CHICAGO -- Lucas Giolito often can be found dancing while putting in long hours in the weight room or simply while he’s hanging out in the White Sox clubhouse.
For that little piece of necessary fun brought to baseball, the talented right-hander credits the late Tyler Skaggs. The duo frequently worked out together when Giolito was in high school and then got drafted by the Nationals as part of a group called the Dungeon Crew, because they worked out in this little weight room at Pepperdine University with a dungeon feel to it.
Skaggs was the first pitcher who made it from the Santa Monica, Calif., area, at least in Giolito’s generation. He then proceeded to take other players such as Giolito, the Braves' Max Fried and the Cardinals' Jack Flaherty under his wing, showing them the routine for the offseason and how to prepare for a season.
“But at the same time, the biggest thing was always the emphasis on fun. He was so loose,” Giolito told MLB.com about his good friend. “One thing in particular: He was always dancing in the weight room.
“I’ve been doing that my whole career, starting with working out with him. The guys laugh at me all the time. I’ll be dancing around here in the weight room when I’m working out. That’s because of Tyler, who showed me how to work your ass off, how to really get after it and prepare yourself, but at the same time, have a blast while doing it, having a wonderful time.
“So that’s something I’ll always carry with me. I’m never going to stop dancing in the weight room.”
Giolito missed the White Sox victory on Monday in order to attend a private memorial in Santa Monica for Skaggs, who suddenly passed away on July 1 while the Angels were in Texas, shortly before his 28th birthday. Giolito said the chapel was filled to the brim, and while it was very sad, it also was a celebration of Skaggs’ life and the impact he had on so many people.
Another story Giolito shared is how the two went out to dinner last year when the Angels were in Chicago, and it was Skaggs who picked up the tab.
“It’s like, we are both big leaguers at that point, right?” Giolito said. “That’s just how he was. He was super, super caring. That was really echoed a lot at the funeral, was that he learned from a young age how he grew up [that] it’s more important to give than to receive. He was the king of that.”
Every Giolito start since July 1, including last Saturday against the Rays, he has featured RIP 45 on his hat in tribute to Skaggs. He will continue to practice what Skaggs always preached and showed.
“I mean, yeah, it’s still like so weird and so fresh,” Giolito said. “But all we can do now is celebrate the moments we had and have his spirit live on. I’ll always carry him with me when I’m dancing in the weight room.”
Cooper remembers perfection
Tuesday marked the 10-year anniversary of Mark Buehrle’s perfect game thrown on July 23, 2009, in Chicago against the Rays. White Sox pitching coach Don Cooper shared some of his memories on Tuesday, including staying calm the whole game, Buehrle talking to his teammates throughout the afternoon and manager Ozzie Guillen’s strategic defensive replacement of Dewayne Wise in center field in the ninth.
Wise made the perfection-saving catch on Gabe Kapler’s leadoff drive.
“I really remember the last out more than anything. I certainly remember the catch,” Cooper said. “But the last out, he put the glove on his hat, on his head, and right now I feel myself getting a little emotional because when I saw him get emotional, that's when I got emotional.
“We just saw something really cool. You don't get to see that too much.”
Anderson on the move
Shortstop Tim Anderson will begin an injury rehab assignment on Wednesday with Triple-A Charlotte, per White Sox manager Rick Renteria. Anderson has been out since June 26 with a high right ankle sprain, but he ran the bases on Monday and felt closer to a return.
“We'll watch it, monitor how he's doing, take in the reports as he's out there,” Renteria said, adding everything is trending positively for how Anderson is feeling. “The timetable, I don't want to give you a schedule because it's going to be determined on how he's feeling and how things are going along.”
They said it
“We need him. I am one of those people who is praying to God for him to get a fast recovery and to have him in the lineup. That’s the only way you can keep his mouth closed.” -- a smiling Jose Abreu, through interpreter Billy Russo, on Eloy Jimenez, who was having a little verbal fun with the veteran before an interview
“They were all kind of excited about it. They were letting me know during the ballgame. It’s fun. They are having a good time with everything that’s going on. Again, the skill set he brings to the table speaks for itself.” -- Renteria on Yoan Moncada’s cleanup debut on Monday, ending in four RBIs