Grifol focuses not on the end, but next 7-10 days
Scott Merkin
@scottmerkinGLENDALE, Ariz. -- Tuesday was more than just March 7 on Pedro Grifol’s calendar.
After Monday’s off-day, it was time for the White Sox manager to deliver his next batch of expectations to the team in a morning talk.
“I told you that I had had expectations, and my expectations weren't going to be focused on the end of the season,” Grifol said. “They're going to be focused on a 7-10 day period.
“Today was the time for us to talk about expectations for the next 7-10 days. We just have to refocus on the things that are important and the things that are going to help us do the things we want to do.”
Each time period brings a different level or a different sense of expectations. On Tuesday, Grifol mentioned being more lenient on missing signs in the previous 7-10 days. He also spoke about the little things of the game, including opportunistic baserunning, knowing who you are on the offense and strong defensive fundamentals.
As Grifol explained, sometimes expectations remain the same, but the level of urgency is completely different.
“It's March 7. But I'll stress this again: March 25, to address these things, is too late,” Grifol said. “And that's what I meant before when I said you can't win it in the spring, but you can certainly lose it in the spring. So I just want to make sure that as a team we are focused on these little things that are going to help us, again, win a one-run ballgame.
“We're working on the 10-1 ballgame,” added Grifol with a wry smile. “I know everybody likes to hit balls over the fence and doubles and triples and the whole works. But we’ve got to prepare ourselves to win every type of ballgame that we are presented with. So they're working their butts off, and the staff is doing an incredible job. They're extremely detailed.”
Grifol’s first camp has been disrupted due to the 2023 World Baseball Classic, with Yoán Moncada and Luis Robert beginning action for Team Cuba against the Netherlands Tuesday night and Eloy Jiménez joining the Dominican Republic squad. Tim Anderson was scheduled to play shortstop and lead off for the White Sox in their 5-2 Cactus League victory over the Brewers Tuesday, but instead left that morning along with reliever Kendall Graveman to join Team USA.
Lance Lynn made his third Spring Training start for the White Sox, allowing two hits and one walk over four scoreless innings while striking out five. The big right-hander felt ready to join Anderson and Graveman and take the mound Sunday or Monday for Team USA.
“You represent your country, so there’s really not a whole lot bigger you can do as an athlete besides winning a World Series,” Lynn said. “When you are representing your country, that’s pretty high up there.
“I was able to do it when I was in college [at the 2007 Pan American games]. So, to be able to have this opportunity again, 15 years later, is awesome. You hope the work you put in the offseason and the work you put in the first month of camp here got you ready to go.”
Eight White Sox players are taking part in the WBC, with pitchers José Ruiz (Venezuela) and Nicholas Padilla (Mexico) rounding out the group. Grifol hopes they play hard and come back healthy, which is most important for the 2023 season.
Meanwhile, Grifol will continue to deliver his message in these 7-10 day pods. His communication and attention to detail have impressed Grifol’s charges.
“He has a really good talent of communicating and expressing what he wants the team’s DNA to be,” White Sox second baseman Elvis Andrus said. “I love it because these next two weeks are the crazy weeks of Spring Training. The first one you’re excited, the last one you’re super excited because you’re about to go. So, the middle one is, like, your work ethic and consistency have to kick in. You can stay prepared and believe in the process of the whole Spring Training.”
“Hopefully we can get guys that are here to live up to what we know we are capable of, that we did two years ago,” Lynn said. “Last year was a down year, it was a lost year, in all honesty. We have a lot of guys with a lot to prove, and he has the ability to push guys where he needs to ... It’s been great.”