White Sox left-hander John Danks has become the second Chicago pitcher to pull his name off the provisional roster for the World Baseball Classic.
A day after the Cubs' Rich Harden said he would not participate for Canada in the second Classic, Danks' agent informed the White Sox that Danks would bypass the event as well. "[It was] really a great honor," Danks said on the White Sox's Web site. "If I knew that if I played and I still would be ready to pitch 200-plus innings and give quality starts every time out ... It's a tough decision, and my first obligation is to the White Sox."
The Classic runs concurrently with spring training and is believed to tax a pitcher's arm more than the leisurely pace of a major-league camp.
Harden opted out because his problematic right shoulder most likely will not be ready for the early strain. Danks wants to save his best for the White Sox. He has been held back in the past because a normal MLB workload takes a toll on his young arm.
Provisional 45-man rosters will be pared to 28 players in late February. All players were asked last fall whether they would like to represent their countries in the Classic, and those who replied yes were considered for the roster.
It's still unknown whether the Cubs' highest-paid pitcher, Carlos Zambrano, will pitch for Venezuela in the Classic. He remains on the country's 45-man roster.
dvandyck@tribune.com
