Wednesday, April 3, 2013

How Bradley, Jr. Almost Ended Up In Pinstripes

 DAVID GOLDMAN/AP PHOTO
First, a warning. Read the article by Alex Speier of WEEI.com while you're sitting down. Otherwise, the notion that Jackie Bradley, Jr. could easily have been a member of the Evil Empire might adversely affect your health. In fact, the Yankees scouted Bradley at his Virgina high school and gave him a glowing report. Said the Empire scout, "Our impression of him with the Yankees was confirmed one day after his senior year when he showed up at our Northeast Area Code Tryout at his high school field in Virginia...Matt Hyde, our scout who runs the team, wanted to put him on the club until Jackie informed him that he had already graduated from high school. If that had happened, incidentally, he would have joined an outfield that already had a kid from New Jersey named Mike Trout. The impressions that he made that day were positive -- good energy and enthusiasm, a kid that you could tell really loved the game." When the Yankees did not offer Bradley a king's ransom to sign out of high school, he honored his commitment to the University of South Carolina and won two College World Series championships there. And the way he dropped down the draft board in 2011 and into the laps of the Red Sox (at sandwich pick #40) is just as amazing as his near-death experience with the Pinstriped Posers. Thankfully, he is ensconced at Fenway for many years to come.