“It’s okay to think about what you want to do,
but doing it is another matter.”
“If I sign up for an older guy with the team,
I will be fired.”
“Dream It cannot be used for food, nor can it be used to buy clothes, shoes, or hire a babysitter.”
.............
How should you respond when faced with doubts?
Maybe today's baseball screening room can give you the answer.
Picture source Douban: "The Pitcher of the Mind"
The age above 30 is an age when athletes can consider retirement, let alone pitchers of this age group, how unimaginable it is fantasy for pitchers of this age to re-enter the major leagues from the draft. When a man reaches middle age, torture in his family and career will gradually make a man lose confidence and make him numb.
There are not many people who dare to chase their dreams at this moment. The movie "Pitcher" tells the story of a 35-year-old man named Jim Morris, , how he managed to survive in the "twilight years" of athletes. Years" is the story of bravely pursuing his professional baseball dream.
The hardships and setbacks on the road to pursuing dreams
Little Jim in the story has been obsessed with baseball since he was a child. In addition to eating and sleeping for 24 hours, he practiced pitching. Whether in the yard, in bed, or on the field, he dreams of one day playing in the major leagues.
Jim often participated in games when he was in school. Because his father was a naval officer, their home address needed to change frequently, which meant that he never played a complete season during his school career.
Jim practiced pitching day and night while growing up. In the end, with his excellent talent and hard work, he successfully entered the Brewers Minor League (each major league team has several minor league teams, and each player is Players who enter the major league stage must first go through the experience of the minor league, and finally be recognized as an official player in the major league), but his baseball dream has temporarily stopped in the minor league 1A (there are six levels of minor league teams, namely 3A , 2A, Advanced 1A, 1A, Short-term 1A and Rookie League) The reasons that prevented him from stopping playing baseball are also very commonplace: a sudden shoulder injury, which put the train to his dream on pause.
The dream in his heart will never be extinguished
After a few years of rest, Jim Morris, who got married and had children, taught chemistry and served as a baseball coach at Big Lake High School. 's stable life seems to have entered the trajectory of an ordinary middle-aged uncle.
While coaching baseball, the students' losing streak cast a shadow in the game, and low morale has always shrouded the school team [Owls]. In order to inspire his team members and rekindle their fighting spirit, Jim proposed an unreachable gambling challenge. If the team can win the district championship, he will challenge professional baseball again at the age of 35. Fight for a spot in the big leagues.
This sounds as ridiculous as a million dollars falling from the sky. Saying it will only cause adults to laugh. However, the group of children with dreams don't think so. They are eager to help Jim get back on the professional baseball stage and sound the horn of hope for everyone's baseball dreams. They are even more eager to rely on this promise to change the bad status quo. , with more power to win the championship in one fell swoop.
The dream train restarted
The story moved in the ideal direction, and the Owls fought hard to catch up, five consecutive wins, 12 consecutive wins, 16 consecutive wins , with constant strikeouts and home runs, the Owls won like a rock. After winning 17 games, he finally lived up to expectations and won the district championship!
"It's your turn now, coach." It's time for Jim Morris to fulfill his promise. He immediately left for San Angelo to participate in the pitching test meeting that year. After 10 years, scout still recognized the potential stock at a glance, but when he learned that he came to the draft himself instead of bringing young players to participate, the expressions on the scout's face were mixed.
However, Jim's persistence in pitching training for more than 20 years finally paid off. He stood on the pitcher's mound and actually threw a 98 fastball at this age, which made everyone on the court freeze. You know, most golfers' ball speed will only decrease with age, but Jim did the opposite, which allowed scouts to see his value.
Conflict between dreams and family
However, things were not as smooth sailing as imagined. After receiving and completing the test with the Tampa Bay Devil Rays (the predecessor of the Rays), Jim was opposed by his father and wife.
"It's okay to think about what you want to do." "Dreams can't be eaten as food." Jim's frustration and family ties to him all influenced his decision. Just when Jim was about to give up, his wife Setting an example for your children supports and encourages Jim's decision. He immediately left for the minor leagues to chase his dream .
dream, return to the competition!
Jim, who started playing in the minor leagues, did not fully adapt to the rhythm of the court game. Frequent wild pitches (a pitcher throwing a ball that the catcher cannot catch is called a wild pitch). Jim's journey as a rookie was not smooth, Not only was he ridiculed by his teammates, but no team was willing to sign him after playing in 3A (3A is the minor league level closest to the major league level) for a long time.
But soon, Jim rediscovered himself on the court and used his stable fastball to get a contract as a relief pitcher for the major league team Tampa Bay Devil Rays. At that moment, he perfectly fulfilled his promise to the [Owls] players, broke the rumors, , and completed his league dream despite many hardships!
Jim's first game was against Texas Rangers . In the second half of the 8th inning, with the score 1-5, the opponent had two outs. At this time, Jim, who was a relief pitcher, came on. With a stable attitude and a good attitude, he threw three 98-mile fastballs from and swallowed the inning.
Although there is a big gap in the score, winning 1k on its first appearance can be regarded as the reward of Jim's hard work and sweat over the years. Even the father who had never been to the stadium to watch his son play quietly came to the game. The father who missed most of his children's games finally did not miss the moment when his son's dream came true. At this time, Jim also made the most of his major league career. The first baseball was given to my father.
A true story in the league:
An older player’s journey to professional baseball
James Samuel Morris Jr.
(James Samuel Morris Jr)
The protagonist of this movie is adapted from the true story of Morris. However, unlike the movie, 's family never supported him from beginning to end, and he even played American football for a period of time in high school.
In 1982, Morris was ranked 466 in the Yankees' amateur baseball draft, but the Yankees did not sign him. The following year, he was signed with the fourth overall pick in the Milwaukee Brewers' amateur draft, but suffered several shoulder injuries while playing in the minor leagues and missed the entire 1986 season.
Morris was released after pitching in four games in 1987, and had no further development after 1A.. Everyone is familiar with the story that followed: Coach returned to the league. But his stay in the league was not very long. In 2000, two months after playing for the Rays, an old injury recurred, and the entire season was scrapped.
After signing with the Dodgers minor league team in 2001, he was released after attending spring training. Morris' wife divorced him and his major league career ended. Although Morris did not have a perfect ending compared to the movie, it is true that this senior baseball player has a heart that never gives up. He stood on the pitcher's mound of the major leagues and blew the whistle of his own hard work. The trumpet of breaks down the impossibility in everyone's mouth one by one.
Luke Hagerty
(Luke Hagerty)
Next, this guy can be regarded as another replica of the mind pitcher. In 2002, Hagerty was selected with the 32nd overall pick in the first round of the draft by the Chicago Cubs. Unlike Morris, his performance in the minor leagues was very good. As a starting pitcher in 1A, he participated in a total of 48 innings in 10 games, throwing 50 strikeouts and only 15 four-ball balls. The response rate is as low as 1.13. With this, Hagerty became one of the Cubs' most noteworthy rookies.
However, subsequent elbow ligament replacement surgery (an occupational disease common among baseball players), and he suffered from a rare disease YIPS (pitching amnesia), which troubled Hagerty for a long time. After that, the situation never got better, and Hagerty had to regret temporarily leaving baseball.
He also coached in high school and rediscovered his ball speed and ball control. At the age of 37, he actually hit a 99-mile fastball. signed with the Cubs again in October 2019 after 11 years. Alliance, It seems that Hagerty's return to the game is not smooth. hopes to see him stand on the mound of the major leagues one day and successfully realize his dream.
The above is the content of all baseball screening halls today. I hope that you who are reading the article will have the courage to overcome many difficulties and overcome obstacles in the long road of life, and will pursue that dazzling dream. Although seems out of reach, as long as we continue to work hard, even the most difficult ideals can be within reach.
is like the protagonist in a movie. Once he has the opportunity to climb to the pitcher's mound in his heart, no amount of obstacles and difficulties can stop that consistent innocent heart.
All the above unmarked pictures are from the genuine YouTube movie "The Pitcher" screenshots
