Spring training means varying things for players each season. For veterans, it could be as simple as getting as many reps as possible to get ready for an arduous 162-game season. For those coming back from injury, it could be about finding their timing again and getting reacclimated to gameplay. Then there are minor leaguers who are looking to stand out and make an impact in the brief chances...
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For Caleb Joseph, the seven-year Major League catcher who played in 425 regular-season games with the Baltimore Orioles, Arizona Diamondbacks, and Toronto Blue Jays from 2014 to 2020, he knew that his value would be in his leadership skills and defensive acumen. From 2014 through the 2017 season, Joseph recorded 39 defensive runs saved behind the dish. Among catchers, only Buster Posey (+50) and...
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As an undrafted free agent, Mike Bordick was happy for an opportunity in pro ball. Coming off a strong junior season in which he hit .364 for the University of Maine, Bordick was hopeful that he would get a phone call from one of the 26 teams during the 1986 MLB Draft. Though the Draft came and went without Bordick getting picked, he got the opportunity to continue playing over the summer in the...
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Steve Trachsel might not have been the hardest-throwing pitcher or one with the best stuff on a staff, but the sixteen-year right-hander made up for it with his ability to take the ball every fifth day and provide consistency. From 1996 through the 2004 season, Trachsel made 290 starts, which was tied with Brad Radke for the fourth-most in baseball. Trachsel’s 1,775 1/3 innings pitched was...
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Devin Mesoraco is thankful for the opportunity he was afforded to play Major League Baseball for as long as he did. Though his career wasn’t long and he dealt with three surgeries in a matter of thirteen months that marred his swing after an impressive breakout season in 2014, Mesoraco doesn’t look back with regret. Rather, he comes across with the rightful mindset that he did what...
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