The countdown continues to the primary Cactus League video games Saturday for the Chicago Cubs and White Sox.
It was chilly and windy Wednesday for exercises.
“Just to get out on the field today was a win for us,” Sox supervisor Pedro Grifol mentioned. “This morning it rained really hard, and we thought we weren’t going to be able to get out there. … The weather wasn’t great, but we got it done.”
Chicago Tribune baseball writers LaMond Pope, Meghan Montemurro and Paul Sullivan will likely be offering Cubs and White Sox updates all through spring coaching.
Mike Napoli honored by sudden Hall of Fame vote
Cubs first-base coach Mike Napoli was not anticipating the textual content he obtained Jan. 24.
The Baseball Hall of Fame voting outcomes had been introduced, and Napoli, who performed 12 years for 4 organizations and gained a World Series in 2013 with the Boston Red Sox, was one in all 28 candidates on the poll. And, as he discovered from his agent, he obtained one vote.
Napoli was shocked and grateful.
“I was like, ‘What, for real, I did?’ ” Napoli informed the Tribune. “That was pretty cool, just to even be on the ballot.”
The Hall of Fame despatched Napoli a letter that he plans to border and placed on a wall in his house. Napoli’s voter didn’t reveal their poll. Napoli plans to search out out who honored his profession with the vote and believes it was a Baseball Writers’ Association of America voter who lined him in Texas.
His agent has been trying into discovering the voter’s id so Napoli can ship a card or bottle of champagne to point out his appreciation.
“I always wanted the respect from the other team, my teammates — I tried to play the game the right way every single day,” Napoli mentioned. “I used to be lucky to be on a number of successful groups so I feel having that publicity most likely helped, being within the playoffs loads, having some success.
“No way I think I’m a Hall of Famer, but to get a vote is pretty cool.”
Pedro Grifol appreciates Eloy Jiménez’s want to play the outfield
With Andrew Benintendi signed as the brand new left fielder, Eloy Jiménez may make the transfer to DH. It was a spot he carried out nicely finally season.
Jiménez, 26, can also be getting work in proper discipline this spring. He has had conversations with Grifol about his want to play as a lot outfield as doable.
“We were talking and he said, ‘I’m going to put you out there (this spring), give me your best,” Jiménez mentioned Wednesday afternoon. “I’m going to do that and try to stay there because everybody here knows I don’t like DH. I’m going to work to be an outfielder.”
Grifol appreciates Jiménez’s strategy.
“I love it,” Grifol mentioned. “Why would you not commit your self and compete for a job within the outfield? He’s a mainstay in our lineup, after all. But why wouldn’t you need to put together your self and go on the market and compete for a defensive job?
“I would do the same thing if I was in his shoes. And I want him to do that. I want him to go out there and stay hungry and compete for that right-field job.”
Communication is essential, Grifol mentioned.
“He’s doing a phenomenal job coming out here and really, really working hard,” Grifol mentioned. “If the time comes the place he wins that job or some enjoying time on the market, I’ll talk that with him. If the time comes the place we don’t see him enjoying a lot on the market, I’ll talk that with him as nicely.
“That goes for everybody in this club. Everybody’s going to know their role.”
Christopher Morel able to construct off rookie season
His first style of the majors helped Christopher Morel know the place to speculate his offseason work.
Morel, 23, spent a number of time the previous few months including weight to arrange for the vigor of a protracted season. For stretches of 2022, Morel performed like among the best rookies within the league, particularly on the plate. Inconsistencies emerged, although, offensively and with erratic defensive play.
Unlike final season, when Morel noticed time at middle discipline, second base, shortstop and third base, he has no apparent match after the group’s offseason additions. The Cubs may use him as their fourth outfielder, put him within the third-base rotation or make him a go-to choice off the bench.
“I’ll continue to be prepared for anywhere they need me,” Morel mentioned by way of an interpreter. “My job is to be here, to go in and play where I’m wanted and win a World Series. That’s my focus. … Basically I want to duplicate as much as I can from last season and strike out less, get more walks, steal more bases.”
Reliever Bryan Shaw, a non-roster invitee, excited to affix Sox camp
Reliever Bryan Shaw had a query for reporters after being requested how his minor-league cope with the Sox that includes a non-roster invitation to big-league camp happened.
“What answer do you want, the actual answer or the PC one?” Shaw joked Wednesday morning.
“They called and gave me a job,” he mentioned with amusing earlier than including, “No, that they had curiosity all offseason. We’ve been speaking to them. We have been hoping to discover a big-league deal someplace. It didn’t occur. But they have been from the leap.
“It was between them and someone else, the other team kept waiting, waiting, waiting. The White Sox have been interested from the beginning, so jumped on it. I wanted to get to spring, start throwing, start doing stuff. I was tired sitting at home.”
The transfer was introduced Wednesday.
Shaw, 35, has a 43-45 document with a 3.92 ERA in 753 profession appearances (two begins) for the Arizona Diamondbacks (2011-12), Cleveland (2013-17, 2021-22), Colorado Rockies (2018-19) and Seattle Mariners (2020). The right-hander was 6-2 with a 5.40 ERA in 60 appearances (two begins) for the Guardians final season.
“I’m excited to be here with these guys and get going,” Shaw mentioned. “(I’ve) been throwing lives, staying ready. Just waiting for an opportunity, the right opportunity. It came here, so now we’re ready to go.”
Meanwhile, the Cincinnati Reds claimed former Sox reliever Bennett Sousa off waivers. The Sox designated Sousa for project Monday.
This day in spring coaching historical past
Feb. 23, 2004: Sox camp braced for the arrival of Frank Thomas, who had been challenged by new supervisor and former teammate Ozzie Guillén in November throughout his introductory information convention.
“Sometimes you try to push Frank, and Frank doesn’t want to move,” Sandy Alomar Jr. mentioned. “I’m sure he’ll be fine and there will be no problems.”
Guillén joked he may take the “Big Hurt” to a bar to speak it out and “tell him he’s my man.” Thomas arrived the next day and downplayed any friction between the 2.
“I don’t know where all this stuff is coming from about me being disgruntled and upset,” Thomas mentioned. Everyone within the Sox clubhouse was conscious that Guillén beloved poking the bear when Thomas was his teammate. Now Guillén was Thomas’ boss.
No huge deal, Thomas mentioned. “I’m easily needled at times,” he conceded. “But I’ve changed over the years.”
The Sox went 83-79 in Guillén’s first season. Now the 2 needle one another as studio analysts at NBC Sports Chicago.
Feb. 23, 2008: Cubs second baseman Mark DeRosa left Fitch Park on a stretcher after struggling an irregular heartbeat throughout a exercise.
“It’s scary,” supervisor Lou Piniella mentioned. “Anytime it has something to do with the heart, obviously you worry about it.”
Cubs doctor Stephen Adams later revealed that DeRosa skilled an episode of atrial dysrhythmia, which he had had previously.
“This one had a bit of an extended period of time … and when it didn’t break with his usual maneuvers, we decided to take him to the hospital to have him monitored,” Adams mentioned.
DeRosa remained hospitalized yet one more day. He hit 21 house runs and drove in 87 runs in 2008 whereas serving to the Cubs to their second straight NL Central title. DeRosa is a studio host at MLB Network and can handle Team USA within the upcoming World Baseball Classic.
What we’re studying this morning
Quotable
“When I saw him, I told him how big he was and said next year I’m going to be as big as you. Seiya told me, no, don’t do that, you’re going to get slow.” — a smiling Christopher Morel, by way of an interpreter, on his response when he noticed that Seiya Suzuki had bulked up.
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Source: www.bostonherald.com