If Mark Buehrle ends his association with the White Sox after 12 seasons, he can always return as part of a comedy act with Chicago White Sox pitching coach and interim manager Don Cooper.
The twosome that has been together since 2000 shared plenty of laughs after what could be Buehrle’s final game in a Sox uniform.
As Buehrle warmed up before pitching seven scoreless innings to earn a 2-1 victory, Cooper told him, “hey, this is unbelievable. One career ending, and another one starting.”
Buehrle didn’t skip a beat.
“It’s the first time I’ve had a manager in the pen while getting loose before a game, so that’s special.”
Both parties had plenty of laughs, from Cooper’s first game as a manager to the manner in which Cooper and several Sox players orchestrated Buehrle’s departure in the top of the eighth inning.
Paul Konerko added: “One thing sabout Coop, he’ll let us know exactly how good he is as a manager. But it was pretty. We had some fun with him on the bench.
“We thought there was one play he could have gone out and argued. We felt he was scared. We’ll give him a pass tonight, but tomorrow he better get out there.”
In the top of the eighth, Cooper made his first on-field appearance. It came after Buehrle walked to the mound to look for the baseball.
Cooper came out, raising his arm to show he had the ball. Cooper and Buehrle talked, then hugged. Buehrle walked off to an ovation and was greeted by nearly all of his teammates in the dugout.
Several of them waited to hug Buehrle before taking their defensive positions.
“For today, for him to get the win, possibly the last outing, and I relish the oppourtnity to yank a multi-millionaire,” Cooper quipped.
Buehrle, 32, needs only two victories to tie Wilbur Wood (163) for fifth place in Sox history.
