GLENDALE, Ariz. — The White Sox feel as if they’ve put in the right type of work so far and now they’re eager to show it.
Monday’s intrasquad marked the first opportunity for the White Sox to see how much progress they have made. Todd Frazier, whose squad lost 5-4 to Team Abreu, believes the White Sox are on the right track for success. Frazier singled in two at-bats and left with his team in the lead. Team Abreu won on a walkoff three-run homer by outfielder Daniel Fields in the bottom of the fifth inning.
“I love the tone,” Frazier said. “Everybody has a role, everybody is taking accountability for themselves and it starts right now from Day 1. With the intrasquads we’ve got today — you can see it, it’s focus. It’s focus time. The ability to understand it’s not offseason anymore. It’s time to go. I see that a lot with these guys.”
Monday was the first time the White Sox have competed in seven days together. They square off in another intrasquad game on Tuesday and begin their exhibition season on Thursday against the Los Angeles Dodgers.
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Brett Lawrie said its how — not how hard — the White Sox have worked that has him encouraged. The second baseman went 1-for-2 with a sac fly and an RBI in the loss for Team Frazier.
“It’s all about the quality,” Lawrie said. “If we go out there, and we just do the quantity, quantity, quantity, we’re not getting any work in. We’re just picking the ball, putting it down, picking it up, putting it down. We’re not getting ourselves into a good position. But you give me 10 groundballs, and I’m going to do all of those 10 at the top of the game, with good form, and I’m not going to be tired at the end of it. I’m going to get more out of that than doing 50 groundballs and being so tired at the end with bad form. So it’s definitely about the quality over the quantity and refining that.”
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Carson Fulmer struck out two in two innings pitched for Team Frazier. He allowed a run and four hits, including an RBI double to Jose Abreu, who finished 1-for-2. Tyler Danish allowed an unearned run and a hit in two innings for Team Abreu. Daniel Webb struck out two in a scoreless inning pitched, too.
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White Sox manager Robin Ventura also is pleased with the commitment his team has shown in its first full week together. The White Sox hope this is a strong foundation from which to build as they look for the first winning season since 2012.
“It’s been great,” Ventura said. “You look around at the infielders and outfielders, we’re seeing guys who’ve played a while and have a little history of doing the right things and playing the game the right way. A lot of it, even going into practice is very much the same thing. It’s been impressive.”