GLENDALE, Ariz. — Kyle Teel will experience an unusual spring as he leaves the White Sox’ spring-training camp March 1 to report to Team Italy for the World Baseball Classic.
But Teel said he did some “ramping up” early in preparation for playing more intense games in the WBC, saying he feels “great.”
“Usually in the spring, you ramp up, you’ve got backfield (work), spring training and then you’ve got games in the big stadium,” Teel said. “But it’s like zero to 100, and that excites me, I love that feeling. I love that excitement.”
Talks to play in the WBC started last season with former coach Drew Butera (now with the Blue Jays), and former hitting coach Marcus Thames helped Teel take the necessary steps to play for Team Italy.
Teel admitted he was surprised by the layers of paperwork needed to play in the WBC. “There was a lot I had to do.”
Three’s a crowd
Teel’s departure will allow more playing time for Edgar Quero and Korey Lee with the likelihood that the Sox will carry only two catchers on their opening day roster.
Lee has been fielding grounders, but Venable all but ruled out carrying a third catcher in a utility role.
Meanwhile, bench coach Walker McKinven has taken over the catching duties, and Venable likes the friendly competition among the three catchers, with Teel expected to handle the majority of the catching duties.
“All of us lean on each other in different ways,” Teel said. “Korey is the older one in the group. We lean on him for certain things, like, whether it’s routine (stuff). Q can really back-pick. So we talked to him about that.
“We all have our own strengths. I feel like we feed each other with that.”
Solid gold
Bullpen catcher Bennett Markinson sported the first “Cash Money Coach of the Day” chain during Monday’s workout.
The idea came from Venable through Astros assistant hitting coach Anthony Iapoce when they coached with the Cubs in 2019-20.
The presentation is made during the daily staff meeting prior to each workout in honor of a staff member who has deserved recognition.
“It’s a nice moment to talk about in there, and then you have to wear the chain,” Venable said. “Hopefully, people are asking you why you are wearing this big awful chain.”
It was quite the early impression for Markinson, who batted .266 with a .783 OPS in 52 games for Northwestern last season.