Certain moments give you a sense of community that’s lacking these days.
Several years ago, fans built bonds with minor leaguers by simply going to minor league games. They watched careers unfold and waited by the dugout for, pen and ball in hand. They got an early pre-big league glimpse; they were the players big club beat writers travelled for, if only to see once or twice. They had to. The mass information highway wasn’t quite the cruising ground it is today.
In the last five years, Twitter has changed all that. Sure, there was information before, but that social outlet opened up a whole new world for fans and reporters. We’ve lost some things, but gained many, both as reporters and sports fans. We've gotten a bit too smart for our own good. We talk and talk, and sometimes don't take a step back to make sure we're not over-speculating or over-reaction. On one hand it’s disconnected us. On the other hand, Twitter has connected us in a unique way and broadened our reach.
On the night of October 26th, in the middle of a World Series Game 4, we were reminded of the value of that connection.
We were watching a glittering performance by San Francisco Giants starter Madison Bumgarner, as he shut down one Kansas City Royals player after another. Big swings, ground outs, strikeouts, the Royals offense was going nowhere fast. In the midst of feverish typing, tweeting, and talking, I stopped, as did so many other people with their eyes switching back and forth between the TV and computer screens. When you see tragic news reported, you have to hear the words or read them again to be sure. I did. And then I started searching for confirmation that the word was true: Oscar Taveras, the Cardinals top prospect and one of the top prospects in all of baseball, had died in a car accident. He was 22. A little while later, reports were updated: His girlfriend, whose name the New York Daily News later reported, was Edilia Arvelo, 18, had been in the car with him. She also died.
A terrible darkness enveloped the moment, and Game 4 suddenly seemed like noise.
As we read more and more legitimate confirmations, we reacted. Youth was lost. Promise erased.
Tragedy always has a way of uniting us, whether it’s something that’s happened in our neighborhood or on a global scale, we find our people; the ones who share our shock and confusion, as well as personal stories that we tell through tears and laughter. We remember the good as we face the sadness. On Twitter, that community has grown. Our neighbors have grown to include our followers. The local baseball writer gets read by thousands of more people. Minor league players know their fans. Their fans feel a special bond with them long before, or whether not they ever do, wear a big league uniform. And we have Twitter to thank for that.
Taveras was one of the top prospects in the game, so Cardinals and baseball fans in general knew all about him. Besides, he’d made his major league debut in May of 2014. We’d gotten to see what was possible for the young player, a versatile outfielder with a power bat. Fans didn’t have to go to games to see his early progress. They could subscribe to MiLB, and see minor league games live. The daily updates of stats and news gives them, and us as reporters, a quick, clear view of at least some of what’s happening if we aren’t at the ballpark. But it’s Twitter that really gives us something. We learn things quicker, yes. That’s an awesome addition to any reporting, to anything you have a passion for. For all our overuse of the outlet, there are moments when it becomes our town hall, and allows us to make sense of what's important to us.
On October 26th, as Game 4 and Bumgarner rolled on, we turned our eyes to Twitter, and read reporters trying to find their way through the story. This was too important to get wrong. The details weren’t all that was important, so was the language. We had to take our time, word this just right, with our hearts and minds straight. Twitter, and therefore millions, waited; they were reading, discussing, already mourning. A family’s life had been torn apart. For them, we had to get the tone and the facts right.
For fans, Oscar Taveras was accessible in the Twitter realm. He shared photos, tweeted his thoughts, and a week earlier, he posted a photo of him and his smiling teammates with the hashtag #NLCS. Reporters and fans began to talk about seeing him come up through the system; games they’d seen where he displayed his offensive potential. They talked about his humor and kindness.
Twitter and all social media have taken away a sense of privacy and real intimacy, and, many would argue, a deeper sense of true human connection. On that October day, Game 4 of the World Series, the exact opposite felt true. We were united in a way we couldn’t have been many years ago, when the game was different. The minor leagues bring a sense of community, and through Twitter, that community is bigger and stronger. Those fans that headed down to a Texas League game a few years ago, were able to see Oscar Taveras in action. But even if you didn’t, if you followed, if you read, if you jumped on that far-reaching social media road, you knew much more than you would’ve in the past. You may have spoken to him there.
As these tragedies go, we all stop and ponder, and shake our collective heads at the unfairness of life. We take comfort in our neighbors. And we take comfort among those people we know but don’t know, the ones we call followers.
Other thoughts that came to mind: Can we be inspired to stop dehumanizing these guys as just 'prospects' or 'non-prospects'? Can you think twice before you call a young player 'trash'? Or when a 'stud' doesn't become such a stud so quickly in the big leagues, can you refrain from treating him like an investment gone bad? Because you've invested nothing. Take a step back. Evaluate, sure. But take time with tone, with facts, with words. That's been on my mind all day. How we talk about these guys. How they are reduced to labels, torn down, put on a pedestal. Hopefully, we can gain something within ourselves and our work going forward.
The minor league community was present on Twitter: the passionate fans that saw him make his professional debut in the lower levels; little-known but dedicated reporters and bloggers who had reported what they and scouts saw in the Appalachian or Pacific Coast Leagues; Cardinals fans who’d waited for him to develop and fully emerge on the big league stage. Last night we mourned together on a large scale, and there was something powerful about that. At its best, Twitter informs and unites. We feel less alone, learn more quickly, talk like old friends. Last night, through our use of social media, we knew each other. Because we all felt we knew Oscar.
A few weeks ago, baseball writers Jarah Wright and Stephanie Metzger joined me for a Twitter chat about prospects and the industry of baseball journalism. We decided to start doing a semi-sort of-regular private chat, and share it as a feature on our blogs.
So readers, welcome to the inaugural HOTF post of 'Three Up':
JESSICA:
Am I the only one eating a king size Hershey bar right now?
STEPH:
I wish I was eating a Hershey bar. But I have freshly painted wet nails
JARAH:
Hershey's sounds great right about now. I'll probably get one on the way to the football game tonight.
JESSICA:
I wish I had freshly painted nails.
JESSICA:
Ok, so let me just start with a big story in the minors. The lawsuit that minor leaguers filed for unfair pay. There are so many opinions on this, but I think, ultimately, this is going to be so hard to resolve. I do think they should have better wages. But I also think there's a kind of internship quality to the minors. Thoughts?
JARAH:
I see both sides point of view. The teams see it as a way for the players to adjust to the baseball lifestyle and for that adjustment period, they shouldn't be paid like the pros. But I side more with the minor leaguers. I've had both a paid and unpaid baseball internship and in both instances, it was hard for me to survive. Had to be extremely careful with money to the point where I didn't know if I was going to have enough to get back home. It's the same situation for a lot of the minor leaguers. I talked about it with one of the Royals minor league catchers and we were comparing salaries. I told them I was being paid minimum wage which was around $7.50 an hour and he said he did the math and they were making about $4 an hour.
Jarah Wright. If the team hadn't put them up in a hotel all season, I don't know how they would have made it.
STEPHANIE:
I absolutely think they should receive more pay, but I like the way you put it - "internship quality." Some of these guys in the minors aren't studs or prospects, they're there to fill a spot, so filling their pockets with cash probably isn't right. Though one could argue that the studs and prospects get signing bonuses. But I've heard the stories - six guys sharing a 2-bedroom apartment, furniture made from pizza boxes. No one should have to live like that
JARAH:
One thing I've noticed with the minor league pay situation is team internships for people wanting to work in the front office is tied to whatever happens with that lawsuit. The team I worked for this season said they normally just paid their interns $500 a month and they had to work like 50 hours a week. This season, due to that lawsuit, we were paid minimum wage and only allowed to work 30 hours a week.
JESSICA:
Great points...when I talk to guys off the record about pay, they're honest about the unfairness. Especially guys who've been doing it a long time, and then see the bonus money increasing all the time. Great point, Steph, about the 'non-studs' or whatever...they're more valuable to the club. But in the end, there's got to be a solution that brings more financial balance. You can't have guys pulling change out of the sofa (one story) & other guys millionaires before they've even played a major league game. There's got to be more equal ground.
JESSICA:
Update: I'm now heating up pasta with my homemade sauce.
STEPH:
It's crazy, how one player I know has a family and kid that lives off his bonus. Other guys, they can't do that because they can't afford it, unless their girlfriend/wife makes good money. It's unfair to have to see some guys put their life plans on complete hold simply because of these wages. I guess one could argue that everyone goes through this, though. I mean, I know I couldn't get married at this point in life unless the guy I marry makes bank. One could argue that everyone has to start somewhere. It's pretty unfair though.
JESSICA:
Agreed. And I'm always amazed that fans believe these guys make a ton of money. And even more amazed at the guys who I've talked to who say the major leaguers are all about the money, that's why they like the minor league games. It's like, what are you even talking about? The guys in the minors want to make money. A lot of (I'll say it) guys don't want to see those players make a ton of money, and they forget that, like any job, you want to move up. True, if they move up, they're playing a kid's game. But it's a business, and a tough one. And there’s our half of it. Making money as a writer in the minors, unless you're a big time prospect writer, it's not there. But you have MLB reporters trying to write about prospects they haven't even seen or worked with. That happened with Bryce Harper. They were writing about what they HEARD. But back to the financial aspect, I guess writers & players have a little in common....And, of course, during the winter, they're lugging boxes or caddying.
STEPH:
Ugh. Writers who analyze prospects without seeing them in person drive me CRAZY. But that rant's for a different day. I guess, like industry, they want to see how bad you want it. Interns make crappy pay and they assume the ones who "want it" more will stick around through it. I guess the claim could be made for ballplayers though the odds are stacked against them from the start
JARAH:
After working with players as a reporter and intern, I've realized we're really alike in terms of working conditions. Unless you're "it" or you've "made it", you have to grind it out to get to the prestige and the money.
JESSICA:
The odds are stacked against most of them...and that's the hard truth of it. Hopefully, the lawsuit leads to a bit better life for them. I'm surprised it took this long.
Here we moved on to that infamous Men’s Health Article….
JESSICA:
Ok, can we talk about the dip**it Men's Health article 'How To Talk To Women About Sports'?
JARAH:
The word "ugh" comes to mind
STEPH:
Heh. A friend sent me that link and I thought I was reading a Sports Pickle or The Onion piece at first
JESSICA:
It did seem like a humor piece. Like, 'Haha. Good one!' But no.
JARAH:
"She doesn't care about statistics. She likes storylines." I read that was like excuse me. What am I? 5 years old???? Their excuse was just sad too. It was like they said we're sorry we published it but not that we wrote it.
STEPH:
Sounds about right. Sorta like the ol' "Sorry I got caught cheating, but not sorry I actually I did it" apology.
JESSICA:
Right. The apology reminded me of when Keith Hernandez made that comment on-air about the female trainer in the dugout. He really didn't want to say he was sorry.
STEPH:
Sorry for the typos, btw
JESSICA:
Typos are welcome. What's so funny about the article is that, both stats & the story are what makes ALL of us interested, including men. Think about the greatest players in history. Guys don't just run off the stats, they remember a game they went to with their dad, or a retirement speech, or a comeback that seemed impossible. When we talk about sports, whether it's stats or not, we're talking about human beings doing something we can't.
JARAH:
One thing I thought was funny in that whole situation is the article angered everyone, not just women. I think the male backlash was unexpected and why they were like oh, we should apologize now.
JESSICA:
I loved that too.
STEPH:
I'll admit, as a writer, I think the storylines mean more to me. But I think that's because I'm a writer, not because I'm a woman. Plus, stats are very important to me. I'd get fired if I didn't know/use stats.
JESSCIA:
EXACTLY. It's all part of it. I'm going to talk about stats, whether in conversation or for work, and I'm going to talk about people & stories. And it's all interesting & what sports is. I just don't think that we're at a point in history where an article like that should even need to be written. There's way too many female sports fans & women in sports to be still writing that kind of silly fluff.
JARAH:
Stats seem to be what give us credibility as sports writers. Some of the guys I've worked with before were like eh, another woman in the press box. But whenever I started keeping a book, knew what a 4-6-3 double play was, and knew how to decipher an ERA, I got respect and never had any more problems with them the rest of the season.
STEPH:
It's 2014 - women love and know sports, men love and know theater and fashion and it's all okay. Blows my mind that it's 2014 and people still adhere to gender roles.
JESSICA:
Couldn't have said it better Steph.
We talked, sort of, about the World Series. But that was just an opener for another conversation: prospects we covered whose careers went differently than we expected. Here’s who made our list.
JESSICA:
Getting into baseball & the WS...Brandon Finnegan's story is so cool & so much fun to follow. It got me thinking about players we've covered whose careers surprised us, good or bad. I have a few.
STEPH:
The immediate one that comes to my mind is Jose Ramirez of the Indians. In 2012, no one had heard of this small guy that came to Lake County. By the end of the year, all the writers in that press box were blown away by what we saw, and now look where he is.
JARAH:
Finnegan is from my neck of the woods and that guy is just a powerhouse on the mound. Agreed with Stephanie. Similar situation with Jurickson Profar. Another one was Nick Tepesch. He could definitely throw but seemed quiet and timid in interviews when I chatted with him in 2012. Then in 2013, he won a starting rotation job with the Rangers. I was excited to see him get the shot but didn't expect it.
STEPH:
Kind of disappointed about Mark Appel so far...
JESSICA:
There was a point where Dellin Betances looked like he was never going to be what the Yankees expected. Between Triple-A & the majors, he struggled so hard with the issues we saw in Double-A. But things just seemed to get worse at the higher levels. It's not a whole 'we knew all along' thing, because a lot of people in the media, and many fans, believed Betances should & would be moved to the pen. I felt so strongly watching him pitch that he was built for it. He had to learn to be a consistent strike thrower. I can't believe how it's finally clicked for him though. He's moving into elite reliever status.
JESSICA:
I interviewed Mark Appel in college & he was so level-headed about the hype. And I think he had to be, because, yeah, he's had a tough go of it.
JARAH:
With the Royals, Kyle Zimmer keeps surprising me. When he was drafted, the kid was throwing hard and accurate. He rehabbed in Idaho Falls and while he did have a limited pitch count, I wasn't too impressed with his command. Then he goes to the AFL and does well before getting hurt again.
JESSICA:
On the flip side, I could never have imagined what's happened to Jesus Montero's career. He had issues in the minors, but the downward spiral has been a wild freaking spectacle.
STEPH:
Is it fair to say Montero's issue is largely mental? Because I totally feel like it is. It's been like a chain reaction of decline for him'?
JESSICA:
Montero's issue has always been mental. There was a sense in the early part of his minor league career that he lacked focus. And, I think in many ways, that's what brought him to the point where the GM was saying he had no expectations for him. That's rock bottom right there.
But, as for his playing ability, he was never going to be one of the best catchers in baseball. His value was in his bat. So once that wasn't panning out, and then the weight gain, it just compiled.
Zimmer's a good one. You can have someone that puts it all together, and injury just kills the momentum. I talked to a guy the other day that said he was better AFTER injury, but that's not always the case.
STEPH:
I know this is slightly off-topic but the weight gain comment made me think of it. Rick Carlisle of the Dallas Mavericks said he thought Chandler Parsons had gained too much weight this off-season. Interesting to me to see that some male athletes have body image issues.
JESSICA:
Oh, definitely. They know they have a standard to live up to.
And finally, we get into the part of these chats that will be as much a regular topic as prospect talk (yay stats!) and whatever is in the news baseball wise. While we were all comfortable discussing the industry and what it’s like as a woman, I wasn’t comfortable sharing the name of the player that I mentioned in a story. Here we go….
JESSICA:
I was thinking about the fact that we all have had these secret conversations about how players treat us. I think when you do this, you have to have a great sense of humor & be super focused & confident. But I also think we worry that talking about it makes us look weak, and that bothers me. I talk to so many girls that are afraid to speak out against players. Truthfully, I've not named names. And part of that is that it doesn't matter. But the other part is that at times I worried it would affect me getting other work. And that pi**es me off.
STEPH:
Absolutely. Sometimes I find myself hesitant to tell anyone some of the stories, because I don't want people to think I can;t handle this job or am too sensitive
JARAH:
True. For me, it wasn't the players or coaches who treated me bad but other men in the press box.
If anything else, I've worked with coaches and players who protected me from the press box guys.
JESSICA:
And, you know, the other thing is that the lawsuit got me thinking about how many lawsuits I & all of us could file for sexual harassment, particularly in the minors where those guys don't seem to understand they're professionals & so are we.
JARAH:
When I went down for interviews, they always asked how I was being treated and if they could help.
JESSICA:
That's the best. I've talked about how much Trenton Thunder manager Tony Franklin changed my career. And my life. He instilled in me that I deserved respect & that it wasn't just about it being earned, which is of course part of it. But he let me know that as a woman in that clubhouse, no player ever had the right to degrade or humiliate me. That changed me. I gained new confidence because of him.
JARAH:
I still stay in touch with some of the coaches from Frisco. Coach and scout James Vilade has been one of my biggest supporters and I honestly can't thank him enough because he told me I could make it in this business and that he would do anything he could to help.
JESSICA:
Yeah, you don't want the dreaded 'Sensitive' label. As if 'total a**hole' isn't a worse label.
JARAH:
Another issue I worry about is, if I make a complaint about players hitting on me or harassing me, would I be burning my bridges with them/the team/team personnel? Would I be pegged as that sensitive woman reporter who players should avoid?
JESSICA:
Yup.
JARAH:
I'll be honest. At one point, I came to a breaking point and had to wait until I got home to let it out so I could avoid the SENSITIVE label.
JESSICA:
The worst thing that ever happened to me was actually in the majors. And had I said anything, ti would have gotten around. And I didn't want to be attached to that player for the rest of my life & to have it be that I was his victim. I'd rather die.
By the way, he's out of baseball now, and if anyone knew who it was, no one would be surprised.
Oh, wait, I can edit this. Remember BLEEEEEEEEEP.
STEPH:
Yep, you're right - I can't say I'm too surprised
JARAH:
Not too surprising. The dude couldn't stay out of trouble.
JESSICA:
He stood beside me, waited until I turned, dropped his towel, and laughed in my face. That guy was horrific as a person. And couldn't pitch for s**t.
Jarah Wright
What a jerk. I'm scared for the [young players he coaches]
JESSICA:
I can’t stand that thought.
JARAH:
Be afraid for the next generation.
And before we go…
JESSICA:
Three ballpark essentials for you when you're covering a game?
JARAH:
My purse has turned into a mobile journalism kit but I would say my top 3 are my camera, recorder, and notepad.
STEPH:
Good question. I think I have to go with recorder, notebook and a Luna bar to avoid the constant temptation of ballpark food.
JESSICA:
I need moisturizer, two notebooks: one small, one large, and headphones. So I can pretend to be listening to something when I don't want to talk.
JESSICA:
Oh Luna bars! Yeah...so then we'll go five. I need my containers of fruit & veggies & Luna bars, so I can eat when I'm running in heels. I can't eat that vomit they have in the press box.
JARAH:
Haha. The other two would be laptop and binoculars to see bullpens. You guys are so smart with having food. I love ballpark food but can't do it every night. I would probably gain like 30 pounds over the course of the season. No thanks!
STEPH:
One team gives media a food card linked to a house account so we can get whatever we want at concessions. It's lethal
JARAH:
Yeah. That could be bad
STEPH:
It's nice when I need to satisfy an ice cream craving though.
JESSICA:
I cannot have such a card. I would eat my veggies still, but end up buying funnel cake & passing out on the gross carpet.
Stay tuned for another semi-sort of-regular installment of ‘Three Up.’
In 2013 with the Twins, Chris Colabello had a cheering section across social media.
After spending seven seasons in the independent leagues, he’d finally gotten his shot at the big leagues. After the Twins selected his contract in 2012, he played 134 games with the Double-A New Britain Rock Cats, hitting .284 with 98 RBI, and collected 47 walks. He made his major league debut in May of 2013, playing in 114 games over the next two seasons, going back and forth between there and Triple-A Rochester.
With a late-in-the-day push to have a productive career with a big league team, the first baseman/outfielder made an impression. But something was underfoot; more specifically, under thumb.
According to today’s report by Hardball Talk, which also cites earlier reports by the ‘Twins Now’ blog and the Worcester Telegram, Colabello’s injury was known to the team, but both him and the team brushed the seriousness of it aside. There were some troubling claims made about the Twins.
The disturbing part was the Twins deflecting by saying that Colabello’s struggles could be attributed to a problem with confidence. Even Colabello, now 30, put the blame squarely on himself. But the team is more to blame here if he was playing through an injury they knew of. The bottom line is that players will play through pain. That’s the nature of their job. Even more so if you’re a player in Colabello’s position, who surely wanted to put in maximum effort, in what could be a last chance.
When covering him in the Can-Am League, during his time with the popular Worcester Tornadoes, he was one of a small group of players on that talented club to break back into affiliated baseball. His opportunity came a few years after those of his teammates, but his story was bigger. Not only was he older, but he was the only one of that group to actually receive a big league job. He was known as a team leader with the Tornadoes: energetic, tough, positive. When the season was over, we spoke about his future plans. He expressed disappointment that his contract had not been bought again, but he was also relentless. He wasn’t giving up. It’s not so surprise that when he was in the midst of finally earning that shot, he wasn’t going to allow pain to get in the way.
There’s been talk on social media outlets about ‘macho culture’ and how absurd it is to risk hurting yourself, or the team, because you don’t want to admit you need to rest. Is the macho culture of sports a new thing to anyone? Of course not. But there’s also been empathy for Colabello, who did what many players would and have done in that situation.
That might be bothersome to people, but the real failure is on the Twins in not protecting their player. Don’t peddle a confidence tale if there’s nothing wrong on that end, because that could create an actual problem that wasn’t there before. And, frankly, a player of Colabello’s toughness and tenacity deserves better than that. The fact that he took full responsibility is admirable, so there’s that angle. He’s certainly not going to be the one to say the Twins shouldn’t have allowed him to play.
Ultimately, teams have a responsibility to make sure the guys they’re fielding are in the best health they can be. And it’s important to determine whether the Twins are in fact creating a culture of impossible standards.
Reliever Zac Reininger spoke yesterday, via text, about the 2014 season in the Midwest League, bouncing back from an injury, and what he's focused on improving in the Arizona Fall League. With the Glendale Desert Dogs, he's pitched 4 innings in 4 appearances, allowing 4 earned runs on (you guessed it) 4 hits. He's walked 3 batters and struck out...4.
Here's what he had to say Monday:
I felt prepared to go into my first full season. After the long off-season I was ready to get back to playing again. Missing the first month was tough, but I had to bounce back, regain my strength, and get back to one hundred percent. [Reininger finished 2014 with a 2.54 ERA, and allowed 42 hits and 17 walks, while striking out 58 through 56 innings]
I had to make some adjustments. Coach [Mike] Henneman was there to work with me on mechanics, and give me some pointers to help me get heading in the right direction. That helped me stay away from giving batters free passes. I had a few more walks this year than I did the year before. I’m starting to get more movement on the ball, so I had to just adjust that.
[Editor's Note: Reininger suffered a right ankle injury and that was the reason for the lost time to start the season] I took it slow getting back, then felt like I came back better than before.
[Arizona Fall League] is an amazing experience and I’m so glad I get to be part of fall league. I feel like I need to focus on getting control of all four pitches, and work on getting my changeup where it needs to be to continue moving up in my career.
Yesterday my piece went up for Minor League Ball on fall league participants that included Rays pitcher Jaime Schultz, and Mets outfielder Brandon Nimmo, and second baseman LJ Mazzilli. Having covered all three in the New York Penn League and Eastern Leagues, I reviewed their careers to this point, as well as their future potential, and their early fall league results.
Change is inevitable, even in baseball, where traditionalism is cherished.
The latest change is all the rage and it’s all about speeding up the pace of the game. That change would be radical, and attitudes vary on a clock being used to time aspects of the game, for the purpose of moving the action along.
Rosario’s actual praise was a positive sign that this might not be so bad, and actually could be a successful tool.
But Mets RHP Rob Whalen had a different reaction.
Here are his thoughts:
We played our first game at Salt River so we experienced the clock right away. Honestly, didn't seem to make a difference. Guys weren't in any more of a rush between pitches or between innings taking their positions.
I'm not a fan of it. The game was still fairly long and slow due to walks and tight strike zones. I think if the zone opened up a little bit you would see less walks and more contact which would lead to the game speeding up a little bit.
I don't believe it's going to stick around and make it to the bigs. It failed in college games and will fail in pro ball.
If it were to stick, it shouldn't be on when runners are on base, they can just time the clock. Pitchers need more time with guys on holding the ball to freeze the runners is part of a pitchers strategy to keep guys from stealing, especially if they have slow moves to the plate when delivering a pitch.
Taijuan Walker Update & Flashback:
Mariners RHP Taijuan Walker has pitched 9 innings through 2 starts in fall league, posting a 2.00 ERA, with just 2 walks allowed, with 11 strikeouts. Hitters are averaging just .206 off of him. Walker talked to HOTF in 2013, about the strides he was making:http://www.highheelsonthefield.net/my_weblog/2013/01/pitchers-and-catchers-preview-mlbcom-2-ranked-rhp-mariners-taijuan-walker.html">
Recent Comments