I actually thought of calling this piece American Idol comes to baseball but that would be insulting to American Idol. If you’re thinking that I watch American Idol, I can tell you the answer is no.
My day started out reading that Josh Booty was going to camp to try out for the Arizona Diamondbacks. The reason he is going is because he won a contest that was sponsored by MLB called The Next Knuckler.
So I looked into this story further. Evidently, this was a show on MLB where TIm Wakefield would work with some ex-quarterbacks players for a few weeks and teach them how to throw the knuckeball. Booty would win this contest, beating out other ex-quarterbacks that included Doug Flutie.
In the end, Booty, who is 37 y will go to camp and have the thrill of facing major league hitters during the exhibition season to see if he can make the team or go to the minors. The odds are that he won’t but it’s supposed to be a nice story.
Is it really a nice story though? Sure, people will say that it’s harmless. Nothing more than a PR stunt. Kevin Towers, the GM of the D’backs thought it was good because he was there when Wakefield was with the Pirates. As far as he was concerned, as long as Booty can get people out, then that’s what counts. Kirk Gibson said that he’ll make sure Booty is ready before sticking him in a game.
As far as I’m concerned, it’s a head-shaker. If I were a D’Backs fan, I would at the least be shaking my head. Yes, spend a few weeks on a TV show and your dreams come true after spending some time learning how to throw a knuckeball.
You want to know what a nice baseball story is, then watch the movie The Rookie with Dennis Quaid. That was based on a true story of Jim Morris being able to throw a fastball over 95 miles an hour at the age of 35 so he could extend his career after going no higher than 86 mph a few years ago. Here was a guy who went to camp having no idea that he could throw that hard now.
From there, you saw him go to the minors and pitch even while his family was in financial trouble. Yet, he persevered and made his dream come true when he pitched in Arlington Stadium for the Tampa Bay Rays. He pitched for two more seasons before retiring.
That was a great story. What’s happening now in this story is nothing more than a bunch of nonsense to me. It’s a shame that this is what baseball has come to. Just looking for the next gimmick.
Rick Holman
My day started out reading that Josh Booty was going to camp to try out for the Arizona Diamondbacks. The reason he is going is because he won a contest that was sponsored by MLB called The Next Knuckler.
So I looked into this story further. Evidently, this was a show on MLB where TIm Wakefield would work with some ex-quarterbacks players for a few weeks and teach them how to throw the knuckeball. Booty would win this contest, beating out other ex-quarterbacks that included Doug Flutie.
In the end, Booty, who is 37 y will go to camp and have the thrill of facing major league hitters during the exhibition season to see if he can make the team or go to the minors. The odds are that he won’t but it’s supposed to be a nice story.
Is it really a nice story though? Sure, people will say that it’s harmless. Nothing more than a PR stunt. Kevin Towers, the GM of the D’backs thought it was good because he was there when Wakefield was with the Pirates. As far as he was concerned, as long as Booty can get people out, then that’s what counts. Kirk Gibson said that he’ll make sure Booty is ready before sticking him in a game.
As far as I’m concerned, it’s a head-shaker. If I were a D’Backs fan, I would at the least be shaking my head. Yes, spend a few weeks on a TV show and your dreams come true after spending some time learning how to throw a knuckeball.
You want to know what a nice baseball story is, then watch the movie The Rookie with Dennis Quaid. That was based on a true story of Jim Morris being able to throw a fastball over 95 miles an hour at the age of 35 so he could extend his career after going no higher than 86 mph a few years ago. Here was a guy who went to camp having no idea that he could throw that hard now.
From there, you saw him go to the minors and pitch even while his family was in financial trouble. Yet, he persevered and made his dream come true when he pitched in Arlington Stadium for the Tampa Bay Rays. He pitched for two more seasons before retiring.
That was a great story. What’s happening now in this story is nothing more than a bunch of nonsense to me. It’s a shame that this is what baseball has come to. Just looking for the next gimmick.
Rick Holman