Chris Sale
From BR Bullpen
Christopher Sale
- Bats Left, Throws Left
- Height 6' 6", Weight 172 lb.
- School Florida Gulf Coast University
- High School Lakeland High School
- Debut August 6, 2010
- Born March 30, 1989 in Lakeland, FL USA
[edit] Biographical Information
Chris Sale was a first-round draft pick in the 2010 amateur draft and reached the majors almost immediately.
Out of high school in Florida, Sale was picked in the 21st round of the 2007 amateur draft by the Colorado Rockies but he opted for college. He was 2-0 with two saves and a 3.47 ERA as a freshman at Florida Gulf Coast University, fanning 46 in 36 1/3 innings. As a sophomore, Chris had a 7-4, 2.72 record and set 104 batters down on strikes in 89 1/3 innings. He finished second in the Atlantic Sun Conference in ERA (.18 behind Chad Jenkins), was second in strikeouts and tied for second in wins (one behind Jenkins). He made All-Conference.
Chris really improved his stock with a superb showing in the Cape Cod League in the summer of 2009. He was 4-2 with a 1.47 ERA with a league-best 57 whiffs in 55 innings. He allowed just 37 hits and 9 walks. He was third in the loop in ERA, .05 behind #2 Kyle Blair. He was named the league's Outstanding Pitcher. Baseball America rated him the best prospect in the league, right ahead of Zack Cox and Alex Wimmers.
As a junior, Sale was named Pitcher of the Year in the A-Sun, going 11-0 with two saves, a 2.01 ERA ERA and 146 K with only 14 walks, tops in NCAA Division I in strikeouts at the end of the regular season. Collegiate Baseball named him a first-team All-American as well as their Collegiate Baseball Player of the Year. Prior pitchers to take that award were Greg Swindell, Andy Benes, Ben McDonald, Bobby Jones, Lloyd Peever, Kris Benson, Kip Bouknight, Mark Prior, Jered Weaver, Wes Roemer, David Price and Stephen Strasburg.
Chris was taken by the Chicago White Sox with the 13th selection of the 2010 amateur draft. He made his pro debut on July 2nd for the Winston-Salem Dash, with one shutout inning of relief. On August 4, the White Sox brought him to the major leagues with barely 10 professional innings of experience. He had struck out 19 in 10 1/3 innings for the Dash and Charlotte Knights, though he had walked six. He became the second Florida Gulf Coast player to make the majors, doing so just four days after Casey Coleman was the first.
In his major league debut, Sale relieved John Danks with a 1-1 tie in the 8th against the Baltimore Orioles. He walked Brian Roberts on four pitches, then gave up a Nick Markakis single before leaving in favor of Tony Pena. He was the first player form the 2010 draft to reach the major leagues. He pitched 21 games with the Sox that year, with an excellent 1.93 ERA, a 2-1 record and 4 saves, and only 15 hits allowed in 23 1/3 innings, against 32 strikeouts; his performance comforted the Pale Hose that they had made the right decision in rushing him to the Show. He continued to pitch well in 2011, spending the entire season in the Sox's bullpen, where he went 2-2, 2.79 in 58 games. Mainly working as a set-up man for closer Sergio Santos, he still collected 8 saves and continued to display superior stuff, striking out 79 against 52 hits and 27 walks in 71 innings.
Even though Santos was traded before the 2012 season, opening the closer's job, Chicago had different plans for Sale. In the winter, they announced that he would be moved to the starting rotation for the next season. To prepare, he was worked on improving his change-up, which he had barely needed until then. he did spend the first month of the year as a starter, and the results were quite good, as he went 3-1, 2.81 in 5 starts. However, on May 4th, manager Robin Ventura made a complete turn-around, saying Sale would be the team's new closer. he explained that it was not because of dissatisfaction with the job done by Hector Santiago in the role since the start of the season, but in order to preserve Sale's health, as the pitcher had chronic soreness and tightness in his elbow. Indeed, a week later, he was sent to undergo an MRI on the elbow, but it came out clean, and then the Sox reversed themselves, deciding to make him a starter again. He had only pitched one game as closer, blowing the save.
