Today, while in the midst of writing many abstracts and broadcast news stories, I had the opportunity to see something that, in my eyes, is a glimpse at what the future will be like. I was able to watch two friends battle it out on the baseball diamond as professional baseball players at spring training. One player, from my hometown who ended up going to my rival high school as well as college, Colin Curtis. The other, a player I had the opportunity to spend many down hours with while studying at the University of Arizona. His name is Delmon Young.
My boy D-Y, as we like to call him, now plays left field for the Minnesota Twins. He was drafted by the Tampa Bay Devil Rays, and was called up to start in right field for them last season. In the off season he was traded to Minnesota and it's a new start for him. He's a quiet guy. You have to poke and prod to get anything out of him. The kid is a man child, and is expected to bring a strong presence to the plate for the Twins this season. His first at bat today against the Yankees was a home run. Most people don't know that he lost the rookie of the year vote last season by one vote. He's a player that I hope great things for. Its always fun to see a guy you know play at the highest level.
Colin Curtis is one talented individual. He was a threat to my Arizona Wildcats when he played for ASU every time he came to the plate. Not only is he a talented hitter, but he can play tremendous defense, and has pretty decent speed. The road for him ahead is just a little harder than it is for Delmon. You see, Colin was drafted by the most notorious team in the game. The New York Yankees. When you are trying to compete for a spot over a guy like Johnny Damon (who Colin replaced in the 6th inning) you have the most minuscule chance. Here's my projection for Colin. He will get the September call-up this season. September call-ups are the opportunity to be in the dugout and be apart of a playoff team roster. The problem lies in those ahead of him that have enormous contracts with the Yankees. His talent alone can't get him a starting spot over a guy who makes millions of dollars a year. Down the line, he may have to request a trade, or negotiate a contact deal that will get him on the major league roster permanently. The facts remain that he is a major league caliber player. I hope it's sooner rather than later that he gets his opportunity.
Either way, it's a cool sight to see when you are able to witness something like this. I plan to post other happenings about my friends who are struggling to become professional baseball players in the future. There are quite a few that I hope to see on major league rosters in the next few years. The difficulty of becoming a professional baseball player is extremely hard to put into words. There's so many players you are up against. That's why my hat goes off to these guys, because they are truly the best at what they have decided to do. They've had to beat out a lot of players over their years to get where they are. I hope to see some hall of fame names out of this group. Question: Will Delmon Young hit more than 25 home runs this season for the Twins?
My boy D-Y, as we like to call him, now plays left field for the Minnesota Twins. He was drafted by the Tampa Bay Devil Rays, and was called up to start in right field for them last season. In the off season he was traded to Minnesota and it's a new start for him. He's a quiet guy. You have to poke and prod to get anything out of him. The kid is a man child, and is expected to bring a strong presence to the plate for the Twins this season. His first at bat today against the Yankees was a home run. Most people don't know that he lost the rookie of the year vote last season by one vote. He's a player that I hope great things for. Its always fun to see a guy you know play at the highest level.
Colin Curtis is one talented individual. He was a threat to my Arizona Wildcats when he played for ASU every time he came to the plate. Not only is he a talented hitter, but he can play tremendous defense, and has pretty decent speed. The road for him ahead is just a little harder than it is for Delmon. You see, Colin was drafted by the most notorious team in the game. The New York Yankees. When you are trying to compete for a spot over a guy like Johnny Damon (who Colin replaced in the 6th inning) you have the most minuscule chance. Here's my projection for Colin. He will get the September call-up this season. September call-ups are the opportunity to be in the dugout and be apart of a playoff team roster. The problem lies in those ahead of him that have enormous contracts with the Yankees. His talent alone can't get him a starting spot over a guy who makes millions of dollars a year. Down the line, he may have to request a trade, or negotiate a contact deal that will get him on the major league roster permanently. The facts remain that he is a major league caliber player. I hope it's sooner rather than later that he gets his opportunity.
Either way, it's a cool sight to see when you are able to witness something like this. I plan to post other happenings about my friends who are struggling to become professional baseball players in the future. There are quite a few that I hope to see on major league rosters in the next few years. The difficulty of becoming a professional baseball player is extremely hard to put into words. There's so many players you are up against. That's why my hat goes off to these guys, because they are truly the best at what they have decided to do. They've had to beat out a lot of players over their years to get where they are. I hope to see some hall of fame names out of this group. Question: Will Delmon Young hit more than 25 home runs this season for the Twins?
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