Interesting story from a young player: Why I quit Major League Baseball
After Mariano Rivera, unarguably the greatest closer in baseball history, announced in March that this season would be his last, a fanfare accompanied his arrival at every stadium—a season-long celebration of Rivera’s retirement. It would be correct to say that I also retired from baseball, but it seems pretentious and unmerited; I quit. I was only twenty-four, healthy and strong, and earning lots of money as a Chicago Cubs rookie pinch hitter, with a decent chance of becoming an everyday starter.
When I was eighteen, in 2006, I decided to bypass my college offers and play baseball professionally. I had narrowed my choices to Stanford and Florida, but the Philadelphia Phillies selected me in the first round of the draft—and gave me nearly a million dollars to join their organization and start working my way to the majors. I spent six years playing minor-league ball in Florida, Texas, California, New Jersey, and Iowa. I was picked for the All-Star Futures Game, which showcases the best minor leaguers; one year I was even rated as the best second baseman in the minor leagues.
I made my major-league début with the Cubs on May 7, 2012, as a pinch hitter in the eighth inning of a home game against the Atlanta Braves. I stepped up to the plate with the mixed serum of emotions that every first-timer feels: happy that I had arrived at a place so hard to reach; astounded that I was now playing with the players I had idolized; and determined to keep getting better so that I could take their jobs. I was proud to be standing at the plate in front of so many people; the adrenaline alone made me feel weightless.
More at:
http://www.newyorker.com/online/blogs/sportingscene
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