On July 21, 2004, a 21-year-old top prospect from Virginia made his major league debut for the team he grew up rooting for. Batting seventh and playing third base, David Wright began a career that seemed destined for eventual enshrinement into the hallowed halls of Cooperstown. Showcasing extra-base power – with his trademark hits to right-center field – along with good speed on the...
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When Jay Horwitz interviewed for a public relations position with the New York Mets back in 1980, he was convinced that the prospects of getting hired were slim to none. After all, Horwitz showed up to his interview a half-hour late after he went to the wrong hotel and then proceeded to spill a container of orange juice on general manager Frank Cashen’s lap after nervously reaching...
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For a second straight year, the New York Mets’ draft strategy was to infuse their system with high-end, high-impact talent that included taking risks on players with signability questions. And while teams prioritize talent over need, the Mets were able to add two exciting players within their first three picks of the 2020 MLB Draft that fill a major void in their system: high-upside...
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From 2009 through the 2012 season, left-handed reliever Eric O’Flaherty was one of the most effective and heavily used pitchers in the game. O’Flaherty, 35, appeared in 276 games in that stretch, good for a four-way tie for the seventh-most appearances in baseball. Among qualified relievers, O’Flaherty’s 1.95 ERA was the fourth-lowest behind Craig Kimbrel, Mariano Rivera...
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In 2002, Disney released the American sports drama The Rookie into theaters. Audiences were captivated by the real-life story that took place in 1999 of Jim Morris, a then 35-year-old high school science teacher and baseball coach who was drafted by the Milwaukee Brewers as a left-handed pitcher more than fifteen years prior. Morris’ dream of pitching in the major leagues was halted by a...
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