New White Sox veterans doing their share to bring clubhouse together
SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. — Veteran leadership and clubhouse presence comes in a variety of ways. In any case, a White Sox clubhouse filled with young players on a team that faces the prospects of another dogged season is sure to need it.
During spring training, at home and away when the first months unfold and during the dog days of August, for sure. The grind of a baseball season creates the need for players to be shown the way, taken under wings, talked to and listened to.
“That whole 'it’s a game of failure' thing,” said infielder Bobby Dalbec, who knows something about the ups and downs of a big leaguer's life.
Dalbec batted .240/.298/.494 with 25 homers in 2021, his second season with the Red Sox. He has hit 14 homers in three seasons while batting .198 overall since.
Having experienced good times and bad wearing that uniform under the Boston microscope brings some measure of credibility in this new clubhouse, where Dalbec can share a wealth of baseball lessons learned, some of them hard ones.
“I was very fortunate to have Dustin Pedroia, Mitch Moreland and J.D. Martinez take me under my wing,” said Bobby Dalbec, who at 29 is in camp trying to win a job on a minor league contract. “[Andrew Benintendi] in my first big league camp and Pedroia kind of set the standard of how to go about my business in practice, J.D. taught me how to pay attention to detail and not put too much pressure on yourself. Those things can definitely shape how you are as a player.”
Right-hander Bryse Wilson, who has seven years of major league experience, welcomes a different role as a veteran voice on a team coming off 121 losses — and dropped to 0-4 in Cactus League games Tuesday — than he was used to with the Brewers.
"The outside attention and negative attention can really weigh heavily on younger players," Wilson said. "A lot of finding your way to success is just figuring that part out and figuring out the mental side of it."
Outfielder Mike Tauchman figures to give the Sox more than a new leadoff man with a good batting eye who works counts. At 34, he brings seven years experience and one one in Korea to this clubhouse.
“I mean, it’s not a secret,” Tauchman said. “There are clues as to why players are successful so you have to pay attention to them. Some guys will be great and give you a thoughtful answer to a question. Some guys are proactive about talking and there are guys who you just have to watch and figure it out yourself and there’s value in all of that.”
“There are things about professionalism you can learn. A lot about routine. There are a lot of things that go into being a great player.”
When he played for the Rockies in his first two seasons, Tauchman watched Charlie Blackmon closely.
“A self-made player,” Tauchman said. “He’s crazy talented and has a skill set but he was super blue collar about his work and routine, almost obsessed with it. how much he worked made an impression on me.”
With the Yankees, Tauchman admired how Brett Gardner treated people and could relate to everyone in the clubhouse. Gardner spoke his mind about things he believed in.
“He had a high expectation for how things should go but he would never ask anyone to do something he wasn’t going to do himself,” Tauchman said. “Oldest guy on the team, playing as hard as a rookie.”
Dalbec said a cohesive clubhouse is vital.
“I always strive to be a safe spot for young guys," Dalbec said. "They can come ask me questions."
Careers fly by, and Tauchman wakes up these days as a veteran.
“It’s the cycle of your career,” he said.
He knows what to do.
“I know the guys who made me feel welcome and comfortable and I know the guys who, for whatever reason, didn’t. I would never want a young player to look at me that way.”