For former Sox catcher Paul, managing in minors a perfect fit

"It was a lot more work than I thought, but I think the biggest thing I learned was it's not all about X's and O's. It's about people, how people work, and how to get them all going in the same direction."

When he was a promising prospect in the White Sox' system in 1997, Josh Paul already seemed to be more astute than most.

Paul, a 1993 graduate of Buffalo Grove High School, was asked why so many major-league catchers - Fremd's Todd Hundley, Barrington's Dan Wilson, Hoffman Estate's Sal Fasano - were coming out of the Northwest suburbs.

"It's really cold for the first half of the season," he said. "Catchers get to wear all of the gear, and that keeps you warm."

After finishing up at Buffalo Grove, Paul went on to play collegiate baseball at Vanderbilt, and he was selected by his favorite team, the White Sox, on the second round of the 1996 amateur draft.

Paul played in 145 games for the White Sox from 1999 to 2003, and he also spent time with the Cubs, Los Angeles Angels and Tampa Bay Rays. In nine seasons as a major leaguer, the 6-foot-1, 200-pounder batted .244 with 10 home runs and 73 RBI.

Paul is best known for being behind the plate for the Angels in Game 2 of the 2005 American League Championship Series against the White Sox at U.S. Cellular Field.

With the score tied at 1 in the ninth inning, Sox catcher A.J. Pierzynski appeared to strike out on a Kelvim Escobar sinker. Paul rolled the ball back toward the mound following the third out, but Pierzynski chugged to first base and was safe after home-plate umpire Doug Eddings ruled Paul didn't make a clean catch on the third strike.

The White Sox went on to win Game 2 in the ninth inning on Joe Crede's RBI double, and they also won the next three against L.A. to take the series.

The controversy still bothers Paul, but he says he learned from the experience and pressed on.

Still trying to hang on as a player in 2008 while playing for Class AAA Round Rock, the Houston Astros' top farm club, Paul was sidelined after breaking his foot.

"They released me cold," he said.

Wanting to remain in the game, Paul put a resume together and began looking for a minor-league managing job. His big break came from the New York Yankees, who were impressed with the way Paul called pitches when he was catching for Tampa Bay.

The Yankees were looking for a manager for their Class A Staten Island team, and they viewed Paul as a perfect fit.

Learning on the fly this season, Paul guided the Baby Bombers to the New York-Penn League championship.

"To go out and win in my first year as a manager, it was great," Paul said. "But it was the players who deserve the credit, they did all the work. One of the things I learned was to get out of the way and just do what I could to help the team."

When he was with the White Sox, Paul played for manager Jerry Manuel. He played in just three games for the Cubs in 2003 under Dusty Baker.

At that point, Paul said he wasn't thinking about managing when his playing days were over.

Even when he was playing American Legion baseball for the legendary Lloyd Meyer, Paul never showed any obvious interest in calling the shots.

"He had great leadership qualities, you could see that," said Meyer, who just completed his 55th year coaching Arlington. "I remember how he just idolized Carlton Fisk- he even wore his hair the same way. He was a student of the game, but back when I had him he was more interested in finding a school to play for."

With Meyer's help, Paul signed with Vanderbilt and was good enough to play in the major leagues for nearly a decade.

He started thinking more and more about managing when he played for the Angels and Rays.

Mike Scioscia was his manager in Los Angeles, and Paul played for Joe Maddon in Tampa Bay. The dual influence led Paul to Staten Island.

"Those were probably the two guys that helped me the most," Paul said. "When I played for them, the most important thing was they never panicked. They always kept a calm, cool exterior, and as a catcher I also learned how to do that.

"That helped me a lot at Staten Island, because the kids were always looking down at the end of the bench to see how I was reacting to what was happening. It was a lot more work than I thought, but I think the biggest thing I learned was it's not all about X's and O's. It's about people, how people work, and how to get them all going in the same direction."

With a championship ring on the way after just one season, Paul's career is definitely heading in the right direction.

Could it one day lead to a job as White Sox manager?

"Obviously, that is something to think about," Paul said. "But I'd say that once you get into professional baseball, that fan thing goes away. It's just baseball, it's your job, your industry.

"Managing in the major leagues, yeah, I'd like to do that. But I've still got a long ways to go and a lot of dues to pay."