GLENDALE, Ariz. -- Todd Frazier said he feels right at home with the White Sox just in time for a visit with his old friends.
He’s only been with the club for a month, but the White Sox third baseman is comfortable in his new surroundings. When he arrived in camp, Frazier -- who was acquired from the Cincinnati Reds in December -- said he’d take his time figuring out his place in the White Sox clubhouse. But that process has been smoother than Frazier expected, he said after Saturday’s 9-7 loss to the Reds at Camelback Ranch.
“It’s come very easily,” Frazier said. “Finding a niche is tough to do. But when you have professionals that come in here, new guys and old, you talk to the guys who have been here before. You have to know your ins and outs of Chicago, the team, how we go about things and what the staff wants. Then you’ve got the new guys, veterans like Jimmy Rollins. He brings his prowess in. It’s been a fun spring. Everybody is ready to go. Everybody was ready to go last week. It’s going to be a lot of fun to see the different attitudes and the different way we go about things this year. I can’t wait.”
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Frazier was equally excited to face his old team for the first time. He went 2-for-3 with a run scored and has one more chance to face the Reds on Wednesday. He spent part of the game talking with third-base coach Billy Hatcher, who has moved over from first base this season. Frazier said he also joked around with some of his former teammates, too.
But Frazier isn’t looking back.
“It was fun to see the familiar faces,” Frazier said. “The guys were nice. It was one of those fun games to see the guys you used to play with. It looks like they’re doing pretty well, so I’m happy for them. At the end of the day, I’m a White Sox. It was good to see them, but I’m trying to get ready for the season.”
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How Frazier prepares is one of the reasons why he has become so popular among his new teammates. Frazier is lively, energetic and focused in the team’s practice sessions. He’s had a role in team competitions in fielding drills where the losing squad serves lunch or an energy drink to the winners, things to keep it loose. Players and coaches appreciate the way Frazier and Rollins and others have kept things lively so late in camp.
“He likes to have fun, but he’s all business when he comes down to it,” White Sox manager Robin Ventura said. “He’s been a good addition for us, not only playing third base and the talent he has to play the game, but all of the intangibles that come with him. He’s a good piece. He fits in any part of the clubhouse, whether it’s English or Spanish. He fits in any realm of that clubhouse.”