Pregame notes: What’s the opposite of winning ugly?

Members of the 1983 American League West champion 'Winning Ugly' White Sox are in the building on Saturday for a reunion event, right as the current team is trying to not have a letdown after administering a 22-1 thrashing of the Royals on Friday night.

Members of the 1983 team in attendance don't seemed to be bothered by the contrast in themes.

"This young team, they play hard," said 1983 Rookie of the Year Ron Kittle. "Some of these guys get out of their car in the parking lot and they are already dirty. They stop balls, they dive. They don’t put their head down when they make a mistake. They got rid of a couple of guys who never hustled, which I was so happy about."

Former All-Star Richard Dotson is more than an observer, he was the pitching coach at Double-A Birmingham for both Davis Martin and Sean Burke. Both right-handers came up in an era where Sox pitching development was in a haphazard stage of applying analytics, but single out Dotson for shaping their on-mound mentality to be on the attack and challenge hitters in the zone. Now retired, the 67-year-old found himself on a tangent about how thrilled he was that soft-tossing left-handed Sammy Peralta has scrapped together a big league career, because he thinks Martin and Burke were always good enough to make it.

"Some guys don't have the talent or the luck, or whatever it is, but [Martin], Burke, they kind of stood out independently from the other pitchers we had," Dotson said. "[Martin] has a pretty good mentality. I know he got beat up a start ago, but golly. I mean, the whole team does. Last night was something else, wasn't it? That was terrible. I felt bad for Kansas City. I mean, who wants to get beat like that? But hey, it's good for us."

Yes, the Royals have already optioned Mitch Spence after Friday night. But Michael Wacha is not an overmatched spot starter.

"Whether we’ve had really poor results or really good results, our guys have done a great job of coming to the ballpark really focused on what they’re job is today," Will Venable said. "As great as yesterday was, we’ve got another pitcher on the mound, we’ve got new challenges in front of us and I know they’ll be excited."

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David Sandlin was optioned after six innings of one-run ball Friday night, which feels a little rich for a team that had to throw a bullpen game just like weekend, and is using openers as much as any team in the league. But Tyler Schweitzer will add extra bullpen depth for the next few days, and Venable did the manager version of saying Noah Schultz will return from the injured list and make his next start in Chicago in Sandlin's vacated slot, without actually saying it.

"Noah’s lined up, he’s certainly going to be an option there," Venable said. "We haven’t made any decisions yet. But he’s lined up and will be under consideration for sure."

Everson Pereira, who collided with the wall in Yankee Stadium 10 days ago and was placed on the injured list with concussion symptoms, has yet to resume baseball activities.

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Both Pereira and Luisangel Acuña are getting through their workdays with their minds on family and loved ones in Venezuela, after Wednesday's deadly twin earthquakes that have left over 1,000 people dead in the country.

"It’s a terrible situation, it’s awful and obviously very devastating and those two guys and a number of guys that we know who are potentially impacted by that, so just checking in on your people," Venable said. "I’m not sure what else I could personally do. I know the organization is there to support these guys with whatever they need, but it’s really just checking in and making sure they’re OK personally."

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Kittle got...married Friday night? With Jerry Reinsdorf officiating?

"Now I’m the only player to marry someone at the park and get married at the park," said Kittle, who married his longtime partner Barbara in the owner's suite in the middle of the game. "Bottom of the third and they scored 10 runs. [Reinsdorf]'s so superstitious he might marry somebody today in the bottom of the third."

Sure, OK.

First pitch: White Sox vs. Royals

TV: CHSN

Radio: ESPN 1000 AM, 107.9 FM La Ley (Spanish)

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