'My biggest focus is executing': White Sox pitcher Dylan Cease talks strike outs and close shaves
CHICAGO (CBS) -- While the Chicago White Sox are on the road all week, beginning in Kansas City before heading to the Bronx, pitcher Dylan Cease will start Tuesday for the Sox.
His last performance would have made Charles Dickens proud: The best of times and the worst of times in a loss to the New York Yankees.
CBS 2's Marshall Harris caught up with MLB's leader in strikeouts, who's known for getting out of hairy situations, both on and off the mound.
Marshall Harris: You're having a very interesting season, fascinating, striking out guys at better than 13 per night. Is that sustainable rate in your eyes?
Dylan Cease: It's hard to so hard predict the future. I was pretty close last year. So, eventually, but that's that's not my biggest focus. My biggest focus is executing and whatever that leads to, it leads to.
MH: You guys have had to deal with injuries as the start of the season, particularly in the starting rotation. Are you surprised at all at just how good the starting rotation has been overall, despite missing key guys for stretches of time?
DC: When you're missing guys like Lance (Lynn) or Gio (Lucas Giolito) for for an extended time, it hurts. But, I mean, we just we've got depth, we've got we've got a lot of talent. So at the end of the day, it's not super surprising, but I'm just glad that we've kind of been able to weather the storm.
MH: This is season four for you. I have to ask, personally, what type of achievements and, obviously, you want to always improve on what you've done last season, and you're well on your way with where you are, especially, specific, with strikeouts?
DC: Yeah, the biggest thing is I just want to give him a chance to win every time. Make all my starts. I don't want to miss any starts. I try to stay away from result-oriented stuff, just because a lot of it is control. Really, my day-to-day focus is just on what I have to do to keep consistent and keep it moving.
MH: How long would it take you to get used to the idea of having a mustache like when you see yourself in the mirror?
DC: Yeah, I had a I had a pencil thin mustache this offseason, but it wasn't it wasn't quite doing it. And then I kind of just shaved that and grew a beard, and shave that to a mustache. And I FaceTimed my agent and he started laughing. So it's funny how controversial it is. And this was the thing like everybody wore this like 30 years ago. For the most part, I mean, nobody's really been too savage with it. So it's actually gotten it's gotten more positive feedback than I ever thought it would.
