We dont realize how crazy mlb pitching is. Tv doesnt do it justice.
& Dont feel bad. I couldnt hit 70 mph fastballs in little league. High school was embarrassing. The moment i 1st saw & heard a 90 fastball. Any confidence i could play further ended abruptly.
I vividly remember this kid Jeff Warburton. He threw 90 + a curve. I step in to face him.
90moh right down the middle. Zzzz pop. Strike one. Zzzzz- pop strike 2. Bat hasnt left my shoulder. Then he throws a curve. I thought it was fast all headed for my chin. I bail on my ass. I gear the ump, strike 3. I was on my ass. I didnt see it. The ump is trying not to laugh.
I asked- "sorry kid, curved in split the plate in half."... That was JV ball!
I remember well. .078 ba my 1 year of jv
Freshman Jeff Warburton no hit us that day. Walking a few.
I went 0-2. Never got the bat off my shoulder.
Warburton made varsity for neighboring Fairfield as a sophmore. Became an "all section" player as junior & senior.
Strange enough- never heard Of him after. I half expected him to be in MLB. He was a bit of a local legend in the fairfield/vacaville sports sections.
My best friend, Jeff Hoover. He too was a helluva pitcher. He fell off the radar & into the druggie abyss post high school. I ran into him on a visit back to vacaville in 2008. He was home on weekend furlough from prison release halfway house.
The dude was an absolute walking disaster. In high school- he was huge. 6.2 250 or 260.
Fastball, knuckle curve & curve. Tossed a half dozen or so high school no hitters. He quit as a junior to be a "Rock Star". I can never remember the name of the christian band that finally gave him his big break replacing their existing drummer. Jeff went on tour with them and disappeared towards the end of their tour into the drug filled world of hot groupies.
Craziness but true.
Growing up in the 60's. We saw sum chit. Oh yes we did. Not many of us made it out alive/ intact.
Of the 2 dozen or so i hung with back in high school. 2 of us went to college. The majority died young or went to prison. 1 or 2 became preachers.
Living so close to Travis afb. The Biggest MAC base on the west Coast. Hard drugs were cheap and plentiful.
In my senior year i got arrested for selling drugs- pot. My 1st offense & only 17.
It changed the trajectory of my life. I was given probation through to my 18th b-day. My PI changed my life. Sharon Wilkerson. I think I owe my life to her. She took me around to san quentin, cal med facility( prison in vacaville). Did visiting day with a handful of prisoners she knew would be willing to tell me their stories.
Scared me straight! Ms. Wilkerson got me to understand my 1 arrest was my warning. Next time id be doing hard time. I rode that inspiration through college. Never looked back. Never smoked pot again until my cancer diagnosis.
I got so fvckin lucky! So LUCKY!
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