Boston Red Sox starter Chris Sale was in his Phoenix hotel room, trying to keep from vomiting with a nasty stomach virus, when he received the frantic telephone call.
It was about Rylan, his 13-year-old son.
Rylan was playing on a slippery slide with his buddies on the last day of school, and the next thing he knew, blood is pouring down his face when he accidentally got clobbered in the nose. He spent the afternoon in the emergency room in Naples, Florida, with a broken and mangled nose.
Sale, who was pitching that evening Friday in Phoenix against the Arizona Diamondbacks, didn’t know whether to laugh or cry while talking to his wife. Finally, he just shook his head, coming to the inevitable conclusion.
“That’s my boy,’’ Sale, 34, said. “Life father, like son.’’
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Sale sat back in front of his locker the next day, tilted his head back, permitting the memories of all his injuries to come rushing back.
There was the time he was unloading items from the back of his truck, landed awkwardly, and broke his foot. There was the bicycle accident when he broke his wrist. The broken pinky. The stress rib fracture. The arm injuries. And then, Tommy John elbow surgery, costing him nearly two seasons.
Sale, who once was on a Hall of Fame trajectory − becoming the first pitcher to finish in the top 6 in Cy Young balloting for seven consecutive seasons while receiving MVP votes in four of the years − helplessly watched his career spiral out of control with injuries the past three years.
He signed a five-year, $145 million contract extension five months after winning the 2018 World Series, struggled in 2019 with a 6-11 record and 4.40 ERA, injured his elbow, and then it got worse. He spent the last three years pitching just 48 ⅓ innings, spanning 11 starts.
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“I can’t look in the rear-view mirror because it’s been a [expletive] disaster,’’ Sale told USA TODAY Sports. “A spade is a spade. It’s been an absolute disaster. I don’t shy away from that.
“I was embarrassed by it because I wanted to be great. I wanted to be that guy they paid all of that money to, to be that guy.
“I just fell flat on my face.’’
Now, as he takes the mound Thursday night against the Cincinnati Reds and prized 23-year-old pitcher Hunter Greene, he is moving ever so closer to once again being one of the elite pitchers in the American League. Sale has been dominant in his last five starts, going 4-0 with a 2.27 ERA, striking out 35 batters with four walks in 32 ⅓ innings.
The confidence, the aggressiveness, and yes, the sheer joy has returned. Sale, who opened the year with a 11.25 ERA his first three starts, allowing 25 baserunners in 12 innings, leaving doubts whether his greatness would ever be back.
Well, he’s occasionally hitting 98-mph on the radar gun, is averaging 94.6-mph on his four-seam fastballs, has regained put-away slider, and is getting hitters to chase nearly as much as they did in his prime.
“I’m going out there and having fun again,’’ Sale says, “and not throwing every pitch with three years of hate behind it. I’m going out there with the attitude that today is a new day. Take it for what it is. Appreciate it. Because I sure know it can be taken away.
“I was sitting there in 2018, sitting on top of the world with a World Series trophy in my arms, at the highest peak of the highest mountain. I’m living large. And it got snatched as quickly as it could possibly be taken away. Everything just started happening. I was kind of looking around the corner for the next bad thing to happen.
“That ain’t clean living, brother. That ain’t clean living. So, I have an appreciation for the day-to-day mentality more so than I ever had.’’
This is why Sale didn’t even consider the possibility of missing his turn, or even delaying his start by a day or two when he was sick all last week with his stomach flu. He couldn’t keep his food down, sapping him of his energy.
Still, he took the ball, and even without the usual power and velocity of his pitches, pitched five dominant innings, departing with a 5-1 lead en route to a 7-2 victory.
“Everyone gets sick and has to go to work,’’ he said. “You got to do what you got to do sometimes. For me, it’s important. I have a pretty big role on this team.”
Responsibility has never felt so good.
Sale has never been shy showing his emotions, whether it’s cutting up throwback uniforms that night in Chicago, or screaming at high-ranking White Sox officials for ordering kids out of the clubhouse, or destroying everything in sight after a minor-league rehab assignment Triple-A Wooster. But always, he has been a leader, taking full responsibility for his actions, never once passing the blame.
“The thing that I really like about him,’’ Red Sox closer Kenley Jensen says, “is that he holds himself accountable to every single thing. He shows that personality when he goes out there. He goes two years without pitching, things are not going his way, and then, damn, you see that sense of urgency and he goes out and dominates.
“He motivates you, on and off the field, pushing you to the next level.’’
Red Sox starter James Paxton, who missed two years after undergoing Tommy John elbow surgery before returning this season, says that Sale has not only become a good friend, but a trusted confidant, almost a mental therapist, as he makes his comeback.
“He’s been such a great sounding board for me,’’ Paxton says. “We’ve both been through the injuries, so I’ve been asking him questions about coming back, how he handled it mentally, getting it back physically, everything with me.
“He’s had so much success in his career, and look at him now, he’s doing it again. It’s amazing to watch.’’
Says Red Sox starter Garrett Whitlock: “He’s [expletive] Chris Sale. We’re all watching him do his thing. It’s pretty awesome to see.’’
Sale won’t sugar-coat these past three torturous years. Sure, it was nice to be around his wife and three sons, but it was miserable being away from the team, feeling like you’re letting everyone down, almost stealing money, watching your teammates struggle.
“Obviously, there are expectations that come with a contract,’’ Red Sox manager Alex Cora said, “and people have been very critical about that. The fact that he’s been hurt didn’t help this guy. It’s been a hard road, a bumpy road, a dirt-bike course, but it’s been gratifying to see what he’s done, to say the least.’’
Physically, Sale says, he knew he could heal.
Mentally, now that was the challenge, his insides eroding like a flesh-eating bacteria.
“Broken bones heal,’’ Sale says. “Ligaments can be replaced. I had a lot of confidence the trainers and physical therapists where going to put me back together. It was just upon me to go out there and get it back to being who I needed to be.’’
It was Sale’s wife, Brianne, who reminded Sale of his greatness. She even encouraged him to watch video of the 2018 World Series. His three boys kept telling him how much they looked forward to watching him pitch again. Teammates frequently called and sent text messages. Cora and the coaching staff kept in touch. And the Fort Myers, Florida, physical therapists became part of the family.
“There was a lot of lonely days out there,’’ Sale said, “but I couldn’t have asked to be in a better place. This is one of the best places to be in any sport. This is the Boston Red Sox. I was surrounded by some amazing people.’’
Now, he’s back, feeling the best he has since 2019, and still wanting to pitch after his contract expires following the 2024 season. There’s also a $20 million club option in 2025 that automatically vests if he finishes in the top 10 of Cy Young voting.
For now, he’s not looking at anything further than Thursday’s start against the Reds. It’s one day at a time. One start at a time. One pitch at a time.
“If there’s anything I’ve learned through all of this,’’ Sale says, “is not to get too far ahead.
“I’m not going to win back three years of lost time with one start or even 10 starts. I just need to unhitch that trailer and let it go, and just focus on the here and the now.’’
And no matter how much success he has, no matter if he gets the opportunity to stand on that mountaintop again, never, ever, will he take this game for granted.
It’s a beautiful game, but, man, can it ever be cruel.
“I know I’m just a pinky away, a bike ride away, a comebacker away,’’ Sale says, “from not being able to do what I love.
“So, I’m not here for the processes. I’m here to win. I’m here to dominate.’’
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