WHITE SOX HEADLINES of FEBRUARY 17, 2017 “Giolito Proud to Come from Family of Actors” … Scott Merkin, MLB.Com “White So
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WHITE SOX HEADLINES OF FEBRUARY 17, 2017 “Giolito proud to come from family of actors” … Scott Merkin, MLB.com “White Sox emphasizing location with Kopech” … Scott Merkin, MLB.com “Shields confident he'll bounce back in 2017” … Scott Merkin, MLB.com “All-Out Effort Results in On-Time Arrival to White Sox Camp for Pitcher Cory Luebke” … Dan Hayes, CSN Chicago “Carlos Rodon to Start Throwing for White Sox on Friday” … Dan Hayes, CSN Chicago “‘James Shields Embraces White Sox Rebuild as He Tries to Rebound” … Dan Hayes, CSN Chicago “As an 11-Year-Old Cubs Fan, Rick Hahn Wrote GM Dallas Green Suggesting Some Moves — And Green Wrote Back” … Chuck Garfien, CSN Chicago “White Sox infielder Carlos Sanchez changes his name” … Colleen Kane, Chicago Tribune “Time for White Sox veteran James Shields to start living up to his billing” … Paul Sullivan, Chicago Tribune “White Sox’ Michael Kopech throws heat but doesn’t know its spark” … Rick Morrissey, Chicago Sun- Times “Carlos Rodon set to begin throwing Friday… Daryl Van Schouwen, Chicago Sun-Times “Embracing White Sox ‘rebuild,’ Shields puts 2016 behind himrumors” … Daryl Van Schouwen, Chicago Sun-Times “Cooper to White Sox prospect Kopech: Ease up on the gas” … Scot Gregor, Daily Herald “Shields looks to hit reset button with Chicago White Sox” … Scot Gregor, Daily Herald “White Sox Rebuild May Be Painful, But It Also Brings Relief” … Tim Baffoe, CBS Chicago “James Shields Looks To Rebound From Disastrous 2016 Season” … Bruce Levine, CBS Chicago Giolito proud to come from family of actors Right-hander's grandfather was on iconic series 'Seinfeld' By Scott Merkin / MLB.com | February 16th, 2017 GLENDALE, Ariz. -- If Lucas Giolito had followed the path traveled by his family, he might be getting ready for the Academy Awards instead of the 2017 Major League Baseball season. Reviewing dailies at some exotic locale would be more likely than throwing bullpen sessions at Camelback Ranch. He would be taking cues from Martin Scorsese instead of White Sox pitching coach Don Cooper. But the acting bug never overtook MLBPipeline.com's No. 11 overall prospect. Giolito's father, Rick, has 10 acting credits on his IMDB page including "As the World Turns," "Hunter," "Who's the Boss," "Jake and the Fatman" and "Twin Peaks." Giolito's mother, Lindsay Frost, features 49 credits dating back to "Hill Street Blues" in 1983. She also acted on "As the World Turns," as well as "Crossing Jordan," "Boston Legal" and "Without a Trace." Lindsay's brother, Mark, is the co-creator of "Twin Peaks," and her brother, Scott, is a writer that has worked on "Twin Peaks," "Flipper" and "Andromeda." Then there's Giolito's grandfather, Warren Frost, who played Susan's father in the iconic comedy series "Seinfeld." "It never interested me," Giolito said of acting. "I even remember I did a school play when I was in like the fourth grade, one of those really short low-key ones, where you don't have to learn many lines. "I didn't feel comfortable doing it then. It was never for me. I just loved baseball ever since I was a little kid playing T-ball at 5 years old." During his first interview when pitchers and catchers reported on Tuesday, Giolito was asked about using the "Seinfeld" theme as his warmup music. The 6-foot-6 right-hander laughed and deferred, admitting he has to catch up on the show and learn about Prickly Pete, Snoopy and George's solarium in The Hamptons from an episode entitled "The Wizard," involving his grandfather. "Guys are always asking about my grandfather being on Seinfeld and everything, which is awesome," Giolito said. "I know it's one of the best sitcoms ever, but I haven't seen enough of Seinfeld to get all the references. "Reporters ask about it. Whenever a teammate or coach finds out, like [Cooper] asked me, I was talking with him on the phone, and he was like, 'I think I read somewhere that it was your grandfather on Seinfeld,' and I was like, 'Yes he was.' He was excited to hear that as a Seinfeld fan, as well." Lucas' brother, Casey, turns 18 in May and is currently applying to theater programs in an attempt to join the family business. Lucas has nothing but pride for his family's accomplishments, something that actually is helping him handle part of his Major League dream. "When I was a kid, I used to run lines with my mom when she had auditions. So talking with media has never been an issue," Giolito said. "I learned a lot from my mom growing up. The acting, writing, that talent in the family is fantastic. "I'm glad I was able to grow up with it. I was able to learn a lot about that kind of side of the world, I guess you could say." White Sox emphasizing location with Kopech Rodon set to begin spring throwing program on Friday By Scott Merkin / MLB.com | February 16th, 2017 GLENDALE, Ariz. -- White Sox pitching coach Don Cooper has an early message for Michael Kopech, the hard thrower who is the No. 16 prospect in baseball according to MLBPipeline.com, after three days of workouts: Don't do everything at 100 percent, because it's going to be a long spring. "Every single pitch, he's trying to throw the [heck] out of it, to tell you the truth," Cooper said. "That's something I have trouble grasping," Kopech said. "I'm a guy who likes to do everything 100 percent. He was basically telling me, 'Relax a little bit, settle in, hit the glove.'" Kopech needs to show the ability to do that to Cooper, who readily acknowledges the right-hander's immense talent but added he doesn't need to bring his A-game on practice days. Cooper wants to see how well Kopech can throw the ball where he needs to throw it, preaching fastballs away, gloveside, in the early going. "Part of it, too, is I'm here trying to impress people on a new club," Kopech said. "He was basically putting my mind at ease, saying, 'Hey, you're not going to win anything right away. Just get settled in, get comfortable.' That's something I'm going to have to grasp the concept of." "Some guys can throw it 95," Cooper said. "Some guys throw it 85. It has to do with throwing the ball to the glove with movement. What good is a tremendous arm if you are not going to throw it over? He's just starting. He just got on the ride. He's going to be getting a good look-see, because he's obviously a big part of our future." Rodon to start throwing on Friday Carlos Rodon's 2017 Spring Training is scheduled to get going on Friday, according to Cooper and manager Rick Renteria. "He's throwing tomorrow," Renteria said following Thursday's workouts. "Yeah, tomorrow his program will start," Cooper said. Through the first three days of camp, the 24-year-old Rodon was yet to throw. Not off the mound, not playing catch and not even to first base in pitchers' fielding practice. The left-hander isn't experiencing any soreness and isn't injured, according to the White Sox, who plan to go slowly with Rodon during Spring Training, which is extended by the World Baseball Classic. "We've got a whole lot of time, and we are going to take our time with him," Cooper said. "He's fine. He's good. We are not going to ask somebody to do something if they are not [good]." "It's a long spring," Renteria said. "He's a guy that we're going to try to control and make sure we measure his workload so that we have him as much as we can during the season." Sanchez explains name change Yolmer Carlos Javier Sanchez Yanez stands as the full name of the White Sox utility infielder formerly known as Carlos Sanchez. So Sanchez simply decided to switch to his first name. He will now go by Yolmer Sanchez. "My dad's name is Carlos, so everybody used to call me Carlito, like little Carlos," Sanchez said. "I just want to use my first name. It's something different. I don't know if anybody has that name, so I'll do something different with my new name. "Same guy, but different name. I'm going to work hard. I'm waiting for the opportunity. Something different, something new. New year, new expectations for me." Sanchez enters camp in contention for the final position-player spot on the White Sox Opening Day roster. The switch-hitter has a career .224 average over 687 plate appearances. Fulmer maintains ace friendship Despite Chris Sale now being with the Red Sox, Carson Fulmer won't forget the southpaw reaching out to him prior to his first big league camp last year and making him feel comfortable. "The accolades that he had and the success he had is one thing, but who he was to me and the younger guys and the impact he had in our clubhouse was special," Fulmer said. "I'll always continue to have a relationship with him and stay in contact with him. "He's still a friend. Obviously he'll be on the other side of the field, but nothing has changed. He's an amazing guy and someone I'll always look up to." Shields confident he'll bounce back in 2017 Right-hander struggled after being traded to White Sox last June By Scott Merkin / MLB.com | February 16th, 2017 GLENDALE, Ariz.