GLENDALE, Ariz. — Several White Sox players had already talked about making cohesion in the clubhouse a priority after last season’s disappointing .500 finish, Elvis Andrus and Tim Anderson among them.
“Everybody pulling the same way instead of each guy trying to do their thing,” Andrus said. “I think that was the only thing I saw lacking towards the end of last year.”
Everyone must pull “from the same string,” Anderson said. “Like we’re on the same team. Everybody.”
“It’s a matter of coming together,” Michael Kopech said.
Jose Abreu said it in the most direct way, from his new spring training home with the Astros in Florida, telling the Sun-Times the Sox “weren’t a family.”
Perhaps a new season, with a new manager known to be a good communicator in Pedro Grifol, will bring about change for the good. Grifol is all about creating a winning culture.
“Every time we had good communication, everybody was on the same page and we [got] results, we won,” Eloy Jimenez told the Sun-Times. “When we didn’t have that kind of communication, everybody noticed and something bad happened. It wasn’t about roles, but it was about everybody [being] in the same clubhouse. Sometimes we would talk just when the game started. It felt like everybody was on their own. That’s not good. That has to change.”
It didn’t help that many of the Sox’ key players were dealing with injuries and sub-par performances in what would be manager Tony La Russa’s last season.
“I’ve been there, even in the minor leagues, maybe you’re not playing as well as you should or have in the past, sometimes you try to do more,” catcher Seby Zavala said. “I’ve fallen victim to being to myself and not as much of a team guy as in the past. It’s hard not to be as good as you should or want to. We had guys down with injuries, and it’s hard when you’re not always in that same locker room with that family environment.”
Cease’s first start
Cy Young runner-up Dylan Cease pitched two scoreless innings against the Reds in his first Cactus League outing, pitching out of a one-out, bases loaded jam after two walks in the first.
“Obviously walks aren’t ideal,” said Cease, who struck out Chad Pinder and Tyler Stephenson. “But they are pretty close misses. Just got to re-calibrate a little bit and get back into it.
“I actually felt good. I didn’t feel wild. I felt pretty solid. It was a pretty good first outing.”
Good hustle
Andrus showed Grifol something against the Rockies Wednesday by “busting his butt” to first base on come-backer to the mound.
“He’s not just a vocal leader. This guy leads by example, too,” Grifol said. “He’s not just saying something. He says it and he does it. That’s how we want to put this thing together.”
This and that
Lucas Giolito makes his first start against the Dodgers Sunday. Mike Clevinger, who has not started a Cactus League game, will open against the Dodgers in a B game Sunday morning.
*Twenty West Point high school scholar baseball and softball players and coaches, who watched morning drills, toured the Camelback Ranch facility and watched Friday’s game, were guests of Grifol and wife Ali.