Jake Peavy, the Deferential Ace of the White Sox

Entering his first full season with the Pale Hose after being acquired from the Padres through a deadline trade last summer, Jake Peavy brings not just another valuable arm to the White Sox impressive rotation, but a useful store of maturity as well. Still, as talented and acclaimed as Peavy is, he’s still a new guy on the staff compared to mainstay Mark Buehrle.↵↵So when it looked as though coaches would be penciling in Peavy for Opening Day, he respectfully declined in favor of one of the other guys. ↵

↵↵⇥A couple of weeks ago, Chicago White Sox pitching coach Don Cooper mentioned to Jake Peavy that he was in the process of mapping out the starting rotation, and picking the starter for Opening Day. Not long after, Peavy phoned Cooper and told him that as far as Peavy was concerned, somebody else should have that honor. ↵⇥↵⇥Out of respect for the White Sox, for Mark Buehrle, for the other pitchers on the staff, Peavy asked that his name being taken out of consideration.↵⇥

↵⇥↵⇥It was a decision that only reinforced Cooper’s belief, which began building at the end of last season, that Peavy has the right stuff to be a leader of the White Sox pitching staff — because of his talent, because of his personality, because of his respect for teammates.↵⇥

↵↵↵Such a nice guy. And yet somehow he’s also good buddies with Philip Rivers. That must be an interesting golfing tandem.↵

↵↵Obviously, it’s a classy and respectful move by Peavy, who had spent the last few years toiling on a pretty cruddy Padres team. He’s had the ace treatment in the past. It has to be a little old hat at this point. No doubt his focus is winning his first title, as it ought to be.↵

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