CHICAGO – Mark Buehrle is remembered fondly in Chicago and the welcome home in his first trip back since leaving the White Sox started with the baggage handlers as soon as he stepped off the team plane.
The Toronto Blue Jays left-hander has enjoyed a steady diet of reunions since, culminating with a video tribute in the middle of the first inning Monday night. A loud ovation greeted Buehrle both before and after, a sign of how much the 12 seasons he spent in the Windy City are still appreciated.
“Everything,” he said before the game when asked for some highlights from his time in Chicago. “Just driving in today, it felt normal. When you do something for 12 years of your life for six months besides being on the road, it just felt normal. Nothing really sticks out. Winning the World Series, perfect game, but it’s the people I’ve met, not just the people I played with, but security guards, bag-handlers, at the field, my neighbours, just everybody that’s touched my life being here for that long.
“All that combined, I have some great memories.”
Buehrle left as a free agent following the 2011 season, signing with the Miami Marlins, who dealt him to the Blue Jays last November.
Things haven’t gone to plan since he joined the Blue Jays, although he’s pulling out of a poor start with a series of solid outings in recent weeks. Buehrle said Toronto now feels normal to him, and he’s become adjusted to his new teammates.
“Me and J.P. (Arencibia) have been working a little bit better, it kind of started off a little bit rough and it took some time to get used to each other, and I think we’re working a little better and we’re jelling a little bit,” he said. “Team-wise, it seems like we get on a little roll and win three or four in a row and then we lose three or four in a row. We gain a couple of games and then we’re right back to being 10 or 11 out. Team-wise it hasn’t been the best, and for me, lately, it has been, but overall my numbers aren’t where I want them to be.”
The applause Buehrle received from the small gathering at U.S. Cellular Field stood in stark contrast to the booing former Blue Jays players typically receive upon their return to the Rogers Centre.
“I’ve seen it on the other end when guys come back to Toronto, they come up to bat and get booed big time,” said Buehrle. “It would be nice to come back out and hear cheers. Just the whole experience of being back is nice.”
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BAUTISTA’S OUTBURST: Jose Bautista again declined to speak with media about his ejection in the ninth inning of Sunday’s 6-4 loss to the Texas Rangers, but acting manager DeMarlo Hale felt the matter was behind everybody.
“He’s an emotional guy, no doubt,” said Hale. “You guys have seen him and his reaction, and I think in the moment of the game, he got emotional. But Jose has always been one, from my point of view being over here this year, he bounces back and he’s been up front, whether it was right or wrong.
“We move forward and I worry about today and having Jose in a very good frame of mind and he seemed to be in a very good frame of mind to help this team win.”
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MORROW PROGRESSES: Brandon Morrow (forearm) played some catch Monday ahead of a scheduled bullpen session Tuesday, and will likely head off to Florida afterwards to start a rehabilitation assignment.
The pain, which flared up last month, is gone, according to the right-hander, who said, “everything feels great, as good as I can hope for.”
“Each day has been better as far as finding arm slot again and the ball coming out,” he added. “Today I felt as good as I have all season.”
The plan going forward is to “throw another bullpen in Florida when I get there. Two or three games, it’s undecided yet, depending on, need, pitch count, all that. Conservatively it will be three, if they feel like they want me to be back on a 75 or 80 pitch count, then I’d be back after two.”
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OLIVER RETURNS: Blue Jays lefty Darren Oliver (shoulder) is back with the team and ready for duty after being activated from the disabled list.
He last pitched May 18, returning after two one-inning stints with single-A Dunedin.
“Everything went good,” he said. “The shoulder is much better, just like it should be.”
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HALE IN CHARGE: With John Gibbons back home in San Antonio to attend his son Troy’s graduation, bench coach DeMarlo Hale served as acting manager for the day.
While roving catching instructor Sal Fasano checked in for three days with the team, the coaching staff remained thinner than usual which meant Hale needed to be diplomatic in his dealings with umpires.
“I’ll try to stay away from being ejected,” he joked. “To go out and argue, my first comment may be, ‘Please don’t throw me out, but I’ve got to say my piece.’ Maybe the relationships I have with umpires can be a factor there as well.”
