White Sox pitcher Lance Lynn looks to step up as team leader
GLENDALE, Ariz. (CBS) – The White Sox have a new leader on the bench in Pedro Grifol, and may need a new one in the clubhouse with Jose Abreu now in Houston.
CBS 2 Sports Director Marshall Harris reported from Arizona on a Sox pitcher ready to help fill the leadership void.
After missing the postseason last year, Lance Lynn had a longer offseason than he and the rest of the White Sox were anticipating. Now, his Spring Training will be abbreviated, as he's ready to represent the U.S. in next month's World Baseball Classic.
"He's in pretty good shape right now," Grifol said. "He's almost close to where the wants to be. Once that WBC starts, he'll be ready to go."
Lynn said, "It means a lot. I did it in college. I was 19, 20 years old. I didn't quite understand what that meant back then. So being a little older, being around, seeing a lot of different things, it's definitely an opportunity I'm looking forward to."
Now 35, the 12-year big league veteran has emerged as a leader in his two years in Chicago, and understands it's not a one-man job.
"You need more than one," Lynn said. "And anyone can be a leader at any time. That's what we're trying to figure out. We've got a lot of guys that are capable of a lot of things.
"You can't force it. Players see that so if you practice what you preach, show up every day, play the game hard, people are gonna naturally kind of follow."
When asked what the expectations are after a disappointing .500 season, Lynn didn't flinch, saying "We expect to be healthy and we expect to win a lot of games."
