Right-hander Dan Wright wasn’t good enough to hold a spot in his college rotation.
But despite going 2-15 as a sophomore and junior at the University of Arkansas, the White Sox took Wright in the second round of the 1999 draft.
“I had things [the scouts] were looking for as far as body type and arm strength,” Wright said. “It just didn’t translate to success in college.
“But a lot of times they look more at projection and upside.”
The Sox face that same challenge Tuesday when they pick 15th overall in the amateur draft.
The Sox loaded their system with pitching in the late ’90s, with Wright being a prime example.
The 6-foot-5 right-hander validated their faith by posting a 1.00 ERA in 10 games in rookie ball. He reached the big leagues in 2001. Still, how could Wright have been so bad in college?
“It was a weird deal,” he said. “I would get behind 2-0, and they have aluminum bats, so they could turn on it in a hurry. I didn’t know how to pitch. I was just throwing. I didn’t have a breaking ball.”
Who, me? Frank Thomas wasn’t aware that he had surpassed Luke Appling’s all-time club mark for total bases Sunday with a double.
“I had no clue,” he said.
Are any numbers significant to him?
“Not anymore,” he said. “I used to keep up with all that stuff. I’m just trying to go forward at this point.”
Same time, different day: Manager Jerry Manuel decided to take advantage of Saturday’s rainout by flipping Esteban Loaiza and Jon Garland in the rotation.
Rather than having both right-handers start on five days’ rest, Loaiza will go Tuesday after four days off, and Garland will take the ball Wednesday on six days’ rest.
The change means that Garland won’t face his hometown Dodgers this weekend.
In the house: Sox general manager Ken Williams had planned to join the team in Phoenix after the first round of Tuesday’s amateur draft. Instead, he showed up in Cleveland on Monday.
“Our draft board is all set,” he said.
– – –
Konerko crosses a dangerous line
Which is more amazing, that Paul Konerko has hit half as many homers as Royce Clayton or that Konerko’s peers at the plate include Cubs starting pitchers? These numbers speak for themselves. No matter how many times we look, it still doesn’t register.
Cubs starters
Mark Prior 10 for 31 (.322), 1 HR, 5 RBIs
Kerry Wood 4 for 24 (.166), 1 HR 3 RBIs
Shawn Estes 3 for 19 (.158), 0 HR 1 RBIs
Matt Clement 3 for 17 (.176), 0 HR 0 RBIs
Carlos Zambrano 4 for 26 (.154), 1 HR 2 RBIs
Total 24 for 117 (.205), 3 HR, 11 RBIs
$8 million man
Paul Konerko
35 for 177 (.198)
3 HR
15 RBIs
Last year
Paul Konerko
70 for 218 (.321)
8 HR
48 RBIs through Monday
Former Sox convenient excuse
Royce Clayton
34 for 180 (.189)
6 HR
21 RBIs with Milwaukee
Sources: MLB, ESPN
Jimmy Greenfield, Chris Courtney/REDEYE.
