The Garrett Whitlock story was one of the highlights throughout the Red Sox' 2021 season.
Pitcher emerges out of the Rule 5 Draft, being plucked away from the Yankees, makes the major roster and then goes on to become of the best relievers in all of baseball.
Appearing on the Live BP podcast, Whitlock reflected on his memorable ride and some of the elements that helped the 25-year-old land where he did. One piece of the puzzle the pitcher identified, for instance, was advice handed over from Chris Sale.
"You've got to listen to people who have been there and stayed there. Sale told me at the beginning once I made the team, he said, 'Hey, congratulations. Anyone can make the team. That's the easy part. Now you have to stay here. That's the hard part,'" Whitlock remembered.
And it wasn't just that one bit of advice from Sale that stuck for Whitlock. The pitcher went on to reveal another interaction that meant a difference. "Coming back from Tommy John, in spring training, Sale told me, 'Don't be afraid to suck. Just go out there and enjoy the moment,'" he said.
That piece of the conversation on the podcast - with Whitlock going on to identify other impactful moments that helped shaped his season - can be heard at 11:40 ...