HEADLINES OF MARCH 25, 2016 J-Roll, Lawrie homer; sale cruises until 4-run 6th Scott Merkin, MLB.com Tested by Trout, Sale enjoys getting full start in Scott Merkin, MLB.com Sparks sees spark in White Sox offense Scott Merkin, MLB.com Danks lowering spring ERA without checking mph Scott Merkin, MLB.com More refined Anderson among White Sox cuts Scott Merkin, MLB.com Top prospect Fulmer eager to integrate cutter Scott Merkin, MLB.com Tim Anderson impressed White Sox in limited chances Dan Hayes, CSN Chicago Chris Sale likes atmosphere in White Sox dugout Dan Hayes, CSN Chicago White Sox stretch out relievers as end of camp nears Dan Hayes, CSN Chicago Thursday s recap: Angels 6, White Sox 5 Paul Skrbina, Chicago Tribune Mostly smooth sailing for White Sox s Chris Sale in second spring start Paul Skrbina, Chicago Tribune Avisail Garcia hitting better, but still trying to figure out defense Paul Skrbina, Chicago Tribune Paul Konerko takes the ice at Wayne Gretzky Fantasy Camp Lauren Comitor, Chicago Tribune Randy Blaser: White Sox Adam LaRoche situation troubling on several counts Randy Blaser, Chicago Tribune White Sox ace Chris Sale allows 2 homers, can use that as fuel Patrick Finley, Chicago Sun-Times White Sox think spring power surge a sign of things to come Patrick Finley, Chicago Sun-Times White Sox counting on vet catchers Dioner Navarro and Alex Avila Patrick Finley, Chicago Sun- Times White Sox SS Tim Anderson headed to minor-league camp Patrick Finley, Chicago Sun-Times White Sox bullpen trying to build off last year Scot Gregor, Daily Herald Levine: Chris Sale good through five innings before malfunction Bruce Levine, CBS Chicago Ace in the Pen: Robertson backstops reborn Sox relief corps Sahadev Sharma, The Athletic J-Roll, Lawrie homer; Sale cruises until 4-run 6th By Scott Merkin / MLB.com March 24th, 2016 GLENDALE, Ariz. -- Angels prospect Rafael Ortega hit a two-run single in the seventh inning of Thursday's 6-5 win over the White Sox -- one inning after the teams broke through against strong starting pitching. The Angels managed four hits through the first five innings against White Sox ace Chris Sale, but then proceeded to match that total with just five batters during a four-run sixth. But the White Sox didn't waste too much time in getting back even against Matt Shoemaker, with Brett Lawrie launching a two-run homer in the bottom of the frame. Yunel Escobar opened the Angels' sixth with a double to left and moved to third on Kole Calhoun's single to right. Mike Trout followed with a blast to left on a 0-1 pitch, erasing a 2-0 deficit on his second home run of the spring. Albert Pujols struck out, but C.J. Cron followed with a long drive of his own to left-center for his first home run. "It was good. Felt good out there," Sale said. "That was the main goal going into this game, was to try and treat it like a normal game. Get yourself a normal pitch count and go out and see what you can do." Sale struck out five and walked one over six innings and 88 pitches, going to a three-ball count just three times during his outing. Shoemaker matched him pretty much pitch for pitch on the Angels side... until the sixth. Shoemaker gave up a single run in the first on Jimmy Rollins' fourth homer. He allowed another in the fifth when Austin Jackson doubled home J.B. Shuck, and then the Lawrie two-run shot in the sixth, but the righty had a much stronger outing overall in comparison to the 13 runs he had previously allowed in 14 innings this spring. Shoemaker struck out four and walked one.
"Shoe pitched great," Angels manager Mike Scioscia said. "This is not an easy park to pitch in.... I think he did a good job of controlling the zone, had good out pitches and finished strong with six [innings] and 90 pitches. He probably had some more left in his tank, too." Up next for the Angels: Jered Weaver makes his return to the mound when the Angels face the A's at Hohokam Park at 1:05 p.m. PT on Friday. Weaver, who will oppose lefty Rich Hill, is slated to work five innings and throw 75 pitches. The Angels' longtime ace hasn't pitched in a Cactus League game since allowing five runs, recording eight outs and topping out at 81 mph against the Dodgers on March 9. Weaver then had an MRI exam on his neck, which didn't reveal anything major, and then pitched in a Minor League game. Up next for the White Sox: After playing three straight Cactus League games at Camelback Ranch, the White Sox travel to Peoria, Ariz., on Friday to take on the Mariners with a 3:05 p.m. CT first pitch. Jose Quintana, who last pitched in a Minor League game on Sunday, returns to the big field for what looks to be his last start in Arizona. Tested by Trout, Sale enjoys getting full start in By Scott Merkin / MLB.com March 24th, 2016 GLENDALE, Ariz. -- Mike Trout's three at-bats against Chris Sale during the Angels' 6-5 victory over the White Sox on Thursday at Camelback Ranch probably won't be front page news. But this All-Star vs. All-Star matchup, featuring two of the best players in the game, had a decided regular-season feel during the final week of Spring Training. Sale got the better of Trout in his first two-bats, with a first-inning lineout to first baseman Jose Abreu and a swinging strikeout to open the fourth in an eight pitch at-bat. But Trout exacted his Cactus League revenge in the sixth by launching an 0-1 pitch into the left-field stands for a three-run, go-ahead home run. "My first at-bat was all heaters. And then my second at-bat was a fastball, and he mixed a curveball in," Trout said. "Threw a couple fastballs 3-2, then he threw a changeup, good changeup. "Then my last at-bat he threw me, I think, back-to-back changeups. He's got nasty stuff. It's a battle every time facing him. I just got a pitch I could hit and didn't miss it. We have fun. He's a great dude. We just like to compete. He's trying to get me out, and I'm trying to get a hit." The Angels managed just four hits off Sale in the first five innings, with the southpaw needing 64 pitches to complete that work. But they knocked out four hits in five hitters to start the sixth, including homers from Trout and C.J. Cron. Those Spring Training statistics don't matter much to Sale. His focus was getting up and down six times and throwing 88 pitches during the game and 17 in the bullpen after exiting. With one Cactus League start remaining, Sale is ready for Oakland and real regular-season action. "My body feels good. My arm feels great. That's half the battle down here," said Sale, who also hung an 0-for-3 on Albert Pujols with one strikeout. "Sometimes you get out there and you've only got three innings, you don't feel like it was a real start. Today felt as natural as it possibly could be, which was nice. "When you're in season, you're in game mode, you're in attack mode, you're in winning mode. There's a little bit different feel out here, but at the end of the day, winning games is still important. Kind of catapults you, you get the ball rolling and you get used to winning at something. The more you win, the better off you'll be."
Sparks sees spark in White Sox offense Forget last season, new assistant hitting coach pleased with hitters mindset By Scott Merkin / MLB.com March 24th, 2016 GLENDALE, Ariz. -- Greg Sparks doesn't concern himself with the White Sox offensive showing during the 2015 season, especially since he was serving as Oakland's Minor League hitting coordinator at the time. But the new White Sox assistant hitting coach does know the impressive look of this 2016 group through the first five weeks of Spring Training. "There are not a lot of selfish at-bats. It's a team offense," Sparks said. "They are going at it the right way. They have the right mindset. "Quality at-bats and team baseball, moving runners, getting runners in from third, trying to go in certain situations against the shift. If they are going to give it to us, we are going to take it. It's clicking. It's working well and we are having fun with it." Sparks was in the Oakland organization from 1997-2015, but he worked with Chicago hitting coach Todd Steverson as part of the A's and has an understanding of the White Sox from his father's time as a firstbase coach and manager in the club's Minor League system. In fact, part of Sparks' media guide bio talks about his stint as batboy for the 1979 White Sox, and how he was on the field for the Disco Demolition Night craziness on July 12, 1979. "It's the wildest thing I ever experienced on a baseball field, that's for sure," said Sparks with a laugh, who was 14 and working the net for foul balls. "People were falling off the upper deck, they were tearing everything up, how it just escalated into chaos. Just the amazement of what happened. It's something I'll never forget. "I was out on one knee on a towel, and whiskey bottles were coming down, records were sticking in the ground. Ralph Garr gave me a helmet out there, and finally my dad said, 'Get your butt in here. It's getting a little dangerous.' When the game ended and they blew those records up, it all went crazy." Disco Demolition didn't take down Sparks, who is working with Steverson to present "two different voices, saying the same thing." That plan has produced optimism with the offense as the season approaches. "With the additions that we got and the mindset of what's going on in that clubhouse, and their attack through BP and early work in the cages, it's really nice to see," Sparks said. "It's intensity I haven't seen in a Major League camp in a long time. They've been on it since Day 1." "He's a help, another mind to where we are at and where we are trying to go offensively," Steverson said of Sparks. "If I'm not around, he's around. The message stays clear and we stay flowing." Danks lowering spring ERA without checking mph By Scott Merkin / MLB.com March 24th, 2016 GLENDALE, Ariz. -- John Danks doesn't believe he's throwing with any extra velocity during this Spring Training. To be honest, the veteran left-hander is at a point where he doesn't care. "This is the first spring I can remember where I haven't even asked or cared what [the radar gun] is," Danks said. "That might be part of the process, just getting beyond the radar gun and worrying more about throwing it where I want."
Danks has expertly hit that mark over the past two Cactus League outings, hurling 11 scoreless innings combined for the White Sox against the Cubs and Padres. Catcher Dioner Navarro helped Danks with advice on glove placement on certain pitches leading to pitch tipping, but Danks also has been working with cleaner mechanics and locating pitches for the most part. Without benefit of a 95-plus-mph fastball, Danks doesn't concern himself with picking up an extra mile or two. "I've done the try to throw it harder routine, and that just doesn't work," said a smiling Danks. "Getting the swings and the contact I want, I feel like my speed differential is still plenty good with my changeup. "Really, it's just I don't care what the radar says. It can be 85 for all I care, as long as it's down in the zone. I like my chances a lot better than 90 up in the zone." The power of power Jimmy Rollins' home run in the first inning and Brett Lawrie's long drive in the sixth of Thursday's 6-5 loss to the Angels gave the White Sox a robust 36 home runs in 22 Cactus League contests. They have 19 players who have gone deep since Spring Training games began. The team is on pace to hit 50 home runs, and its.494 slugging percentage ranks second in baseball behind the D-backs. All offensive numbers have to be slightly adjusted for the Arizona climate, but White Sox manager Robin Ventura certainly hopes this wall-clearing trend continues. "You always need them. If we can't hit homers in our ballpark, we're in trouble anyways," Ventura said. "It's nice to see guys getting it in the air and hitting it a long way. We'll never not want to do that." By comparison, the White Sox hit 22 homers last spring and finished the season with 136. They hit 27 in Arizona in 2012 but went on to hit 211 during the season. So Spring Training doesn't always serve as a perfect indicator. "I think the type of home runs they're hitting, and who's hitting them, you expect those guys to hit them," Ventura said. "It's been a good sign. "You're hopeful guys hit homers, because you need to hit them to be able to compete in our division. I like the way it's gone so far. But you never can tell." They said it "I don't know if it's swagger, but it's great if he has it." -- Ventura, on Avisail Garcia showing more confidence to go with his improved performance at the plate this spring "Sometimes you can get in the dugout and it's quiet and kind of stagnant. I haven't really felt that. Especially in Spring Training, this can get kind of tough on guys and mentally draining. To be able to carry that energy in spring, it's nice and it shows, definitely." --Chris Sale, on the team's Arizona vibe More refined Anderson among White Sox cuts By Scott Merkin / MLB.com March 24th, 2016 GLENDALE, Ariz. -- Tim Anderson's second big league Spring Training with the White Sox certainly was one to remember for the organization's No. 2 prospect per MLBPipeline. The 22-year-old shortstop welcomed his baby girl into the world with his fiancée, Bria. And on the field, Anderson got to learn from veteran Jimmy Rollins while showing off his vast skill-set.
Although Anderson was reassigned to Minor League camp, along with right-handed pitcher Matt Lollis and left-handed pitcher Matt Purke, following Thursday's 6-5 loss to the Angels, there's a noticeable difference in Anderson's game between now and when he first arrived in 2013. "Without a doubt," said White Sox director of player development Nick Capra in regard to Anderson's growth. "His skills have always been there. His athleticism has always been there. He's refining his skills. "He's getting better from year to year and day to day defensively. He's always been the guy that put the ball in play, barrels the ball up, hits a fastball. He's working on pitch recognition and consolidating his zone a little bit more. He's shown he can do that. We're happy with his progress." Thirty-seven players remain in Major League camp for the White Sox: 17 pitchers, three catchers, nine infielders and eight outfielders. Anderson will make his way to Triple-A Charlotte, with a shot at the big leagues not out of the question for the 2016 season. "It's just continue to grow," said White Sox manager Robin Ventura. "He hasn't had a ton of baseball experience, and this is the time you get to do it. We don't necessarily get to see him do it. "From here on out, it's up to him to be able to do that, gain valuable experience. It's been big for him to come up here. Jimmy's been a pretty good influence on him, for him to be able to be around him and to really slow down the game. When you're younger, you see the game in a certain way, but you want to show everybody how fast you can do stuff. Jimmy has a really good internal clock of being able to slow down the game. "In talking to him today, that's the biggest thing that Timmy's got," Ventura said. "Offensively, he's a talent. The biggest thing for me seeing him in the last couple years is, defensively, he just looks so much better and confident." Top prospect Fulmer eager to integrate cutter By Scott Merkin / MLB.com March 24th, 2016 GLENDALE, Ariz. -- Carson Fulmer, the White Sox top-ranked prospect per MLBPipeline.com, recently added a cutter to his fastball/curve/change repertoire, a pitch that he already feels good about after just one week of work. "Oh, it's been night and day. I've never been able to throw it -- or never had the chance to throw it," said Fulmer of his new pitch. "I just learned it, but it's a pitch I've been throwing a lot now. Being able to throw it early in the count, but harder, down and away to guys or down and in to guys when I'm ahead. "It's a pitch I'm still learning," added Fulmer with a smile. "But I feel really comfortable with it. Add it to the arsenal." Fulmer primarily featured a fastball/curve combination while finding success at Vanderbilt, working in the change every so often. Refining that changeup has been another Spring Training project for the righthander, with pitching coach Don Cooper talking about Fulmer throwing the pitch with a new grip -- similar to Chris Sale's approach during the formative stage of his career, as well as Carlos Rodon's continued focus. But adding in the cutter seems to have added to Fulmer's Spring Training excitement. "I threw a ton of fastballs, and it's a pitch that resembles a fastball in a lot of different ways," Fulmer said. "But you get movement and a lot of quick outs from it. I definitely trust it now.
"I'm going to grow with that pitch. It's a pitch I'll utilize a lot. Continue to fine-tune those things and hopefully it will help me along the way." John Danks, who added the same pitch when he was traded from the Rangers to the White Sox before the 2007 season, refers to Cooper as the "Cutter Guru." Danks points to his best two- or three-year career run when his cutter was at its best, but sees a greater opportunity for Fulmer with the pitch. "He has A+ stuff anyway," Danks said. "He throws a pitch like that in there, even if it's average or a little better, and couple that with everything else he has, that's going to make him dominant." Tim Anderson impressed White Sox in limited chances By Dan Hayes / CSN Chicago March 24th, 2016 GLENDALE, Ariz. -- Tim Anderson didn t have a bunch of opportunities this spring to show the White Sox how far he has come. But the White Sox prospect made the most of his limited chances. The team s top prospect, according to baseballamerica.com, was one of three players reassigned to minor-league camp on Thursday. In the second big league camp of his career, Anderson hit.286/.267/.571 in 14 at-bats with two doubles, a triple and two RBIs. Pitchers Matt Purke and Matt Lollis were also reassigned to minor-league camp, which leaves 37 players in big league camp. It s been big for him to come up here, White Sox manager Robin Ventura said. I think Jimmy (Rollins has) been a pretty good influence on him, and for him to be able to be around him and to really slow down the game. I think when you re younger you see the game in a certain way, but you want to do everything fast to show everybody how fast you can do stuff. Jimmy has a really good internal clock of being able to slow down the game. I think in talking to him today, that s the biggest thing that Timmy s got. Offensively he s a talent. He s a very aggressive swinger. He can put the barrel on it very often and hard. I think the biggest thing for me seeing him in the last couple years is, defensively, he just looks so much better and confident and slows the game down a lot. All along the hope has been that the team would be in a position to give Anderson, a first-round pick out of community college in 2013, more time to develop. The White Sox would like for Anderson to continue to refine his defense and his approach. They figure a little more seasoning won t hurt. That plan got a boost when the White Sox added Rollins late last month. Anderson could clearly force the issue and play his way on to the big league roster by the summer if he gets off to a great start. But the team is also in a position where it likely wouldn t have to rush Anderson, either. Just continue to improve, Ventura said. I think he ll understand the game better. I think for him, it s just continuing to grow. He hasn t had a ton of baseball experience and this is the time you get to do it. We don t necessarily get to see him do it. From here on out its up to him to be able to do that, gain valuable experience. It s good competition to be able to slow it down. Chris Sale likes atmosphere in White Sox dugout By Dan Hayes / CSN Chicago March 24th, 2016 GLENDALE, Ariz. -- Chris Sale likes how he feels as well as the atmosphere in the White Sox dugout. The left-hander allowed four runs and eight hits in six innings on Thursday as he made his second-to-last start of the spring. Sale earned a no decision as the White Sox lost to the Los Angeles Angels 6-5. Sale began his outing with five scoreless innings before yielding a three-run homer to Mike Trout and a solo shot to C.J. Cron in the sixth.
Sale said he feels great after he threw 88 pitches in the game and another 17 in the bullpen. He s even happier with the dugout. Just the chatter in the dugout, not only from players, but from coaches, too, Sale said. Sometimes you can get in the dugout and it s quiet and kind of stagnant. I haven t really felt that. Especially in spring training, this can get kind of tough on guys and mentally draining. To be able to carry that energy in spring, it s nice and it shows definitely. Sale intended to make Thursday s start like a real game with a higher pitch count. Facing Trout and Albert Pujols ensured it would be for Sale, who pitched in simulated game and B games before he made his Cactus League debut on Saturday. Sale retired both batters in their first two plate appearances, including a strikeout of Trout to start the fourth inning. He had only faced three over the minimum before the Angels started the sixth inning with three straight hits, the last being Trout s homer to left field. My body feels good, Sale said. My arm feels great. That s half the battle down here so with that and moving forward, I think we will all be prepared. All in all, it was a good day. The sixth inning got away a little bit, but that s what we re here for, to build up and use that as fuel. Jimmy Rollins had a first-inning solo homer, his fourth of the spring. Brett Lawrie belted a two-run shot in the sixth inning, his third. The White Sox have blasted 36 homers in 22 games this spring. The White Sox only hit 136 home runs in 2015, their fewest in a full season since 1992. They only hit 22 in camp last spring. It s been a good sign, manager Robin Ventura said. You re hopeful guys hit homers because you need to hit them to be able to compete in our division. I like the way it s gone so far. But you never can tell. White Sox stretch out relievers as end of camp nears By Dan Hayes / CSN Chicago March 24th, 2016 GLENDALE, Ariz. -- The starting pitchers are nearly stretched out and now the relievers have begun to get their sea legs, too. For part of the spring and in the days ahead, the White Sox will have their relievers pitch multiple innings in preparation for the regular season. Pitching coach Don Cooper wants his bullpen to be prepared for any scenarios as the staff starts to take shape. So Cooper has started to stretch his guys out in the case that they don t bring a long man with them when they head to California next week. We re guarding and making sure that everybody, no matter what role they might have, is equipped down here to go up and continue wherever we re at, Cooper said. While Cooper would love for the White Sox to take 13 pitchers forward, it isn t likely to happen. Though the team opens the regular season with eight consecutive games, manager Robin Ventura said the idea of carrying 13 pitchers hasn t gained much steam. But with a bullpen crowded full of experienced relievers the White Sox also could very well move ahead without a true long man. The seven relievers they d take into the season would then perhaps be counted upon to make multi-inning appearances.
Preparations for that possibility are underway as Matt Albers, Jake Petricka and Zach Duke all pitched two innings in a B game on Monday. Dan Jennings pitched 2 2/3 innings on Sunday and has pitched in multiple innings in three of six outings this spring. You are going to have to have guys who go extra innings, Ventura said. It s not a one inning per outing venture out of the bullpen, especially the way we are set up. There will have to be guys who go multiple innings. We have guys who can do it. The White Sox haven t yet had Zach Putnam make a multi-inning appearance. But the right-hander said pitching for two innings isn t something that requires much physical preparation. A third inning might be a different story. Getting up and cooling down and then getting up again is OK, Putnam said. But that third time for guys that are used to throwing just one inning or one and some change can be taxing on the body. It might take one or two times to get used to that. Some multi-inning games could come in the week ahead. Normally, the White Sox back their starting pitchers down in their final tune-ups of the spring. Some of those additional innings could be divided up among White Sox relievers. Cooper said he s comfortable with using all but closer David Robertson in multi-inning appearances. But Cooper even plans to lengthen Robertson out some because he has been so efficient this spring. In his last game, Robertson needed only 13 pitches to retire the side. If that happens again, Cooper said Robertson may head straight to the bullpen and throw another 12 pitches without a break in order to simulate a longer inning. We re getting everybody ready for what we perceive that they re going to have do during the season for us, Cooper said. When you see Albers, Jennings, Petricka, they re getting their regular work in. When I set up a schedule, it s certainly getting the starters where they gotta be, innings and pitch wise. And right after that it s the guys we foresee them coming with us, to get their innings and pitches where they need to be. Tuesday s recap: Angels 6, White Sox 5 By Paul Skrbina / Chicago Tribune March 24th, 2016 Mike Trout's three-run homer and C.J. Cron's solo blast off White Sox starter Chris Sale in the fourth helped lift the Angels to a 6-5 victory Thursday at Camelback Ranch. The Angels scored twice more in the seventh after the Sox had tied it 4-4. At the plate: Brett Lawrie had two hits of the Sox's seven hits, including a two-run homer, and Jimmy Rollins added a solo shot. On the mound: Zach Putnam took the loss for the Sox after giving up two runs in two-thirds of an inning in the seventh. In the field: White Sox right fielder Melky Cabrera made a diving catch to rob Cron of extra bases to end the third. The quote: "If we can't hit homers in our ballpark (U.S. Cellular), we're in trouble anyway. For us it's nice to see guys getting it in the air and hitting it a long way. We'll never not want to do that." manager Robin Ventura on the Sox's 36 home runs this spring. Up next: At Mariners, 3:10 p.m. Friday. LH Jose Quintana vs. RH Felix Hernandez
Mostly smooth sailing for White Sox s Chris Sale in second spring start By Paul Skrbina / Chicago Tribune March 24th, 2016 Chris Sale's second spring start started just fine. Then Mike Trout happened. Then, two batters later, C.J. Cron happened. Each hit home runs that left Sale's head shaking during a sixth inning that yielded all four runs and half of the eight hits the left-hander allowed Thursday during a 6-5 loss to the Angels at Camelback Ranch. Sale also walked one of the 25 total batters he faced. But he struck out five while throwing 59 of his 88 pitches for strikes. Photos from the spring training game in Glendale, Ariz. "Felt good out there," Sale said. "The main thing going into this game was to treat it like a normal game. Get yourself a normal pitch count and see what you can do." Sale threw another 17 pitches in the bullpen to run his day's count to 105. While the big inning was the end of Sale's afternoon, not all was lost during his first start since March 19. "He has only been out there one time, as far as the big field," Ventura said Thursday morning, referring to Sale's abbreviated spring output. "It's a pretty good lineup (the Angels) usually feature; get him stretched out. Hopefully close to 80 pitches, healthy, keep him away from trucks and things like that and we'll be good." That last was a playful mention of last spring training, when the team said Sale fractured his right foot while unloading a pickup truck got a late start to the 2015 season. Sale picked up during the regular season just fine, of course, setting the franchise record with 274 strikeouts along the way. Tyler Flowers, who caught every game Sale pitched last season, is gone and, in Sale's mind, all but professionally forgotten now that Dioner Navarro and Alex Avila are his new catchers. "People put a little more emphasis than needed (on that)," Sale said. "If we signed a high school guy to catch it probably would be a mission. "(Navarro and Avila) are great and they know what they are doing, so it has been a fun transition (from Flowers)." Ventura said that while it can be an adjustment mentally for Sale to get used to having Flowers gone, the team has no plans just yet to assign another Sale-only catcher. On the move: The White Sox reassigned shortstop Tim Anderson, right-handed pitcher Matt Lollis and left-handed pitcher Matt Purke to minor-league camp Thursday, leaving the team with 37 players at major-league camp, including 17 pitchers, three catchers, nine infielders and eight outfielders.
Avisail Garcia hitting better, but still trying to figure out defense By Paul Skrbina / Chicago Tribune March 24th, 2016 From the right-handed batter's box, spring hopes have been eternal for Avisail Garcia. Garcia is hitting.359 with three home runs, a team-best 14 RBIs and an OPS (1.134) not bound by big, round numbers. From right field, though, where Garcia plays for the White Sox, hope still is working on springing internally. On Saturday, Garcia squashed a ball with his foot in the right-center field corner at Camelback Ranch before his body tumbled into a cloud of dust. A minor wrist irritation resulted. So did a run. He followed four days later with a nice play in the right-center field gap. The mixed bag was reflected in the perplexity Garcia sprinkled into his response when asked about his glove Thursday. "I don't get it why people are talking about my defense," Garcia said. "I just have to work to get better and prove the numbers wrong. Play a little different." The numbers don't fib about Garcia's poor defense last season. Angels 6, White Sox 5 Photos from the spring training game in Glendale, Ariz. According to fangraphs.com, Garcia was the ninth-worst outfielder in baseball in defensive runs saved with at minus 11 and ranked 11th-worst overall in ultimate zone rating (UZR), which takes into account range, arm strength and errors, at minus 6.2. Camelback has been something of a body shop for Garcia this spring. The repairs, getting the dents out, Garcia insisted, are being made both in the field and at the plate. White Sox manager Robin Ventura didn't need long to diagnose Garcia's defensive struggles. He also believes there's a simple cure. "It's just how he reacts to balls off the bat," Ventura said. "Any time there's doubt, he's not going to run full blast. He needs to be able to do that." New center fielder Austin Jackson has noticed a more than negligible difference between the "Little Miggy" he encountered when the two were teammates in Detroit and now. Jackson said Garcia was slapped with that overwhelming moniker thanks to a combination of his similar sizable appearance to former MVP and Triple Crown winner Miguel Cabrera and the hype that surrounded and, at times, hounded him. "It can weigh on anybody when you're starting to get compared to a guy like Miggy," Jackson said. "It's unfair, but it's human nature, to see somebody who looks exactly like him, almost has an identical type swing. "With him being able to get away and figure out what type of player he is, it has done a lot of good for him." While his struggles with the glove continue, Garcia has shown hints of shedding some plate problems.
Garcia said he has grown at the plate because he has gotten "taller" there, meaning he has straightened his stance a bit and isn't lunging at pitches. "Last year I was always trying to catch the ball," Garcia said. "The fastball, they throw 95, 97 and that's when I missed them. Now, I'm waiting." Waiting should help speed up the maturation process for Garcia, 24, according to Jackson. "There was a lot of talent there, untapped, that I think he's really starting to tap into," Jackson said. "It was just a matter of time and a maturing process." Garcia hit.257 with 13 home runs, 141 strikeouts and a.675 OPS last season, his first full year in the big leagues. The word "bust" was bandied about in some baseball circles. People, Ventura said, were not content with Garcia hitting singles. Now? "I wouldn't put him in the Comeback Player of the Year category," Ventura said. "You have to have a little bit of time to be able to do it." That time, as far as the Sox are concerned, begins now. Paul Konerko takes the ice at Wayne Gretzky Fantasy Camp By Lauren Comitor / Chicago Tribune March 24th, 2016 Paul Konerko took a break from carpooling his kids to participate in Wayne Gretzky Fantasy Camp for the second straight year. The camp, which offers a "full pro-hockey experience" from March 20-26, offers attendees the chance to rub shoulders with NHL alumni while participating in practice sessions and games. Konerko grew up playing hockey and calls it his "first love," telling NHL.com that he now watches "a hundred times more hockey than I do baseball." Konerko told the Tribune last week that in his family-focused retirement life, he tries to get in a golf or pickup hockey game when he can. Randy Blaser: White Sox Adam LaRoche situation troubling on several counts By Randy Blaser / Chicago Tribune March 24th, 2016 One of the great things about the great game of baseball is this: No one ever knows what's going to happen. You could spend a lifetime watching the game and, at some point, you will see something no one has ever seen before. It may be a great catch, three home runs on three consecutive swings or three strikeouts on nine pitches in an All Star game. Or it might be some weird confluence of plays that can only happen in baseball. This anticipation of the unexpected that can leap out at any moment during the repetitive mundane that is a nine-inning baseball game played out over a 162-game schedule makes baseball so great. Unfortunately, our beloved team on the South Side has taken the humdrum of a spring training season and turned it into one of those bizarre "I've never seen this before" moments.
Because of this event, even casual observers were calling the team anti-family. They're not. They're just anti-baseball. How else can one explain the weird saga of one Adam LaRoche, who decided to quit playing baseball and forego $13 million a year because White Sox management told him to cool it with his 14-year-old son spending so much time with the team. I know we've had some time now to sleep on this story, but no matter how you slice it, the issue, its resolution and the players' reaction to it, is just creepy. First, the event. I love my kids and try to spend as much time with them as I can. But when I'm working, they are a distraction. At work, you talk about your kids with coworkers over coffee. Your coworkers don't strategize with them on how to break out of an oh-for slump at the plate. Then there is the idea of a teenager in a Major League Baseball clubhouse. It should come as a surprise to no one that baseball players curse. Why put a kid in that environment? Would you give your 14-yearold a copy of "Ball Four" and tell him to have at it? Case closed. Next up, the resolution. When your boss asks you to do something at work, something that is standard practice throughout the industry, most employees acknowledge the directive and move on. Not LaRoche. He responded by saying what many want to say deep down: "Take this job and shove it!" Don't most people wait until they are reprimanded before quitting? Third: Player reaction. I understand the players rallying around another player. That's what you do in baseball. You stick up for your teammate, even if it is a guy you hate, who leaves his wet shower shoes laying around the clubhouse and plays country music real loud. But here is the bizarre part. White Sox centerfielder Adam Eaton defended the whole thing by telling the press the kid is a great leader in the clubhouse. That's right. A grown man, a professional baseball player in the major leagues, looks to a 14-year-old kid for leadership. I don't know what the kid could possibly be telling the White Sox players. Maybe "Go get 'em," or "keep at it," or "don't give up," or "you can do it, kid," or "You know, when I was in Little League, I struck out, too." Perhaps what the White Sox have needed to be told at least last season is this: "You stink at baseball."
White Sox ace Chris Sale allows 2 homers, can use that as fuel By Patrick Finley / Chicago Sun-Times March 24th, 2016 GLENDALE, Ariz. Mike Trout banked Chris Sale s changeup off the back of the bullpen beyond the left-field wall Thursday. Two batters later, the Angels C.J. Cron hit a pitch even farther, over the bullpen. The sixth inning got away a little bit, the White Sox ace said. But that s what we re here for, to build up and use that as fuel Sometimes you get out there and you ve only got three innings, you don t feel like it was a real start. (Thursday) felt as natural as it possibly could be, which was nice. Eleven days before he makes his Opening Day start, Sale put in his last heavy workday of the spring, throwing 88 pitches and another 17 in the bullpen Results aside he allowed eight hits and four earned runs in six innings, striking out five and walking one in a 6-5 loss to the Angels Sale was happy. That was the main going into this game to try and treat it like a normal game, he said. Get yourself a normal pitch count and go out and see what you can do. Thursday marked Sale s second Cactus League start. His next outing will likely feature fewer pitches as he prepares for April 4 in Oakland. He said his arm feels great and his body good, and that s half the battle down here. He assigned some significance to allowing runs, even in the spring. When you re in season, you re in game mode, you re in attack mode, you re in winning mode, he said. There s a little bit different feel out here, but at the end of the day winning games is still important. Manager Robin Ventura didn t seem worried about his workload, jokingly warning against Sale s real spring training danger before the game. Keep him away from trucks and things like that, he said, and we ll be good. White Sox think spring power surge a sign of things to come By Patrick Finley / Chicago Sun-Times March 24th, 2016 GLENDALE, Ariz. Jimmy Rollins solo home run and Brett Lawrie s two-run shot off Angels starter Matt Shoemaker in Thursday s 6-5 loss marked the team s 35 and 36th this spring, the second-most in baseball. It s better than the alternative: the White Sox hit 22 last spring and went on to slug only 136, tied for fourth-fewest in baseball, during the regular season. Manager Robin Ventura said teams that don t homer in the warm, thin air of the Cactus League play typically won t once the games matter. I think that was more of an indicator: when you don t hit them, you know for a fact, especially down here, Ventura said before the game at Camelback Ranch. I think the type of home runs they re hitting, and who s hitting them, you expect those guys to hit them. I think it s been a good sign. You re hopeful guys hit homers because you need to hit them to be able to compete in our division.
I like the way it s gone so far. But you never can tell. Leaping catch Right fielder Melky Cabrera leapt at the wall to rob C.J. Cron of extra bases to end the fourth inning Thursday. He got up gingerly but jogged off the field. Timeline The 25-man roster should be pretty well set by the time the White Sox play the first of two exhibitions April 1 in San Diego, Ventura said. There could be a couple decisions that go down very late, he said. 5-to-1 Oddsmaker BookMaker.eu published odds on which big-league manager would be fired first, and Ventura had the third smallest odds, at +500. The Braves Fredi Gonzalez is +330 and the Reds Brian Price is +440. On deck Sox at Mariners, 3:10 p.m., Jose Quintana at Felix Hernandez White Sox counting on vet catchers Dioner Navarro and Alex Avila By Patrick Finley / Chicago Sun-Times March 24th, 2016 GLENDALE, Ariz. After Dioner Navarro explained how he caught John Danks tipping pitches and helped him fix it someone asked the White Sox catcher when he was going to proposition his bosses for a raise. Once the season starts and I start putting up numbers, he joked, then I ask for more. The 32-year-old is playing under a $4 million on a one-year contract. His catching platoon-mate, 29-yearold Alex Avila, is collecting $2.5 million on his one-year deal. Neither contract is unusual but both are. The value of a veteran catcher typically lies in his ability to mentor a younger backstop breaking into the big leagues. The White Sox don t have one of those. Instead, they re hoping two experienced catchers are better than one. Navarro showed some of that savvy three Danks starts ago, when he noticed his glove was positioned differently for certain pitches. I pick up little things like this, I pick up little things like that, Navarro said. We re just trying to relay our message to our guys. We re here together. We have to pull from the same side of the rope. And that s what eventually is going to happen. The tweak happens more often in spring that you d think, Navarro said, and is oftentimes a result of keen eye sharpened by years of experience. I think when you re 20, you re not thinking about that type of stuff, Avila said. You re trying to make the team, trying to make an impression, so you re not really looking at those types of things.
Sometimes, Avila said, giving pitchers a different perspective is beneficial. It must feel odd to Chris Sale, though; the ace threw every single pitch of 2014 and 2015 to Tyler Flowers. The White Sox non-tendered Flowers, considered a good pitch-framer, in December to search for an offensive boost. I ve said it before: if we signed a high school guy to go catch, it would probably be a mission, Sale said Thursday after allowing four earned runs on eight hits in six innings. But these guys are great. They know what they re doing. They fit in well here. Between innings, Avila and Sale huddled about pitch type and location, but also to mechanics. We are just bouncing ideas off of each other, and just trying to build that relationship, and have them have their cues for me, Sale said. Shoulder, front side, whatever it is. We are working towards that, and it has been great. Both catchers spoke with pitching coach Don Cooper and watched film during the offseason to grow familiar with the staff. Manager Robin Ventura praised their willingness to catch anyone, anywhere The A field, the B field, parking lot, he said during the transition. We are trying to make sure they see everybody, Ventura said. They likely won t be offensive juggernauts, but they ll be an improvement from Flowers, who struck out an amazing 34.8 percent of the time during his career. Navarro showed pop with the Blue Jays last year, hitting.246 with five homers and 20 RBIs in 171 at-bats. Playing for the Tigers who named his dad Al their GM in August Avila struggled last year, hitting.191 with four homers and 13 RBIs in 219 at-bats. He lost his starting job. Change can be good sometimes, Avila said. It can be difficult, but it can be good. I think one of the reasons why we were both brought in to kinda bring that different dynamic, that different mentality. This staff was pretty good last year. If they can be just as good and we bring whatever me and Dioner can bring as far as experience, maybe that correlates into a few extra more wins. I think that s the idea, and I think we can make that happen. White Sox SS Tim Anderson headed to minor-league camp By Patrick Finley / Chicago Sun-Times March 24th, 2016 GLENDALE, Ariz. The White Sox sent their top prospect, shortstop Tim Anderson, to minor-league camp Thursday. The move was expected all spring, as the team signed Jimmy Rollins to serve as a bridge to the 22-yearold. Anderson went 4-for-14 with two doubles, a triple and two RBIs in Cactus League play. For him, it s just continue to grow, manager Robin Ventura said. He hasn t had a ton of baseball experience and this is the time you get to do it. We don t necessarily get to see him do it. From here on out its up to him to be able to do that, gain valuable experience. The White Sox also reassigned right hander Matt Lollis and lefty Matt Purke, bringing their big-league camp roster to 37.
White Sox bullpen trying to build off last year Scot Gregor / Daily Herald March 24th, 2016 This off-season, general manager Rick Hahn addressed the White Sox' most pressing need -- the offense. After the Sox finished last in the American League in 2015 in runs scored (622) and homers (136), Hahn acquired slugging third baseman Todd Frazier and second baseman Brett Lawrie in trades. He signed two free-agent catchers, Alex Avila and Dioner Navarro, shortstop Jimmy Rollins and outfielder Austin Jackson. Hahn also added some needed depth to the rotation, signing projected No. 4 starter Mat Latos and Jacob Turner. As for the bullpen, it's going to be basically the same crew as last season for the Sox, and that's a positive. "We were pleased with the way the revamped bullpen came along," Hahn said. In 2014, the White Sox' bullpen had the second highest ERA (4.38) in the AL, and the unit issued the most walks (236) while totaling the fewest strikeouts (379). Hahn addressed the problem at season's end, signing closer David Robertson to a four-year, $46 million contract. The GM also signed veteran setup man Zach Duke to a three-year, $15 million deal and landed Dan Jennings in a trade from the Marlins. In 2015, the Sox' bullpen improved to sixth in the AL with a 3.67 ERA while increasing the strikeout count to 423 and reducing the walks to 176. "We've got a lot of guys that have really had a lot of experience, and they know what they are doing out there," Robertson said. "I think that's going to show this year when they take the ball. The more mound time you get, the better you are out there in tough situations." In addition to Robertson, Duke and Jennings, Zach Putnam and Jake Petricka also return in middle relief roles. In 2014, Putnam and Petricka share time in the closer's role when Matt Lindstrom and Nate Jones went down with injuries and Ronald Belisario was ineffective. The biggest key this season is Jones, who had Tommy John surgery in July 2014 and returned to the White Sox' bullpen last August. Now 100 percent healthy, Jones and his 100-mph fastball are undoubtedly going to help the Sox. "I feel good and healthy and smooth," Jones said. "I think that's the main thing right now for me. The farther away we get from Tommy John surgery, it's just healthy and smooth. Last year was a whole different story coming in here. I was hurt and everything. Coming in here to spring training and showing I'm strong and healthy, it's pretty big."
Levine: Chris Sale good through five innings before malfunction By Bruce Levine / CBS Chicago March 24th, 2016 GLENDALE, Ariz. The heavy lifting for spring training is over for opening day starter Chris Sale. Going six innings against a full Angels lineup, Sale looked good until running out of gas in the sixth. The roof caved in on Sale with back-to-back home runs off the bat of Mike Trout and Chris Cron. The real competition into late-game situations was stimulating to the White Sox ace. It is a little different down here, rather than the regular season, when you are in attack mode, winning mode, he said. At the end of the day winning games are still important. This start kind of gets the ball rolling for you. The more you win the better off you will be. We are still here to win games, but it is a little different. Sale will have one more outing on March 29. Then he ll get five days of rest before opening up in Oakland against the A s on April 4. The long balls he gave up in the sixth were almost predicable for the pitcher. Sometimes you feel it before you even release the ball. It is not a funfeeling out there, he said. He added: All in all, it was a good day. The sixth inning got away a little bit. That is what we are still here for, to build up and use that as fuel. Sale threw 88 pitches in the game and another 17 in the bullpen after coming out. He will predictably wind down to 60-70 pitches in his final Cactus League appearance next Tuesday. My body feels good, my arm feels great, Sale insisted after the game. That is really half the battle down here. With that moving forward, I feel prepared for (opening day). Last year was mostly a breakout season for the 27-year-old pitcher, except for a few hiccups after the All Star break. The Florida native set a franchise strikeout record of 274 last year. He also led baseball with a 6.57-to-1 ratio of strikeouts to walks. Ace in the pen: Robertson backstops reborn Sox relief corps Bruce Levine / CBS Chicago March 23rd, 2016 It wasn t too long ago that the White Sox bullpen was one of the worst units in all of baseball. In 2014, the group posted a 4.38 ERA, an 11.3 percent walk rate, an 18.2 percent strikeout rate and had 21 blown saves. It was an abysmal collection of relievers that didn t have a single consistent performer due to either injury or ineffectiveness. General manager Rick Hahn s front office aggressively addressed the issue the following offseason by adding David Roberston, Zach Duke and Dan Jennings. Some were disappointed by Roberston s 3.41 ERA last season, but he seems to be a victim of a little bit of bad luck (65.7 percent left on base percentage) and the Sox s dreadful defense. In reality, Robertson s 34.4 percent strikeout rate and 5.2 percent walk rate could be stacked up against nearly any reliever in baseball and look impressive. In baseball, it s hard to find a reliever you can count on, but Robertson is one of a handful who has shown up year to year. Since 2010, he s posted a K-rate of 32.7 percent, good for ninth in all of baseball during that span. He s also greatly improved upon his command, going from a 12.2 percent walk rate (2008-2011) to 7.2 percent over the last four seasons.