Pedro Grifol on work ethic and more: 3 takeaways from Chicago White Sox spring training
By Kevin Henry
Chicago White Sox spring training: Tim Anderson and Elvis Andrus chemistry building
When the White Sox decided to bring back Elvis Andrus in mid-February, it solidified the team’s middle infield, with Andrus sliding to second base after being so solid in Chicago at shortstop over his 43-game stint with the team last season filling in for the injured Tim Anderson. Now, with Anderson at full health, the duo will combine to give the White Sox a potentially formidable middle infield.
The 34-year-old Andrus has no MLB experience at second base, but Grifol shrugs off any worry about that.
“I think it’s a challenge for him, which is what he wants. He loves challenges,” Grifol said. “He’s been doing this a long time, and the shift helped him back when we would shift. I think he said he turned eight double plays from that side, so he’s not foreign to it.
“He’s a very, very smart baseball player,” Grifol said of Andrus. “He’s having fun. I love watching him play, and practice too.”
Grifol also gushed on the 29-year-old Anderson, calling him “a winner” and saying, “He has an edge I admired from the other side (while Grifol was with the Royals). I just think this game needs to be played with an edge and he brings that edge.”
The Anderson-Andrus duo got the start together on Saturday against the Texas Rangers, giving them another chance to work on their chemistry on the field early in the spring. They were also slotted back-to-back at the top of the White Sox order (with Anderson leading off), something that could be a regular occurrence during the season.