The News Herald (Willoughby, OH)
Mentor’s McClure gets promotion to Single-A
Mentor graduate and former Louisville standout pitcher Kade McClure, who was drafted by the White Sox this past June, has been promoted from short-season ball to Single-A Kannapolis.
Kade McClure was pretty sure it was a matter of time, but it was a moment he’ll remember.
The Mentor graduate and University of Louisville product got his first official promotion recently when he was elevated from the short-season Great Falls Voyagers of the Pioneer League to the Single-A Kannapolis Intimidators of the South Atlantic League.
“It was cool,” McClure said in a phone interview. “My manager called me in and said, ‘You’re moving up.’ ”
On Aug. 16, McClure was on a plane to meet his teammates in New Jersey, where they played a threegame series against Lakewood.
Kannapolis has 17 regular-season games remaining, including more in the playoffs, so McClure is excited to make the most of this step.
It’s a step he views as a big one.
“I’m really looking forward to this level,” McClure said. ”The hitters only get better as you move up.”
McClure was selected by the White Sox in the June draft in Round 6 with the 177th overall pick.
After he signed, McClure spent a short time with the team’s rookie-league team in Arizona, where he made one appearance in relief. McClure struck out all three batters he faced in one inning of work.
With Great Falls, he worked as a reliever, and made four appearances. In four innings, he walked two and struck out eight. McClure allowed one hit and one run, and remembers it well.
“A Double-A guy making a rehab start,” McClure said. “I was having a hard time communicating with my catcher (because he didn’t speak much English), so I just said here it is. See if you can hit it. He did — about 400 feet.”
It’s those types of lessons that has McClure excited as heads to the South Atlantic League.
“Definitely looking forward to the challenge,” he said.
Since he threw more than 100 innings as a college junior, McClure has been told he will finish the season with Kannapolis as a reliever.
When he was drafted, though, he was told the White Sox envision him as a starter. He expects to be in a starting rotation no matter what level he begins for the start of 2018, but is prepared for anything.
“Whatever they want me to do, I’ll be ready,” McClure said.
In the meantime, he’s already taking online courses at Louisville and will finish his final semester this fall at the campus and earn his degree, which he views as a good thing when calls trickle in from the home front.
“Man, my mom has been on me about that,” McClure said. “So she’s glad I’m finishing up.”
As a Louisville junior, McClure finished the season with a 8-4 record, a 3.58 ERA and 111 strikeouts in 103 innings pitched. For his college career, McClure was 21-4.