From the Locker Room: James McCann on a killer lineup and Dunning's composure

The veteran had two big hits, and did a masterful job of managing Dane Dunning to his best career start

When James McCann's bat isn't getting fans to clamor over more playing time for him, he's busy doing more than his fair share behind the plate, captaining some of the best White Sox starts this season.

Last night, Dane Dunning threw a masterful seven innings in just his fifth career start. It's not coincidence that McCann was behind the plate — although to hear him tell it, the mastery was all a product of Dunning's makeup.

"It boils down to his composure," McCann said postgame. "That’s a playoff-type atmosphere. He really didn’t have his four-seam tonight, but found a way to get through it with just his two-seam. I couldn’t be more proud of how he came through this time."

Later on, McCann shared what ultimately came across as a sweet sentiment about his veteran status, which seems to dovetail with the sort of mentoring and generosity he brings to the pitching staff: "Sharing my veteran experience with young pitchers is one thing I treasure about being in this game."

But, back to praise for Dane.

"He’s been an integral part of our rotation from Day 1," McCann said. "He’s done a heck of a job. Even with pitch counts and having restrictions, he’s gotten us deep into games. There are no words to describe him. It's been very impressive, doing what he’s done."

McCann also had some very generous words for the amazing Tim Anderson:

"He’s special, he’s very special," McCann said. "The things he’s doing at the plate right now, you sit back and enjoy...These are memories you can watch as a teammate, and a fan. You don’t forget stuff like that."

Finally, I thought it would be appropriate to ask McCann something about himself for once, namely as he had two huge, RBI hits in Tuesday's win.

"I feel good," McCann said. "Something that’s so fun about this lineup, you’re just going to the next guy. You never feel like you have to get it done. The term 'hitting is contagious' is true on this team. Look up and down the lineup, and there’s no breaks."

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James McCann video courtesy of the Chicago White Sox