady improvement, and Fulmer really looked good in Sunday's All-Star Futures game while striking out two in a perfect inning of relief. The Sox still view Fulmer as a future starter, but they like to ease their best young pitchers into the majors through the bullpen.

9 Benetti s first half with Sox a once-in-a-lifetime experience By Manny DeJesus / Daily Herald July 15th, 2016 About 20 years ago, Jason Benetti was just a kid with a dream. Today, Benetti is living out that exact dream to the fullest extent as he sits at the halfway mark of his first season as a play-by-play announcer for the Chicago White Sox. Eighty-eight games through the season, the River North native still finds it hard to believe that he's become a TV announcer associated with the team he's cheered for his entire life. "It's really weird," Benetti said with a smile. "I love that people watch, and I'm grateful that they do. Sox fans have been so warm and welcoming to me, and it's been awesome. But I don't think that I'll ever get used to the fact that people care that I'm walking around the concourse of the ballpark. Back when I was a kid, no one cared that I was walking around here, but now people seem to." The 32-year old was given the opportunity to live out his childhood dream after Ken "Hawk" Harrelson decided to scale back his workload this season by going to a mostly road-game schedule. So now, Benetti works alongside Steve Stone, who Benetti says has given him an invaluable experience in the booth so far. "Well, first of all, the best part of the job other than the team I work for is sitting next to Steve Stone," Benetti said. "He is clever, knowledgeable, analytical, fun and willing to go just about anywhere. To me, being able to do these games with him is an absolute joy. This amount of understanding between a pair is a once-in-a-lifetime experience." The relationship Benetti has established with Stone has given him more confidence to do the job he had done so well before he even landed the job with the Sox. Over the course of his career, Benetti has called games for the University of Syracuse's lacrosse and women's basketball teams, the Syracuse Chiefs, a Triple-A team affiliated with the Washington Nationals, and ESPN. So it's safe to say Benetti knew a thing or two about how to do his job before arriving to Chicago. "I'm a first-time team major league announcer, but I've done a thousand baseball games over the course of time or maybe more," Benetti said. "Maybe over 2,000 over my career. So, honestly, the best part of my job is that they've been letting me do my job, which is great. Steve has been so welcoming in terms of, you know, if we make an error we mess around with it. Things happen over the course of 162 games, and you just kind of deal with it as a group. They've been very supportive and both let me do my job, which is cool." Benetti recalls a specific error that occurred before the All-Star break that highlights what he means when he said that making mistakes is part of his job. "The other night, I was doing a read of the All-Star Game, and I said 'the balloting closes on July 8 at 4 Eastern,' and for some reason I remember saying 8 Eastern, so then I said at '7 Central,'" Benetti said. "Afterwards, I was like 'oh, boy, that's gonna be a tough time zone to crack.'" Working with the team he used to watch every summer can be tough sometimes given that Benetti is still a passionate fan while in the booth, but he understands that his responsibilities as a play-by-play announcer trump whatever emotions he may have during a tough stretch or an amazing winning streak. "I used to live and die with every pitch with the Sox growing up," Benetti said. "And at some point you understand -- at least from my vantage point having done a bunch of games -- that teams aren't going to go We're not going to go If I get too down after a loss, it's going to hurt my performance the next day... For me, I want to have a great game every game. I do. Steve and I have to be great even if the team is getting shellacked. Or even if the team is up So, you just have to have it every night."

10 So, now that the All-Star break is coming to a close, what does the rookie play-by-play announcer predict for the second half of the season? "Based on my knowledge of every single season I've done with the Sox, I expect them to turn two triple plays of the second half of the season as well," Benetti said with a chuckle. "I don't know what the probability of that is. We'll do it again though Yeah, give it a couple of weeks." Extend hero tributes to first responders By Lt. Col. Matthew Coughlin / Daily Herald July 11th, 2016 As I was set to step out of the dugout, my nerves rattling inside, I turned to Maurice, a 30-year White Sox security veteran and former Cook county law enforcement officer, and asked him to support me if I needed it. We talked for an inning about past military service, the perception of first responders both past and present, and the current state of our beloved White Sox. Little did we know that the tragedy in Orlando that morning would influence my experience at the game. As someone who works on countering ISIS propaganda, I was already convinced the Orlando shooter was a deranged individual who acted out a sick demented hatred and belief system. My days are filled fighting these types of people. Later we would learn that first responders like Maurice risked their lives and saved many in Orlando that morning. Since that day, we've seen the tragedy in Dallas last week and the sacrifices and bravery of first responders in an unimaginable chaos. These officers and first responders are true unsung heroes. Maurice was helping me calm down and prepare to accept, reluctantly, the White Sox "Hero of the Game" award during the third inning of that Sunday game in June. I say "reluctantly" because I don't think of myself as a hero -- my service is that of just another Marine. However, that experience will forever live as a special day for not only me but for many of my family and friends and who were in attendance -- especially a day after we all gathered together to give a final farewell to my older brother Marty. What I experienced on that day was nothing I could ever imagine and had no idea beforehand what I was going to experience. I know that my fellow service members realize that it was not me individually who the wonderful people in Sox park that afternoon were praising, but it was for all of those who serve -- past and present -- and who have paid the ultimate sacrifice. When it came time to go out onto the field and listen for Sox announcer Gene Honda start to introduce me and describe my military service, I was astounded by the reaction of the crowd, not because they got to their feet and cheered (that's normal) but how much louder and louder they got as Gene continued to describe my Marine Service. In fact, it got so loud I could no longer hear Gene's voice, and for a short moment, I felt as if I had just hit a grand slam in the World Series, just like Paul Konerko did in 2005 (I know because I was there, too). Looking back, I think there was a little more cheer that "hero day" due to the recent events in Orlando and partly due to my service countering ISIS at U.S. Central Command. But the intro and announcement were just the beginning of my experience. It continued when the White Sox team themselves helped me run up the stairs to receive high-fives and handshakes. That's when I realized this was not going to be a 90-second tribute. What I experienced the rest of my time there was incredible, and something greatly needed in our communities and neighborhoods today: a "hero."

11 One after another they came -- former Marines, future Marines, friends of service members and many other fellow service members who kept coming up to me for a picture, a handshake, a hug, free beverages, etc. Best of all I got to meet many young boys and girls asking their mommy and daddy if they can go up to meet the "hero" and shake his hand. Even the Sox security staff reached out to me and thanked me for my service, and that's when I realized this is more than honoring a regular Marine like myself but for all those who serve in all our communities every day. I asked every Sox security staff person I met if they were a first responder and the answer always was yes. As the game had come to a disappointed end (Sox lost), Maurice and another Sox Security staff member who also was named Maurice, took the time to let my family and friends go out onto the field and take photos near home plate. I couldn't thank the Sox organization and their sponsors enough for the experience and have only one request for them and other professional teams who honor vets, and that is to extend the "hero" tribute to our neighborhood heroes - our first responders - just like the two Sox security staffers named Maurice, as well as for those who have to storm a nightclub at 2 a.m. to stop a deranged killer or see their brothers and sisters in blue gunned down by an angry assassin. We celebrated the 4th of July last week. With the spirit of that holiday in mind, I hope all our citizens will take a moment to be thankful for all those who serve and sacrifice to keep us safe both home and abroad. Lt. Col. Matthew Coughlin, USMC, formerly of Vernon Hills, is deputy chief information officer at USCENTCOM in Tampa. Florida, countering violent extremist organizations' propaganda and recruiting. Reports: White Sox to promote top pitching prospect Carson Fulmer By Staff / ESPN.com July 15th, 2016 The Chicago White Sox will promote top pitching prospect Carson Fulmer on Friday for the opener of their series against the Los Angeles Angels, according to multiple reports. Fulmer was the No. 8 overall pick in last year's draft and appeared in the All-Star Futures Game last weekend in San Diego. The right-hander has pitched exclusively as a starter in the minors, but the White Sox reportedly are considering using him out of the bullpen. Carson Fulmer was the No. 8 overall pick in the draft last year and represented the White Sox organization at the All-Star Futures Game in San Diego last weekend. Matt Marton/USA TODAY Sports White Sox manager Robin Ventura hinted last week that the organization could add Fulmer as a reliever, similar to the way Chris Sale and Carlos Rodon broke into the majors. "You're trying to see if a kid can do it, and we did it with Carlos a little bit and Chris has done it," Ventura told the Chicago Tribune. "You bring 'em up here and you bring 'em through out of the bullpen and see if you can lighten their load a little bit and then see how they handle it." Atlanta Braves top prospect Dansby Swanson, Fulmer's college teammate at Vanderbilt, took to Twitter on Friday morning to congratulate Fulmer. Fulmer, 22, is 4-9 with a 4.76 ERA in 17 starts this season at Double-A Birmingham. But he has pitched better over his last three starts, allowing just two runs over 19 innings during that stretch. "I'm just getting ahead," Fulmer told MiLB.com last weekend. "I felt like I fell behind a lot of guys and I paid for it. I'm just coming out with a strike-one mentality and just pounding the strike zone."

12 White Sox fans surprise Chicago Police Officers with a sweet note By Ed Komenda / DNA Info July 12th, 2016 ARMOUR SQUARE White Sox fans aren't afraid to show some love. At Sunday's Sox game against the Atlanta Braves, two young fans walked up to a group of Chicago Police officers at U.S. Cellular Field and handed them this note: The note came from a boy named Andrew and his younger brother, Lucas, according to a post published on the Chicago Police Department Facebook. The officers then asked for the boys' autographs and a photo: Then the boys waved and walked away with their mom. The police officers never got their last names. The note will now displayed at Deering District headquarters. "Today was the first time in a long, long time where I felt my job was worthwhile to someone other than just me," the Facebook post said. BOZICH: Zach Burdi, Louisville s resilient closer, two steps from the White Sox By Rick Bozich / WDRB.com July 14th, 2016 BIRMINGHAM, Ala. (WDRB) -- Mariano Rivera saved 652 major-league games, but several Yankees fans still chirp about one that baseball s greatest relief pitcher did not save during the 2001 World Series. Dennis Eckersley was consistently unhittable for the Oakland A s, until he was extremely hittable against Kirk Gibson in the 1988 World Series. It happens. It happened to Zack Burdi in the final game he pitched for the University of Louisville. A reserve from UC-Santa Barbara, a player that few of us can identify, lifted a Burdi change up over the right-field fence at Jim Patterson Stadium. Grand slam. Game over. Season over. College career over. You can always tell a guy, Hey, don t worry about it. said John Furmaniak, Burdi s professional agent. But he s a competitor. I think he was crushed any human that plays baseball at a high level would have been crushed. But I think he s handled it tremendously. The Chicago White Sox agree: Burdi is the first player from the 2016 Baseball Free-Agent Draft to advance to Class AA ball, where he has delivered back-to-back scoreless performances for the Birmingham Barons. What happened against UC-Santa Barbara happened. But it is what will happen after that home run that will define Zack Burdi and what has happened over the last month has been more revealing than his biting breaking ball. It s behind me, but it s something I think about because I miss those guys, Burdi said. Of course, I wanted to win that series, wanted to make it to Omaha for the (teammate like Danny) Rosenbaums, the guys who aren t going to get a chance to play again.

13 It s something I put behind me, but at the end of the day I m going to remember, and I ll have to learn from it. I m still grateful (to try again). That s baseball. That s life. Sometimes it doesn t go the way you want it to, but you have to keep your head up and go on. The beat goes on. For Burdi, it s definitely gone on and on. He s moved around the country quicker than his 100 mph fastball. In less than a month after signing with the White Sox for a bonus of $2,128,500, Burdi has been promoted from the Arizona to Winston-Salem, N.C. to Birmingham, jumping from rookie ball (one game), high Class A (four games) to Class AA (three games). Wilson Sporting Goods is paying him to use the Clayton Kershaw model glove. He has an apparel deal with adidas. Two trading-card companies have talked with Furmaniak about endorsement deals, too. It gets better: Burdi grew up cheering for the White Sox 2005 World Series champions in suburban Chicago. Now he is one of their top prospects, a guy they expect to become a critical piece of their future pitching staffs. This season? Absolutely, said Barons manager Ryan Newman. When you take a guy that has the caliber of arm that he does, we ve done it before in the White Sox organization. If things click, he could be there. He could help us win up there in Chicago We ve seen the fastball. It s electric. I ve met guys who ve been in the system for four-plus years, and I m still trying to figure out where my laundry is, Burdi said. It s been nuts. One radar gun clocked his fastball at 104 mph during Burdi s first appearance for the Barons last week. On Tuesday, he faced the meat of the Jacksonville Suns lineup, the second, third and fourth hitters, in the ninth inning at Regions Field. He retired them in six pitches, including a 90 mph breaking pitch that broke a bat. Ground ball. Ground ball. Soft fly ball. As Burdi sprinted to the mound from the bullpen in right-center field, Barons media relations director Michael Guzman left the press box to stand next to a team official to record official radar readings on Burdi s pitches. If Burdi adjusts his cap, the White Sox want to know. Advise the public address guy at U.S. Cellular Field that Burdi s warm-up song is Summer of 69, by Bryan Adams. Tuesday s performance was his second consecutive scoreless appearance, one that followed an unsettling debut at Chattanooga, Tenn., when Burdi faced five hitters, walking four while allowing an infield single. Hey, his older brother, Nick, also a former U of L closer, did the same thing during his first season with the Twins. You guys have something in common now, Furmaniak told him. Barons pitching coach J.R. Perdew essentially had a one-word fix for Burdi: Chill. He told me, You belong here," Burdi said. "You re here for a reason. Just go out there and perform. It s a game. Just keep doing what you do. I guess I was trying to throw pitches that I didn t have. At the end of the day it was a good learning experience because there s going to be more times where I move up or move down.

14 I have to learn how to handle those travel days and how to become accustomed to a new level. Odds are that Burdi will move up before he moves down. There has been discussion in the Chicago media that Burdi could finish this season in the major leagues. The White Sox are without three injured right-handed relief pitchers for the remainder of this season. They re looking for a guy who can retire hitters in the sixth and seventh innings. The Sox are an organization that has fast-tracked pitchers they drafted in the first round like Chris Sale (2010) and Carlos Rodon (2014). Carson Fulmer, the former Vanderbilt star (2015), is likely next. Then Burdi. They haven t mentioned it to me, and I m pretty grateful to them for doing that, Burdi said. Five weeks ago, I was in college. They don t want to put that unneeded pressure and that thought in the back of my head that if I don t perform I that I m letting all these people down or if I do perform I m going to the bigs. What happens if they don t send me up? Then there s thoughts in my head that they were going to do one thing and now they re doing another There s definitely a bunch of possibilities out there but right now we re just focused on me progressing my game mentally and getting better. 10 storylines to watch as White Sox, Cubs push for playoffs By Jon Greenberg / The Athletic July 14th, 2016 With one more off day until baseball season starts anew with two weeks until the non-waiver trade deadline, here are 10 storylines to follow for the White Sox and the Cubs as they prepare for their separate and unequal playoff journeys. First up, the White Sox, who at are realistically alive in the American League playoff race but most likely dead. They probably wouldn t get the flak they got in 1997 for a White Flag trade, but no one expects that to happen this season. It ll take a heckuva turnaround to see the Sox make the postseason. Buy or sell: What does Rick Hahn do in the next two weeks? The White Sox are 4 1/2 games back of the second wild card with four teams ahead of them. The Indians have a seven-game lead over the Sox in the AL Central. The Sox start the post-break schedule with six games at the Angels and Mariners and then home for four against the Tigers and four against the Cubs. They finish the month with three games against the Twins, but Sox fans should hope chairman Jerry Reinsdorf lets Hahn trust his gut in understanding what kind of team he has before July 31. If Hahn has a chance to improve the long-term prospects of the franchise at the expense of a minimal shot of competing in the last two months, he should do it. Carlos Rodon: The young left-hander had a tough three months to start the season and his last start was indicative of his struggles. Through 16 starts, Rodon has a 4.50 ERA, a WHIP and a 4.46 FIP. Last year, he gave up 11 homers in 139 1/3 innings. This year, he s up to 15 in 92 innings. In his last start before the break, he gave up six runs (five earned) on 12 hits in five innings against the Yankees. He looked ready for a little time off. Tim Anderson: Anderson has had a great start to his major league career, but is he due for a cold spell? His ability to make contact (14 multi-hit games in 28 total) and drive the ball (.488 slugging percentage) with his quick hands makes his lack of patience, at least in terms of taking walks (one walk in 128 plate appearances), less of a negative. Anderson looks like the best position prospect in years, but then again, so did Gordon Beckham back in We have to see how he ll react to a slump, but in talking to him recently, it seems like he has the right attitude for his situation.

15 Carson Fulmer & Zach Burdi: Odds are the Sox are going to go for it like the plucky hero of an 80s teen movie who defies the odds and wins the karate championship or big ski race or something. While the Sox won t win in the end as a Bananarama song plays in the background, what s the harm in trying? They re not dumb enough to trade real prospects for bullpen, but they are impatient enough to rush their own prospects to be the bullpen help. Fulmer, last year s first-round pick, and hard-throwing righty Burdi, this year s first-round compensation pick, could probably help the Sox bullpen right now. It wouldn t be surprising to see one or both of them in the next month. Hawk Harrelson: With Jason Benetti s popularity growing and Harrelson only working road games, you have to wonder if this is going to be Harrelson s last season. Now nothing has been said to that effect and Harrelson got his contract extended before the season when Benetti s hiring was announced, but if the Sox aren t going to compete and he s not completely invested in the day-to-day grind, maybe it becomes easier for Harrelson to retire. My money is we get at least another season of the Hawkeroo, but I say enjoy him while you have him. Many eyes will be on Jake Arrieta's second half to see whether he can return to form, or even match last year's stretch that earned him the NL Cy Young. (Adam Hunger/USA TODAY Sports) Many eyes will be on Jake Arrieta s second half to see whether he can return to form, or even match last year s stretch that earned him the NL Cy Young. (Adam Hunger/USA TODAY Sports) Now onto the Cubs, whose 130-win pace slowed considerably after a 25-6 start. They are 53-35, with a seven-game lead over the Cardinals and a 7 1/2 game lead over the Pirates. Jake Arrieta: How many dank steroid memes will the Cubs enemy fanbases create? If he keeps pitching like he has been lately, Cubs Facebook/Twitter will be at war with several of their neighbors. Arrieta passed up a chance to pitch in the All-Star game and skipped the ESPYs, where he won an award for breakthrough athlete (At 30!), to get his work in. Arrieta isn t struggling because he s self-satisfied and the Cubs don t need him to pitch like Bob Gibson to make the postseason. He just has to be right for the playoffs. He wasn t right last year, so this is a bit of an unknown. Dexter Fowler: Fowler hit.347 with a OPS in April and then.295 with an.879 OPS in May. He only got 58 at-bats in June before going down with a hamstring injury, and he hit.207 with a.605 OPS. He is expected back sometime in the next week and his return is awaited with bated breath. Will he hit like an early spring All-Star again? Willson Contreras/Miguel Montero: How do the Cubs split up the catching duties the rest of the way? Given his performance, Montero would be benched on most teams, but pitchers like working with him, even if he can t control the running game. Contreras is a skilled hitter and an energetic part of the team, but he s a little jumpy behind the plate. He has to be a calming presence for his pitchers as he continues to learn their rhythm. You can bet Joe Maddon will continue to find at-bats for Contreras in left field and occasionally at first base. Jorge Soler: Soler has been hurt so long, I m not even sure what he injured. Soler was a big-time hitter in the Cardinals playoff series last season after missing time with injuries. Can he duplicate his late surge? Will the Cubs refer to his return as like a trade? Theo Epstein: It takes a village to raise a baseball team, but we mostly just credit Epstein, the president of baseball operations, for everything. It s cleaner and more reductive that way. So what can Epstein (OK, and his baseball department) get accomplished in the next two weeks and then again in August, when the waiver market opens? The prize of the summer is Yankees reliever Andrew Miller. Will the Yankees admit they re selling assets? That s not the Yankee Way, but it should be in this case. Every old and smallmarket team should be knocking down the Cubs door to take advantage of their slump. How far will Epstein be willing to go to acquire some veterans for this stretch run? The Cubs wanted to build a deep farm system for a reason. And some of the crop s ripe enough to bring to market.