Hired as the team’s manager early in the offseason, Pedro Grifol is the 42nd manager in Chicago’s long history. Serving within the Kansas City Royals organization since 2013, Grifol saw plenty of the White Sox with his own eyes during that time. He also saw a team that underwhelmed last season, finishing 81-81 after a tumultuous season that includes health issues for Hall of Fame manager Tony La Russa before his retirement. That stumble came on the heels of the White Sox winning the division in 2021.
That, however, is in the past for Grifol and the team. He is charting a new course ahead based on a simple philosophy: “Just play hard.”
Chicago White Sox spring training: Pedro Grifol pushes fundamentals
Grifol used a play from Friday’s game as an example of what he expects from his team in 2023. On Saturday, during a game, the team manager pointed to this play to emphasize his expectations.
All-Star shortstop Tim Anderson hit a ground ball to Cincinnati’s Kevin Newman with two outs in the second inning of Friday’s game.
Anderson ran hard down the line to beat the throw, resulting in an infield single that allowed Hanser Alberto to score.
Andrew Vaughn took advantage of the opportunity created by Anderson’s hustle and hit a 1-2 pitch for a three-run homer. This gave the White Sox a 5-0 lead in the game.
“I have to highlight TA running hard down the line, beating that ball out, and then the homer by Vaughn,” Grifol said. “That’s what we’re about. That’s what we’re preaching. Just play hard.”
Grifol talked about other exciting moments in the game but acknowledged that his team still needs to work on certain areas during the spring.
“We still have to improve our overall secondary leads. That’s an area we have to get better at, and we’re addressing that,” Grifol said.
Grifol and his team will focus on improving the small details that may have prevented the White Sox from gaining momentum in 2022. During the spring, they aim to work on areas such as running hard to get infield singles. These small actions may not be visible in the box score but can result in significant advantages in 2023.
