Honel rediscovers his attitude

[aboz56]

Honel rediscovers his attitude

Right-hander ready to prove himself following injury

By Scott Merkin / MLB.com 

 

TUCSON - Some people call it the brashness of youth. Some look at it as an important dose of confidence.

 

Others just view it as flat-out cockiness. Whatever the exact definition, Kris Honel had it during the first three years of his White Sox minor league career. Then, with one pitch on Opening Day of 2004 for Double-A Birmingham, Honel lost it.

 

Now, the 22-year-old right-hander is fighting hard to get it back. Honel currently is taking part in his second big league Spring Training, but his first as part of the 40-man roster. He's also pitching for the first time in his career following major arm problems.

 

The results for Honel cautiously have been placed in the plus column through almost three weeks in Arizona. Honel made his Cactus League debut Thursday afternoon, striking out the Diamondbacks' Royce Clayton and Chris Snyder during one scoreless inning of relief.

 

His velocity wasn't quite where the White Sox wanted to see it, but it was a small step for Honel on his journey back to the top.

 

"I was real happy overall," Honel said of Thursday's effort. "A couple of people came up to me and asked if I was holding back a little bit, but I was just trying to get comfortable out there. I'm not trying to throw as hard as I can and impress people. I got three quick outs, and that was my goal."

 

"He's throwing the ball much better," added Juan Nieves, who was Honel's pitching coach last season at Birmingham. "He's healthy, has better extension and is staying on his pitches a little bit better. I've been hurt, and I've pitched hurt. It's no fun. It's tough enough to get people out when you are healthy."

 

It was as recent as 2003 that Honel was on the fast track to the Major Leagues. In fact, the 16th pick of the 2001 First-Year Player Draft certainly would have been in the mix for the fifth starter's job during the 2004 campaign if not for his medical setback. Honel made his way from rookie ball in 2001 to two starts with Birmingham just two years later, striking out 355, walking 121 and allowing just 316 hits over 365 2/3 innings along the way.

 

But Honel tried to impress the organization a little too much during minor league Spring Training, muscling up on his pitches in an attempt to add a few extra miles on his fastball. Maybe it was the extra pressure of trying to succeed in his hometown, after being named an All-American while pitching for Providence Catholic High School in New Lenox, Ill., and then going directly to the White Sox.

 

More likely, it was an attempt to speed up his ascension to the Majors. His mechanics were thrown off, and he began to feel soreness in his pitching elbow.

 

"He even told me a couple of times that he wanted to impress a lot of people at Spring Training," Nieves said. "Kris was trying to make the big leagues out of his first bullpen. It hurt him."

 

That level of pain became too much to endure once the regular season began, as even Razor Shines, Honel's manager at Birmingham, could see the problems during the first trip to the mound. Honel immediately was sent to Dr. James Andrews, but the MRI showed no structural damage. Nonetheless, the inflammation in his right elbow shut down Honel from April 9 to June 19.

 

Of course, the problems with Honel's psyche were just as traumatic as the pitching pain.

 

"People close to me know, like my parents, how tough it was," Honel said. "There were such high expectations on me, but it ended up being one of the bumps in the road every pitcher goes through."

 

"It's a minor setback, and he's young enough to bounce back," added White Sox director of player development David Wilder of Honel. "I'm not worried about that type of situation because all the good ones go through it."

 

Honel pitched one inning of relief in two separate games during June but didn't pitch again until a rehab start with Bristol in advanced rookie ball on Aug. 23. The right-hander gave up four runs on one hit and three walks in one-third of an inning.

 

Getting shellacked against the same competition that he handled easily just two years prior would devastate some pitchers. Honel knew it was a necessary evil.

 

"They did that to see where I was at," said Honel of his Bristol effort. "I went down there at 70 percent, and I said that I didn't care about the results. I just wanted to see what would happen.

 

"After that game, I said, 'This ain't happening again.' That was my motivation all year."

 

In a somewhat strange twist of fate, Honel lived in an apartment in Phoenix during the offseason with Brandon McCarthy and Sean Tracey. Honel tirelessly worked with his roommates to get ready for the 2005 campaign.

 

The strange part stems from both McCarthy and Tracey passing Honel in the minor league hierarchy during Honel's injury. The White Sox also added accomplished starters such as Freddy Garcia, Jose Contreras and Orlando 'El Duque' Hernandez during the past year.

 

But Honel doesn't seem beaten down by his brief drop within the system. His season figures to start back in Birmingham, but he's not ready to concede anything as of yet.

 

It's the return of that old bravado, or confidence or cockiness. Whatever it is, Honel seems to slowly be getting it back.

 

"As a pitcher, you can't go out there timid," Honel said. "You need that bulldog attitude. I'm out on the mound thinking nobody can hit me. It's just the mindset you have to have. They are probably out there saying, 'This guy can't throw the ball by me.' To the level people take that, it's up to them.

 

"Last year was the lowest point of my career. It humbled me and brought me down to Earth because you realize how fast it can go. Some guys have let it turn into a negative. I look at it now as giving me a lot of rest as I let my arm recuperate."

 

Good to see he worked out with Tracey and B-Mac this offseason.

 

This is an encouraging article, I hope to see Honel back on track, even though most of us view him now as a fringe prospect.

[shagar69]

kriposh nonel with a K is the Man!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[DBAHO]

kriposh nonel with a K is the Man!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!                

Had more booze I see.

[WHarris1]

Had more booze I see. 

Recall the U of I St. Patty's Day Thread?

[Chisoxfn]

Very encouraging sign, it would be great to get the old Kris Honel back, but I'm not gonna count on it with just one outing. I'm encouraged at least a bit because I think a large part of his issues last year were mental.

[GoodAsGould]

yeah it wasnt a real arm injury from what i can tell and he is still young so i have high hopes for Honel.... it would be awesome having him and B-Mac in our rotation in a couple of years.... and cheap

[WilliamTell]

Come on man, you can do it!!!!!!!

[danman31]

The biggest news of Spring Training so far for me has been Honel's inning of work. It shows that he's over the headcase phase like Rick Ankiel. If Ankiel was to pitch a meaningless inning of ST during his bad times he would have walked a few guys with a few wild pitches and it would have been ugly. It's encouraging to see Honel on the up instead of that nasty Bristol outing. I have a lot more faith in him after that. I still don't think we will see the pre-'injury' Honel, but he could still be a damn good prospect. Maybe in another year or 2 he will be back at top form. I'll take anything below 4.5 as his ERA this year.

[GoodAsGould]

well i dont think his era is going to be in the 4's.... his arm injury wasnt like rauch where it totally ruined his fastball id expect Honel to have an era in the 3's if it is 4.5 that would be a little dissapointing to me... i guess in the minors era isnt as important as it is in the majors but still.