Finally! That must be what is going through the head of
Lowell Spinners pitcher Pat Light after he finally threw a somewhat flawless
two innings Thursday night in his third professional baseball appearance. In
actuality, following the game, he said, “I think [it was a relief]. I was
hoping that was coming. It was nice to get that first one where you throw up
the zero out there.”
Courtesy of Justin Soderberg/Galatians Design
Light was the Red Sox sandwich pick (in the supplemental
round) of the 2012 MLB Draft out of Monmouth University. He was highly touted
coming out of college but after two “rough” starts to open his professional
playing book he finally found his groove Thursday night.
On Thursday night, against the Connecticut Tigers, Light
threw two innings of scoreless baseball in route to striking out three and
allowing only two walks and zero hits.
In his previous two (and only) professional starts, Light
had allowed a combined 3 runs and 9 hits across just 4 innings of work.
Light was satisfied (as he should have been) with his
performance Thursday night, “Tonight I felt good. I felt good overall.”
Light, who is a fastball pitcher, had great success locating
and painting with his fastball in Thursday’s game that translated into a solid
outing, “My fastball is always there. Usually if its not there, I’m in trouble.
Tonight was good, I felt my fastball was well—kept it low in the zone, had a
lot of movement. Seemed pretty good.”
He knows his fastball is his go-to pitch but is still trying
to build a bigger repertoire of pitches as he moves forward, “My slider is a
work in progress right now cause it’s a new one. It’s a new slider. My old
slider didn’t really translate to well to pro ball. It just didn’t slide. I
don’t know what that was about but I got a new grip. It’s good, its hard and
sharp,” said Light who also boats a “secret” changeup. “Its just kind of a work
in progress trying to get it to control it and be consistent with it.”
Courtesy of Justin Soderberg/Galatians Design
Light didn’t sign until 11 days after being drafted (June
15) and didn’t make his first pro start until July 9th. Prior to July 9th,
Light had last seen in-game action on May 17 for Monmouth in the Northeast
Conference Tournament. That’s nearly a two-month layoff which could have been a
contributing factor in his early struggles. Light did think that was part of
the problem early on with the Spinners but to him it was just an odd
experience, “I just didn’t feel like myself out there [in my first few starts].
I think it was a combination of the layoff and maybe being my first pro start.
Stuff like that,” said the New Jersey native. “I wasn’t nervous or
anything. It just didn’t feel like I was
doing what I usually do…The first start was rough, I just felt like nothing I
did in the past I was doing up there. Like I was just a brand new guy. Almost
as if I was watching myself from outside my body and I had no idea what I was
doing.”
Light, who is the highest drafted Northeast Conference
player and was an ABCA/Rawlings Third Team All-American, had plenty of success
in college. In three seasons with the Hawks, the 6’6” righty racked up 196
strikeouts and a 3.84 ERA over 234.1 innings. Those numbers didn’t exactly
continue immediately in his pro career but after Thursday night’s outing Light
may finally be on the right track to success.
Kuykendall can be followed on Twitter @JoeKBSU18 and contacted at
JKuykendall@BostonSportsU18.com
While highly touted Division 1 baseball players and highs
school studs were getting all the hype prior to the 2012 Major League Baseball
Draft, not many baseball fans had heard of Nathan Minnich, yet. It’s not that
Minnich doesn’t have the skill set like the other players, its that he comes
from Shepherd University, a small Division 2 Institution on the eastern side of
West Virginia (WV/Maryland Border), so he doesn’t receive the publicity like
them.
Minnich made the most of his four years at Shepherd hitting
at least .376 with 11 HR in all four seasons there, including hitting .425 or
greater in his final three seasons and clubbing 21 HR his Senior season. For
the outstanding numbers he put up his senior season, Minnich was awarded the
Tino Martinez award as the best baseball player in Division 2. Minnich was very
honored to be given the award, “It’s THE Player of the Year for Division 2;
it’s like the Heisman. It’s an honor, especially--the first person to tell you
is Tino Martinez himself,” said the third ever winner of the award, “It’s a
pretty surreal experience and I’m honored to be one of the winners of that
award.”
Courtesy of John Courneau/Lowell Spinners
In the end it all worked out for Minnich but he did admit
being a little nervous early-on in his collegiate career because he did not
attend a Division 1 school, “At first I [was worried], like my freshman year. I
was kind of like ‘Maybe I didn’t make the best decision coming here.’ But I was
reinforced by talking to people at school and outside of the school—that I’ve
known who’ve played professional baseball—they’re like, ‘If you’re good enough,
the scouts will find you.’ And that’s why I decided to stay [at Shepherd,” said
the Waynesboro, PA native, ““I wouldn’t change it for the world. Yea, I mean
sometimes I wish I went somewhere bigger and better but it got me where I
wanted.”
Minnich’s astronomical collegiate stats didn’t exactly
translate to the professional playing surface. Through just 12 games and 44
at-bats with Lowell, Minnich hit a dismal .136 with 3 RBI. This is what
ultimately had him sent down to the Gulf Coast League Sox. There, he has begun
to turn things around and approach the numbers he put up in college. In 5 games
with the Rookie Sox, he’s already matched his hit total from Lowell (6) and is
hitting .333.
With a month of professional baseball under his belt and a
few more to go, Minnich has his eyes set on some goals to close out his first
year, “Skill set wise, I just want to get better. I want to get better every year here. Numbers
wise, once I get in there, get in the swing of things, I’d like to hit, I said
yesterday, .220-.250. I feel like that’s a solid first year.”
When asked about what major league team he followed growing
up Minnich simply replied, “I really wasn’t a fan of any team. It was all Ken
Griffey, Jr.”
If Minnich can begin to get into a groove like he did in
college, he may one day make it to the Bigs and become the player kids look up
to just like he did with Griffey.
Kuykendall can be followed on Twitter @JoeKBSU18 and contacted at JKuykendall@BostonSportsU18.com
by Joseph Kuykendall
LOWELL, Mass--Just a few days ago, the Lowell Spinners had lost 11-games in a row, tying a franchise record, and were about to play another game in hopes of not continuing the long skid. After a walk-off extra inning win last night the Spinners would not go infamously into the franchise record books and it seemingly took away the pressure of the team. With the pressure gone, fresh off a win, the Spinners bats came out to party Thursday night as Lowell put up 10-runs in route to a 10-1 rout of the visiting Mahoning Valley Scrappers.
William Cuevas threw 5.2 innings of shutout baseball Thursday night and collected the win in the Spinners rout of the Scrappers.
Justin Haley, who started for the Spinners, got into minor trouble in the top of the first when he allowed two runners to reach base via the walk but later erased any Scrappers threat by retiring the side following a Aaron Siliga flyout.
Following an uneventful bottom half of the first frame, the Spinners finally put life into the evening when J.T. Watkins and Williams Jerez hit consecutive RBI doubles for the Spinners giving Lowell an early 2-0 lead after 2 innings.
Haley, who is on a regimented pitching plan having come directly from his college season, was relieved by William Cuevas with one out in the top of the second. Cuevas, who got the win in relief, went on to throw 5.2 scoreless innings allowing just three hits and striking out 10 batters—at one point striking out five Scrappers in a row. For obvious reasons, Cuevas was given Player of the Game honors for his stellar “piggy-back” performance.
The two runs the Spinners got in the second inning would turn out to be the only runs that the Baby Sox would need but that didn’t prevent them from putting on a show. In the bottom of the fourth inning, David Chester led off the frame with a no-doubt, solo home run over the left field fence at LeLacheur Park.
To close the game, the Spinners would score one run in the fifth, three runs in the sixth and two runs in the seventh. The scoring was highlighted by another home run, this time off the bat of Matt Gedman who just barely hit a high fly ball over the right field fence for a two-run shot. With his second home run of the season, Chester’s bomb pushed the Spinners in front of the Brooklyn Cyclones to lead all New York-Penn League teams in home runs at 15. Although, ironically, Lowell and Brooklyn are tied for the worst team batting average in the league.
Unfortunately, the Scrappers did end the shutout bid in top of the eighth on an RBI double for center fielder Tyler Naquin off of Spinners reliever Braden Kapteyn.
With the win, the Spinners now find themselves at 7-17 but still living in the Stedler Division cellar sharing the space with the Connecticut Tigers who, after a Thursday night loss, also sit at 7-17.
The Spinners will go for the three-game sweep Friday night on Stephen King Bobble Head night at LeLacheur Park and if they do in fact “bring out the brooms” against the Scrappers, it would be Lowell’s first three-game sweep since the beginning of last season when they beat the Tri-City ValleyCats on consecutive days from June 29-July 1.
Kuykendall can be followed on Twitter @JoeKBSU18 and contacted at JKuykendall@BostonSportsU18.com
In just about a year of professional
experience, Bradley has already made
it to Double-A Portland
While Red Sox fans are anxiously anticipating the return of
two All-Star outfielders, they’re forgetting to take notice of the outfield
stars in the Red Sox system that may be the ultimate answer to any questions
the Sox have about the future of their outfield. The Portland Sea Dogs
(AA-Affiliate) are lucky enough to currently have Jackie Bradley, Jr. on their
roster—but he most likely won’t be there for long.
Bradley, although less than a year in the minor leagues, has
already made a vast impression throughout professional baseball. Last season,
after being selected in the 2011 Supplemental 1st Round
(compensation pick for Adrian Beltre), Bradley saw action in 6-games for the
Lowell Spinners (Short Season-A) and 4-games for the Greenville Red Sox (Low-A).
This was just the beginning of stardom for the Richmond, VA native.
In the brief ten games he played in last season, he hit .250
in 36 at-bats with a home run and three RBI to his name. The stats don’t seem
impressive but considering he had just completed a national championship season
with South Carolina (with the regular season starting in February) we need to
cut the kid some slack. And when you see his numbers for this season, you’ll
have more reason to forgive him.
Entering the 2012 campaign, Bradley was once again “bumped”
up through the Red Sox system, being assigned to the Salem (VA) Red Sox
(High-A). In just 17 games playing for the team in his home state, Bradley was
hitting an astounding .368 which also helped him have a .436 On-Base Percentage
in those few games. He was rewarded for his success with a Carolina League
All-Star nod and was also called up to Portland on June 21.
Luckily for Bradley the All-Star game was played two days
before his call-up and not-so-lucky for his fellow Carolina League All-Stars as
he went 0-for-5 in the showcase of the league’s best.
The change in scenery and competition in Portland seemed not
to phase the 22-year old outfielder as in his first 17-games in Portland he hit
safely in 15 of them and in one of the games he didn’t register a hit, he
reached base safely via a walk.
What makes Bradley most impressive and what he is known for
throughout the minors is not just his batting average but his incredible
On-Base Percentage. Bradley leads all full-season minor league baseball players
with a .471 OBP. That’s the best across 10 full-season leagues in the minors.
On Wednesday, Bradley and the Sea Dogs played in New
Hampshire against the New Hampshire Fisher Cats. Bradley couldn’t be stopped,
he went 4-for-6 with 3 singles and a double. What’s special about Bradley,
though, is that he doesn’t always hit line drive singles. He just knows how to
get balls through certain holes and get on base. After all, a 400-foot line
drive single is just as effective as an infield-bloop single.
After this incredible showing on Wednesday night, Bradley
still stayed true to his humble values. His confidence was high, as it should
be, but he wasn’t letting it get the best of him, “I’m always confident, you
can’t get overconfident though, you got to stay level-headed,” said the former
College World Series Most Outstanding Player (at U of South Carolina),
”Everyday’s a different day so you might feel good tonight. Tomorrow you got to go in there with the same
feeling; confident no matter what the outcome is. You just got to be ready to
play.”
Luckily for Bradley, the two aforementioned All-Star
outfielders, Jacoby Ellsbury and Carl Crawford, were assigned to the Portland
Sea Dogs as a part of their rehab plan. Bradley, a player being talked about as
the next best Red Sox outfielder, had the opportunity to play and collaborate
with two Major League stars while they were rehabbing. Although it can be a
very exciting and overwhelming scenario, Bradley did his best to mind his own
business but observe what they do and how they carry themselves as
professionals of the game, ““It’s a great experience to be able to see them
play and play beside them. And just learning from watching them; the way they
go about their business, their mannerisms,” said Bradley who won back-to-back
College World Series’ while at USC (2010 & 2011), “That’s just the small
things you can pick up on guys like that.”
SoxPrsospects.com has Bradley listed as the No.3 rated
prospect in all of the Sox system and the highest rated outfielder.
For a player that has a very bright future ahead of them,
injuries can be the one thing that might hold him back. Bradley has been lucky
so far in his brief pro career in terms of having zero injuries, and that’s all
Bradley cares about come seasons end. He is more worried about maintaining his
health versus shooting up in the system as fast as he can, “I just want to be
healthy the whole season. I just want to stay healthy for one whole season, everything else will take care of itself.”
Kuykendall can be followed on Twitter @JoeKBSU18 and contacted at
JKuykendall@BostonSportsU18.com
As the All-Star Break approaches, Jacoby Ellsbury is nearing
the end of his rehab assignments likely meaning he will rejoin the parent club
post All-Star break.
Ellsbury takes a hack at McCoy Stadium
Saturday Night for the PawSox in a rehab
start. (Courtesy of Ken Jancef/MiLB)
After minor stints for both the Gulf Coast League Red Sox
(Rookie-Affiliate) and Portland Sea Dogs (AA-Affiliate), Ellsbury finally made
the jump to AAA by joining the Pawtucket Red Sox Saturday night for their
divisional clash with the Syracuse Chiefs.
In the leadoff spot and playing centerfield, Ellsbury went a
quiet 0-for-4 with two groundouts, a strikeout, and a foul out. He had an
opportunity to really do some damage for the PawSox in the seventh inning when
he came up with the bases loaded and none out. On the payoff pitch in the bases
loaded at-bat, Ellsbury popped the ball up in foul territory giving Chiefs
third baseman Jarrett Hoffpauir enough room to catch the ball.
Ellsbury milling around the PawSox dugout
Saturday night. (Courtesy of Ken Jancef/MiLB)
Despite limited success in his rehab games (hitting just
.174 in 23 at-bats in 7 games), Ellsbury understands the importance of these
games if he wants to get back with the Red Sox, “It’s one thing to take a
BP/hit off the tee but you need to get back in the game and just play the game.
That’s the biggest thing that’s going to get you game ready for the big league
club,” said Ellsbury after the PawSox game on Saturday, “It’s nice that you can
get out there and just get repetition. That’s the biggest thing—just that you
get some reps in.”
Unlike Carl Crawford, Ellsbury has had no setbacks in his
rehab so far and shown no noticeable pain or repercussions from the shoulder
injury. He is happy with the progress he has made so far and what he said after
his game with the PawSox is something that is very reassuring for Red Sox
nation, “Everything’s come along nice. Definitely the last couple days have
been a step in the right direction.”
MANCHESTER, N.H.---Local Boston Red Sox fans got a nice
Fourth of July treat Wednesday night. Both Jacoby Ellsbury and Carl Crawford
were in the starting lineup for the Portland Sea Dogs (AA-Affiliate of Red Sox)
as they took on the New Hampshire Fisher Cats (AA-Affiliate of Toronto Blue
Jays) just north of Boston in Manchester, NH.
Both outfielders have been on the Disabled List for quite
some time and are slowly working their way back into big league shape.
Both Jacoby Ellsbury and Carl Crawford rehabbed with the Portland Sea Dogs in nearby New Hampshire Wednesday night.
Crawford has been on the DL this whole season and yet to
make an appearance with the parent club due to a partial tear in the UCL of his
left elbow.He had been playing in games
in Fort Meyers, FL with the Gulf Coast League Red Sox prior to his recent “promotion”
to the Sea Dogs, all of which is part of his rehab plan.
In five games in the GCL Crawford went just 3-for-14. But in
his two games with the Sea Dogs (Tuesday and Wednesday) he is 3-for-6 with an
RBI. After his seventh rehab game, which was the July 4th game in
Manchester, Crawford wasn’t showing any noticeable pain and was fine with where
he stood, “Overall my body feels well. I’m still in a battle a little with my
elbow. I like where I’m at so far,” said Crawford who went 2-for-4 with an RBI
on America’s Birthday.
In his rehab appearance on Tuesday in Portland, Crawford fouled a ball off his knee and fell to the
ground. This provided a minor scare for Crawford and Red Sox Nation but it
didn’t seem to bother him in Wednesday night’s game, “[My knee] wasn’t as bad
as I thought it was going to be. I’m getting through it.”
Crawford isn’t a newcomer to rehab appearances having played
two games with the Pawtucket Red Sox last season as he was recovering from a
hamstring strain suffered in mid-June of last season.
Crawford’s focus right now is to get back with the Red Sox
as fast as possible and doing so by accomplishing the simple stuff, “I’m just
trying to stick with my approach, do the little things that I got to do to get
ready and get back to the big leagues, and make sure the body is healthy and
stuff like that,” said the 30-year old speedster.
Its easy to imagine the frustrations Crawford is going
through watching the Red Sox struggle a bit and knowing he can’t contribute to
make them better. He spoke a little bit about that following the game on
Wednesday, “You feel bad because you want to be out there and help your team
but its just unfortunate that everybody keeps going down and we keep having all
these injuries, especially when we start to play well we get injuries. It’s a
tough thing to watch, you wish you were out there helping the team.”
Switching over to the Red Sox other prized outfielder,
Jacoby Ellsbury went a mere 1-for-4 Wednesday night in his first game with
Portland on his current rehab schedule. Previously, he too was in Fort Meyers,
FL playing with the GCL Red Sox. With them, he went 2-for-10 including a Home
Run.
Much like Crawford, Ellsbury seemed satisfied with his
performance Wednesday night as well as how he felt afterwards, “It was good. It
was nice to get out there. It was fun playing. And I was happy the way it
went.”
In the post game press conference, Ellsbury noted what he
needs to do to get back up to major league par as well as what he is currently
working on to do so, “For me, I got to test [my shoulder], it has to be
battle-tested,” said the 2011 A.L. All-Star, “Down in the GCL you try to get
some at-bats, just try to get some swings and up here you try to see some
pitches and maybe try to make some game adjustments. But ultimately you got to
battle-test it before you go back out there.”
Prior to Wednesday night’s game, Ellsbury had appeared in 69
total games with the Sea Dogs in both regular action as well as a few other rehab
appearances. For this, Ellsbury had played in Manchester before back in his
minor league playing days and he touched upon being back in the Queen City,
“It’s nice. Its always a fun place to play. I definitely remember it here. It’s
been a few years now but tonight: a great crowd. It was fun.
Northeast Delta Dental Stadium housed 8, 544 fans on
Independence Day to witness not only the post-game fireworks but also the Red
Sox outfielders in rehabilitation action. That attendance number marks the 5th
highest attendance for the Fisher Cats. Both Ellsbury and Crawford enagegd with
the standing-room only crowd; signing autographs before the first pitch. Ellsbury
touched upon the fan support, “The fans have been great to me. It was fun just
to come out here and play. I’ve been looking forward to it since I hurt my
shoulder.”
As for making it to Boston soon and contributing, Ellsbury
sure thinks he and his fellow rehabbing outfielder have a lot to show for, when
they make it back to the big leagues, that could perhaps get the team back to
its winning ways, “We’re just itching to get back. We worked so hard just to
get to this point and I think once we step onto the field its going to show all
that hard work that we put in.”
Kuykendall can be followed on Twitter @JoeKBSU18 and contacted at
JKuykendall@BostonSportsU18.com
The United States Military Academy’s mission statement is
as follows, “The United States Military Academy's
mission is to educate, train and inspire the Corps of Cadets so that each
graduate is a commissioned leader of character committed to the values of Duty,
Honor, Country and prepared for a career of professional excellence and service
to the Nation as an officer in the United States Army.” Nowhere within that statement does it talk about
developing professional baseball players. Although it is not a primary goal,
West Point did in fact succeed in “training” a young cadet into a professional
baseball player.
Courtesy of John Corneau/Lowell Spinners
J.T. Watkins a 6’0’ catcher
out of Army was drafted in the 10th Round of the 2012 First-Year Player
Draft by the Boston Red Sox. With his selection, he became the tenth Army
player to be selected in the MLB Draft since 2005 and just the 3rd
player out of West Point to be drafted in the 10th Round or higher
in that same time span.
Watkins wasn’t projected to
be picked that high but that doesn’t mean he’s going to short himself for the accomplishment,
“I always had confidence in my abilities especially as a catcher but it
was a surprise to me to be taken so high and it’s an honor.”
What sets Watkins apart from the extreme majority of pro
ballplayers out there is not an unseen skill set or odd talent but rather his
service to our great nation. Being a graduate of the United States Military
Academy, Watkins can’t just jump right in and be a professional baseball player
for the rest of his life. He still has some time of duty. Following three
months in the Red Sox system (he is with the Lowell Spinners now in
Short-Season A), Watkins will depart to complete his nessecary time with the Armed Forces. That means no baseball games, no
instructional league…just service.
While this might seem as a huge blow to someone who
finally achieved their childhood dream, Watkins is taking it in stride and
accepting his call. He calmly said, “I think it’s a great opportunity for me to
showcase my skills off the field. At the same time it’s an opportunity for me
to be able to serve. Hopefully I can do a good job.” Simply by that comment it
is easy to see how Army turns old teens into mature young men.
It gives Watkins a unique chance to follow in the footsteps
of many great former baseball players who left their life as they knew it in
the baseball world to accomplish bigger and better things for our country. The
one that comes to mind in Red Sox history and is probably the most notable is
Ted Williams. The Red Sox famed left
fielder played from 1939-1942 with the Red Sox then took three seasons off to
serve in the Marines during WWII and later the Korean War. He then played fifteen
more seasons in a Red Sox uniform to cap off his playing career.
Much like Williams, Watkins should be celebrated more for
his work off the field--accepting their duties to keep our country safe and
free.
The U.S. Military Academy wasn’t always on the Alabamians
radar as a college choice. It took a call from Head Coach Joe Sottolano that
initially got him interested and eventually hooked, “I didn’t know much about
the academy before Coach Sottolano gave me a call and I’m certainly glad he
did,” said the 2012 team captain, “I really appreciate the opportunity [the
coaches] gave me and for them to believe in me all four years behind the plate.
It was awesome.”
With all that is taught and preached at West Point, Watkins
already has a great foundation for a career in baseball as well as his life. He
did his best to learn everything he could at the USMA to help him in his future
endeavors. Watkins talked about everything he will take away from the
prodigious institution, “I think there are great things that can be taken away
from West Point. Getting a great education, being a member of a team, working
hard day-in and day-out. Its not a nine-hour-a-day job, it’s a 24/7 job—I think
that was probably my biggest takeaway, understanding that people are always
watching. There’s never an off day per say. You’re always working towards a
goal and for me that was graduation and I was lucky enough to do that. “
Courtesy of John Corneau/Lowell Spinners
Because professional sports are so revered in America and
young kids look up to athletes, Watkins is already well on his way to being an
incredible role model to young baseball fans because of the principle he spoke
about above.
In addition to all the attributes already mentioned, in my
three+ years of covering professional baseball, I have never seen a harder
working, more determined ballplayer. On
Tuesday night, Watkins was the starting catcher for the Lowell Spinners against
the Tri-City ValleyCats. Well before the game was even starting, Watkins was
already in the bullpen all by himself warming up and practicing blocking the
ball even before the starting pitcher ventured out to the bullpen. Then, while
the pitcher was doing his personal warm-ups, Watkins was working one-on-one
with the Red Sox Catching Coordinator, Chad Epperson, who just happened to be
in town as the interim manager for the Spinners while the Spinners “actual”
manager Bruce Crabbe was out with walking pneumonia.
Watkins understands what it’s going to take for him to reach
the next level. He doesn’t take his standing for granted but rather epitomizes
what it means to have grit and determination.
Part of the reason Watkins may have been out so early
blocking imaginary balls was because that is what he really wants to improve on
this season. Although already known for his skills as a backstop, he
understands there is still room for improvement and not just at catching but in
every facet of his game, “I’d really like to improve everything, my biggest
focus will probably be receiving, I’d like to receive the ball a little bit
better. I think the work we’re putting in everyday is helping. “
Courtesy of John Corneau/Lowell Spinners
The Academy should be proud for who Watkins has become and
for what he still has in store for the Army come this fall. He is the
definition of a cadet and the Red Sox should feel privileged to have him in
their system beyond just his playing ability.
He’s not quite the everyday catcher for the Spinners but
in his first game he went 0-for-5 at the dish. Then Tuesday
night as if the baseball Gods saw him out on the field early warming up, he
knocked two solid singles to finish the game 2-for-4. Even though he is only
here three more months before his hiatus, Watkins is definitely a player to watch
for his willpower and hard work. He obviously wants to shoot through the system
as fast as possible but understands it takes some time and he is content as
long as he is still with the organization by seasons end,”[At the end of the
season, I want to be] behind the plate somewhere, if its still [in Lowell]
that’s OK. I understand that there’s a bigger picture in mind and sometimes
that picture doesn’t include me. I’m
going to still work toward my goal, its not going to change the way I go about
my position."
Like Father Like Son
In addition to finally playing professional
baseball, a kids dream, Watkins has the rare opportunity to work in the same
organization as his father. His dad, Danny, is an area scout for the Red Sox.
Most father-son relationships are strengthened or formed with baseball and that
makes it all the more special for J.T. to be working in the same ball club that
his dad works in, “If I told you it didn’t mean more I’d probably be lying to
you. I think its pretty special that we both happen to work for the same
organization,” said the hard-working catcher, “It’s pretty neat, its one of
those father-son kind of things. Its special to be a part of and I certainly
appreciate every opportunity they’re giving me.”
Kuykendall can be followed on Twitter @JoeKBSU18 and contacted at JKuykendall@BostonSportsU18.com
