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Touching all the Bases

The next generation?

Posted by: Jeff Huth

Wednesday, October 1, 2008 3:28 PM

These past few years have been lean times for former Illini in Major League Baseball.
No ex-Illini played in the big leagues this season. In 2007, the UI was represented by utilityman Scott Spiezio (Cardinals) and infielder Chris Basak (Twins), although the latter appeared in merely five games and had one at-bat.
Not since 2005 have there been as many as three Illini products in the major leagues: Spiezio (Mariners), Danville native Jason Anderson (Yankees) and Jimmy Journell (Cardinals). And in the cases of Anderson and Journell, their seasons were more a cup of coffee than the Big Gulp.
But there's reason to wonder whether another generation of ex-Illini might be showing up in the big leagues in the coming years. When MLB teams issued invitations to the various postseason developmental leagues for minor league prospects, three former Illini received the call.
Catcher Lars Davis (Rockies) and pitcher Scott Shaw (Mets) are playing in the Hawaii Winter Baseball League. Outfielder Kyle Hudson (Orioles) is competing in the Florida Instructional League after this 2008 pro debut season was limited to 11 games by a broken finger.
The presence of Davis and Shaw in Hawaii is a particularly good sign that each is highly regarded by his respective organization. MLB teams typically send only their most promising Class AA and A prospects to this league.
This figures to be an important stepping stone for both toward a potential shot at The Show. The fact tht Hudson was a fourth-round pick ensures that he's prominent on the Orioles' radar, too.