Sox Sentinel.
SOX Draft Murray
The Chicago Black Sox have drafted SP Clarence “Crusher Murray, with the second pick of this years MBWBA draft. The Sox sit bottom of the Midwest Division of the JL and rank 10th or worse in most pitching categories. That said they also rank 10th or worse in most batting categories too so there were a multitude of ways they could have gone with this pick. Indeed they were also in talks with Infielder Alberto Guzmain but with the emergence of Charlie Scott who is hitting .341/.408/.597 they had moved away from the young first baseman and narrowed the choice to Murray and the more versatile Devin Clark So it was an anxious wait for Chicago management who really had set their heart on Murray but were not sure he’d make it past the Surfers. When Guzmain was announced as the top pick Chicago had no hesitation on pulling the trigger on Murray.
The 22 year old right hander has all the hallmarks of an outstanding starter in terms of both ability and character. Extremely hardworking his college coaches had nothing but praise for the young man saying “Clarence is bright, hardworking and very down to earth. His team-mates look up to him and he oozes confidence on the mound. He listens well and is eager to learn, in short he’s a great kid with a very bright future”
Murray boasts 4 top class pitches, the best being a blistering fastball that regularly hits 98 mph. Of the rest a deceptive cutter comes in a close second while his change up and forkball would be the envy of many a starter. Undoubtedly his most impressive asset is his excellent control, in 49 innings pitched for the Kellog Tigers he struck out 58 batters walking only 6, to earn him the nickname Crusher and a call up to the 1998 College Conference All-Stars All Star game.
The biggest task ahead of Chicago is persuading Murray and his agents to join a floundering Black Sox organization. The Sox are a franchise in decline or rebuild mode depending on your perspective and not the most attractive proposition for a young pitcher. That said the Sox have built up a formidable stable of pitching prospects and Murray may be tempted to add his name to them. With Chicago’s current staff not exactly setting the league alight that would be a welcome ray of light in these dark times for Chicago.
