Charlie Morton, who has seen it all in baseball, believes people often make assumptions based on broad narratives. So the fact that Chris Sale, plagued by injuries over the last few seasons, has returned to form as one of baseball’s elite pitchers? It is not your traditional underdog comeback story because, well, he has always been this guy.
“The guy has clearly been one of the best pitchers in the game, when healthy, for how many years now?” Morton said. “I just don’t see it that way. I think what happens, and sometimes rightfully so – oftentimes rightfully so – is that you have a bad year, and then you’re hurt, and you’re struggling to get back, and people just write you off.”
And to those who wrote him off, Sale provided a resounding response: In his first season with the Braves, the left-hander won a pitching triple crown – achieved by totaling the best ERA, most wins and most strikeouts in the National League. Sale finished with a 2.38 ERA (best in MLB), 18 wins (tied for the most in MLB) and 225 strikeouts.
Sale is the first pitching triple crown winner in Braves history.
In the American League, Detroit left-hander Tarik Skubal won the triple crown.
Sale and Skubal are the first pitchers to win a triple crown since Cleveland’s Shane Bieber in 2020. But COVID shortened that season. Sale and Skubal are the first pitchers to accomplish it in a full season since the Dodgers’ Clayton Kershaw and the Tigers’ Justin Verlander in 2011.
Sale is one of 45 pitchers to win the triple crown. Before he and Skubal did it, only five pitchers had earned a triple crown in a full year in this century: Kershaw, Verlander, Jake Peavy (2007), Johan Santana (2006) and Randy Johnson (2002). Since the start of 1990, it had only happened eight times over a full season.
Sale was scratched just before he was to make his final start of the regular season on Monday, the second game of a doubleheader against the Mets with the Braves facing elimination. He is day-to-day according to the team. His status for the wild card playoff round against the Padres remains to be seen, but manager Brian Snitker says he likely won’t be available.
In 2020, Sale, at the top of the craft, underwent Tommy John surgery. It began a frustrating stretch of seasons. From the beginning of that year until this season, he’d made 31 total starts. So, perhaps folks did write him off as done because of the injuries.
“Because at the same time, there’s the shiny new toys that are coming into the league,” Morton explains. “The prospects are making it to the big leagues or there’s guys that come into their own, and the game moves on without you. Because the game doesn’t need you, right? So, it’s like, everybody kind of moves on. Do you want to see Chris Sale pitch? Of course you want to see him. You want to see him when he’s healthy and he’s out there dominating, and he’s throwing 96 to 100 and just people look silly. Do you want to see that? Of course you want to see that, because it’s entertaining. Or maybe you’re a Chris Sale fan, or maybe you’re a friend. Or maybe you just like that – maybe you just like rooting for the underdog, because after a bad season or two or some injuries or two, that’s the underdog now.
“But Chris Sale’s not an underdog. He just needed a couple things to click, either in his delivery or his mentality, or getting back to himself, or how about just his body (being healthy)? But I mean, clearly, the dude, he’s not that guy.”
This is a feel-good story. Sale, coming off the injury-plagued years, is once again atop the sport. He is the likely NL Cy Young Award winner.
He has it all. The mentality. The delivery. The velocity. The intelligence. Everything. After a hiatus of a few years, he is back.
In late December, the Braves acquired Sale, and cash, from the Red Sox for infielder Vaugn Grissom. The Red Sox, with the money they sent, are paying the entirety of Sale’s salary this season.
Sale has brought a different dynamic to the Braves this season. His veteran presence has added something to the clubhouse, as has his fiery attitude. The word “competitor” fits him as well as anyone.
Morton first met Sale in 2018. But Morton had always heard positive things about Sale from baseball people. Now he has seen firsthand what Sale brings to a group.
What stands out about Sale?
“His demeanor, the way he went about his business, (and) when you watch him from across the way, there’s kind of an old-school vibe about him. Being around him, I think it confirms that,” Morton said. “But I think getting to know him, being around him, I think what sticks out is probably how thoughtful of a person he is. His perspective on life is pretty interesting. I think he has an insight on life that I don’t think you would assume he had if you didn’t get to know him. From the outside looking in, it kind of looks like he’s – especially when he was younger – more intense. And I’m not saying he’s not focused on baseball – I mean, he’d definitely focused on baseball. But he’s been a father for a long time, he’s been a husband for a long time. He’s very close with his family, he cares about his family a lot.
“Seeing that side of him has been really refreshing, because for somebody like that (who has) had the success that he’s had to also have the focus on other people, and being a caring person, a thoughtful person. He’s a guy that I’ll definitely miss being around – not just because I’m at the end and being nostalgic or anything like that, (but) I mean, he’s a guy that I would’ve loved to play with longer than a year.”
Morton doesn’t want to sound like he’s disparaging anyone else. There are other elite pitchers who are great people, he said. But there’s something about Sale that not every star player possesses.
Balance.
“It’s balance, and he’s a very balanced person,” Morton said. “For a 35-year-old that’s done what he’s done, and the reputation that he has off the field, clearly he’s been doing it the right way for a long time. It’s not like elite pitchers are all bad dudes. There’s plenty of guys that are really good dudes that are elite pitchers. I just think that he’s just very squared away.
“He’ll offer you life advice. He’ll lend you his ear, if he feels like you need to let something out or off your chest. He’ll be there for you – even if it’s just to let you know, ‘Hey man, I’m not gonna crowd you, but I’m here.’ And I think for a guy that’s accomplished that, that’s hard – because I think sometimes, we can all get really wrapped up in ourselves and wrapped up in our own lives.”
Sale is a special type of player, one who has impacted the Braves’ clubhouse as much as he’s improved their rotation. And make no mistake: For as great of a teammate as he might be, he’s once again one of baseball’s best arms.
In November, Sale will likely take home his first Cy Young Award.
On Monday, though, he accomplished one of the sport’s rarest feats.
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