 |
| Backstop Brady |
No matter what happens on Sunday,
Tom Brady is a lock for enshrinement in Canton, Ohio. If things had gone a little differently, he
might have been a lock for enshrinement in Cooperstown, NY as well. After all, he graduated from the same California High School as
Barry Bonds—um.....never mind.
Montreal Expos scout John Hughes helped snag Brady in the 18th round of the 1995 amateur draft. He recently waxed poetic about what might have been,
"I think he would have been a pro. He had all the intangibles. He could throw, left-handed power. There is no reason to think this guy couldn't have been a big league catcher." The 6'3" backstop even had a tryout for
Les Expos at Candlestick Park in San Francisco. The 17-year old Brady kid stepped into the box and,
"It was foggy, wind was blowing in. It was cold. I think Tom hit one out of the park, but the ball wasn't going anywhere." So, who knows? This season, 'veteran catcher' Brady might have been retiring as a Washington National—and not aiming for his fourth Super Bowl ring. As Hughes said,
"I could have ruined NFL history if I signed this guy." Indeed.
