Daniel Palka was 'thrown some tidbits' on playing first base from WooSox Manager Chad Tracy
Daniel Palka is the oldest position player in the WooSox locker room, and the third oldest on the current roster behind pitchers Matt Dermody and Ryan Sherriff. However, he might be lacking experience in a position he will be seeing some time at in the 2023 season.
Palka has played most of his career in the outfield, and strictly played right field when he was called up to the majors with the White Sox. He does bring a little experience with him of playing at first base, but it is still fairly new to him.
“We talked to him a lot in spring training about it,” WooSox manager Chad Tracy said after Palka debuted at first in the finale of Worcester’s season opener.
“I think 2021 was his first introduction to playing over there so he is newer to it. He was great over there in the spring.”
Beyond the Monster spoke with Palka after the season opener about his role on the team this season and said he would be seeing time at first base, right field, left field, and at DH. He then followed it up with “wherever the prospects can’t fit that day.”
Palka played in two of the three games on opening weekend against Syracuse, playing at first base and a game at DH.
“He was a sponge for information throughout spring training and was looking forward to working more with Jose Flores,” Tracy added. “I have a lot of experience playing first, so I threw some tidbits at him. We have a lot of knowledge to help him succeed.”
Tracy was no stranger to first base during his eight year baseball career, as he played 499 games there and carried a .986 fielding percentage. He played first for three different organizations and played first at the end of his career when he was playing Indy baseball.
“He has a hell of an arm too, which I am sure people know that since he has played outfield a ton,” Tracy noted. “I think over the course of this season we will start throwing more at him at the position and he will continue to get more comfortable. He looked pretty good there in his first start of the year.”
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