BA article on Honel

[MnSoxFan]

High Class A Notebook

 

Dreams draw closer to reality for Winston-Salem righthander

 

Edited by Alan Matthews

 

June 23, 2003

 

BY DAVE UTNIK

 

PRINCE WILLIAM, Va.—The Winston-Salem Warthogs were watching “The Rookie” during their bus ride to Potomac, and 20-year-old righthander Kris Honel imagined for a moment that, like Jim Morris, he’d just been promoted to the majors.

 

For the first time in his promising career, the Warthogs’ ace was completely overwhelmed.

 

“When he got told about making the big leagues that must have been awesome,” Honel said. “I don’t even know how I’d react. I’d probably be speechless.”

 

Like baseball, words typically come easily to Honel. He is charismatic and self-assured. He’s known for years that he is a big-time prospect whose father Mike always claimed “would do something special.” But the dream of putting on a major league uniform is as humbling as it is inspiring, which is why Honel doesn’t take his talent or his prospect status for granted.

 

“The summer between my junior and senior year I knew I was going to be a first-round draft pick,” Honel said. “But first-rounders still have to live up to expectations.

 

“My dad had a saying, fear no one, but respect everyone. He taught me how to play the game right and to respect the game.”

 

Honel has been around a diamond most of his life. When he wasn’t playing in a Little League game, he was usually watching his father coach at the University of Evansville. Back then, Honel was a shortstop, but it wasn’t long before his strong arm led him to the mound.

 

“I’d take pitching over shortstop any day,” he said. “When you’re pitching, you control the game and all eyes are on you. That’s what I love. I love performing under that pressure. I play at a better level when it’s like that.”

 

The Limelight

 

By the time Honel reached high school, scouts and television crews were part of the scenery at Providence Catholic High of New Lenox, Ill. The first start of his senior season attracted 90 scouts on a day when it was 32 degrees and snowing.

 

“That was a really fun year. Most of the guys had never seen scouts before,” said Honel, who went 8-0, 1.09 with 73 strikeouts in 45 innings that spring before the White Sox selected him with the 16th overall pick. “It was great because it was an opportunity to showcase some of the other guys.”

 

The main attraction, however, was Honel, whose knuckle-curve was recognized as the best breaking pitch among high school pitchers in 2001.

 

“I picked it up at a pitching clinic when I was a freshman,” Honel said. “It’s a little awkward and being 14 it took me about a year to get it down, but it’s a great pitch and I recommend it.”

 

The knuckle-curve is a popular pitch among some of baseball’s premier strikeout pitchers. Kerry Wood and Mark Prior both throw it. Honel refers to it as a “fool pitch” because “it drops out of sight.” Its exceptional movement and his ability to control it makes the knuckle-curve Honel’s best pitch, though he has an excellent changeup and a fastball that averages in the low 90s with good movement as well.

 

“Kris is going to pitch in the big leagues. He has the mentality, the makeup and most importantly, the arm,” Winston-Salem manager Razor Shines said. “He can throw three or four pitches for strikes and he doesn’t rattle.”

 

On Track

 

In just his third minor league season, Honel (6-4, 2.51) is one of the White Sox’ top prospects. He turned down a scholarship offer from Arizona State to sign with the White Sox for $1.5 million. The highest drafted prep pitcher from Illinois since Bob Kipper in 1982, Honel hasn’t disappointed the organization.

 

He was 4-3, 2.89 between the Rookie-level Arizona and Appalachian leagues in 2001. A year later he led all White Sox minor leaguers with 160 strikeouts and a 2.78 ERA as a South Atlantic League all-star at low Class A Kannapolis.

 

Honel is now part of one of the best pitching staffs in the high Class A Carolina League. Along with lefties Ryan Wing, Byeong An and Ryan Meaux and righthanders Wyatt Allen and Frank Francisco, Honel helped the Warthogs stay atop the Southern Division standings much of the first half.

 

“Look at our rotation. We have two first-rounders, a second-rounder and Frank was a top prospect with Boston before coming here,” Honel said. “That’s great to have. It’s fun because we learn from each other and we challenge each other. That’s what the game is about, being challenged.”