Boston lefty Sale gets AL start in his home state
MIAMI — When Chris Sale steps onto the mound at Marlins Park tonight, he’ll be thinking about his friends, family and former college coach, all of whom will be sitting in the stands when Sale starts the All-Star Game.
But there’s one thing Sale will not allow himself to think about: How the opposing National League starting lineup has a combined 158 home runs this season.
“If you let that creep into your mind,” Sale said, “it’s gonna be a long night.”
The 28-year-old lefty for the Boston Red Sox is no stranger to All-Star Games. This will be his sixth.
But he admitted this one will be different. Sale is from Lakeland, and he played college baseball at Florida Gulf Coast University in Fort Myers.
“To be able to experience this with my family and to have a few friends come down as well, it’s awesome,” Sale said.
In his eighth season in the majors and first with the Red Sox, Sale has been one of baseball’s most reliable pitchers. He leads the majors with 178 strikeouts and ranks fourth with a 2.75 ERA.
“I respect the way he goes about each and every start, and how he gives everything he’s got,” Red Sox closer Craig Kimbrel said Monday. “There’s an energy that he brings, and it’s definitely something that’s felt by the team.”
“Hopefully I’ll be sitting in a rocking chair when I’m 80 years old, telling my grandkids and great grandkids [about this],” Sale said.
Francona helps with AL lineup
Even though Cleveland Indians manager Terry Francona won’t be guiding the American League on Tuesday after undergoing a heart procedure last week, he was still able to play a part in the All-Star Game.
Indians bench coach Brad Mills, who will be managing the AL team in place of Francona, met with Francona on Sunday for help constructing the batting order.
“I’m sure ‘T’ would love to be here. … He’s resting and doing well,” Mills said. “I definitely would love to have him sitting here in this chair.”
One of the main points Francona and Mills discussed was getting New York Yankees rookie outfielder Aaron Judge in the batting order’s first three slots. Judge will bat third.
“He’s one of the best stories in major league baseball so far,” Mills said of Judge, who leads all players with 30 home runs.
Judge: The main attraction
Judge sat in his chair. Chaos ensued.
A few hours before Monday’s Home Run Derby, Judge sat behind a table for the AL’s media availability and was immediately swarmed by a horde of reporters. Voice recorders pointed at his face and cameras flashed as he fielded questions nonstop for nearly an hour.
The 25-year old Judge fidgeted in his chair.
“I’m still a rookie,” he said. “This is all brand new to me.”