"During the off-season period, I'm very training-intensive, as if I'm going to play for 7 consecutive months." Jason Marquis, who is 38 years old, will go to the classic race for Israel, said, "If I have a chance, I will prepare for the long-term future." The major leagues have accumulated 124 wins in their career, but Marquis, who has not played for a year, is eager to return to the major leagues through the classics.
Marquis was a member of the Cardinals 2006 World Championships, and 2009 was also selected for the Star Tournament. Although the last time he took the board in the Major League was May 2015, he did not plan to retire; he remained open to any team in the future.
Marquis, who has not had any competition in the past year and a half, returned to New York to return to his family life and coached his son's teenager, while also continuing to train. "I'm probably back to my 22 or 23 years old," Marquis said. Marquis has a very high chance in the Classics and will serve as the starting pitcher against South Korea in the first match.
Last year, Marquis and other retired major league stars participated in the amateur national baseball conference world competition, which ignited the idea of returning to the field, and then accepted the invitation from Israel to participate in the classic qualifiers. After only three weeks of training, Marquis started twice in 7 innings in the qualifying round, lost 1 point after being knocked 2 am, and also struck out 6 strikeouts.
"The classic game is an excellent stage to show your strength. I hope everything goes as expected; everything can happen in the future, if the pitcher is injured, or if the young pitcher is not used to it, maybe I can get another chance," Marquis said.
For Marquis, the classics are not just a springboard for returning to the major leagues, but also very important for the development of baseball in Israel. "My Jewish background has made me who I am today, and these traditions are very important to me. Now I have the opportunity to let the people of Israel know why baseball is one of the greatest sports in the world; I think this is another meaning of the classics. If we can increase the number of people watching 5%, 10%, or even 15%, we will succeed."
