Everyone's favorite knuckleballer is back and on the 40-man roster...

 

Will he continue to succeed in Birmingham and make it to Charlotte? Will he lose that knuckler touch? Is he the next Tim Wakefield?

I imagine he'll start at Charlotte and struggle.

As the weather gets warmer, Haeger will get tougher. I hate to say it, but if he ever pitched for a warm weather team ala Texas Rangers, Atlanta Braves or Florida Marlins, he would be a solid #4-5 with the humidity factor.

I think he will be at B-ham to start and will suceed, then move to Charlotte where he will be on and off with the Knights Stadium being a hitters park. As much as I would want a knuckler in the rotation and want Haeger to suceed, there is no room for him in sox's rotation in the future. With guys ahead of him in Broadway, Gonzalez, Haigwood, McCarthy and Liotta, he will be traded and hopefully have a long career.

Edited November 21, 200520 yr by maggsmaggs

I really hope he gets really good. Could you imagine a knuckleballer on the White Sox? When was the last time we saw that? Hell, have we ever seen it? I'm not sure.

I really hope he gets really good. Could you imagine a knuckleballer on the White Sox? When was the last time we saw that? Hell, have we ever seen it? I'm not sure.

Charlie Hough. Pitched for us 91-92.

I really hope he gets really good. Could you imagine a knuckleballer on the White Sox? When was the last time we saw that? Hell, have we ever seen it? I'm not sure.

 

 

Charlie Hough.  Pitched for us 91-92.

 

Wilbur Wood too.

Hoyt Wilhelm.

Eddie Fisher.

 

And didn't Jack Lamabe throw one evry now and then? I don't know why that popped into my head, and I may be totally wrong about that.

Hoyt Wilhelm.

Eddie Fisher.

 

And didn't Jack Lamabe throw one evry now and then?  I don't know why that popped into my head, and I may be totally wrong about that.

 

A recent article had Lance Broadway and Charles Haeger listed as the two pitchers who are most ready for the big leagues. Haeger was 14-5 last year at Wnston-Salem and Birmingham. Do you think the Sox will give a knuckleballer a shot in the rotation? BA said Haeger has "back of the rotation" major league potential. He chews up innings and keeps his team in the game, just like Wakefield does for the Red Sox. If he can produce .500 numbers as a #4 or #5 starter it would be a huge bonus.

A recent article had Lance Broadway and Charles Haeger listed as the two pitchers who are most ready for the big leagues. Haeger was 14-5 last year at Wnston-Salem and Birmingham. Do you think the Sox will give a knuckleballer a shot in the rotation? BA said Haeger has "back of the rotation" major league potential. He chews up innings and keeps his team in the game, just like Wakefield does for the Red Sox. If he can produce .500 numbers as a #4 or #5 starter it would be a huge bonus.

 

He may eventually get a shot at a long relief position. If he's successful, then maybe someday he'll get a shot at the rotation.

Hoyt Wilhelm.

Eddie Fisher.

 

And didn't Jack Lamabe throw one evry now and then?  I don't know why that popped into my head, and I may be totally wrong about that.

 

I thought I had a vague memory of the Sox having 3 guys on the same team that threw knuckleballs. Of course Wilhelm threw it all the time. Fisher threw it the majority of the time. And I thought Dennis Higgins threw them sometimes. I, too, might be 'off base' with Higgins. I think the pitching coach with the Sox back then was Dutch Leonard and he was famous for teaching knuckleballs (not by any means his only claim to fame).