BA

[LDF]

Chicago (AL)

 

Good Play, Mate

 

CHICAGO—Spring training was difficult for Thomas Brice. The world cup of cricket was being played, and Brice couldn’t find a word about it in the Arizona newspapers.

 

“It’s a big event in the world but there was no coverage here,” Brice said. “Nothing in the papers or on television, not even ESPN. But I’d go back to the hotel and get on the Internet.”

 

Brice, a 21-year-old outfielder from Woodville, Australia, has a career that is shaping up nicely. A cricket player until his teens, he took quickly to baseball and eventually decided to try to become a professional.

 

He left his home in the spring of 2001 to attend Faulkner State (Ala.) Community College and showed enough potential for the White Sox to select him in the 24th round of the 2002 draft. He immediately helped Rookie-level Bristol to an Appalachian League title, keeping his batting average at .327 or better all season.

 

In his first full year as a pro, Brice is holding his own at low Class A Kannapolis. After a slow start, he had raised his average to .282 in 280 at-bats, though he had just 19 extra-base hits.

 

“He’s a natural hitter,” farm director Bob Fontaine said. “He’s got that classic lefthanded swing. You always kind of hate to compare players, but the guy all our people talk about is John Olerud.”

 

Not surprisingly, Brice is a good low-ball hitter. He says in that way baseball resembles cricket, in which the batsman’s job is to keep the ball from one-hopping into the wicket.

 

Brice hasn’t hit a home run yet this year, but the White Sox look at his build (6-foot-5, 210 pounds) and believe he could eventually hit 10-20 homers a year.

 

Brice has a plus arm suited for right field. He pitched for Australian junior national teams before a series of arm injuries sidelined him. He had arthroscopic surgery on his shoulder, a stress fracture in his elbow and then broke his wrist but has somehow regained his arm strength.

 

“I was really about to quit,” Brice said. “I thought my baseball career was over.”

 

CHI-LITES

 

• Some in the organization would like to see Japanese righthander Tetsu Yofu, 29, get at least a brief look in September because they say he’ll be lost in the Rule 5 draft if he’s not on the 40-man roster. He was 7-6, 3.42 for Double-A Birmingham.

 

• Second-round pick Ryan Sweeney began his pro career hitting .290 through 31 at-bats with Bristol.

[Loaiza21]

I'd like to see Yofu get a start, or maybe relief...I just think we should give him a chance before we lose him.