CSF Posted March 23, 2006 Share Posted March 23, 2006 On-the-edge Cliff likes to have fun March 23, 2006 BY JOE COWLEY Staff Reporter Advertisement TUCSON, Ariz. -- Neal Cotts had to see it for himself. So the next day, the White Sox reliever went into the visiting dugout area at Comerica Park in Detroit and found the training table that Cliff Politte had turned into a blocking sled less than 24 hours earlier. "I tried picking that table up,'' Cotts recalled. "It was huge. He not only lifted it up, but he put it through a door. I don't know how he did that.'' Politte's battle with that table during the 2004 season has reached folklore status among the Sox pitchers. But by no means was it his last meltdown after a bad performance, just his most memorable one. "It's been something that I've had against myself for a long time,'' Politte said. "Even growing up, I felt I had more talent than I was out there showing. I've always been tough on myself. I always felt that even if I did something good, I could still do it better.'' When those meltdowns would happen in St. Louis, Philadelphia and Toronto, as in many clubhouses, his teammates would stay away. Not in Chicago. Making fun of each other has been common practice on the Sox since manager Ozzie Guillen took over, and it has been open season on Politte. Whether they're ripping on his height -- he's listed at an exaggerated 5-10 -- or teasing him about copying the hanging scene from "An Officer and a Gentleman'' after a bad outing, Politte is rarely safe. He wouldn't want it any other way. "The whole team does that,'' Politte said. "When I have a bad one on the road and my hotel-room phone is ringing, it's a teammate saying he wants to come up and borrow my shoelaces and belt. "By no means has it ever been to that point, but they like to have fun a little bit. To be honest, that has made it easier for me to deal with.'' Before signing with the Sox as a free agent, the hard-throwing right-hander was coming off a rough 2003 season in Toronto. Not only did he go 1-5 with a 5.66 ERA, but he also let the pressure of being thrust into the closer role eat at him until he finally lost the job. In his first year with the Sox, that unwillingness to want to pitch late in games still weighed on Politte -- enough so that Guillen said he tried to avoid using Politte past the seventh inning. "When Toronto made me the closer, that was something I had to learn to do,'' Politte said. "The pressure was a factor. I didn't realize until after the fact that it was about winning the game and getting the save any way you could.'' Politte credits his emergence in 2005 to several factors. Having a wife and son who would hug him after every game last year topped that list, but not too far down was having teammates who could turn his anger into laughter. "With him we do joke around about it to try and pick him up,'' Cotts said. "It gets your mind off of it so you'll be ready the next day, and I think it helps him out.'' Coming off a career year in which he went 7-1 with a 2.00 ERA, Politte's role is as big as ever this season. He and Cotts will be the bridge guys who get the ball to closer Bobby Jenks. There's even a chance that Politte will have to close some games if need be. "If something were to come up, yeah, I would be fine with it,'' Politte said of that scenario. "I want to do whatever I can to help the club.'' The team wants to do the same for him. That's why, when Politte showed up in the clubhouse last week, the seat in front of his locker had been replaced with a high chair. "I'm used to it,'' Politte said with a smile. jcowley@suntimes.com This is still by far, one of my all time favorite pics: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SSH2005 Posted March 23, 2006 Share Posted March 23, 2006 Greatest pic ever. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hi8is Posted March 23, 2006 Share Posted March 23, 2006 what game was that taken durring? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Critic Posted March 23, 2006 Share Posted March 23, 2006 QUOTE(hi8is @ Mar 23, 2006 -> 12:25 PM) what game was that taken durring? The one where they wore the old American Giants uniforms and Cliff got pissed off. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SSH2005 Posted March 23, 2006 Share Posted March 23, 2006 (edited) what game was that taken durring? <{POST_SNAPBACK}> July 31, 2004 -- a date which will live in infamy. July 31: CWS @ DET • Tigers walk to win: 56K | 350K Enjoy the soothing silence of Hawk and DJ. Edited March 23, 2006 by SSH2005 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GoSox05 Posted March 23, 2006 Share Posted March 23, 2006 MLB pitchers have way too much time on there hands. Those lucky bastards. Everyone on the Sox is awesome. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dmbjeff Posted March 23, 2006 Share Posted March 23, 2006 "Keep him away from the tables"- I thought this article was going to have to do something with a nasty gambling habit. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jordan4life_2007 Posted March 23, 2006 Share Posted March 23, 2006 Good lord the season needs to hurry up and start. These newspapers are running out of things to print. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
2OutRally Posted March 24, 2006 Share Posted March 24, 2006 I love Cliff, he's too cool. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Y2HH Posted March 24, 2006 Share Posted March 24, 2006 Cliff rules...he's a tiny guy with some massive power. 5'11 my arse. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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