So little time for White Sox scouts, so many talented prospects

By Mark Gonzales

Chicago Tribune

May 14, 2008

It's entering crunch time for White Sox scouting director Doug Laumann.

Laumann spent Tuesday night at the University of Miami scouting a cast of top players led by first baseman Yonder Alonso, who went 2-for-2 with a home run against North Florida.

Then it's off to Georgia to watch an undisclosed right-handed high school pitcher, followed by a drive to Columbia, S.C., to watch South Carolina first baseman Justin Smoak before heading to Nebraska to scout Missouri pitcher Aaron Crow before retreating to Cincinnati to conduct a meeting with his cross-checkers before heading out to make final evaluations.

The amateur draft in June could be as important as any in recent memory for the White Sox, who have the eighth overall selection. The Sox lost their second-round pick to Milwaukee for signing free-agent reliever Scott Linebrink and won't select again until 87th.

'It's a little bit of a challenge because the majority of the top prospects we have scouted will be gone,' Laumann said Tuesday night from Mark Light Stadium in Coral Gables, Fla., the University of Miami's home. 'But we'll do our due diligence to see them all.'

In a possible change of philosophy, the Sox could steer away from selecting a college pitcher with their first pick for the first time since 2004, when they took Oklahoma State third baseman Josh Fields.

Laumann said the Sox will focus on taking the best player available, and the draft isn't considered loaded with top college pitchers in the top half of the first round.

He added that he has watched the University of Georgia a ton of times, presumably to evaluate shortstop Gordon Beckman and pitcher Joshua Fields.

Extra innings The Sox will have a Welcome Back Carlton Fisk Night on May 22. Fisk, who played 13 seasons with the Sox, has agreed to become a team ambassador and serve on the White Sox Speakers Bureau.

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