Report on the Great Falls White Sox

[elrockinMT]

Pitcher gets second tour of duty

 

By Scott Mansch

 

 

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TRIBUNE PHOTO BY LAILANI UPHAM O'DONNELL

Great Falls White Sox pitcher Sean Thompson (29) throws off the mound Monday during a workout at Legion Park, while a teammate watched.

 

 

 

 

Returning to the Pioneer League for a second year is not exactly the fast track to the major leagues.

 

But J.D. Johnson, a third-year pro pitcher who is back on the Great Falls White Sox' roster this summer, isn't complaining about a second tour of duty in the Pioneer League.

 

"When you're still playing it's never a disappointment," Johnson said Monday following the team's first official workout at Legion Park. "There's a lot of guys that didn't make the trip this year. They're going home. So I'm happy to be here."

 

Johnson is one of several pitchers, including Opening Day starter Boone Logan, who are about to start their second seasons in Great Falls uniforms. Sony Suarez, who will start Saturday night's game, is another. Left-handers Sean Thompson and Gerron McGary, and righties Matt Nachreiner, Jeff Little, Kyle Kane and Rylan Reed are all veteran pitchers who return to Great Falls.

 

White Sox pitching coach Richard Dotson said the experience on the mound could pay off big-time this summer.

 

"I'm hoping so," said Dotson, the former major-league star with the Sox. "The guys we have returning will be a lot better than they were last year, and I think a lot of the draft picks are college guys, which will help."

 

Johnson, 21, was 2-4 with a 4.46 earned-run average for the 2003 Great Falls club. He led the team in both innings pitched (42.1) and strikeouts (47).

 

"I was a long relief, game-on-the-line guy last year, then at the end of the season they had me piggybacking as a starter," said Johnson. "I don't know what they have in mind for me this year, but I'm ready for anything.

 

"My expectations are to have a championship season. I really want that. I'm hungry for it."

 

Johnson said understanding the geography and climate of the Pioneer League is more valuable than knowing the hitters, which is a big reason the veteran pitchers should prosper.

 

"This is definitley a hitter's league," Johnson said. "The ball flies in all these ballparks, so you've got to stick to the basics."

 

Which, at any level of baseball, means to get ahead of the hitters.

 

"Absolutely," said Johnson. "Get ahead and be aggressive. When you fall behind and they can get a bead on what you're going to throw, they can hit it a long ways. Especially with the wind here."

 

Dotson, who played in the Pioneer with Idaho Falls in 1977 and went on to an All-Star career in the majors during which he won 111 games, agrees with Johnson that the altitude of this region makes for an offensive game.

 

"The ball flies," he said, "but if you make your pitches, more times than not you're going to get an out. If you make mistakes, you're going to get hurt."

 

Make no mistake about it, Johnson doesn't mind being up here. His girlfriend is Kelly Jackson, an outstanding country singer currently working at the J-Bar-T. And he's already making plans to attend the University of Montana this fall, where he'll continue working toward a pharmacy degree.

 

Meanwhile, eight newly signed 2004 draftees arrived in Great Falls Monday and took physicals. They will be on the field this afternoon at 3 for their first professional practices.

 

The newest White Sox include pitchers Matt Zaleski, Eric Everly and Travis Doyle, infielders Caleb Cooper, Derrick McNeil and Mario Suarez, and Ferny Alvarez. All have college experience.

 

In addtion, second-round draft choice Donny Lucy of Stanford had reportedly signed with Chicago and is expected to arrive in Great Falls soon.

 

NOTES: Great Falls skipper John Orton and his coaches, Richard Dotson and Mark Haley, are being assisted by several instructors from the Chicago minor-league department. Among them are Nate Oliver, Mike Lum, Darryl Boston and Tommy Thompson. Lum and Boston enjoyed some solid years in the majors as batsmen, while Oliver played seven seasons in the bigs and played in the 1966 World Series for the Dodgers. ... The Welcome White Sox banquet is set for Wednesday night at the Rainbow Hotel. Longtime Chicago baseball executive Roland Hemond will be the featured speaker. More information is available by calling 452-5311. ... The White Sox are scheduled to work out daily in preparation for Opening Day on Friday. Today's workout, which is open to the public, is slated for 3 p.m.

[th0mas35]

nice seeing Lucy signing.

 

Now the Sox just need to sign Fields and Whisler.

[danman31]

Thanks for posting this. I was wondering who would end up where.