The Wolfpacker: An Independent Magazine Covering NC State Sports
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/368728
88 ■ THE WOLFPACKER BY RYAN TICE N obody expected his stay to be long, but the stint former NC State ace Car- los Rodon had with the advanced Class A Winston-Salem Dash lasted just four ap- pearances. On Aug. 16, the Chicago White Sox moved the left-hander that they drafted third overall in June up to the Triple-A Charlotte Knights. Rodon, who began his career with two games in the Arizona Rookie League, made two relief appearances with the Dash be- fore starting a pair of contests. He threw 9 2 ⁄3 innings and allowed seven hits and two earned runs for a 1.86 ERA, while striking out 15 of the 42 batters he faced. He will continue pitching from the start- ing rotation with the Knights. He made his debut on Aug. 19, striking out three and allowing one earned run in three innings of work with 55 pitches thrown. He was on a 60-pitch limit and received a no decision. Rodon is rumored to be on track for a September call-up when the big league rosters expand from 25 to 40, but would probably make his debut there out of the bullpen. The 6-3, 234-pounder from Holly Springs is following a path similar to the one that current White Sox ace Chris Sale took to the majors in 2010. After being picked 13th out of Florida Gulf Coast, Sale made four appearances with the Dash be- fore receiving a promotion to Charlotte. Seven relief appearances came with the Knights before Sale was called up to the big leagues on Aug. 4. He pitched out of the bullpen for the rest of the year and all of 2011 before making the transition to the starting rotation, where he has thrived. Eleven players from the last 11 drafts, including Sale, have made their major league debut in the same year that they were drafted, including former Wolfpacker Joey Devine for the Atlanta Braves in 2005, but it has become more common recently. From 1992-2002, only five picks earned their call-up that quickly. ■ PACK PROS Carlos Rodon Is Making Major Moves "I knew he was an elite passer, but I didn't realize this was one of the smartest football guys in the NFL, bar none. If there is a top-10 list of smartest guys in the league, he's on it, promise you. I would watch him in practice, hear the calls he would make, how fast he would process things. He's dropping back, talking to the backs as he's moving, telling them who to block, calling out code names for blitzes. He just sees it faster than anybody else." — San Diego Chargers offensive coordinator Frank Reich, who had a 14-year NFL career as a quarterback and was Peyton Manning's position coach with the Colts, on Philip Rivers (SportsOnEarth.com) "Seattle should be right back in the thick of Super Bowl contention in 2014, and this guy will be a big part of it. Hauschka performs in tougher conditions than a lot of kickers, yet only missed two kicks in 2013. The Seahawks will be in more tight ballgames this season, so Hauschka's play looms large." — NFL.com writer Elliott Har - rison on why he selected former Wolfpacker Steven Hauschka as the kicker on his 2014 All-Pro team projection "Warren looked like a five-year veteran playing against kids. … Warren won't be the best overall NBA player from this class, but he might be the best pure scorer, and in my opinion he was the best overall rookie in Las Vegas [for the NBA Summer League]." — ESPN insider David Thorpe on former NC State star T.J. Warren, now with the Suns ■ Quotable Carlos Rodon, the No. 3 overall pick in the 2014 MLB Draft by the Chicago White Sox, was pro- moted to Triple-A Charlotte after compiling a 1.86 ERA and striking out 15 of the 42 batters he faced with advanced Class A Winston-Salem. PHOTO COURTESY BUREN FOSTER/CHARLOTTE KNIGHTS