White Sox select Monroe again in major-league draft
Grant Monroe received another option to consider Thursday.
The Schaumburg graduate and Cook County captain of the 2007 Daily Herald All-Area baseball team was chosen by the White Sox in the 46th round of the Major League Baseball amateur draft. Two years ago he was selected in the 38th round by the White Sox.
The right-handed pitcher was eligible for the draft again since he spent this past season at Northwest Florida State Community College. Monroe, who pitched at Duke as a freshman, said he has also narrowed down his college choices to Division I Florida Atlantic, Miami (Ohio), Northern Illinois and Southern Illinois and Division II Tampa.
The White Sox hold Monroe's rights until Aug. 15. He is pitching this summer for the Lombard Orioles of the Chicago Suburban Baseball League.
"We'll see where I am and if I can make some improvements over the summer and do a little better," said Monroe, whose dad, Larry, pitched for the White Sox in 1976 and is their adviser to the baseball department. "It's something I'll look at and make a decision at what I'm looking for in my future.
"I'm not exactly sure what I'm going to do and I'll see where it takes me."
Monroe went 6-2 this spring at Northwest Florida with a 7.24 ERA and 40 strikeouts in 542/3 innings. He said his fastball was around 86-87 mph this spring but is now consistently around 89-90 and he hopes to push it up to 92.
"I thought I did OK but I wasn't satisfied with how my season ended," Monroe said of playing in what was regarded as a hitter's league at Northwest Florida. "I tried to keep the ball down and get ground balls and overall I was happy with how my season went, but I don't think I did everything I could."
Monroe was 5-3 in his only season at Duke but said he left because of personal issues with coach Sean McNally.
"For me it wasn't the best place to get my full potential out," Monroe said. "I had more than I was capable of offering on the mound that I couldn't get out."
Monroe hopes that happens whether his next stop is in college or with the White Sox organization.
Frankenberg wins title: Golfer Ross Frankenberg, who just graduated from Barrington, won the Midwest Junior Players Championship Thursday at Bloomingdale's Hilton Indian Lakes Resort after finishing the final round at 6-under-par 210.
At last year's Midwest Junior Players Championship, Frankenberg was defeated in a three-hole sudden-death playoff. This time, Frankenberg birdied five holes to come back from a 4-stroke deficit. His final round 2-under-par 70 helped him earn his first AJGA victory by 2 shots.
"Making a lot of birdies helped make up for mistakes this week," Frankenberg said. "On this course if you're not making birdies, you're falling behind. To finally stick it out all the way to the end, especially four shots back is a great feeling."
Johannes Seeman of Prospect Heights and Hersey was eighth with a 218. In the girls division, Class AA state champion Kris Yoo of Conant tied for fifth with a 225 to finish 5 shots off the lead.
Jon Macnider takes over Saxons girls track: Jon Macnider has been named Schaumburg's head girls track and field coach. Macnider replaces Mike Rebeck, who is retiring after 32 years at the school.
Macnider has been an assistant coach since 1980 and has coached the girls cross country team to state titles in 1982 and 1999.
"We feel coach Macnider is a great fit for us," said Schaumburg athletic director Tim Kirby in a news release. "Obviously, he is familiar with Schaumburg High School, having been involved in teaching and coaching here for more than 30 years. He relates well with our students, and they feel extremely comfortable with him as a coach. We're excited about the enthusiasm he brings to the program every day and to Schaumburg High School."
Macnider's brother Jim is Schaumburg's boys head cross country and track coach.
Mount Prospect American Legion fundraiser: Mount Prospect American Legion Post 525 will hold its fundraiser for the 2009 baseball season from 5 p.m.-8 p.m. Saturday at Bogie's at 303 Kensington Road in Mount Prospect. Cost is $20 for those over 21 and $15 for those under 21 for all the pizza you can eat, soft drinks and coffee and tea. No advance reservations are required.
Proceeds help defer the costs for players on the team. There will be a raffle and auction and the prizes include Bears' 40-yard line tickets for a preseason game with Buffalo, two seats in the first row of the right-field bleachers at Miller Park and a motor coach round trip for a Cubs-Brewers game and a private evening yacht cruise on Lake Michigan.