A Note from the Manager: The Best Gameday Emotion

Earlier this week, we spoke with the players about our approach to spring training games, how we break the month-long spring training season into thirds.

The first third of games are focused on getting into baseball shape and on improving skills. The second third is on mental and physical recovery. For some players that means backing off and letting your body bounce back. For others, it means doing a little extra work to make sure you will be ready to go come Opening Day. The final third are focused on game strategy and being mentally prepared — getting your mind right — to compete over 162 games and six months.

Going back to the early White Sox days, on almost a daily basis Jim Leyland and I would ask each other, ‘you nervous?’ We knew being nervous means two things. It means that you care. It also means you understand the unknowns out there, the challenge of the competition. So, I have been nervous every day of my entire career. Whether it’s the first day speech in spring training, whether it’s a spring training game or regular season game. And what I liked when I woke up on the first morning of camp, I was nervous. Just another confirmation for me that I’m excited about taking this shot.

So, you get nervous. I’ll be nervous tomorrow, too. I can’t think of any better emotion to feel on game day.