“The great thinkers can really bring the best out of a pitcher, makes it tougher to hit,” La Russa said Thursday. “That’s the No. 1 thing.”
Jonathan Lucroy, Zack Collins, Yermin Mercedes and Seby Zavala have received a bulk of the playing time so far this spring as the Sox look to find the player to fill the role this season.
“I’m not out trying to root against people,” Lucroy said Friday. “In 10, 15 years, I want Zack Collins to say that I helped him out or Mercedes or Zavala or one of those guys. It’s important that we try to pass along knowledge of the game and try to help the younger generation as much as we can.