GLENDALE, Ariz. -- My strengths, their problem.
Those four words are featured on the front of T-shirts sported by numerous White Sox pitchers throughout Spring Training. They also give insight into the philosophy of Zach Bove, the team’s new pitching coach.
“It’s just understanding what guys are really good at, where we want to educate guys on that and then just really focus on what they’re really good at,” Bove said during a recent interview. “Don’t worry so much on the hitters and stuff like that. And then they’ll be in a good spot.
“Whatever your shapes are, your arsenal, your location, just be really good at that. That’s how we’re going to train those things. And not really get too complicated. This game is hard enough. Not going to add complexity to it.”
Brian Bannister remains with the White Sox as the highly respected senior advisor to pitching, while Matt Wise brings back his expertise as the team’s bullpen coach. Bove and Bobby Hearn, the new assistant pitching coach, have interesting back stories in joining the team.
Let’s start with Bove, 37, who spent the last three seasons as a Major League assistant pitching coach with the Royals. But as has been mentioned previously, Bove began as a hitting coach at the high school level and then for the College of Central Florida in 2012-13 before moving to mound work.
“How about that? Self-made man, really. Taught himself to do it,” said Royals manager Matt Quatraro of his former staff member. “I can’t even fathom doing that, to dive into it and be that good. I’m happy for him and his family.
“He took a leap of faith to come with us a few years ago when things were pretty lean. He helped us get better. He’s a hard worker. He’s very forward thinking, very to the point. He doesn’t mince words. Pitchers appreciate that honesty and just knowing he’s going to help them get better. So, it’s a tough loss for us, but good for him.”
As a transformed hitting coach, Bove couldn’t fall back on “this is what I did as a pitcher” when he was first starting out. He has had no problem connecting with the White Sox hurlers.
“Again, this was never the 10-year plan or 5-year plan,” Bove said. “Just trying to do my best wherever I am. I feel really good about the organization and the current situation and trying to take it day by day.
“It is a ton of responsibility and that’s new to me. So, getting comfortable with that and maybe making certain decisions, but really taking the group’s feedback. It comes with the job and you gotta do it at the end of the day. So, you have to get used to those things.”
Hearn is in his sixth year of coaching at just 29, having pitched one season at Wake Forest with Shane Smith, the 2025 All-Star and the frontrunner for White Sox Opening Day starter in ‘26. Hearn also gave up careers in finance to stick in baseball.
“Out of undergrad, I was going to work at an investment bank in Charlotte. After grad school, I was going to work at a public accounting firm, Deloitte,” Hearn said. “I just wasn’t ready to give up the game. I thought ‘I’ll try this for a little while. If I’m not where I want to be, I’ll probably go back.’ And the rest is history. I got a job with Tread Athletics and went from there.”
“It seems like he’s great with pitch grips and shapes and things of that nature, where this game has gone extremely analytical,” said right-hander Erick Fedde of Hearn. “So, I think it’s important to have both sides of mechanics and analytics, not just one or another. We get a really good mix with both our guys.”
White Sox pitchers are responding to the mix of Bove and Hearn and the focus on what they do well.
“You see that, the feedback process in games, the training, starting to use some of this language. That’s always a good sign when we talk to them,” Bove said. “I wasn’t myself there, stuff like that. It’s coming along well.”
“He’s in the process of taking everybody in and seeing how guys like to operate,” said left-hander Sean Newcomb of Bove. “He seems like he’s really looking for what drives each guy. Taking a back seat, asking a lot of questions. Just taking in the talent that’s all around. I’m more of a quiet guy. I’ll get with the catcher and that kind of stuff. He’s been doing a great job. Him and Bobby.”