Tagged: Ruben Sierra
Reaching Your Goal
Are you part of the nearly half of New Year’s Resolutioners that have given up? Or are you one of the less than 10% who will be successful? Life is hard, keep working towards your dreams. Ron Wright never gave up. He fought for what he wanted. All of his hard work eventually paid off.
Ron Wright was selected in the 7th Round of the 1994 MLB Draft by the Atlanta Braves from Kamiakin High School in Kennewick, Washington. He played two and a half seasons in the Braves minor league system. Wright spent 1994 with the Rookie Level Gulf Coast League Braves, 1995 with the Single A Macon Braves, and 1996 with the High A Durham Bulls and Double A Greenville Braves before an August trade to the Pittsburgh Pirates. Wright now set his sights on the Steel City. He finished 1996 with the Double A Carolina Mudcats and spent 1997 with the Triple A Calgary Cannons. 1998 was a lost season as Wright appeared in only 20 Games, 17 with the Triple A Nashville Sounds and 3 with the Rookie Level Gulf Coast League Pirates. 1999 was equally frustrating, playing only 24 Games for the Double A Altoona Curve. In October, the Cincinnati Reds selected Wright off waivers. His aim moved further down the Ohio River. Wright spent 2000 with the Double A Chattanooga Lookouts and Triple A Louisville RiverBats. In November, Wright signed as a Minor League free agent with the Tampa Bay Devil Rays. He spent the season back with the Durham Bulls, now a Triple A team. Again a Minor League free agent, Wright signed with the Seattle Mariners for the 2002 season. He began the season with the Triple A Tacoma Rainiers. Ron Wright had played eight Minor League seasons with 12 different teams.
Heading into the 2002 season Wright had played in 666 Minor League games. He hit .261 with 121 Home Runs, 453 RBI, and 361 Runs scored in 2,729 Plate Appearances. Wright had played at every level, Rookie Ball to Triple A. He fought through injuries and the ups and downs of professional baseball. Wright remained one step away from the Majors. The trip from Cheney Stadium to Safeco Field is only 35 miles, but Wright kept fighting to make that drive.
The bad news in Seattle was future Hall of Fame Edgar Martinez was hurt running to First. Martinez’s injury put a damper on the Mariners early season success. Edgar’s injury was bad news for everyone except Minor League journeyman Ron Wright. He finally got the call to the Big Leagues. The years of toil had paid off. He was heading to the show.
It was a pleasant afternoon in Arlington, Texas. It was 76℉ and overcast. Ron Wright had made it to the Majors on Sunday, April 14, 2002. The Mariners were on the road, playing the Rangers at The Ballpark in Arlington. 32,866 fans watched as Seattle’s John Halama faced off against Texas’ Kenny Rogers. Ron Wright was the DH, batting 7th for the Mariners. All was right in the world.
In the Top of the 2nd, Ron Wright strolled to the plate. This was the moment he had worked so hard for, his first Major League At Bat. Ruben Sierra was standing on Second after a lead off Single and a John Olerud Walk. Wright stepped in the Right Handed Batters Box looking to add to the Mariners 1-0 lead. Kenny Rogers rocked and fired. In the blink of an eye, Wright was walking back to the dugout. Striking out looking on three pitches was not how Wright envisioned his first At Bat in the Big Leagues, but he had stamped his name in the record books as playing in a Major League game. There would be more chances.
The next opportunity for Wright came in the Top of the 4th. Seattle still clung to its 1-0 lead, and Wright could extend the lead. He again came up with Sierra and Olerud on base. Sierra led off with a Double and moved to Third on Olerud’s Single. Wright worked the count to 2-2. On the fifth pitch he swung. The ball bounced to Rogers on the mound who fired to Alex Rodriguez coming over from Shortstop to cover Second for the first Out. Rodriguez then threw home to Catcher Bill Haselman who chased Sierra back towards Third. He tossed the ball to Third Baseman Hank Blalock who chased Sierra back towards Home. Blalock tossed the ball to Rogers who tagged Sierra for the second Out. During the rundown Wright reached First and was advancing towards Second. He was never known for his speed, just nine Stolen Bases in the Minors. After tagging Sierra, Rogers threw to Second Baseman Michael Young who tagged Wright coming into Second for the third Out. The 1-6-2-5-1-4 Triple Play killed the rally, and made Wright’s debut memorable for all the wrong reasons.
Baseball is about dealing with failure. There are few failures like hitting into a Triple Play. Baseball does not give you long to dwell on your failures. In the Top of the 6th, Wright came up for the third time. He was patient in his first two At Bats, but not this time. The Mariners were trailing 2-1. Again Ruben Sierra was on Second and John Olerud on First. On the first pitch from Rogers, Wright hit the ball to Shortstop Alex Rodriguez to start a Double Play. Sierra moved to Third, but the rally was dead. The frustrating day continued.
Ron Wright never got that fourth At Bat. Manager Lou Piniella sent up Pinch Hitter Mark McLemore in the 7th Inning. His Major League debut was complete. Wright had three At Bats against Kenny Rogers. He saw nine pitches. Made six Outs. The Mariners won 9-7. The game took 3 hours and 39 minutes. Before the Mariners returned to the field on Monday Ron Wright was back in the Minors. He never returned to the Majors. Wright’s Major League career took less time than it takes to watch Gone With The Wind.
Was it worth it? Despite one of the worst possible debuts, Ron Wright can proudly say he was a Major League Baseball player. Only 18,039 players before him earned that title. While his career was not what he hoped, Wright made it to the top. He kept grinding. He kept going. The baseball gods rewarded his lifetime of work with one of the strangest days ever on a baseball field. Keep working towards your goals.
DJ
Bo Knows
The debate about who is the greatest athlete of all time never ends. Jim Thorpe, Michael Jordan, Jim Brown, and on and on and on. One name that always comes up in the debate is Bo Jackson. The 1985 Heisman Trophy winner was a two time All American for the Auburn University football team, while posting a career .338 BA with the baseball team. An elite Athlete in multiple sports is once in a generation, Bo Jackson was even more rare.
Bo Jackson was selected three times in the MLB Draft. The New York Yankees selected him in the 2nd round of the 1982 Draft out of high school. The California Angels selected him in the 20th round of the 1985 Draft, months before his Heisman season. The Kansas City Royals selected Jackson in the 4th round of the 1986 Draft as he refused to sign with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers after they selected him first overall in the 1986 NFL Draft. Tampa Bay lied to Jackson about clearing a team visit with the NCAA in part to end his college baseball eligibility. Jackson never played for the Buccaneers, instead playing for the Los Angeles Raiders who selected him in the 7th round of the 1987 NFL Draft. Football was Bo Jackson’s hobby. His Raiders contract allowed him to play the entire baseball season before shifting to football, even though he would miss several Raiders games.
The Royals sent Jackson to AA to start his professional baseball career. After just 53 games for the Memphis Chicks he was called up to Kansas City. He debuted on September 2, 1986, batting 6th, and playing Right Field against the White Sox. Chicago’s starter that night was future Hall of Famer Steve Carlton. Jackson went 1 for 3, with an infield single in his first at bat. The legend had arrived.
In 8 Major League seasons Bo Jackson played 694 Games; playing at least 100 games four times, 1987 to 1990. He collected 598 Hits, 86 Doubles, 13 Triples, and 141 Home Runs, 415 RBI, scored 341 Runs, Stole 82 Bases, 200 Walks, with 841 Strikeouts. He hit .250, with a .309 OBP, .474 SLG, .784 OPS, and 112 OPS+.
The 1989 season was a glimpse of Jackson’s potential. In 135 Games, he collected 132 Hits, 15 Doubles, 6 Triples, and 32 Home Runs. He scored 86 Runs, Stole 26 Bases, with 105 RBI. Jackson was named an All Star where he batted first. He wasted no time announcing himself by launching Rick Reuschel’s second pitch of the game out of Anaheim Stadium. He reached on a Fielder’s Choice in his second at bat against John Smoltz, driving in Ruben Sierra, before stealing second. In his third at bat, he singled off Tim Burke. Jackson won the All Star Game MVP and would finish season 10th in the 1989 American League MVP voting.
The future was bright for Jackson and Kansas City until January 13, 1991. The Raiders hosted the Cincinnati Bengals in the AFC Divisional Round Playoffs. Running down the sidelines, Bengals Linebacker Kevin Walker tackled Jackson. On an otherwise normal play, Bo Jackson dislocated his left hip. His football career was over and once the severity of the injury became apparent the Royals released him in Spring Training. Jackson’s baseball future was in doubt even after the White Sox signed him a few weeks later.
Jackson’s hip injury limited him to 23 games as a September call up. After the season, the injured hip was replaced. He missed the entire 1992 season, but Jackson and his power returned in 1993. He played 85 games in 1993, slugging 16 Home Runs, but his blazing speed was gone. Natural talent always reveals itself, even if the person is no longer at full strength. Jackson signed a free agent contract with the California Angels for the 1994 season. He played 75 games with the Angels, hitting 13 Home Runs with a .279 BA. The Player’s Strike ended the season and Jackson’s career.
Bo Jackson had the talent to be a Hall of Fame baseball and football player. Competing simultaneously at the highest level of two demanding sports is nearly impossible, yet Bo Jackson did it. His brief careers showed the world his talents and solidified his place in the greatest athlete of all time debate. It is easy to focus on his careers being cut short by injury, but life is not perfect. Instead we should focus on what he accomplished. Towering Home Runs, blazing speed on the base paths and down the sidelines. Bo knows, and so does everyone else, that there may never be another athlete like him. Over 25 years since he last competed and Bo Jackson is still the benchmark for athleticism, not of a day gone by but of today.
Happy 58th Birthday Bo Jackson. The G.O.A.T.
DJ
The Winning Run 