In the final days leading up to the start of the season, tough roster decisions are made. Managers and coaching staffs convene and pore over certain guys who may be on the fringes of making the 25-man roster, and sometimes (often, really) these decisions can be tough.
Brock Stassi, a 27-year-old first baseman/right fielder, was informed by Phillies manager Pete Mackanin that he made the roster after an impressive showing this spring and, as you see atop this post, Stassi was absolutely overwhelmed with emotion at receiving the good news.
As quoted by MLB.com’s Ben Harris, he was nearly brought to tears:
Stassi’s is a story worth telling, and a great example of never giving up on yourself. A 33rd-round Draft pick by Philadelphia in 2011, he has yet to appear in a Major League game. He spent 2016 with the Phillies’ Triple-A club in Lehigh Valley, hitting .267/.369/.437 in 117 games. H/T (MLB.com)
This is most definitely one of those “This is why we love sports” moments.
There are few better stories in sports than a minor league baseball player getting his first call up to the minors. Especially a minor leaguer who was a late round pick, who by conventional wisdom, would be expected to never even sniff a major league dugout. This guy’s spent the last 6 years making like $30,000 a year playing in rundown middle America cities in front of 3,000 people. All the while riding busses from game to game and staying in motels usually reserved for a late night pick up of a truck stop Lot Lizzard. That’s a hooker.
No wonder this guy was brought to tears. He basically just got told he’s being released from a POW camp. Talk about rags to riches. Not only will he for the first time as a professional athlete be making a 6 figure annual paycheck, but now he’s going to be living the good life from all angles. All the luxury hotels, free food, first class airfare. Not to mention the women. I hear some women these days tend to take a liking to professional athletes. Could all be speculation, who knows.
