The Comeback Kid: A Partly True Story

Astros33Resurrected · 04-17-2007, 11:35 PM

I am going to sart writing a dynasty of events that have happened and add my only little twist to them.

The story will chronicle a pitcher recovering from an injury.

I will still be doing my Yankees dynasty, I will just slow it down some and spend a little time on this.

Astros33Resurrected · 04-17-2007, 11:48 PM

The smell of fresh cut grass brought back many fond memories to his mind. Those days were behind him now, and he knew that it wouldn't be easy to return to the diamond. But this was no diamond, it was his own backyard. Playing catch with his father was nothing like pitching in the state finals in front of an enormous crowd. He winced each time he threw. Each toss hurt more and more. After ten minutes of throwing, he thanked his father for playing catch with him and went back inside. He threw his glove down on his bed as he entered his room. The walls were covered in posters and pennants. The more he looked around his room, it hit him. His dreams were crushed. "No one wants and eighteen year old pitcher who can't make it accross the plate", he thought to himself. He looked on the wall at a piece of paper with sloppy handwriting on it. It was crumpled a little and was dirty. He read it aloud in his head.

- Throws mid 80's
-Excellent location
-Overhand curve
-Bottom falls out of CC
-Durable

It was a scouting report he had found in the box one day after a game. It was written by a scout for Texas A&M. He zeroed in on the last word. "Durable", he thought to himself, " Yea I'm defanetly durable."

Astros33Resurrected · 04-18-2007, 12:25 AM

The memory was still fresh in his mind. It was the third game he pitched that season. Starting off 2-0 while giving up no runs and just 3 hits in his first two games. The team was undefeated so far and looked to make a return to the state finals. Something didn't feel quite right that day. During warm-ups, he noticed something didn't feel right. Nothing hurt, but he just felt pressure on his elbow. "I've pitched through worse" he thought to himself. He had managed to take the hill when he had a broken nose, another time when he strained an abdominal muscle. He thought this discomfort was nothing. The game started off nicely and he had yet to give up a hit through 3 innings. The first batter of the fourth stepped in. The first pitch was an 86MPH fastball on the inside corner for strike one. After two straight fastballs missed outside, he came back with a circle change on the outside corner for strike two. With the count 2-2 he went with his out pitch. The pitch that didn't fail him when he needed it. He threw a looping curveball over the inside half. Called strike three. But something was wrong. His elbow was burning. He felt like someone had lit it on fire. He dropped to his knees and gripped his arm. He had played baseball his whole life and while on the ground the thought that it was all taken away in a second crossed his mind. "I cant be hurt", he thought to himself. He had seen it happen a few times to other guys, but it nothing like this had ever effected him. He left the game and was driven to the hospital by his parents.

hayesb26 · 04-18-2007, 01:10 AM

i like it so far, very good story to build on! keep it up

Astros33Resurrected · 04-18-2007, 01:11 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by hayesb26

i like it so far, very good story to build on! keep it up

Thanks

Astros33Resurrected · 04-18-2007, 01:22 AM

As he felt the burn of his elbow, he though of his past on the way to the hospital. Growing up, he had always been a great pitcher. In little league baseball, his team had always finished first. His best friend, Wes, was always on his team. Their dads coached together, so they were automatically on the same team each year. Other coaches complained about this situation. "You cant have the two best pitchers in the league on the same team, thats just not fair!" he remembered hearing one coach say. They had been best friends since first grade. While other kids wanted to play other games, they wanted to play baseball. Always at eachother's house throwing and hitting, or at the batting cage taking turns. Wes was a hard throwing lefty who was destined for stardom. Wes was a scouts dream. Left handed, 6'2 and could throw a 93MPH fastball once he got in high school. He carried a devestating change-up that left many hitters scatching their heads. As freshman, they were considered the saviors of Hudson High School baseball. The program once was a district powerhouse but had fallen on hard times, finishing in the bottom half of the district 3 years in a row. These two were supposed to change that. And they did. Their freshman year Wes won freshman of the year. David(for those who don't know thats main guy

) also pitched very well and was runner-up for that award. The team made the play-offs but they were ousted in the area finals.

Astros33Resurrected · 04-18-2007, 01:31 AM

Their second season in high school proved to be a good one for David. He made first team all-district and lead the Hudson Hornets to an undefeated district record. Wes was less fortunate, missing most of the season due to a knee injury. He returned at the end of the season just in time for the play-offs. The Hornets made a deep push yet again but were stopped by Lorena in the Area finals again.

The next year, their junior year, would be one for the history books as far as Hudson was concerned. Wes was fully healthy and more dominant than ever. David was coming into his own as a top notch prospect for major league and college teams. Wes and David would win District Co-MVP, sharing the honor. The team would go undefeated in district play and make it deep into the playoffs. In the state semi-finals, the Hornets ran into powerhouse La Grange. The La Grange squad sported phenom pitcher Homer Bailey. Strangely, Bailey didn't pitch in the first two games, which the teams split. The Hornets didn't throw David and saved him to face Bailey. With the series tied 1-1 and a trip to the state championship on the line, David faced off against Homer.

Astros33Resurrected · 04-18-2007, 01:42 AM

David pitched his heart out. But it wasn't enough. David gave up just one run and got the loss. Homer threw like the ace he was, shutting out the Hornets and giving up just 2 hits. He struck out 16. With the Hornets hopes dashed, gazes fell onto the next season and many wondered if it was finally time for them to win the state championship.

Going into their senior year, David and Wes recieved many calls and letters from teams accross the country. Wes had always wanted to go to LSU but they hadn't contacted him. Among the teams interested were- the University of Houston, Texas A&M, UT, Florida St, and Baylor. Wes had all but decided to go to University of Houston. Wes was told by a major league scout that he would go in the 10th round or a little later in the major league draft. David recieved contacts from Texas A&M, Tulane, UT-SA, Memphis and Stephen F. Austin. He had decided that Memphis would be the best fit for him. With Wes heading to Houston and David heading to Memphis, the two would have to face eachother for the first time in their lives.

Astros33Resurrected · 04-18-2007, 01:50 AM

David almost cried as he entered the hospital. His elbow hurt worse than any pain he had ever felt. He layed down on the table and was examined. After that he was getting X-rays and MRI's. The diagnosis was bad. He had torn his UCL. Not completely, but it was a major tear. He couldn't believe what he had heard. He asked the doctor when he could pitch again and the doctor calmly said " Hopefully, with a few years of recovery, you could make it back on the mound." ,"I dont have a couple of years" David thought to himself. His season was done. And with that, Hudson's hopes were dashed. They still carried two good pitchers, Wes and a junior named Brandon. Brandon was a bigger prospect than Wes but hadn't honed in his control. Brandon was 6'6, left-handed and threw around 96MPH on a consistent basis. The team would make it to the regional finals before being squashed by Lorena.

Astros33Resurrected · 04-18-2007, 02:00 AM

Through the rest of the season, David watched from the dugout. National signing day came, but nobody showed up to sign David. All the schools he had talked to had pulled their offers. No one wanted a guy with an elbow problem. No one wanted someone who couldn't even throw a baseball. His dreams of facing his best friend on the mound, pitching in college and making a living out of playing baseball faded. The draft came. In the 8th round the Rockies were going to take Wes, but he said he wouldn't sign. They passed on him. So did many other teams that didn't want to waste the pick. He would go in the 48th round to the Houston Astros. David's phone never rang.

He had seen scouts ask his coach about him and always saw the sadness in his coaches eye as he explained what had happened. The coach knew that every scout he talked to about David, it hurt his chances of playing anywhere. And David understood how much it hurt the coach to do that to him. It was july and David had still not touched a baseball since being hurt. He couldn't take it. He dug around in his closet, found a brand new baseball and took it outside. He stood about 20ft away from a tree and threw the ball at it. He didn't throw it hard, just tossed it. The pain was unbearable. He went back inside and threw his head into his pillow.

Astros33Resurrected · 04-18-2007, 02:10 AM

A year had passed since that day. It was now the summer of 2006. He had decided to attend Stephen F. Austin St. His freshman year of college had went pretty well. He had decent grades. He played soccer and intramural basketball. The one thing that never escaped his mind was baseball. He watched the team that year and knew that he was better than any pitcher they had. But there was nothing he could do. He had began to throw every few days with his dad and began lifting weights and working on his strength. David knew he wouldn't be ready for the next season but wanted to take a shot at making the team the following year.

Wes had a terrible freshman year. He injured his knee in off-season workouts and before he threw a pitch in a game, tore up his elbow. Wes had to have Tommy John surgery.

Brandon led Hudson to another undefeated district season(the fourth in a row) and was taken in the 6th round by the Boston Red Sox. He decided not to sign and passed on many college offers. He would attend a JUCO and get back in the draft after his second year.

Astros33Resurrected · 04-18-2007, 02:36 AM

Fall came and David's arm began to feel better. He decided to give baseball a shot. He talked to the coach about his condition and they agreed that he should try out but take it easy. The week before tryouts, David noticed his arm felt better. It felt loose and didn't pain him when he threw. David showed up to tryouts determined to impress the very people who drooled over him only a year and a half before. David showed the coaches what they were hoping to see. He was healthy and had regained full command his pitches. His velocity, which was never high to begin with, had not returned. He threw in the low 80's topping out at 83MPH. After showing them how he could locate his fastball, David amazed them as he tossed the perfect change-up. " If they liked that, they are gonna love this" David thought to himself as he prepared to toss his breaking curveball. He leaned back and tossed the ball. It didn't break. It simply hung out over the plate. He tried it 5 more times with the same result. His velocity and his curveball were gone. The year before, SFA had started a team after not having one for 10 years. With no recruiting power, the team was desperate for pitching. They decided David would be on the team. David could barely hold back his joy.

Astros33Resurrected · 04-18-2007, 02:42 AM

Although he was technically on the team, David didn't throw a pitch in a game that year. He sat on the sidelines. Most games he didn't even suit up. He was insurance. He practiced with the team and threw simulated games. Some days, he dominated. Others, he was destroyed. His worst days were the days he forgot that he couldn't toss the curve. He would throw it in a tough situation like he always did and it would end up over the wall.

Wes came back successfully and would be the leading pitcher for the Houston Cougars. Although he would suffer from some tendonitis, he would manage to lead the team in K's and wins.

Brandon dominated at his JUCO and become one of the top prospects in college baseball.

Astros33Resurrected · 04-18-2007, 02:52 AM

That summer,the summer of 2007, David worked on his strength again. This time, instead of playing catch with his father, he worked out with his team. He also worked out with Wes when he was in town. David felt the best he had since the injury as school started that year. It was his third year in college. His curveball still hadn't come back to him as workouts started. David made the team again and expected to actually play this year. His velocity had returned some, topping out at 85MPH. He couldn't keep it up on a consistent basis yet. As the season came, David found out he would be a reliever. He had never been a reliever, it would be a new experience for him. Not matter what he was doing, he knew he would be happy on the mound again.

David's first appearence came in the 4th game of the season. SFA was trailing 7-1 in the 7th inning and the game was pretty much over. David worked the first batter with three straight fastballs. After fouling off the last, the count was 1-2. David threw a low and inside change-up that the batter completely missed. David would go on to finish the game, pitching 2 innings giving up 2 hits and no runs. He struck out 2 and walked none. He was finally a pitcher again....

Astros33Resurrected · 04-18-2007, 03:01 AM

That season would be a good one for David. He managed a record of 2-1 while carrying a 2.29 ERA and being one of the better relievers for the SFA Lumberjacks. His brightest moment came in the final game of the season. He came in with the Jacks leading 3-1 in the top of the ninth. He took the mound and knew that he would show what he really had.

The first hitter worked him to a 3-2 count before David got him to ground out to second on a change-up.

The second hitter flew out on a 1-1 fastball.

The third hitter, and last David would face that season, came to the plate. David threw four fastballs as the count evened at 2-2. With the lead and the season over, David figured he had nothing to lose. He knew the hitter would be sitting dead change-up as many hitters he faced did. The scouting report had gotten around that he only threw the change-up with 2 strikes. David threw the ball on the inside half, belt high. The hitter licked his chops as he saw the pitch coming. " He hung the change-up" the hitter thought to himself as he prepared to destroy the pitch. He leaned back and put as much weight as he could into his swing. As he swang the pitch disapeared. It broke away from him and fell off the table.

The SFA coaches looked at eachother. No one said it, but they all knew it. It was the devastating curveball that David had once thrown as a high school prodigy.

Astros33Resurrected · 04-18-2007, 03:07 AM

That same season, Wes had another good year. He led the team in IP, W, K and ERA. He had redshirted his freshmen year, so he had two more years left to impress major league teams.

Brandon dominated again and was eager for the draft to arrive.

He would fall to the Rangers in the 4th round and sign.

This off-season would be David's best. He was fully healthy and felt great. He worked out with the team and looked like he might make it into the rotation.

Astros33Resurrected · 04-18-2007, 03:14 AM

"I've come so far" David thought as he looked at a picture of himself. In the picture he was playing Halo. Something he did alot while he was hurt. Video games were his escape then. Now, he needed no escape. He was ready for a return to a starting rotation. He wouldn't be nearly as arrogant this time around and would be happy to be pitching. You never know how much you love something till its gone. He learned that the hard way. Work outs came and the season was about to get underway. David was slated in as the #2 starter for the Lumberjacks.

He would have a good year going 6-7 with a 2.15 ERA in 15 games. He started all 15. He managed to pitch 84 innings and show that his arm was ok. He didn't rack up the wins, mostly because the teams offense was terrible, but he didn't give up many runs, and alot of scouts noticed that. He also struck out 87 batters. With the draft coming up, it looked like he might actually make it to the big leagues.
Wes had a better season. He went 12-2 in 17 games for Houston while throwing 107 innings, striking out 122 and carrying a 1.45 ERA. He looked like a first round pick for sure.

Ric915 · 04-18-2007, 12:50 PM

Great Read looking forward to this one

Astros33Resurrected · 04-18-2007, 01:01 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ric915

Great Read looking forward to this one

thanks

Astros33Resurrected · 04-18-2007, 03:02 PM

The draft finally came around.

Round one began. With the 13th overall pick, the Seattle Marines selected Wes. He signed immediately and was ready to start right away in Rookie ball. David had to wait alot longer to hear his name called. The Toronto Blue Jays drafted him in the 21st round of the draft. He didn't care, he was just happy to be picked. He signed and was sent out to Dunedin,FL to pitch for the Rookie Ball Gulf Coast Blue Jays.

Part one of his dream had come true. He was doing what he loved and being paid to do it. It was like heaven.

04-17-2007, 11:35 PM	#1
Astros33Resurrected Hall Of Famer Join Date: Nov 2003 Location: Lufkin, TX Posts: 2,213	The Comeback Kid: A Partly True Story I am going to sart writing a dynasty of events that have happened and add my only little twist to them. The story will chronicle a pitcher recovering from an injury. I will still be doing my Yankees dynasty, I will just slow it down some and spend a little time on this.

04-18-2007, 01:31 AM	#7
Astros33Resurrected Hall Of Famer Join Date: Nov 2003 Location: Lufkin, TX Posts: 2,213	Their second season in high school proved to be a good one for David. He made first team all-district and lead the Hudson Hornets to an undefeated district record. Wes was less fortunate, missing most of the season due to a knee injury. He returned at the end of the season just in time for the play-offs. The Hornets made a deep push yet again but were stopped by Lorena in the Area finals again. The next year, their junior year, would be one for the history books as far as Hudson was concerned. Wes was fully healthy and more dominant than ever. David was coming into his own as a top notch prospect for major league and college teams. Wes and David would win District Co-MVP, sharing the honor. The team would go undefeated in district play and make it deep into the playoffs. In the state semi-finals, the Hornets ran into powerhouse La Grange. The La Grange squad sported phenom pitcher Homer Bailey. Strangely, Bailey didn't pitch in the first two games, which the teams split. The Hornets didn't throw David and saved him to face Bailey. With the series tied 1-1 and a trip to the state championship on the line, David faced off against Homer. Last edited by Astros33Resurrected; 04-18-2007 at 01:32 AM.

04-18-2007, 03:14 AM	#17
Astros33Resurrected Hall Of Famer Join Date: Nov 2003 Location: Lufkin, TX Posts: 2,213	"I've come so far" David thought as he looked at a picture of himself. In the picture he was playing Halo. Something he did alot while he was hurt. Video games were his escape then. Now, he needed no escape. He was ready for a return to a starting rotation. He wouldn't be nearly as arrogant this time around and would be happy to be pitching. You never know how much you love something till its gone. He learned that the hard way. Work outs came and the season was about to get underway. David was slated in as the #2 starter for the Lumberjacks. He would have a good year going 6-7 with a 2.15 ERA in 15 games. He started all 15. He managed to pitch 84 innings and show that his arm was ok. He didn't rack up the wins, mostly because the teams offense was terrible, but he didn't give up many runs, and alot of scouts noticed that. He also struck out 87 batters. With the draft coming up, it looked like he might actually make it to the big leagues. Wes had a better season. He went 12-2 in 17 games for Houston while throwing 107 innings, striking out 122 and carrying a 1.45 ERA. He looked like a first round pick for sure. Last edited by Astros33Resurrected; 04-18-2007 at 01:02 PM.

04-17-2007, 11:48 PM	#2
Astros33Resurrected Hall Of Famer Join Date: Nov 2003 Location: Lufkin, TX Posts: 2,213	The smell of fresh cut grass brought back many fond memories to his mind. Those days were behind him now, and he knew that it wouldn't be easy to return to the diamond. But this was no diamond, it was his own backyard. Playing catch with his father was nothing like pitching in the state finals in front of an enormous crowd. He winced each time he threw. Each toss hurt more and more. After ten minutes of throwing, he thanked his father for playing catch with him and went back inside. He threw his glove down on his bed as he entered his room. The walls were covered in posters and pennants. The more he looked around his room, it hit him. His dreams were crushed. "No one wants and eighteen year old pitcher who can't make it accross the plate", he thought to himself. He looked on the wall at a piece of paper with sloppy handwriting on it. It was crumpled a little and was dirty. He read it aloud in his head. - Throws mid 80's -Excellent location -Overhand curve -Bottom falls out of CC -Durable It was a scouting report he had found in the box one day after a game. It was written by a scout for Texas A&M. He zeroed in on the last word. "Durable", he thought to himself, " Yea I'm defanetly durable."

04-18-2007, 12:25 AM	#3
Astros33Resurrected Hall Of Famer Join Date: Nov 2003 Location: Lufkin, TX Posts: 2,213	The memory was still fresh in his mind. It was the third game he pitched that season. Starting off 2-0 while giving up no runs and just 3 hits in his first two games. The team was undefeated so far and looked to make a return to the state finals. Something didn't feel quite right that day. During warm-ups, he noticed something didn't feel right. Nothing hurt, but he just felt pressure on his elbow. "I've pitched through worse" he thought to himself. He had managed to take the hill when he had a broken nose, another time when he strained an abdominal muscle. He thought this discomfort was nothing. The game started off nicely and he had yet to give up a hit through 3 innings. The first batter of the fourth stepped in. The first pitch was an 86MPH fastball on the inside corner for strike one. After two straight fastballs missed outside, he came back with a circle change on the outside corner for strike two. With the count 2-2 he went with his out pitch. The pitch that didn't fail him when he needed it. He threw a looping curveball over the inside half. Called strike three. But something was wrong. His elbow was burning. He felt like someone had lit it on fire. He dropped to his knees and gripped his arm. He had played baseball his whole life and while on the ground the thought that it was all taken away in a second crossed his mind. "I cant be hurt", he thought to himself. He had seen it happen a few times to other guys, but it nothing like this had ever effected him. He left the game and was driven to the hospital by his parents.

04-18-2007, 01:10 AM	#4
hayesb26 Minors (Triple A) Join Date: Aug 2003 Posts: 267	i like it so far, very good story to build on! keep it up

04-18-2007, 01:22 AM	#6
Astros33Resurrected Hall Of Famer Join Date: Nov 2003 Location: Lufkin, TX Posts: 2,213	As he felt the burn of his elbow, he though of his past on the way to the hospital. Growing up, he had always been a great pitcher. In little league baseball, his team had always finished first. His best friend, Wes, was always on his team. Their dads coached together, so they were automatically on the same team each year. Other coaches complained about this situation. "You cant have the two best pitchers in the league on the same team, thats just not fair!" he remembered hearing one coach say. They had been best friends since first grade. While other kids wanted to play other games, they wanted to play baseball. Always at eachother's house throwing and hitting, or at the batting cage taking turns. Wes was a hard throwing lefty who was destined for stardom. Wes was a scouts dream. Left handed, 6'2 and could throw a 93MPH fastball once he got in high school. He carried a devestating change-up that left many hitters scatching their heads. As freshman, they were considered the saviors of Hudson High School baseball. The program once was a district powerhouse but had fallen on hard times, finishing in the bottom half of the district 3 years in a row. These two were supposed to change that. And they did. Their freshman year Wes won freshman of the year. David(for those who don't know thats main guy ) also pitched very well and was runner-up for that award. The team made the play-offs but they were ousted in the area finals.

04-18-2007, 01:42 AM	#8
Astros33Resurrected Hall Of Famer Join Date: Nov 2003 Location: Lufkin, TX Posts: 2,213	David pitched his heart out. But it wasn't enough. David gave up just one run and got the loss. Homer threw like the ace he was, shutting out the Hornets and giving up just 2 hits. He struck out 16. With the Hornets hopes dashed, gazes fell onto the next season and many wondered if it was finally time for them to win the state championship. Going into their senior year, David and Wes recieved many calls and letters from teams accross the country. Wes had always wanted to go to LSU but they hadn't contacted him. Among the teams interested were- the University of Houston, Texas A&M, UT, Florida St, and Baylor. Wes had all but decided to go to University of Houston. Wes was told by a major league scout that he would go in the 10th round or a little later in the major league draft. David recieved contacts from Texas A&M, Tulane, UT-SA, Memphis and Stephen F. Austin. He had decided that Memphis would be the best fit for him. With Wes heading to Houston and David heading to Memphis, the two would have to face eachother for the first time in their lives.

04-18-2007, 01:50 AM	#9
Astros33Resurrected Hall Of Famer Join Date: Nov 2003 Location: Lufkin, TX Posts: 2,213	David almost cried as he entered the hospital. His elbow hurt worse than any pain he had ever felt. He layed down on the table and was examined. After that he was getting X-rays and MRI's. The diagnosis was bad. He had torn his UCL. Not completely, but it was a major tear. He couldn't believe what he had heard. He asked the doctor when he could pitch again and the doctor calmly said " Hopefully, with a few years of recovery, you could make it back on the mound." ,"I dont have a couple of years" David thought to himself. His season was done. And with that, Hudson's hopes were dashed. They still carried two good pitchers, Wes and a junior named Brandon. Brandon was a bigger prospect than Wes but hadn't honed in his control. Brandon was 6'6, left-handed and threw around 96MPH on a consistent basis. The team would make it to the regional finals before being squashed by Lorena.

04-18-2007, 02:00 AM	#10
Astros33Resurrected Hall Of Famer Join Date: Nov 2003 Location: Lufkin, TX Posts: 2,213	Through the rest of the season, David watched from the dugout. National signing day came, but nobody showed up to sign David. All the schools he had talked to had pulled their offers. No one wanted a guy with an elbow problem. No one wanted someone who couldn't even throw a baseball. His dreams of facing his best friend on the mound, pitching in college and making a living out of playing baseball faded. The draft came. In the 8th round the Rockies were going to take Wes, but he said he wouldn't sign. They passed on him. So did many other teams that didn't want to waste the pick. He would go in the 48th round to the Houston Astros. David's phone never rang. He had seen scouts ask his coach about him and always saw the sadness in his coaches eye as he explained what had happened. The coach knew that every scout he talked to about David, it hurt his chances of playing anywhere. And David understood how much it hurt the coach to do that to him. It was july and David had still not touched a baseball since being hurt. He couldn't take it. He dug around in his closet, found a brand new baseball and took it outside. He stood about 20ft away from a tree and threw the ball at it. He didn't throw it hard, just tossed it. The pain was unbearable. He went back inside and threw his head into his pillow.

04-18-2007, 02:10 AM	#11
Astros33Resurrected Hall Of Famer Join Date: Nov 2003 Location: Lufkin, TX Posts: 2,213	A year had passed since that day. It was now the summer of 2006. He had decided to attend Stephen F. Austin St. His freshman year of college had went pretty well. He had decent grades. He played soccer and intramural basketball. The one thing that never escaped his mind was baseball. He watched the team that year and knew that he was better than any pitcher they had. But there was nothing he could do. He had began to throw every few days with his dad and began lifting weights and working on his strength. David knew he wouldn't be ready for the next season but wanted to take a shot at making the team the following year. Wes had a terrible freshman year. He injured his knee in off-season workouts and before he threw a pitch in a game, tore up his elbow. Wes had to have Tommy John surgery. Brandon led Hudson to another undefeated district season(the fourth in a row) and was taken in the 6th round by the Boston Red Sox. He decided not to sign and passed on many college offers. He would attend a JUCO and get back in the draft after his second year.

04-18-2007, 02:36 AM	#12
Astros33Resurrected Hall Of Famer Join Date: Nov 2003 Location: Lufkin, TX Posts: 2,213	Fall came and David's arm began to feel better. He decided to give baseball a shot. He talked to the coach about his condition and they agreed that he should try out but take it easy. The week before tryouts, David noticed his arm felt better. It felt loose and didn't pain him when he threw. David showed up to tryouts determined to impress the very people who drooled over him only a year and a half before. David showed the coaches what they were hoping to see. He was healthy and had regained full command his pitches. His velocity, which was never high to begin with, had not returned. He threw in the low 80's topping out at 83MPH. After showing them how he could locate his fastball, David amazed them as he tossed the perfect change-up. " If they liked that, they are gonna love this" David thought to himself as he prepared to toss his breaking curveball. He leaned back and tossed the ball. It didn't break. It simply hung out over the plate. He tried it 5 more times with the same result. His velocity and his curveball were gone. The year before, SFA had started a team after not having one for 10 years. With no recruiting power, the team was desperate for pitching. They decided David would be on the team. David could barely hold back his joy.

04-18-2007, 02:42 AM	#13
Astros33Resurrected Hall Of Famer Join Date: Nov 2003 Location: Lufkin, TX Posts: 2,213	Although he was technically on the team, David didn't throw a pitch in a game that year. He sat on the sidelines. Most games he didn't even suit up. He was insurance. He practiced with the team and threw simulated games. Some days, he dominated. Others, he was destroyed. His worst days were the days he forgot that he couldn't toss the curve. He would throw it in a tough situation like he always did and it would end up over the wall. Wes came back successfully and would be the leading pitcher for the Houston Cougars. Although he would suffer from some tendonitis, he would manage to lead the team in K's and wins. Brandon dominated at his JUCO and become one of the top prospects in college baseball.

04-18-2007, 02:52 AM	#14
Astros33Resurrected Hall Of Famer Join Date: Nov 2003 Location: Lufkin, TX Posts: 2,213	That summer,the summer of 2007, David worked on his strength again. This time, instead of playing catch with his father, he worked out with his team. He also worked out with Wes when he was in town. David felt the best he had since the injury as school started that year. It was his third year in college. His curveball still hadn't come back to him as workouts started. David made the team again and expected to actually play this year. His velocity had returned some, topping out at 85MPH. He couldn't keep it up on a consistent basis yet. As the season came, David found out he would be a reliever. He had never been a reliever, it would be a new experience for him. Not matter what he was doing, he knew he would be happy on the mound again. David's first appearence came in the 4th game of the season. SFA was trailing 7-1 in the 7th inning and the game was pretty much over. David worked the first batter with three straight fastballs. After fouling off the last, the count was 1-2. David threw a low and inside change-up that the batter completely missed. David would go on to finish the game, pitching 2 innings giving up 2 hits and no runs. He struck out 2 and walked none. He was finally a pitcher again....

04-18-2007, 03:01 AM	#15
Astros33Resurrected Hall Of Famer Join Date: Nov 2003 Location: Lufkin, TX Posts: 2,213	That season would be a good one for David. He managed a record of 2-1 while carrying a 2.29 ERA and being one of the better relievers for the SFA Lumberjacks. His brightest moment came in the final game of the season. He came in with the Jacks leading 3-1 in the top of the ninth. He took the mound and knew that he would show what he really had. The first hitter worked him to a 3-2 count before David got him to ground out to second on a change-up. The second hitter flew out on a 1-1 fastball. The third hitter, and last David would face that season, came to the plate. David threw four fastballs as the count evened at 2-2. With the lead and the season over, David figured he had nothing to lose. He knew the hitter would be sitting dead change-up as many hitters he faced did. The scouting report had gotten around that he only threw the change-up with 2 strikes. David threw the ball on the inside half, belt high. The hitter licked his chops as he saw the pitch coming. " He hung the change-up" the hitter thought to himself as he prepared to destroy the pitch. He leaned back and put as much weight as he could into his swing. As he swang the pitch disapeared. It broke away from him and fell off the table. The SFA coaches looked at eachother. No one said it, but they all knew it. It was the devastating curveball that David had once thrown as a high school prodigy.

04-18-2007, 03:07 AM	#16
Astros33Resurrected Hall Of Famer Join Date: Nov 2003 Location: Lufkin, TX Posts: 2,213	That same season, Wes had another good year. He led the team in IP, W, K and ERA. He had redshirted his freshmen year, so he had two more years left to impress major league teams. Brandon dominated again and was eager for the draft to arrive. He would fall to the Rangers in the 4th round and sign. This off-season would be David's best. He was fully healthy and felt great. He worked out with the team and looked like he might make it into the rotation.

04-18-2007, 12:50 PM	#18
Ric915 All Star Starter Join Date: Jul 2003 Location: Lake Havasu City Arizona Posts: 1,262	Great Read looking forward to this one

04-18-2007, 03:02 PM	#20
Astros33Resurrected Hall Of Famer Join Date: Nov 2003 Location: Lufkin, TX Posts: 2,213	The draft finally came around. Round one began. With the 13th overall pick, the Seattle Marines selected Wes. He signed immediately and was ready to start right away in Rookie ball. David had to wait alot longer to hear his name called. The Toronto Blue Jays drafted him in the 21st round of the draft. He didn't care, he was just happy to be picked. He signed and was sent out to Dunedin,FL to pitch for the Rookie Ball Gulf Coast Blue Jays. Part one of his dream had come true. He was doing what he loved and being paid to do it. It was like heaven.