Читать книгу Rage. The Legend of "Baseball Bill" Denehy онлайн

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In 1967 I had every reason to be optimistic about my future. The year before I had pitched for Double-A Williamsport, and I had a nine-win-and-two-loss record with a 1.97 earned run average. I had been named Pitcher of the Year in the Eastern League. I was promoted to Triple-A Jacksonville, and even though I hadn’t pitched very well there, I was sure I’d make it to the majors.

I was cocky, though I never saw it as cockiness. I felt I was self-confident. Everyone else said I was cocky. I wondered why the Mets had bothered to send me to the minors at all. I had some trouble getting my breaking ball over, but in my mind I felt I had big-league talent and should have already started my professional career with the big boys.

I wasn’t the only phenom on the Mets’ roster. The Mets had a number of excellent young pitching prospects in the minor leagues, including Tom Seaver and Jerry Koosman. Scouts swore I was just as talented as they were, if not more so. In fact, in the Mets’ 1967 yearbook, “Billy the Kid” Denehy got more press than the fair-haired Tom Seaver, the all-American college star from California who was certain to make the jump from Triple-A ball to the Mets.