The White Sox made a surprising and significant decision Friday to move Chris Sale back to the bullpen. Sale, who has had a short but successful run as a starter this season after relieving last year, has been experiencing slight tenderness in his elbow area, manager Robin Ventura said.
Rather than risk his long-term health, the Sox decided to make Sale the closer. Dylan Axelrod will move into the rotation and start Sunday in Sale’s place against the Detroit Tigers.
Ventura said Sale will be available to close Monday, when the Sox play two games in Cleveland.
“It’s not disappointing to us, it’s disappointing to him because this was something he’s always wanted to do,’’ pitching coach Don Cooper said before the Sox’ game Friday at Detroit. “We’re not making this decision based on what’s best for the team because obviously he’s starting and doing well and that would be a wonderful thing to keep him in. We feel we’re doing what’s best for him, his career and his health. It’s the best way to keep him healthy and strong.’’
Sale, 3-1 with a 2.81 ERA, has been the Sox’ second-best starter behind American League Pitcher of the Month Jake Peavy. He pitched in the bullpen last year, but his stated goal always was to start. His transition to the job had been smooth. He wasn’t happy about the move, Cooper said, and he declined to talk to reporters before the game, asking instead if he could talk Saturday.
Reader Comments and Retorts
Go to end of page
Statements posted here are those of our readers and do not represent the BaseballThinkFactory. Names are provided by the poster and are not verified. We ask that posters follow our submission policy. Please report any inappropriate comments.
1. Pat Rapper's Delight Posted: May 05, 2012 at 11:47 AM (#4124108)Good move. This ought to keep Sale healthy and strong like Andrew Bailey, Joakim Soria, Brian Wilson, Drew Storen, and at least a couple others this year alone that I can't think of at the moment.
Watching Rivera go after the ball, it almost seems like he thought he was playing centerfield in an actual game.
But he's done this for 20 years! He's a Great Athlete! He is legendary for making great plays while shagging!
What do you expect them to do, have him skip a start or two to keep him in the rotation as a starter instead o a 60 inning reliever? I think their plan is just pitch him as often as possible and see if the arm breaks. They are merely following the tried and true dictum of a famous 19th century pitching coach (Fred Nietzsche) who claimed if it doesn't, he'll definitely come out of it stronger.
Are we sure Ozzie isn't still running this team?
Cooper's got a good track record and a damn good record when it comes to pitcher health (Peavy notwithstanding) and I'd give him the benefit of the doubt here.
Anyway, it's a bummer Sale's moving back to the pen because he was looking great as a starter. It needs to be said that his velocity was a bit lower in his latest start, and then he started to complain of arm problems afterwards. Maybe it's for the best, but I still don't like it.
Yeah, Ozzie's run roughshod over his starting pitchers.
Wait a second! I read here at BBTF that he was "definately one of the best pitching coaches in this game"; "a ####### genius"; and "arguably the best" pitching coach. It's hard to keep up.
Somehow for Sale, this will end poorly.
I see on this thread that most folks are criticizing the move, but not directly criticizing Cooper. I still love Coop as a pitching coach, and he's the main reason I don't think this is a completely ######## plan.
Also, since we don't have many Sox threads, this is a team with some ridiculous extremes. Dunn (148 OPS+, De Aza (114), Konerko (187), & AJ (126) have been great; Alexei (40), Morel (25), Viciedo (62) have been bad. Only Rios (99) & recently Gordon Beckham (84) have been mediocre. I'm sure they'll figure out the bullpen problems, and Alexei will get hot as the weather gets warmer. I'm not expecting a 95-win season, but they should be able to compete for a title in the Central (nothing to brag about, but a playoff spot is a playoff spot).
You must be Registered and Logged In to post comments.
<< Back to main