Watch Don Mattingly Trick Pitcher Into Thinking He Was Heading to the Minors Before Surprising Him with All-Star Announcement
Every kid who plays baseball has dreams of playing in the majors at some point. They daydream about being the player at the plate in the bottom of the 9th inning during game seven of the World Series with the score tied up, two outs, and a full count who watches the final pitch come in then cranks it over the center-field wall for the game-winning home run. Most will never have that chance, but for those who are good enough to make their way onto a Major League Baseball team roster, it's no doubt a dream come true.
What people don't know is that in most cases, a player who is drafted by a major league team generally spends a number of years playing in the various levels of minor league baseball before they ever put on the jersey of the team who drafted them. Even once that happens, there's no guarantee they'll be on the roster permanently. It's not uncommon for players to be sent back down to the minors to make space on the roster for another player, if their performance dips for a while, or to ease them back into playing shape after an injury. Whatever the reason, it's not news any major league player wants to get.
Earlier this week, Miami Marlins starting rookie pitcher, Trevor Rogers thought he was getting that news when team manager (and Evansville native, of course) Don Mattingly called him into his office. With a camera tucked away in the corner, Rogers comes in, sits down, and listens as an off-camera Mattingly tells him the team plans to send him to their minor league team in Jacksonville, Florida after his upcoming start against the Dodgers just before the All-Star break before revealing the true nature of the quick meeting.
Many players have clauses included in their contracts that give them bonuses for certain achievements, like making the All-Star game, for example. Whether or not that's the case for Trevor is unknown, but I imagine the feeling of knowing he's considered one of the best at his position so early in his career, and the relief of knowing his not being sent back down to the minors, is bonus enough for now.
[Source: Miami Marlins on Twitter]
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