Baseball Way Back: Former Sox pitcher, executive, scout Monroe shares memories of Jordan, Reinsdorf, World Series

Part 3 of 3

Larry Monroe had a dizzying ascent from Forest View High School pitching phenom to 20-year-old White Sox rookie in the final six weeks of the 1976 season.

But 1977 proved to be the start of a steep descent. Not only did he start the season in the minors, but instead of being sent to AAA Des Moines, he was ticketed to AA Knoxville, where Sox brass wanted him to be the No. 1 starter, filling his spot in Iowa with newcomer LaMarr Hoyt.

He had a strong start in Knoxville in 1977, including a stretch of 19 innings without yielding an earned run and back-to-back shutouts, but, dogged by arm problems, he spent the rest of his playing career in the minors before the Sox released him in 1980.

Monroe probably didn't know it at the time, but he would have a long career with the Sox, not as a pitcher, but as an executive and scout, and would be part of three division championships, one AL pennant and one World Series title.

Today, in his retirement after 47 years with the Sox, he continues to give back to the game through his website monroepitching.com, which offers advice, including personal sessions, on how to pitch effectively while minimizing the risk of injuries. It is the fruit of the knowledge he gained from pitching coaches, as well as working at Children's Memorial Hospital in a pitching lab with doctors and kinesiologists for 10 years.

His rise in the Sox organization began in 1980, when he accepted Sox General Manager Roland Hemond's offer of a scouting position. He had already proven his worth off the field in the minors.

"I used to steal signs in the dugout for the managers," he said. "And in the days I wasn't pitching, I was into the game. I didn't just sit there, because I loved baseball."

In addition to scouting, he also had a stint as pitching coach for the Sox farm team in Denver, the Bears.

When Ron Schueler replaced Larry Himes as Sox GM in 1990, Monroe was put in charge of the team's scouting and farm system.

"That was the most fun I had," he said. He hired Buddy Bell as his assistant and had success developing such players as Ray Durham, James Baldwin and Jason Bere.

Around the time the Sox captured the AL West flag Monroe received a call from Sox owner Jerry Reinsdorf in the fall of 1993.

"He said, 'Larry, I've got something for you. Michael Jordan is going to play baseball.' I said, 'What?'"

Reinsdorf then said, "He's going to play for us. He's going to spring training, He's going to break with the minor league team. He's going to try to make the big leagues. And you're in charge of him."

Reinsdorf explained Monroe had to protect him, keep him under wraps, and make sure the coaches gave him what he needed.

"And I said, 'Well Jerry I've got 230 people working for me,'" But Reinsdorf said Jordan would be his priority.

"He was terrific," Monroe said of Jordan. "I can't say enough good things. I had Bo Jackson a year or two later, and it was, like, I probably worked with the two greatest athletes in our lifetimes."

He said Jordan started with hitting lessons in the winter and worked hard.

"The progress he made was kind of unbelievable. I don't know of any other human that could hit whatever he hit in AA after not playing baseball for 15 years."

The Sox would face some lean years following the shortened 1994 season, but the table would be set for capturing the AL Central in 2000 and winning it all in 2005.

Monroe recalled the part he played in the Sox trading outfielder Mike Cameron for Paul Konerko.

Monroe said Schueler kept talking to the Cincinnati Reds about acquiring the first baseman in exchange for Cameron, but the Reds wouldn't budge.

Finally, at the general manager's meetings, "We were sitting and having a beer around the pool and (Schueler) said, 'You know (Reds GM Jim) Bowden well. Go over there and make the trade, will you?'

"I went over and said, 'Hey, Jim,'" and invited him for a drink.

After some haggling, Monroe said, "We need a first baseman. You need a centerfielder. It's real simple. We need power. You need an athlete. He said, 'You're not going to do it for less?' I said, 'No.' He turned to his assistant and said, 'What do you think?' He goes, 'It's up to you.' He says, 'Alright, screw it. Deal.' And he shook my hand."

In the march toward the championship in 2005, Monroe was assigned to scout clubs the Sox might be playing in the playoffs and the World Series.

While scouting the St. Louis-Houston series and watching pitchers, he was able to utilize the scene-stealing talents he first used as a pitcher in Knoxville.

"And so I stole Houston's signs. Before the pitch, I would watch the third base coach. Doug Mansolino, who had worked for us, was the third base coach for Houston."

In a long meeting the day before the series started, "We went through every player and all that stuff, and Ozzie (Guillen) and Joey Cora said, 'You guys got anything else?' And I said, 'Yeah, I have Houston's signs.'"

After he shared the information, "They go, 'Are you sure about this?' I said, 'If they don't change their signs, we have their signs.'"

The Sox went on to win the first two games of the series.

"If you watch Game 3 in Houston, in the third inning, they get a guy on first, and Roy Oswalt's at the plate. And they used to love to hit and run with Roy Oswalt, 'cause he handled the bat well for a pitcher. And that first pitch, they gave him a hit and run. And we pitch out and throw him out at second base.

"So in about the 10th, 11th inning, they get a guy on first, and (Houston manager) Phil Garner calls time out, goes to first base, whispers something in his ear, looks over at our dugout and says, 'Steal that (bleeping) sign.'"

Monroe credits Reinsdorf for his long tenure with the Sox.

"Jerry's a dear friend of mine, and he took care of me, and I love the man to death. And his loyalty, some people criticize it, but for those of us that are in it, Jerry is just a super caring human being that cares about people."